Controversial opinions on dinosaur toys

[Ravonium]

That's why I like to think of the DTB as a place where any extinct animal can be reviewed.

Now that's a good way to get around it! 

God knows the world is badly in need of conservation education right now. 

Yes, it definitely is...


Two new opinions:

-As it was discussed fairly recently, I guess I should say that I personally like the bird/lizard-inspired colour schemes on the BotM figures, both from an aesthetic and commercial point of view (it manages to make the figures stand out (or, to put it less neutrally, visually appealing) to consumers, while also nipping any potential copyright issues in the bud). Infact, as it's not a line I care too much for, I think it's one of the best things about the BotM series.

-Now that 2020 reveals are getting closer, I'll come out and say (and this one is likely to start a discussion) that, while I do want Safari to keep up what they've been putting out the last few years, I hope next year is 'CollectA's year', rather than 'Safari's year'. While I do think this is most likely not going to happen, there is a reasonable chance it will; as small as it was, I think CollectA's lineup this year was just short of being on par with Safari's.

[GojiraGuy1954]

I do not care for the "All Yesterdays" style of artwork or models.While I get the point they are trying to get across,I think they do so in very exaggerated ways.


I have no problem accepting that the vast majority (if not all) of the skin of Tyrannosaurus rex was scaly.Nor does my head explode at the possibility that when alive it's teeth would still show when it's mouth was closed.Thankfully,I haven't seen any of the unreasonably angry resposes to this here on this forum,unlike on other sites like DeviantArt which has members would practically take any suggestion that tyrannosaurids didn't have feathers or even something as trivial as "lips" as fighting words...

You're forgetting that a terrestrial animal like T-rex would need lips or the casing of its teeth would crack and cause pain

[Loon]

Here's the opinion THEY don't want you to hear: I don't really care for most of CollectA's releases. Something about the combination of the paint, sometimes soft sculpts, and plastics they use are really off-putting to me. I can't really describe it. Also, a lot of them are just too small for me.

That being said, they're not bad looking at all, at least their newer models; they're just not for me a lot of time.

[Ravonium]

Here's a new one from OP; the Vitae Giganotosaurus is one of the most overrated figures in recent years.

[Loon]

Here's a new one from OP themselves; the Vitae Giganotosaurus is one of the most overrated figures in recent years.

Have to agree with you, the Eofauna is still the best. The Vitae's green color looks too "slimey" and I feel the head looks a little too "Gremlins 2: The New Batch-y".

[Gwangi]

Here's the opinion THEY don't want you to hear: I don't really care for most of CollectA's releases. Something about the combination of the paint, sometimes soft sculpts, and plastics they use are really off-putting to me. I can't really describe it. Also, a lot of them are just too small for me.

That being said, they're not bad looking at all, at least their newer models; they're just not for me a lot of time.

I agree. I don't even own a lot of CollectA figures, mostly just those that I've reviewed. I would rather spend my money on Safari. That said, I'm excited for quite a few in this years lineup.

[Jose S.M.]

Here's the opinion THEY don't want you to hear: I don't really care for most of CollectA's releases. Something about the combination of the paint, sometimes soft sculpts, and plastics they use are really off-putting to me. I can't really describe it. Also, a lot of them are just too small for me.

That being said, they're not bad looking at all, at least their newer models; they're just not for me a lot of time.

I have very similar feelings. I recognize they have improved massively and they care and research about their figures but most of the times something doesn't look appealing to me.

[Shonisaurus]

I sincerely like dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals of brands like UKRD, AAA or Play Visions dinosaurs in which I am interested in buying. The AAA edmontonia seems to me to be a great figure comparable in genius to its Battat counterpart, obviously this last edmontosaurus being much superior in quality.

[suspsy]

Here's another strong opinion I have:

I believe that, when it boils down to it, we're insanely spoiled to be getting all these prehistoric toys year after year after year, we complain way too much about ridiculously trivial details, we're often straight up rude and inconsiderate in our complaining, and we're nowhere near as grateful to the artists and the toy companies as we should be. I include myself in this judgment, and I think I'm going to try and change that in future. I'm sure I'll end up failing in the long term, as complaining comes as naturally as sitting on the toilet to our species, but I'm still going to make the effort. I think that if our childhood selves could meet our present selves, they'd all be kicking us in the shins and the butts for not saying thank you enough to Papo, Schleich, CollectA, Safari, Mojo, PNSO, Mattel, and all other companies currently making prehistoric toys.

