CollectA: New for 2018

[ZoPteryx]

They look fine to me.  Only the Ceratosaurus looks a bit worse than the promo image and mainly just because its upper teeth look severely blunted and all the same length.  Child safety modifications strike again!

[ITdactyl]

'Really happy with that brontosaurus.

I guess I'm the dissenter here, because I like the new Rex.  A repaint for sure, and not in scale with most in my collection but it works for me.

On a side note, thank you @Simon for that post about collecting.  I hoarded Zoids and Transformers in a way similar to the fellow you described - and yet I'm finding it hard to streamline the collection.  It was nice to "hear"[read] those words from a fellow collector - helps clear my own head.

[Shonisaurus]

Sincerely I do not perceive in the photos the criticisms that are made to Collecta ceratosaurus, I think a great figure. They are also taken from above, that is, from an angle where the figure is not appreciated in all its beauty.

Estemmenosuchus looks better than in your promotional photo and is more similar to the estemmenosuchus that I wanted in my collection, and more importantly, bigger.

The truth is that the brontosaurus reminds me also in regard to the hozico agustinia but the rest of the body is very well sculpted.

In general all the figures of Collecta have a very good note as every year and I sincerely believe that it is totally unfair to compare their figures from 2018 to those of the dark period of Collecta. They are as good as every year.

Perhaps the two figures that I like least in my case is the mapusaurus and gomphotherium.

When it comes to tyrannosaurus rex feathered it is even much better than its predecessor with a fixed base. And so it seems to the naked eye is maintained correctly on both legs without danger of falls, it may be that this figure remains stable due to the curvature of the body especially the tail up.

[Jose S.M.]

What bothers me about the Ceratosaurus is the eyes, in the photos it looks just painted, probably is because the color scheme and photo quality and angle, but it looks like the eyes are not sculpted just painted. I need to see in hand pictures before make a final judgment.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

What bothers me about the Ceratosaurus is the eyes, in the photos it looks just painted, probably is because the color scheme and photo quality and angle, but it looks like the eyes are not sculpted just painted. I need to see in hand pictures before make a final judgment.

That is probably a result of the white paint and lighting/camera flash.  It tends to obscure all detail so you get a polar bear effect, black on white is all that shows up. 

[John]

What bothers me about the Ceratosaurus is the eyes, in the photos it looks just painted, probably is because the color scheme and photo quality and angle, but it looks like the eyes are not sculpted just painted. I need to see in hand pictures before make a final judgment.

That is probably a result of the white paint and lighting/camera flash.  It tends to obscure all detail so you get a polar bear effect, black on white is all that shows up.

Yeah,I can see that the eyes are definitely sculpted in on the Ceratosaurus even in the toy fair pictures (the head is just a bit out of focus in both pics that show it so that doesn't help much).The teeth may have been altered for lower jaw articulation and child safety reasons,but the rest of the detail is still there.And as for the Brontosaurus,the differences are due to warpage in the one in the toy fair.In the prototype,it's looking a little bit to it's right,whereas the one in the toy fair is looking straight ahead,making the musculature in it's neck look a little odd as a result.But that can be fixed with the boiling water then cold water treatment.It's head looks the same as the prototype to me,just at an odd angle.

[tanystropheus]

The real monster of this year seems to be the Iguanodon though, as huge and impressive as the Styracosaurus was the past year.

Great observation. The Iguano appears to be this year's Styraco. Incredibly impressive with Dinostoreus vibes.

[PhilSauria]

Same. I was being reminded of the Dinostoreus Iguanodon when I looked at the amount of detail and general vibe on seeing the new sharper image of this one. Firing off an order for it as soon as it becomes available locally, which may take a while given that we seem to be at or near to the end of the distribution chain over here!

[Shonisaurus]

The real monster of this year seems to be the Iguanodon though, as huge and impressive as the Styracosaurus was the past year.

Great observation. The Iguano appears to be this year's Styraco. Incredibly impressive with Dinostoreus vibes.

According to the two, the iguanodon is comparable in genius to its styracosaurus Collecta 2017.

It seems that Collecta is reissuing its figures in Deluxe size in a big way and with an abyssal improvement with respect to its predecessors in standard size.

[Minmiminime]

I think they all look pretty good  I was initially taken aback by the head of the Brontosaurus, because given the detail on the body it looks a bit like an absurd cartoon caricature stuck on there, from this photo. I think I can forgive that. I'll have to see more pictures of it, though

[Halichoeres]

Same. I was being reminded of the Dinostoreus Iguanodon when I looked at the amount of detail and general vibe on seeing the new sharper image of this one. Firing off an order for it as soon as it becomes available locally, which may take a while given that we seem to be at or near to the end of the distribution chain over here!

My experience has been that MiniZoo gets CollectA product before European and North American retailers. In my impatience, I've paid the ruinous shipping to the US in order to get their new releases early.

[terrorchicken]

^oh God yes, I just bought from Minizoo for the first time last November and the shipping to the US sucks! But where else can you get Collecta figures with less expensive shipping price that aren't horses if you're from the States? 


ps- I know about Dejankins and Happy Hen but I also collect Collecta extants and Bullyland so...

[PhilSauria]

Same. I was being reminded of the Dinostoreus Iguanodon when I looked at the amount of detail and general vibe on seeing the new sharper image of this one. Firing off an order for it as soon as it becomes available locally, which may take a while given that we seem to be at or near to the end of the distribution chain over here!

