Boki's Collection: A short goodbye (until we meet again) 3/7/23

[Joey]

Nice collection! And very nice photos too! 

[Faelrin]

Really nice collection and pictures. I always like seeing comparisons done like this since it helps me to get an idea on figures I have and don't have yet, size up.

[Bokisaurus]

Well, ready for the first Collection installment ? Here we go...
It was hard to choose which one to post first, but after much deliberation, I decided to spotlight a couple of figures and a Line to feature first. These figures and prehistoric line are go important significance since they are what started my journey into collecting.
I also wanted to add some back story to each collection if I have one. I think it would be fun, but also serves as a documentation for me. So here we go....

Part 1 of 2
These two figures are significant as they represent important milestone in my collecting journey. They are both separated by decades and are not what you would call accurate figures. What they lack in style or accuracy, they make up in memories.


Unknown Cheap Dimetrodon
I grew up in the Philippines, where only the rich city kids have the luxury of owning toys. In the province where I grew up, toys were a rarity. One year when I was about 8 years old, my mother brought back with her from her trip to Japan a birthday present. This was it.

I was so excited and in loved wit this figure! I never thought that such prehistoric toys existed then. I have treasured this figure, never played w with it, but only displayed it and stored it in my treasure box.
As I got older, other toys would come and go, but never this figure. This figure and I have gone through a lot and travelled the world. He has survived many changes in my interest, my multiple moves from one end of the world to another, one state to the next.
Today, He occupies a space with all my favorites and will forever be the one toy that will always be with me.

UKRD Protoceratops
As an adult, my interest in prehistoric toys have waned, replaced by other interest and partying w with friends. Then, in 1996, When I met someone and started a long term relationship, we decided to take a roundtrip through the desert and check out places such as Arches NP, Dinosaur NM, etc.
Knowing that we would see dinosaur fossils and will be traveling through some of the riches fossil sites, we were in need of a mascot

I found this figure in a small convenient store in Utah. I fell in love with it! It was a good size and was fat and had a funny expression to it. He would occupy a space on the dashboard on this road trip.
This figure would also re-ignite my love of ceratopsians. So, along the way, I would check out small stores and roadside gift shops for any ceratopsian figures. I did find many, mostly cheap figures.
As the trip winded down, I started giving away some of the figures I collected to kids I met on the trip. But I kept this figure which we called Bubba as a souvenir of the trip.
When we got back home, well Bubba was lonely, so I started buying ceratopsian figures ( back then there were not very many figures to choose from), thus the start of my dino toy collecting as an adult
END OF PART 1

Part 2 of 2
The Battat Dynasty
On the same road trip, my partner and I met up in Denver, Colorado. We started the trip there. We had a couple of hours there so we decided to check out the Museum . Unfortunately for us, they were about to close. So, with only 10 minutes, we just wandered the hall and saw just a few dinosaur displays. There was a room with windows that turned out to be the preparation room where the public can see some of the works being done. Inside on a table is huge slab of rock still encased in plaster. This unprepared slab was from a Tyrannosaurus.
In one corner of the slab I saw a T rex figure, blue with yellow stripes, proper up on a small exposed part. It was a beautiful and very accurate figure. I assumed that it was a custom museum piece.
Our visit to Dinosaur National Monument would reawaken my love of sauropods as I gaze on those beautiful Camarasaurus fossil display, as well as diplodocus and Brachiosaurus fossils in-situ.
Back at home after the trip, it would be a year before I would once again see this T rex figure that enchanted me in Denver.
If you have read my Battat Diplodocus review, you know that this line of prehistoric figures is what really got me started collecting seriously. If you haven't read the review and is curious, you can check it out here
http://dinotoyblog.com/2016/10/24/diplodocus-battat/
Anyway, the Battat Collection is my very first semi-complete collection ( except for the Acro which would take me more than a decade to acquire!). I was simply in love with these beautiful and accurate figures. I have never seen anything like them back then ( 1996-97).

My quest to fully complete the collection took many years, and span many states ( I have searched for them every time I travelled) , It was not until I joined the DTF that I finally completed the collection, thanks friends I have made in the forum that had helped me in my quest for those elusive figures.
I was also lucky enough to have stumble upon, by complete accident, the complete set 10 of min-versions ( except for the T rex) on one of our trip to Prehistoric Park Gardens in southern Oregon many many years ago. Up until then, I was not even aware they existed.
And much later, I was able to acquire some resin master versions of the figures from Dan himself, who was very generous.
When the Battat line went out of production, it was like an end of an era for me, and I'm sure for many other collectors.
Some figures were sold in boxes, while others not.