[Shonisaurus]

Here's another strong opinion I have:

I believe that, when it boils down to it, we're insanely spoiled to be getting all these prehistoric toys year after year after year, we complain way too much about ridiculously trivial details, we're often straight up rude and inconsiderate in our complaining, and we're nowhere near as grateful to the artists and the toy companies as we should be. I include myself in this judgment, and I think I'm going to try and change that in future. I'm sure I'll end up failing in the long term, as complaining comes as naturally as sitting on the toilet to our species, but I'm still going to make the effort. I think that if our childhood selves could meet our present selves, they'd all be kicking us in the shins and the butts for not saying thank you enough to Papo, Schleich, CollectA, Safari, Mojo, PNSO, Mattel, and all other companies currently making prehistoric toys.

I affirm your assertion. I totally agree with you. We complain of vice. If we had had those prehistoric animals as children, we would be happier with any brand than castanets.

[Bokisaurus]

Here's another strong opinion I have:

I believe that, when it boils down to it, we're insanely spoiled to be getting all these prehistoric toys year after year after year, we complain way too much about ridiculously trivial details, we're often straight up rude and inconsiderate in our complaining, and we're nowhere near as grateful to the artists and the toy companies as we should be. I include myself in this judgment, and I think I'm going to try and change that in future. I'm sure I'll end up failing in the long term, as complaining comes as naturally as sitting on the toilet to our species, but I'm still going to make the effort. I think that if our childhood selves could meet our present selves, they'd all be kicking us in the shins and the butts for not saying thank you enough to Papo, Schleich, CollectA, Safari, Mojo, PNSO, Mattel, and all other companies currently making prehistoric toys.

Well said and I agree completely.😀
In the end it all boils down to personal taste.

[bmathison1972]

Here's another strong opinion I have:

I believe that, when it boils down to it, we're insanely spoiled to be getting all these prehistoric toys year after year after year, we complain way too much about ridiculously trivial details, we're often straight up rude and inconsiderate in our complaining, and we're nowhere near as grateful to the artists and the toy companies as we should be. I include myself in this judgment, and I think I'm going to try and change that in future. I'm sure I'll end up failing in the long term, as complaining comes as naturally as sitting on the toilet to our species, but I'm still going to make the effort. I think that if our childhood selves could meet our present selves, they'd all be kicking us in the shins and the butts for not saying thank you enough to Papo, Schleich, CollectA, Safari, Mojo, PNSO, Mattel, and all other companies currently making prehistoric toys.

Well said, my friend.

Usually when I don't like a figure, I try to explain in a logical, and I hope respectful reason. For example, with Schleich animals, for a couple years now I said I don't like them because they have what appears to be anthropomorphized facial expressions (I am referring to extant animals here, btw), something that does not appeal to me in an animal figure. But I don't say they are 'horrible' or 'a disappointment'.

The way I look at it, is that these toys/models/replicas are works of art. An animal model on a shelf is like a painting on the wall, and whether we acknowledge it or not, what drives us to choose a certain model is often an innate sense of appeal. Why one person prefers Safari over CollectA is similar to why one would prefer a Van Gough to a Picasso (or chocolate ice cream over vanilla ).

What bothers me more than someone criticizing a figure, is when someone criticizes someone else for the figure they choose to buy. Using the dinosaur analogy (since this is the DTF and not ATF), I might like a different Tyrannosaurus than you. So if I choose the Safari one, don't tell me it's horrible, or I made a bad choice, or ask me what was I thinking, just because you prefer the CollectA one! What ends up on my shelf is my choice for my collection! 

For those of you who know me, I have historically collected arthropods. But in late 2018 I started building a Synoptic Collection of other non-arthropod species. While I have not dabbled in the 'dinosaurs' yet, I have a plan when I do so. And I can tell you, I will be focusing very heavily, if not entirely, on Safari figures (there are some CollectA figures however, that I might get just because they are cool species not yet otherwise represented). When it comes to dinos, I am very much in the 'Safari-sculpted-by-Doug-Watson-camp' 

[Loon]

When it comes to dinos, I am very much in the 'Safari-sculpted-by-Doug-Watson-camp' 

This is me almost to a T.

[PhilSauria]

Very well put both Suspy and bmathison1972!

I've noticed the recent rise in not just the amount of criticism but the mean-spirited and sarcastic nature of it from certain posters, but kept my head down, concerned that I might be the target of criticism for criticising the critics. Don't want any trouble here, I just joined to appreciated the subject of this Forum not to denegrate it or be the target of the haters who do for calling them out!

As collectors we have never had it so good in regard to the amount and variety of product available to us now and I for one am very appreciative of that situation, even though there are some figures that don't appeal to me I am not going to do a hatchet job on them here, I just won't by them, but these are in the minority as there are many more that I would like to see on my shelves!

