PhilSauria's Paleo Plastic Collection

[Shonisaurus]

That Mamenchisaurus is nigh-impossible to photograph! I always struggled with it myself when I owned it.

The mamenchisaurus "dinos de china" of Safari is worth a pasture even if it is second-hand and without the skeleton. As you comment Halichoeres I have always been impressed by that figure and I have always wondered why his neck is so fallen.

[ceratopsian]

..... I have always wondered why his neck is so fallen.

I think it is because the plastic is fairly soft and it is heavy.

[Halichoeres]

Has any other company made this many versions (5, counting the one absent from this family portrait) of the same species? I know Favorite has three Spinosaurs to their name. Aside from old lumpy at the back, who's kinda grey, depending on which light you have it in; Schleich do seem to find brown the colour of choice for these guys.

Believe it or not, not counting repaints, Safari has made at least 9 Triceratops figures, but some of those are miniatures.

[PhilSauria]

As I've not been collecting for as long as many on the forum and don't have the depth of knowledge of many members I suspected there would be tallies higher than the one I placed in there as part of that question. Thanks for the comment and the info.

[PhilSauria]

Collection post #9: Customs and repaints
I really like this rex figure and wanted to keep it and its crumpled trash can, sorry - rock together so I made a custom base for it.

The demonic racoon eyes put a few people off with this figure, didn't worry me that much but I still preferred a more naturalistic look around the eyes so here is my attempt to achieve that.

Saw a recent repaint of this one by Lanthanotus so decided to give mine a makeover too. (Hope you don't mind L.)

Bought one of the better bootlegs of this one to see how it would look if treated as more conventional Allosaur figures are, sans spikes, and gave it a colour scheme inspired by a James Gurney illustration. Not entirely happy with it but I've had worse results.

This one was bright blue in its original incarnation, so I wasn't having that.

The eyes were an issue with this one so I made a change there. (water based paint so it will wash off should I ever sell - unlikely)

The Safari Apato had dark lines around a well painted eye, so I took away the lines, the Invicta is my complete repaint of the plain version - too stark and ghostly white! - to match the painted edition.

These Safari Raptor bootlegs are so cheap that I bought a handful to make my own Raptor hunting pack. The tail on each one curves in a different direction; perils of mass production (or cheap plastic) but it gives each an individual look.

Return to off-the-shelf figures next time.

[ceratopsian]

Collection post #9: Customs and repaints
I really like this rex figure and wanted to keep it and its crumpled trash can, sorry - rock together so I made a custom base for it.
....................

That made me laugh!  Spot on description!

You do very well with your repaints and bases.  I'd never be bold enough (and art was my worst subject at school).

[Shonisaurus]

PhilSauria the recreation of the three Safari velociraptors on a basis reminds me very much to the one-piece set of the three deinonychus of the legendary Carnegie company. 

[PhilSauria]

Ceratopsian: thanks for the comments, but I am under no illusion that there are far more elaborate repaints being posted here by other members (Martin Garett has nothing to worry about!). Bit of fun though.

Shoni: believe it or not I was unaware of the Carnegie trio when I did this a little over a year ago. Just goes to show that there are not too many things out there that haven't already been done eh.

[ceratopsian]

Ceratopsian: thanks for the comments, but I am under no illusion that there are far more elaborate repaints being posted here by other members (Martin Garett has nothing to worry about!). Bit of fun though.

Fun is the point of our hobby, I think!  Plus it's nice to be able to change little things you don't like.

[Jose S.M.]

I think the small corrections you made, and your full repaints are very good! 

[Lanthanotus]

[...]
Saw a recent repaint of this one by Lanthanotus so decided to give mine a makeover too. (Hope you don't mind L.)
[...]

Hehe, not at all, turned out nice as your other repaints aswell. I cut off the spikes off my Papo Allo too right when I got it two years ago, but I am happy with its paint job. Those stripes are nice too tho and I like the idea for the bootleg raptors. The safari is a very nice sculpt and I still don't have it  in my collection,.. those three, put together as those old Carnegies are damn nice.