Some figures, such as the T rex, Ceratosaurus, Dilophosaurus have seen re-sculpting or an addition of square foot pads "snow shoes" to correct stability issues. I have both versions as well.

T rex's head was also re-sculpted in addition to giving it "snow shoes".

Some of the figures with their min versions


The resin Masters from Dan - I own 6 of these


Old and new


And then, just a few years ago, a revival of the entire line was planned when Target decided to re-launched the series under their own Terra line. Sadly, with Dan's passing, it looks unlikely that the line will continue.
I have all the re-issued versions, as well as the brand new additions.


I got this signed Stegosaur from Dan


And finally, the mighty Diplodocus. This remains, to this days, despite so many amazing new figures on the market, my favorite!
During the hight of the Battat Diplodocus gold rush, this figure was commanding astronomical prices, some in excess of $700!
One day during that time, I like many others kept an eye on all the Diplodocus figures on eBay in the ope of finding an affordable one, but mostly just for the fun of seeing how much the next figure would sell.
Yo have to admit, it was a fun pastime while one dreams of getting one.
One night, I saw one for $90 with many bids. As you know , the sales on eBay always happens on the last seconds of the auction
So just before midnight, and purely just for the fun of it, I entered an max bid of $99 for the figure. It took it and I was the highest bidder . I went to bed. The next morning, I saw an email notification that I won!
At first I thought it was a mistake. Then I was scared that I might have entered $990 INSTAD of $99!
But I was relieved and excited when I saw that I have won it for $99! So that is how I came to own a second Battat Diplodocus 


The entire collection featuring the originals, the min, the re-issues, as well as new figures.


Okay, hope you enjoy, till the next installment, Cheers!

[Lanthanotus]

I am no completist and I sure do not like all of those figures but there's some amazing ones in it. Oustanding collection, Bokisaurus  - especially when considering how hard those are to get for a more or less recent mass produced toy line. Nice pictures as always... do you use a medium format camera?

[Reptilia]

Beautiful memories you shared, would be interesting to know about all your travels and moves through different countries.

[ceratopsian]

That made an excellent read. Thank you!  It was an especial treat to see those fabulous resin masters.

[Shonisaurus]

The Battat collection is one of the best that existed and that will exist in the dinosaur toy market. They are very difficult to find just like the Play Visions figures. I congratulate you Boki for these pictures and for getting all these figures! 

The diplodocus is perhaps the most difficult figure to find in Battat. Their prices are very expensive and I doubt that I could never have it unless some member of the DTF sold it to me. It is a cool and awesome piece.

On the other hand, both the cheap dimetrodon of unknown company I found in the early eighties (I was still a child who was soon to enter adolescence) in a large supermarket in my city. Mine is earthy brown.

As for the UKRD protoceratops I bought it in a toy store in 1994 (I remember the date) and for me it is the largest protoceratops toy figure that I have in my collection after Recur protoceratops. It is a species that have to do many companies and is an animal protoceratops of the most undervalued in the toy market, considering that it was the Cretaceous sheep, and is one of the dinosaurs that more skeletons have been paleontologically speaking .

First of all I admire your collection of Battat figures! They are very nice. My congratulations Bokisaurus.

[Halichoeres]

I really enjoyed hearing the story of your collecting journey! What a great couple of mementos that Dimetrodon and Protoceratops are.

[Bokisaurus]

I am no completist and I sure do not like all of those figures but there's some amazing ones in it. Oustanding collection, Bokisaurus  - especially when considering how hard those are to get for a more or less recent mass produced toy line. Nice pictures as always... do you use a medium format camera?

Thank you everyone
Lanthanotus - believe it or not, I just use my iPhone 

[SBell]

Great story Boki. Those are some intense memories from your collection!

It's funny how, in my entire collection, there are only a few with real 'stories' behind them. Some have tales of searching (the tragedy off how I got the Starlux ichthyostega), some were just obsessive (the DinoRiders Megachoerus, the Play Visions large Andrewsarchus), some were happy accidents (like when I got the complete set of boxed Battat minis...on clearance...and didn't know that they were particularly valuable--I don't even have them anymore! See 'Play Visions large ANdrewsarchus'). But most were part of the 'gatherings' of new and cool things.

And yet, I can often remember almost all of them and how I came to get them...and almost as often, came to let them go. I can point to almost everything in my office and recall at least a little about it! If I can't, it's probably not in the 'keep' pile anymore!

I should also mention, your photos are always fantastic! It's taken me like, 10 years to finally create a system that I'm happy with!

[Roselaar]

One of the finest Battat collections I have ever seen.

