Controversial opinions on dinosaur toys

[Stegotyranno420]

I have the Nanmu, and I think it absolutely blows Eofauna straight through the solar system. The skull seems okay and the head sculpt is so much better.

PREPARE FOR IMPACT!

You are right. Just a few tweaks and a different scale and this might have been in my collection right now. I feel like eofauna should not had done their first dinosaur on giganotosaurus, as they done alot better with the others.

[John]

In my case and I know that my opinion is going to be quite objectionable I am more interested in collecting the BoTM ceratopsides than in the BoTM tyrannosauroids for a reason, because the tyrannosauroids have to be supported with support points instead of the BoTM ceratopsides. without support, that is one of the reasons, on the other hand I am more interested in ceratopsids for another simple reason because their horned heads so diverse they seem samurais, instead tyrannosauroids are diverse too, they do not have those horned heads and armored with ruffles.

The ceratopsids seem to me more exotic and curious figures than the tyrannosauroid theropods, whose figures are less biologically complicated than their ceratopsid counterparts, but from my point of view.

I have four of those ceratopsians (Protoceratops,Styracosaurus,Psittacosaurus and Medusaceratops) and would highly recommend them.

[JPuggy]

Collecta is overrated IMO. Still a great company, but not nearly as good as my favorites

[Sim]

PNSO's newest Wilson is a good figure.  PNSO's Tarbosaurus is even better.

[SidB]

PNSO's newest Wilson is a good figure.  PNSO's Tarbosaurus is even better.

Agree on both counts, @Sim , though we know that some folk here don't care for the latest incarnation of Wilson on reasonable and arguable grounds. Perhaps the next round will satisfy more people. As an aside, I quite remember that there was a minority chorus who rather disliked the last five years of Forest Rogers' wonderful Carnegie sculpts, including one individual (now perma-banned), who seldom missed an opportunity to be quite abusive in his speech, sometimes personally, of her as a paleo-artist. Now these are classics and it's hard to get hold of them (I'm glad that I snapped them up when they were available). The Tarbo will be considered a fine sculpt for years to come, but I think that Winter Wilson, which I also have, will get an update/improvement in the relatively near future. In the meantime Rebor and maybe GR will step forward to plug the gap.

[stargatedalek]

Those last few years of Carnegie had amazing sculpts, it's a shame they had such issues with accuracy that they did, they hired a bad consultant who, to paraphrase, only cared about the bones.

[Skorpio V.]

Those last few years of Carnegie had amazing sculpts, it's a shame they had such issues with accuracy that they did, they hired a bad consultant who, to paraphrase, only cared about the bones.

Oh how I miss Forest Rogers sculpting dinosaurs They do skin texture so so so well!

[SRF]

PNSO's newest Wilson is a good figure.  PNSO's Tarbosaurus is even better.

Since this is the topic for controversial opinions: to me this is actually the other way around. The only thing the Tarbosaurus has over Wilson is more realistic skin details. To me that's not the deciding factor which model is the better one overall.

While I do appreciate the improvements PNSO has made in this area, there are other aspects on their newer models that I like less than on their 2020 releases. To me, not all releases that came after the Parasaurolophus, are automatically better than the ones that came before it. That said, I still don't think the skin detail on Wilson, Essien, Domingo and A-shu is bad per se. I can actually appreciate the more noticable differences between the skin details on these four figures, while the details on their newer theropods are a bit more homogeneous (albeit more realistic).

So all in all, Wilson has more aspects that I think are better than on the Tarbosaurus, making it overall the better figure for me.

[Theriz]

First thing I have to say is feel free to disagree! I would love to know everyone else's opinion.

I hate Invicta, and overly retro dinosaur figures. They have no charm whatsoever. (Jurassic Park style doesn't count, and I actually quite like JP style stuff.)
It REALLY annoys me that people are comparing PNSO and Safari. They both are usually scientifically accurate, but they are really different otherwise.
2018 was Papo's best year by far. The majority of stuff after 2019 has been rather bad. (Their Chilesaurus and Megaloceros are quite nice.)
I like some of the older Schleich figures. (Brachiosaurus, Dimetrodon, Tyrannosaurus)
I LOVE Mattel's more obscure figures.
Herbivorous Theropods are the best. You get the best of both worlds!
BOTM is the greatest thing ever and always.
I don't like the sheer scale of people who think JP dinos are what they were actually like.
Mattel's new Dominion figures are the coolest they have ever released.
CollectA is underrated while Papo is overrated
Please feel free to disagree.

[Duna]

I don't like Jurassic Park action figures, not only they are totally inaccurate (to the films) but also they come with incredibly oversized clown feet. I think they make nice children toys so they can stand their rough play, I have some McDonalds Camp Cretaceous eggs for my 5 year old children, they play with anything. I don't mind the vehicles.

