Controversial opinions on dinosaur toys

[Fossilized-Rubber]

"dime-a-saur"

I definitely appreciate this even from across the pond. I like the playful nature of it.

[SidB]

Thanks, @Fossilized-Rubber , for digging up this info on "The Realm of Rubber Dinosaurs", I'd been trying to find it for several years. Just a matter of knowing where, of course. The text is intact, but the images seem to be unavailable, at least for the Battats , under which rubric I first checked. But that's no problem for me - I was interested in the contents of the text.

[Crackington]

I wish that old Realm of the Rubber Dinosaurs site still existed, I think you would have loved it.

Even if it's down, do you have the URL to the old site? I might be able to find it on archive.org. (I think I found it)

Afraid not, searches just go to a site saying its available to buy.

[SidB]

I wish that old Realm of the Rubber Dinosaurs site still existed, I think you would have loved it.

Even if it's down, do you have the URL to the old site? I might be able to find it on archive.org. (I think I found it)

Afraid not, searches just go to a site saying its available to buy.

I accessed it yesterday, it is still accessible, or at least its text, though the URL for the images is no longer. As long as you want the text, check out your dialogue from a couple of days ago on the controversial opinions thread, he left a link.

[Crackington]

Thanks SidB. Unfortunately the images of the terrible dino toys was the whole point of the site!

I think our ugly dinos thread on here (link upstream) is the closest in spirit to it.

[SidB]

Thanks SidB. Unfortunately the images of the terrible dino toys was the whole point of the site!

I think our ugly dinos thread on here (link upstream) is the closest in spirit to it.

Too bad about that @Crackington , I guess that that's really the end of the road with the site.

[Stegotyranno420]

This is going to be fun:

I despise when sculptors/painters repeat the same JP JW designs instead of recreating something real, or at least unique. It is such a waste of talent(s). I have friends who do this, I respect them, but I do not understand how someone could continuously create the same unoriginal designs.

[Newt]

On terminology, I tried to get "dime-a-saur" going a while back but it didn't catch on, maybe just because "dime" doesn't mean anything to people who use a currency other than dollars, or have never heard of a dime store.

Never heard of a dime store? Why, there's one right on the miracle mile, next to the malt shop. I take my best gal there sometimes after we catch a matinee at the drive-in. Gee, that new Audie Murphy flick is a corker!

Anyways...controversial opinions...lessee...I draw the line between a "toy" and a "figure" on the presence or absence of molded lettering on the belly. If there's no lettering but it's not of sufficient quality to count as a figure, then it's nothing at all and should be flung over the fence of the nearest daycare center for the little demons darlings to destroy.

[Crackington]

Actually, I think dime-store dino could work, even though it'd be a US centric term.

Puts me in mind of the old song, "Buddy can you lend me a dime", so there is a sort of dignity to it and it captures that underdog feel.

I think Randy Knols might have used it too on his Dinosaur Collector site:

http://www.dinosaurcollectorsitea.com/index.html

[Ikessauro]

Here's my controversial dinotoy opinion: cheap knockoff monocolour toys with dramatic curves, textures and goofy features are superior to scientifically accurate highly painted toys.

Superior, huh? Hard to argue with that, heck, sometimes it's right in the name.

On terminology, I tried to get "dime-a-saur" going a while back but it didn't catch on, maybe just because "dime" doesn't mean anything to people who use a currency other than dollars, or have never heard of a dime store.

As a Brazilian Portuguese speaker, I can say "dime-a-saur" sounds weird and meaninless, unless you are really fluent in English. Also the use of hyphenation makes it overly complicated to write. The best option would be a term that is easy to spell, single word with no hyphen, understandable for multiple languages. But coming up with that is easier said than done.

[Faelrin]

Maybe terms that help reflect their sculpt style would be helpful? Like I mean there's the term "screamers" for those open mouth sharp teeth (often vintage) toys, and I think monocolor, if not another term is out there for plastic figures like Invicta, Marx, etc that often have no or little paint (yes I know there are also painted up Invicta models). Likewise there's also the terms knockoff and bootleg, for well those that fit into those categories.

Perhaps the term "unbranded" could be helpful as well for those that don't have any particular labels (perhaps outside place of origin). I think there was discussion here on the past about that.

[JimoAi]

I don't mind the influx of tyrannosaurus and Megalodon figures on the market. As someone who focuses on popular genera, I do like seeing proper well researched models of said species as they could be a great introduction tool to get into paleontology but at the same time I understand why ppl are tired of seeing them. I feel that we can go for awhile without a tyrannosaurus after eofauna's come out but for the meg, I'm waiting for one to end all meg figures: decent size, actual plausible anatomy (caudal keel, large gills, similar but different to modern lamnids that feels like it has its own ecological niche). At the same time, I'm tired of seeing the same uninspired toys of jp style rexes and monstrous meg toys as it gives the middle finger to someone who actually appreciates these animals as living beings that are awesome in their own rights

[Halichoeres]

On terminology, I tried to get "dime-a-saur" going a while back but it didn't catch on, maybe just because "dime" doesn't mean anything to people who use a currency other than dollars, or have never heard of a dime store.