[Halichoeres]

All are improvements, but that Sega Seismosaurus is perhaps the most dramatic! Nice work

[SidB]

Funny how the "in hand" experience works. I bought the retiree a while back and was sorta shocked at how badly the sculpt missed out in various ways. And yet, now, while it doesn't compare to the new one that you reviewed, it has grown on me while I handle it. It's still not accurate, and handling it doesn't make it more accurate - it must be the weight and the texturing that give it a certain attraction - beats me!

[PhilSauria]

Thanks to all for the comments and taking the time to make them! Photographing that Allosaurus for this post has me wanting to have another go at it and make further 'improvements'. I have enough material for another of these 'custom editions' so I'll add the further work there (If I actually make it better - could get worse!).
SidB. Yeah, funny how that works - not a fan of that Schleich Trike before last but when one came my way as a result of something else I was actually after I didn't throw it in the bin; maybe I took pity on it in regard to how poorly it fares in comparison to a lot of other renditions in plastic of the animal. It's in the herd, but way at the back.
Also funny is the way we can become engaged or otherwise by these painted pieces of plastic! I guess in those terms any number of collectables can be seen as pieces of plastic, glass, ceramic, paper, metal or whatever - it's how they are shaped by human hands to prompt these responses that elevates them beyond that. Anyhow, enough with the ramblings.

[SidB]

If you're considering another "go" at the allo, consider unpronating the hands - I'll have to do this with mine soon. The pronation, an unfortunate retro feature, spoils an otherwise superb sculpt. I like your naturalized version, btw.

[Bokisaurus]

Nice repaints. I like the Raptor pack you created, funny since I started something similar a year or two ago when I found them in Target, Just never finished repainting them and putting them on a base.

[PhilSauria]

Collection post #10
One of the first figures I bought when I began collecting seriously about four years ago. Not crazy about the short legs and wide hips, in comparison to figures that I later acquired, but that awesome head almost makes up for it.

A fine upstanding group of Sauropods of various pedigrees.

More Mammals seem to have snuck in.

Variations on a theme, or should that be species, from Carnegie.

Rearing Jobaria and the painted and unpainted Invicta Cetiosaurs. Only after a Cetiosaur but lucked out on getting this pair.

Two rampaging rexes, one from Battat (one of my favorite Tyrannos) and the other Papo (-ish).

Next time - repaints update.

[Shonisaurus]

The Battan tyrannosaurus seems in this photo almost as big as the Papan tyrannosaurus. In fact it has a considerable size but that of Papo is longer due to the stiffness of its tail.

I like this comparison between two figures of tyrannosaurs, one of Battat which is a conservative and scientific paleoartistic representation and, on the other hand, Papo's tyrannosaurus rex, which is a more avant-garde paleoartistic representation. Every tyrannosaurus either of Battat or of Papo has its genius, although I certainly like Battan's tyrannosaurus more, but for that reason Papo's tyrannosaurus does not seem super-detailed and beautiful.   

[PhilSauria]

Collection update #11: customs & repaints update.
After seeing a few recent posts where this guy had an impressive makeover or two I decided to take the paint brush to mine. Happy enough with the colour scheme but the eyes looked so much better and the animal was really brought to life with a change there.

Everyone and their brother seems to be throwing paint at this guy - nice sculpt shame about the colour - so I had a go too. First attempts at drybrush and moderately happy with the outcome. Thanks to Plyraster for the tip on doing neater eyes.

Decided to re-visit the Allosaurus and have another go; satisfaction level now higher, though the close up camera does not do some of my paintwork any favors, still it is seen at arms length where it sits on display so looks better that way.

Here's another angle. Adjusting the hands was a bit of a surgical procedure involving craft knife and super glue but the patient now looks a tad more authentic in scientific terms.

A comparison with the genuine article, in terms of authorised versions of this figure.

Another brightly coloured original that I felt needed toning down (see also the Sega Seismosaurus in post #9), converting the vivid orange to an approximation of the larger and costlier desktop version. Simple base to keep it on its feet - plastic has no stamina.

Another pair of Invictas get a colourisation, again the paintwork does not fare well under the close-up lense. Most of my Invictas remain in their unpainted state, lest some may be concerned that I am vandalising these classics.

Normal service resumes in the next post, ie more stuff left as it was when it came out of the package. Thanks for viewing.

[Jose S.M.]

This repaints are excellent, great job.