CollectA: New for 2018

[Flaffy]

The Bronto head reminds me of their old Agustinia, the neck I really do hope is as thick as the promo pics suggests.
The Estemmenosuchus and Dimetrodon both look a lot better than their promo pics, still bothered by the lack of lips though. Would like to see an Estemmenosuchus reconstruction that looks more mammal, and with muscle attachments to the side bone knobs though.
The Cerato looks worse than the promo pics imo. The colours just don't fit, the transition from the black and maroon on the body is pretty poor. The teeth also look a lot shorter/duller, a shame really.

[Simon]

Yes, I still don't understand how people with huge collections here deal with all of their stuff. At some point you probably need a warehouse or something, it must take a lot of money and effort anyway.

I quite agree with you.  What is the point of having a collection if you cannot display it where you can see it (and enjoy it)?  That's part of the reason I sold off nearly my entire collection 4 years ago.  I was reaching a point where I had no way to display it all anymore, and I figured I had many really rare pieces that I had enjoyed for years, and time came to let other collectors enjoy them.

These days I only collect larger scale (1/35+) medium-expensive pieces that I have room to display.  Good thing too.  If I had been buying all of the really nice accurate figures all of the companies have been putting out the past 5 years, I'd probably need a second home to display them all. 

There's a fellow who is probably the biggest dinosaur toy collector in the USA - a paper even interviewed him and published a story some years back.  I won't name him, because I am only using his example to make a point. 

He's a nice fellow and all, so far as I can tell, and certainly is without peer as far as knowing about (and having) every dinosaur toy that's ever been made - yet reading that story made me feel kind of sad for him.  Why?  Because instead of his figures being displayed for enjoyment, the story documented how he has - literally - room after room filled with nothing but boxes stacked to the ceiling of his collection.

What is the point of that?  His heirs will some day have a heck of a time selling all the stuff off, and maybe make some $$$ doing it, but in the meantime it serves no purpose, and brings no one any enjoyment, sitting in boxes.

Art, to me, is meant to be enjoyed, not hidden away.  If you go to my website you'll see all the pieces I've made over the past 16 years.  I probably still have maybe 6 or 7 of them.  I can see them in the photos, I don't need them to clutter up my home.  I also know that the folks who I passed them on to are enjoying them, and for me that's the point of art.

[Neosodon]

Despite the accuracy issues I think the Mapusaurus looks pretty good. I think I'll get it and use it as a Tyrannotitan as I think it does a better job at resembling that species.

The Apatosaurus looks good but I don't really care for the way they did the spines. They should be smaller on the neck and I find the way it transitions into 2 rows of spines on the tail a little odd.


The Mantellisaurus looks impressive and well detailed for a smaller figure.

[tyrantqueen]

The Brontosaurus is really cool, but I dislike the sunken eye sockets (maybe the problem was compounded by the lighting of the photograph). I also really like the Ceratosaurus and the Iguanodon.

[Shonisaurus]

In front of the opinion of many members of the forum critical of ceratosaurus in that it is worse than the original promotion, from my point of view I see it the same, sincerely what perhaps ruins the figure a lot is his skull excessively painted. It is unnatural. Anyway all the figures of Collecta to a greater or lesser extent are very good some outstanding, but perhaps the ones I like the most after having seen that exhibition, are ceratosaurus, iguanodon, estemmenosuchus, dimetrodon, sciuriomimus, mantellisaurus and tyrannosaurus rex feathered. 

Perhaps my five favorite prehistoric animals of Collecta among those cited are the feathered tyrannosaurus rex (I hope it stays upright on the shelves), iguanodon (very finished and outstanding figure), ceratosaurus (the only defect is mentioned) and animals of Paleozoic era: dimetrodon and estemmenosuchus (being the estemmenosuchus bigger than I imagined).   

It has been a great year for Collecta.

[Shonisaurus]

Yes, I still don't understand how people with huge collections here deal with all of their stuff. At some point you probably need a warehouse or something, it must take a lot of money and effort anyway.

I quite agree with you.  What is the point of having a collection if you cannot display it where you can see it (and enjoy it)?  That's part of the reason I sold off nearly my entire collection 4 years ago.  I was reaching a point where I had no way to display it all anymore, and I figured I had many really rare pieces that I had enjoyed for years, and time came to let other collectors enjoy them.

These days I only collect larger scale (1/35+) medium-expensive pieces that I have room to display.  Good thing too.  If I had been buying all of the really nice accurate figures all of the companies have been putting out the past 5 years, I'd probably need a second home to display them all. 