My experience has been that MiniZoo gets CollectA product before European and North American retailers. In my impatience, I've paid the ruinous shipping to the US in order to get their new releases early.

[PhilSauria]

Oops. Hit 'post' too soon! What I ws going to say that I am also speaking from experience in that over the past couple of weeks I have been able to order both the Safari Triceratops and Schleich Triceratops, from the US and Europe respectively, while neither is available at Mini Zoo as yet and I am told will not be in until late Feb. MZ Have some but not all of the new stock from a few brands so I guess we are both right in our assessments.

[Concavenator]

Wow,these look a lot better than the stock photos.After I had seen the promo pictures,I thought this would be a rather bland year for them.The Creatosaurus looks really awesome,in my opinion it's the best model of a Ceratosaurus to date, easily.The Tyrannosaurus figure is not necessary at all but it looks really charming indeed.The Dimetrodon is nice too,better than Safari's imo.

And that Estemmenosuchus is a good model,but the colors are ridiculously boring (even though it is made by CollectA,who clasically has always given the most striking colors and paintjobs).

I am kind of frustrated with CollectA.I don't know if you guys feel the same,but I kind of feel they don't show their true potential.For example,we have this year's gorgeous new Ceratosaurus, with an elegant look, accurate, with a striking coloration.The best Ceratosaurus figure to date (Yes ,it is better than Papo's)and then we have Mapusaurus,another theropod, but it is inaccurate and its paintjob is nothing too outstanding.Why has it to be inaccurate?

With the Dimetrodon and Estemmenosuchus happens the same,they are great sculpts but the color choices are pitiful.And I simply don't feel like repainting a model,myself.CollectA,the same brand who released that bold colored Xenoceratops or this beautiful Ceratosaurus,or that fantastic Carcharodontosaurus and then I look at the Estemmenosuchus and I can't understand how they released it with that coloration (the sculpt itself is pretty good though)

Then we have the "unnecesary models" issue.For example,like releasing two Tyrannosaurus models in 2016,and then a Deluxe model in 2018 (which I don't think it is any better than the majestic previous version,to be honest).Or releasing a Deinocheirus in 2017 after releasing one in 2016.In a way,the models that don't look super good or don't have character are also kind of innecesary.For example,2015's amazing Tyrannosaurus was in high need because by that year it was hands down the best Tyrannosaurus.Even today,it  rivals Doug's recent take.But 2015's Acrocanthosaurus was not necessary.It was not necessary because if you compare it to their 2014 Carcharodontosaurus,you know if they had been more creative,they could have done a much better representation.

In my opinion,right now the best brand is Safari,because the quality lf their models have upped a lot on recent years, but CollectA is also the best.Though they could be the very best if they strictly focused on doing what they do best (striking  paintjobs,accuracy, character...) and they stopped releassing so many "unnecesary models" and perhaps released fewer fiigures,but instead,release figures like their Spinosaurus,Guidraco,Tyrannosaurus,Carcharodontosaurus and this Ceratosaurus more often.

[John]

Having seen production samples of everything,the two best models for me are the Iguanodon and Mapusaurus.I still like the Mantellisaurus and Sciurumimus which are unchanged from the prototype images.The Estemmenosuchus is looking a bit nicer to me as well thanks to being able to see it in better angles.

[SidB]

Congratulations, Concavenator, on your post #2000.

[Minmiminime]

It's a shame that the Mapusaurus is based on an outdated skeletal, because it seems to be a very nicely done model! Good colour scheme, too, natural but nice. It's also a shame about the Ceratosaurus's teeth (and personally, that face paint is very hard on my eyes). But, the Ceratosaurus, Iguanodon, Mantellisaurus, Estemmenosuchus and Dimetrodon are still very much on my list. Is it just me, or does the Dimetrodon's tail look funny, awkward and unnatural, all stiff and sticking straight out like that? Is it just the angles?

I'd like the T. rex, it's very striking, but it just looks like a missed opportunity...it's not offering anything new in terms of detail, and that same old paint!! I may have to start repainting these things myself

[postsaurischian]

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.

I admit I was being a bit radical in the quoted post . I guess I was in a state of shock . Maybe I didn't point out clearly enough that my main criticism is about these pics. I can't understand how MonsterhouseHK who obviously want to promote these figures can choose to publish those totally unmotivated photos. I wouldn't.

But I'm still not very enthusiastic about CollectA's 2018 wave (except for the Iguanodon at the moment). In the promo pics the Dunkleosteus looks like a dead animal to me and in the toy fair pics I can only see its tail.
I've been a huge Dimetrodon fan since my early childhood and it is one of the species I am collecting in many different variations. I don't like this one because it seems as if someone pulled on both ends (snout and tail) and streched the animal's anatomy. Dimetrodon didn't have that elegant lizard-like appearance.

But again, maybe all my comments will turn out to be worthless after we have seen the pics that some of our more talented photographers here at the DTF will show, which they will surely do and which makes these overhasty "Let-me-be-the-first-to-show-them" pictures useless.

[Reptilia]

For those who didn't check MHHK's Facebook worths noting there's a few more:



















The Dimetrodon's anatomy, high-walking posture and stiff tail, I think reflects the latest reconstructions, and looks pretty accurate to Scott Hartman's skeletal. My only problem with that figure is the paint scheme all over the place, an harmonic pattern with the same colours would have been perfect. I bet that Martin Garratt could easily fix it though.