As a mature collector, I love vintage figures, all of them. They are undoubtedly the most important base in the evolution of dinosaur toys in history. Invicta was one of the best lines in the world.

[CARN0TAURUS]

PNSO's newest Wilson is a good figure.  PNSO's Tarbosaurus is even better.

Since this is the topic for controversial opinions: to me this is actually the other way around. The only thing the Tarbosaurus has over Wilson is more realistic skin details. To me that's not the deciding factor which model is the better one overall.

While I do appreciate the improvements PNSO has made in this area, there are other aspects on their newer models that I like less than on their 2020 releases. To me, not all releases that came after the Parasaurolophus, are automatically better than the ones that came before it. That said, I still don't think the skin detail on Wilson, Essien, Domingo and A-shu is bad per se. I can actually appreciate the more noticable differences between the skin details on these four figures, while the details on their newer theropods is a bit more homogeneous (albeit more realistic).

So all in all, Wilson has more aspects that I think are better than on the Tarbosaurus, making it overall the better figure for me.

Give me a wilson with chubbysaurus' EXACT pose and skin texture but with Wilson's awesome proportions and caroline the corythosaurus' paint scheme and I'll never feel the need to buy another T-rex figure ever again

[CARN0TAURUS]

For the longest time I wanted nothing but figures that looked like JP dinosaurs but now I can't stand the sight of them anymore.  I don't understand the dramatic turnaround, perhaps I just over-dosed on JP stuff over the years?  I still enjoy the movies but just don't want anything to do with JP based figures anymore.  Over the last 5-6 years I've gotten rid of almost all of my old JP stuff.

[Bread]

I don't like Jurassic Park action figures, not only they are totally inaccurate (to the films) but also they come with incredibly oversized clown feet. I think they make nice children toys so they can stand their rough play, I have some McDonalds Camp Cretaceous eggs for my 5 year old children, they play with anything. I don't mind the vehicles.

I completely agree. I have yet to see an official licensed JP action figure (especially the Tyrannosaurus with the crazy amount of reproduction this one gets) to look accurate to the film. Maybe the Velociraptors? But other than those, most of kenner/hasbro/mattel line I avoid due to the surprising film to figure inaccuracies. Only thing I am starting to get intrigued by is the Hammond Collection which could possibly hold some good film accurate pieces in toy form.

[Duna]

I completely agree. I have yet to see an official licensed JP action figure (especially the Tyrannosaurus with the crazy amount of reproduction this one gets) to look accurate to the film. Maybe the Velociraptors? But other than those, most of kenner/hasbro/mattel line I avoid due to the surprising film to figure inaccuracies. Only thing I am starting to get intrigued by is the Hammond Collection which could possibly hold some good film accurate pieces in toy form.

I agree with you in that. I like vehicles, scenes and stuff that look like the movie. I almost liked the set with the jeep but the tyrannosaurus was the same toy.
But I must admit I really like the W Dragon new statues.

[Stegotyranno420]

Not necessarily a bad thing, nor a good thing but the 2020 Mojo Giganotosaurus carolini SOMEWHAT reminds me of the Dominion rendition.  Anyone else think that ?
And no, I'm NOT on some conspiracy theory that Jurassic World copied Mojo.

[Fembrogon]

I think the JW:D Giga most closely resembles the classic Dorling Kindersley model (thought to have been sculpted by Jonathan Hateley)...



...But considering said model is over a decade old now, there are probably LOTS of Giga reconstructions drawing (sub)conscious inspiration from it, including the Mojo figures. Similarities between Mojo's design and JW's design might be inevitable, even if accidental.

[stargatedalek]

Not toy specific, but I would much much rather see an outdated museum hall that has a comfortable dimly lit atmosphere with interesting displays, as opposed to a washed out over-lit art gallery looking bland white room with updated skeletal mounts.

[suspsy]

Not toy specific, but I would much much rather see an outdated museum hall that has a comfortable dimly lit atmosphere with interesting displays, as opposed to a washed out over-lit art gallery looking bland white room with updated skeletal mounts.

Yup. I don't know why we can't get the best of both worlds.

[Fembrogon]

Not toy specific, but I would much much rather see an outdated museum hall that has a comfortable dimly lit atmosphere with interesting displays, as opposed to a washed out over-lit art gallery looking bland white room with updated skeletal mounts.

Yup. I don't know why we can't get the best of both worlds.

You know what? I totally agree with this. Obviously it's important to present accurate information, but an exhibit can be a story and experience as well. I absolutely prefer the moodier lighting, and I can definitely think of examples where the exhibit went through a lighting change and came out worse for it.

[CityRaptor]

An example of what I consider done right:
https://www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin/en/museum/exhibitions/world-dinosaurs


Back to toys: I rather have oversized feet than stability issues or tripods due to unnaturally bend tails.