There's a fellow who is probably the biggest dinosaur toy collector in the USA - a paper even interviewed him and published a story some years back.  I won't name him, because I am only using his example to make a point. 

He's a nice fellow and all, so far as I can tell, and certainly is without peer as far as knowing about (and having) every dinosaur toy that's ever been made - yet reading that story made me feel kind of sad for him.  Why?  Because instead of his figures being displayed for enjoyment, the story documented how he has - literally - room after room filled with nothing but boxes stacked to the ceiling of his collection.

What is the point of that?  His heirs will some day have a heck of a time selling all the stuff off, and maybe make some $$$ doing it, but in the meantime it serves no purpose, and brings no one any enjoyment, sitting in boxes.

Art, to me, is meant to be enjoyed, not hidden away.  If you go to my website you'll see all the pieces I've made over the past 16 years.  I probably still have maybe 6 or 7 of them.  I can see them in the photos, I don't need them to clutter up my home.  I also know that the folks who I passed them on to are enjoying them, and for me that's the point of art.

In my case I am collecting among other things dinosaurs and prehistoric animals so that tomorrow my figures can enjoy a charitable institution or an orphanage. That is one of my dreams when I am no longer in this world. In this life, enjoy these figures and then leave them to children with low resources or orphans. 

That is my dream. 

[SidB]

Shonisaurus and Simon - you bring up a point that can be an elephant in the room (in more ways than one). It can be a matter of ownership at times: who owns whom? Do I have a collection that I enjoy periodically or is there a mass of things that possess me? I covet my freedom, it would be a shame to lose it to anything that became an idol and consumed me, day-by-day. Perhaps readers of the Lord of the Rings will see an analogy with Bilbo and the Ring. He mentions that he started to feel like too little butter spread over too much bread. When collecting becomes stale yet I'm still drive by a compulsion to acquire - then its time to take action. Simon, I applaud your wisdom. I gave away a couple of hundred of my dinosaurs over the last year or so to local day cares. They were delighted to receive them and the kids have a terrific resource. I'm finding that less is more!

[Shonisaurus]

Shonisaurus and Simon - you bring up a point that can be an elephant in the room (in more ways than one). It can be a matter of ownership at times: who owns whom? Do I have a collection that I enjoy periodically or is there a mass of things that possess me? I covet my freedom, it would be a shame to lose it to anything that became an idol and consumed me, day-by-day. Perhaps readers of the Lord of the Rings will see an analogy with Bilbo and the Ring. He mentions that he started to feel like too little butter spread over too much bread. When collecting becomes stale yet I'm still drive by a compulsion to acquire - then its time to take action. Simon, I applaud your wisdom. I gave away a couple of hundred of my dinosaurs over the last year or so to local day cares. They were delighted to receive them and the kids have a terrific resource. I'm finding that less is more!

Everything you say is true, Simon is wise. There is a saying that says more or less the following, "who else has less possesses himself". That does not mean that I like collecting, but it is also true that the excessive obsession in owning objects that you are not going to take anywhere leads to nothing, it is better to share them and in my case I was positively called Simon's message .

Wise advice yours after all, all material things do not belong to the moment of truth to anyone.

[SidB]

Then too, one size doesn't fit all. Some folk can collect (including CollectA's!) at no risk to their own personal liberty. They remain free to pick up or put down their hobbies at will. Good! Others have to keep an eye on their own situation. I'm one of those. Life is a dynamic process and the price of freedom is watchfulness.

[Jose S.M.]

In my case I am collecting among other things dinosaurs and prehistoric animals so that tomorrow my figures can enjoy a charitable institution or an orphanage. That is one of my dreams when I am no longer in this world. In this life, enjoy these figures and then leave them to children with low resources or orphans. 

That is my dream. 

I find your dream to be a very noble one, it's a very nice goal in my opinion.

Regarding the new CollectA figures, I think Mapusaurus is too skinny but is a nice sculpt, probably I will get it, since I don't know if there's going to be one make by Safari or Papo any time soon, both have made similiar theropods recently.Mantellisaurus I will get it for the same reason, I don't think there will be another figure of that species soon, and it's a nice figure. I love the Iguanodon size but I'm not sure if I will get it, I still prefer the look of the Safari one.