[postsaurischian]

   Oh! I remember the times when I admired your Battat collection on DTF v.1.
       I thought I'd never own one of them - let alone the Diplodocus.
       But the internet and this forum changed it all .

[Jose S.M.]

The Battat collection is great, the Diplodocus is such an impressive figure.

[Shonisaurus]

One of the most complete collections of Battat that a collector can have. I congratulate you Boki your photos are exceptional. 

[Bokisaurus]

  Oh! I remember the times when I admired your Battat collection on DTF v.1.
       I thought I'd never own one of them - let alone the Diplodocus.
       But the internet and this forum changed it all .

Yup, internet sure changed everything!
Stay tuned for the next installment, it will be a two-parter since it's got lots of photos

[Bokisaurus]

Hello dino fans!
Out next installment is going to be a 3 part since there will be a lot of photos
Today, I am sharing my Playvision collection of both the large and small set of prehistoric mammals.
The Playvision series is one of those odd ones. They released way back in the early 90's some set of cool looking prehistoric mammals, amphibians, reptiles, as well as dino.
When I first came across the mammal set, I was not really even into them yet, after all , prior to WW prehistoric beast movie, there really wasn't much out there besides the mammoth, smilodon, wholly  rhino.
By accident, back in 97, I was looking for some art supplies and checked out a small store that sold educational stuff. I happen to see a wall that had some dinosaurs, so obviously I had to check it out to see if there are ceratopsians or sauropods that I desperately need. I saw some odd looking animals that turns out to be the Eobasilius, Palorchestes, smilodon and Hyeanodon. I purchased the large smilodon and Hyaenodon thinking I would be back later to get the others since I was out of cash. I never did make it back.
Fast forward years later, when I joined the forum, I learned a lot about prehistoric mammals and what figures are out there. To my horror, I found out that the Large Playvison figures were some of the most rarest and sought after figures! Add insult to injury, by that time, I have long given away the original two figure I had.

With my new appreciation for prehistoric mammals and now knowing how rare these figures were, I went on a search for them hoping to get them.
If you tried searching for them, you will know that it is almost impossible to find them, and if they do turn up, the commanded astronomical price tag!
I pretty much gave up on trying to acquire the figures, I simply cannot afford the going price for them ( back then, they range from $ 50 - 100 each!). Then, in 2009, my luck would change as far as my search for these figures is concern.
I was offered a rare opportunity by a collector/seller to buy all four figures at way below the price. I was very shocked, and if I din't know the seller, I would think it was a scam,.
Anyway, more of these story of how I came about acquiring these figures in a later post since this particular event would change how I would go about building my collection.

Anyway, the figures were sold individually as well as in a pack, with two of the large figure along with the some of the small figures.
IN the large set, there were four species , and eight on the smaller ones. These sets would include some really odd and obscure species. Most of these are straight out from the Simon and Schuster book

Large set

The large figures in the set are Smilodon, Hyaenodon, Eobasilius ( Uintatherium), and Palorchestes.
As you can see, they truly are uniques species, with only the Smilodon being the common one. The choice of Palorchestes, and odd marsupial giant, is even more surprising considering it is so obscure back then.


Small set
The small set contained 8 figures, with some small versions of the large figures.

The figures are Smilodon ( but actually a Hometherium based on anatomy), Palorchestes, Eobasilius, Hyaenodon, Cave Bear, Prorastomus, Megatherium, and Woolly mammoth.
The two unique species in the small set is surely the Prorastomus and the Hometherium.
The small set is a gift, more on that story on a later post, from a fellow collector who specializes on mammoths, so I am missing the woolly mammoth from the set since that seller kept it for his collection. But that is okay, I don't need another mammoth


Large and Small figures


Well, they sure are and odd and unique bunch! As I said, the story on how I acquire these figures will be on a later special post. I am lucky to have been able to get the set as my interest in prehistoric mammals has grown, in large part to the film Walking with Prehistoric Beast.
On the next part, we will look at those fun amphibians, till then, thanks for checking, cheers!

[ceratopsian]

I can't believe you take such superb photos with an iPhone!  I find it hard to take a decent snap with mine, let alone anything more ambitious.

[suspsy]

Hope you're planning to review these!

[postsaurischian]

I can't believe you take such superb photos with an iPhone!  .......

The photos are even better than before when he used a normal camera.  It must be Bookii magic !

[Shonisaurus]

The figures of Play Visions are fabulous. They are beautiful figures of prehistoric mammals considering their rarity (some are still rare as the eobasileus and the palorchestes). Sincerely you have been very lucky and I am happy for you are all rare figures, even the small figures of Play Visions that sincerely do not look for now.

Congratulations Boki you are a very lucky person !!!