Never heard of a dime store? Why, there's one right on the miracle mile, next to the malt shop. I take my best gal there sometimes after we catch a matinee at the drive-in. Gee, that new Audie Murphy flick is a corker!

This is extra funny to me because in my hometown "miracle mile" was infamously the red light district.

[Mellow Stego]

I don't mind the influx of tyrannosaurus and Megalodon figures on the market. As someone who focuses on popular genera, I do like seeing proper well researched models of said species as they could be a great introduction tool to get into paleontology but at the same time I understand why ppl are tired of seeing them. I feel that we can go for awhile without a tyrannosaurus after eofauna's come out but for the meg, I'm waiting for one to end all meg figures: decent size, actual plausible anatomy (caudal keel, large gills, similar but different to modern lamnids that feels like it has its own ecological niche). At the same time, I'm tired of seeing the same uninspired toys of jp style rexes and monstrous meg toys as it gives the middle finger to someone who actually appreciates these animals as living beings that are awesome in their own rights

Agreed. The poor Megalodon is only portrayed as a sea monster or even a Great White on steroids.

[Halichoeres]

The word "colorway." It's a perfectly cromulent word, I think, but I just don't like it. It's kind of like the word "moist" for some people--nothing wrong with the word itself, just kinda rubs some people the wrong way. Don't stop using it if you like it, but I'm going to stick with phrases like 'color scheme,' 'paint job,' or the old industry standby 'deco.'

[Gwangi]

The word "colorway." It's a perfectly cromulent word, I think, but I just don't like it. It's kind of like the word "moist" for some people--nothing wrong with the word itself, just kinda rubs some people the wrong way. Don't stop using it if you like it, but I'm going to stick with phrases like 'color scheme,' 'paint job,' or the old industry standby 'deco.'

Haha, I feel similarly. I have considered using it in a few reviews just to change things up but I can't bring myself to do it. I keep going with paint job or color scheme too.

[Sim]

I hate the integument CollectA has often been giving their prehistoric marine animals: wrinkly, sometimes with random bumps.  It makes no sense for these animals, looks ugly and is just detail for the sake of detail.  I recetly acquired the CollectA tiger shark and mako shark and I love them!  They are smooth and streamlined which is delightful.  Then I went to look at CollectA's megalodon as I was considering buying it and I see that its skin looks like wet tissue paper.  Needless to say I didn't buy it.  It's unfortunate because I find it the best-looking megalodon even with that skin.

[Halichoeres]

They definitely go overboard on detail sometimes for their marine animals. Their Dunkleosteus had all those tubercles.

[Sim]

I only collect Kaiyodo animals (both prehistoric and modern) and notice no one expressed any dissenting opinions about these. Trust I don't love all of them, and I particularly don't love when they have garish hard-lined paint schemes (Think the two tarbosauruses, original brachiosaurus, etc....), but I do have one color version of almost all.

Now, to be clear, I also profit from selling these, so let's not get crazy, but I wonder what specifically some non-fans might feel about these (awesome    ;  )    ) figures...

I think we can all agree that we don't love the redundancy and relying too much on familiar species, and there are therefore many animals we'd like to see produced, but I rarely hear anything else negative about the line (except from those who like things to scale which is, to me, as Iv'e written elsewhere here recently, an enormous part of their charm and collectability).

Anyone?

I'm a fan of Kaiyodo, but I wish they wouldn't make skeletons and skulls, just living prehistoric animals.  I do agree Kaiyodo makes Tyrannosaurus too often.  Also, I don't like the sloping bases which are on a number of newer Kaiyodo figures.

[Fembrogon]

I think Kaiyodo probably doesn't have enough presence in the collective, er, collectors' sphere to draw the same amount of criticism, positive or negative. Kaiyodo threads don't draw the same level of discussion as Safari, PNSO, etc., probably because there's less interest or convenience in acquiring them.
I will totally agree that the biggest flaw with Kaiyodos is redundancy. I get it, T. rex sells, and Kaiyodo does indeed make very good T. rexes - but did the 2022 Dino Hunters set really need two (rather plain) rex variants when we could have at least had an alternate Ornithomimus or Dakotaraptor version instead? ...And then ANOTHER rex for the Expo set the following year?? They've had at least five consecutive sets combined between Capsule Q and Dino Expo sets featuring one or more T. rex minis per set.