[Bokisaurus]

So far so good, I like what I see. Love how the Mapusaurus looks like, it's very different from the others, on elf my favorite. Cerato also looks good, loving the bold colors, makes it stands out from the pack.
The Gophotherium looks good as well on some of the FB photos, can't wait to review it
Yes, I like that new T-rex, it has attitude and looks stable without a base. This is another figure that I can't wait to review- I have a special review planned for it.
Dimetrodon's color actually looks beautiful on those photos, better than the promos, I like it a lot.
Overall, exciting figures and I can't wait to get them all.
The only one that worries me based on these photos is the Bronto. Please please let it be just a bad angle and photo, the promo photos looked so beautiful.

[suspsy]

Yes, I like that new T-rex, it has attitude and looks stable without a base. This is another figure that I can't wait to review- I have a special review planned for it.

I look forward to it!

[postsaurischian]

From MonsterhouseHK, Hong Kong toy fair 2018.

...............................

More at: https://www.facebook.com/monsterhousehk/

Awful! Just awful! I don't know what to say about this. Is it really only the bad photography? I mean, almost every figure looks ugly, more like in the older CollectA days.
And the paint..... I don't know if I should say anything more about their colours ... better not.
I was considering to get about 50% of the 2018 releases, now it's only the Iguanodon, which I still think looks very good. I can't believe that these are the new figures by the company that released the amazing Dimorphodon (which was the best major company figure of 2017 to me). Let's see if it's really just the baaad pics.

Sorry, I cannot really thank you for sending the pictures (or should I, because you rescued me from spending some dollars for useless figures?).
If these pics are the reason for the recent "Leaked images" trouble (although they aren't really "leaks"), I could understand CollectA not wanting them to be shown .

[Reptilia]

Awful! Just awful! I don't know what to say about this.

Really? Don't you like the Dunkleosteus and Dimetrodon, for example? I think they would perfectly fit in your collection.

[John]

From MonsterhouseHK, Hong Kong toy fair 2018.

...............................

More at: https://www.facebook.com/monsterhousehk/

Awful! Just awful! I don't know what to say about this. Is it really only the bad photography? I mean, almost every figure looks ugly, more like in the older CollectA days.
And the paint..... I don't know if I should say anything more about their colours ... better not.
I was considering to get about 50% of the 2018 releases, now it's only the Iguanodon, which I still think looks very good. I can't believe that these are the new figures by the company that released the amazing Dimorphodon (which was the best major company figure of 2017 to me). Let's see if it's really just the baaad pics.

Sorry, I cannot really thank you for sending the pictures (or should I, because you rescued me from spending some dollars for useless figures?).
If these pics are the reason for the recent "Leaked images" trouble (although they aren't really "leaks"), I could understand CollectA not wanting them to be shown .

Just be happy that you didn't discover how disappointing some of the production pieces were the hard way after having already ordered them!
Still,I know the feeling...it truly sucks for me that the Ceratosaurus (my childhood favorite species of them all!) will not be nearly as good as it could have been...

[suspsy]

With the possible exception of the Brontosaurus' snout, I honestly don't see how any of these are disappointing. But to each their own.

[John]

With the possible exception of the Brontosaurus' snout, I honestly don't see how any of these are disappointing. But to each their own.

I'm really just nitpicking here for the most part.
Even if I were to stomp my foot down and swear to never buy something with the name CollectA on it again while running to the corner pouting,just think of it as one less person to get in your way of getting what you want from the line by causing it to sell out fast.Which CollectA items often do when they first come out.

[suspsy]

With the possible exception of the Brontosaurus' snout, I honestly don't see how any of these are disappointing. But to each their own.

I'm really just nitpicking here for the most part.
Even if I were to stomp my foot down and swear to never buy something with the name CollectA on it again while running to the corner pouting,just think of it as one less person to get in your way of getting what you want from the line by causing it to sell out fast.Which CollectA items often do when they first come out.

Yes, that's precisely how I choose to see it too.

[Flaffy]

From MonsterhouseHK, Hong Kong toy fair 2018.

...............................

More at: https://www.facebook.com/monsterhousehk/

Sorry, I cannot really thank you for sending the pictures (or should I, because you rescued me from spending some dollars for useless figures?).
If these pics are the reason for the recent "Leaked images" trouble (although they aren't really "leaks"), I could understand CollectA not wanting them to be shown .

Pretty sure the leaked images thread refers to actual leaks like Mattel's Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom line, since Mattel hasn't announced official details on the figures, and have yet to put them on toy fair. These CollectA figures however have already been announced officially by CollectA a while back, and these images are from their toy fair booth, free for the public eye to witness.

[SidB]

Makes sense, When you go public, well, that which you disclose is now in the public domain. You're on the right side of things.