[Shonisaurus]

Even in my best dreams, I never thought that there was so much variety of prehistoric animals, sincerely, the dreams I had as a child / teenager about a variety of prehistoric animals have been fulfilled today.

I never thought we would have so many prehistoric animals if forty-four years ago the Schleich dinosaurs had been made that we unfairly criticized the forum members we would be (at least in my case) excited to have such figures and sincerely if I were a child I would have I would pinch my hands because I wouldn't believe they had made such a variety of prehistoric animals and so pretty. We live in the golden age of toy dinosaur brands and we don't realize it. The collection of prehistoric animals today is comparable to that of stamps or trains in variety for two examples. I never figured that any brand made such a variety of prehistoric animals! And on top of the forum members (among whom I am the first) we complained to the prehistoric dinosaur figures !!!

If we criticize, we must make constructive criticisms based on respect for sculptors who, thanks to them, have the privilege of having so many prehistoric animals and, above all, we must never disrespect any brand of prehistoric animals, because it is for us to be punished by Life. or God according to the moral and religious beliefs of each one metaphorically speaking.

[Concavenator]

Here are some of my unpopular opinions:

-Carnegie figures, in general, were much better than the new ones from Safari. I find Carnegie's figures to be much more beautiful and attractive. I like Forest Rogers' sculpting style more than Doug Watson's (though Doug has also made some fantastic sculpts, I have bought quite some Safari figures over the last few years).Even now, with all the amazing releases we have every year, I still do miss Carnegie's figures.Would have been very interested to see how her sculpt of the Carnegie 2016 Apatosaurus had turned out

-Papo is now worse than they used to be. Their prices have raised, yet the sheer quality of the newer sculpts isn't as good as they used to be in the past. Also the paint applications are sometimes a little bit sloppy. I used to have a freshly released Papo Allosaurus back in 2008/2009 and from what I can remember, it had better quality than the limited edition 2019 Spinosaurus. The older figures that are now sold also have less quality than by the time they were launched. I have a newer wave Dimetodon, I was gifted one this year. While it's one of my favorite figures in my collection (the Papo Dimetrodon is gorgeous), it feels less premium than another Papo Dimetrodon that I saw in a museum, back in 2014.
I think that Eofauna and PNSO have both surpassed Papo.

[Shonisaurus]

I understand that Vitae giganotosaurus is superior to the current Papo. I don't know if that is an unpopular opinion.

[Loon]

-Papo is now worse than they used to be. Their prices have raised, yet the sheer quality of the newer sculpts isn't as good as they used to be in the past. Also the paint applications are sometimes a little bit sloppy. I used to have a freshly released Papo Allosaurus back in 2008/2009 and from what I can remember, it had better quality than the limited edition 2019 Spinosaurus. The older figures that are now sold also have less quality than by the time they were launched. I have a newer wave Dimetodon, I was gifted one this year. While it's one of my favorite figures in my collection (the Papo Dimetrodon is gorgeous), it feels less premium than another Papo Dimetrodon that I saw in a museum, back in 2014.
I think that Eofauna and PNSO have both surpassed Papo.

I agree so much. Papo really doesn't have much of a place anymore. They used to have the high-end Jurassic Park-style replicas market cornered, but now companies like Nanmu and Rebor are releasing better looking figures of the same style, for almost about the same price as some of Papo's releases (I've seen the 2019 Allosaurus go for $40 in some places). Also, the look of their figures, the overdone sculpting, the not very good looking paint, and the horrible poses, has only gotten worse. I honestly don't feel like I have a spot for them in my collection anymore. I'll probably sell the few I have when I get the chance.

I understand that Vitae giganotosaurus is superior to the current Papo. I don't know if that is an unpopular opinion.

I don't think that's unpopular, I really don't think that the Papo Giganotosaurus is that well loved, even among Giganotosaurus fanboys.

[Takama]

Heres an Opinon (Rather or not its controversial is up to you all)   I think the Reveal of the Papo Giganotosaurus is hilairous

THE ONE Figure that we requested Papo to do, and they dissapoint us all with it.     I remember around 2012 members have been telling Papo we wanted a giganotosaurus.  And i wanted it to be based off the one from Dino Crisis 2.

Im not among the complainers though.   

[Shonisaurus]

Honestly, Papo's giganotosaurus is not good, he takes advantage of the figure's head and the details of the figure, but the pose is somewhat rare and nothing has to do in artistic quality fortunately with its limited edition spinosaurus counterpart of Papo.