Recent Acquisitions

[BlueKrono]

That's the kind of deal we collectors live for.

[SidB]

That's the kind of deal we collectors live for.

I wish that these 'bolts from the blue' happened more often, but then, if they did, they wouldn't be so marvelous.

[Carnoking]

Holy moly what a find!

[Nanuqsaurus]

Last week I ordered and received three new gorgeous Eofauna figures! These are all so good, Eofauna is definitely one of the best brands for accurate and detailed figures nowadays I think.

[Duck]

@Nanuqsaurus Oh my! What a haul! I'm ordering the Eofauna Altasaurus soon as well.

[Ikessauro]

Oh, Kijiji. Why did I ever doubt you?

The Battat Diplodocus

and for $12 DOLLARS!!

The stuff dreams are made of! Congrats in this huge find!

[Halzk]

Oh, Kijiji. Why did I ever doubt you?

The Battat Diplodocus

and for $12 DOLLARS!!

Omg Congrats!!! But How??? It's not a knock off right?

[Nanuqsaurus]

@Nanuqsaurus Oh my! What a haul! I'm ordering the Eofauna Altasaurus soon as well.

Yeah it's not a cheap haul for only three figures, but totally worth it in my opinion! You should definitely get the Atlasaurus, it's full of beautiful little details that make it look so lifelike.

[Fembrogon]

Those Eofauna figures look great, @Nanuqsaurus; I still need to acquire those same three. Eofauna produces such lovely figures!

And @Skorpio V. - WOW, just wow. That bargain easily tops anything else from the rest of us. Congratulations!! Is there a story behind this marvelous deal?

[Skorpio V.]

@Halzk
Thankfully, I don't think so. The most I can make out is the copyright symbol, 1995 Museum of Science Boston, Diplodocus, and Battat; the legalese are minuscule! COUGH COLLECTA ALLOSAURUS COUGH

@Fembrogon Not much to tell, so I'll go into full detail (I need to practice writing anyway):

I had the sudden urge to browse Kijiji after realizing I had gone a lengthy number of months of being deprived of doing so. After only searching up "dinosaur" I saw it. Right there on the first or second page of listings. For $12 bucks. I notified my non-enthusiast friends via a messaging app about my find, sending them a link of the DTB review by our very own Boki during my English class. Left classes. After negotiating with the seller who'd been selling on the website for over 5 years, they asked if I were interested in any other dinosaur toys and that they could show me some others when I got there. Upon my arrival, they handed over the Diplo, but I wasn't able to look at many of the other toys they mentioned because the folks helping me get there were in a rush. What I did see and remember were Disney's Dinosaur Happy Meal toys but I couldn't get to see if they had any other Battats. In return, I paid some extra and fled before they found the right change despite being adamant about it. The sellers were a sweet, old Russian couple Either way, went home with an early Christmas gift. Boy was it a marvel to have this big-un sit in my hands the entire 45-minute trip back. What shocked me most was how thick the base of the neck is from the front, Lord it's so attention-grabbing in spite of likely the blandest paintjob in Battat's assortment. Definitely a right place at the right time moment. To close, here's a better detail shot.

[need4swede]

@Skorpio V.
That's a lovely story - thank you for sharing!

As someone who is new to the history of Dinosaur figures, could someone briefly fill me in on what's so special about this one? It looks great and all, but something tells me there's context involved that I am missing out on.

[BrontoScorpio]

@Halzk
I had the sudden urge to browse Kijiji ... For $12 bucks. ..... The sellers were a sweet, old Russian couple ...

As I know myself, I probably would have felt somewhat uneasy ripping off  'a sweet old couple' and offer a bit more.
But, as far as successful purchases - this is a major contestant for the title .
so, congrats.

@Skorpio V.
...  could someone briefly fill me in on what's so special about this one?...

The Battat Set is one of the best, just posted few days ago how I completed mine.

[Skorpio V.]

@need4swede Pretty much its objective quality and sentimental attachment to our late, great Dan LoRusso. Even before they stopped producing them, they already were decently sought-after from what I gather.

@Halzk
I had the sudden urge to browse Kijiji ... For $12 bucks. ..... The sellers were a sweet, old Russian couple ...

As I know myself, I probably would have felt somewhat uneasy ripping off  'a sweet old couple' and offer a bit more.

@BrontoScorpio I absolutely felt the same way. They had the listing price as $12 so I kept it that way for shock value. With both my friends helping me get there being in a rush and the inner guilt, I gave them some extra and skedaddled before they could give me change although they were adamant on finding the right amount to give back. I'll add this to my little excerpt.

[Halichoeres]

Great new finds everyone, congrats!

As someone who is new to the history of Dinosaur figures, could someone briefly fill me in on what's so special about this one? It looks great and all, but something tells me there's context involved that I am missing out on.

Battat was mostly active in the mid-1990s, although they released a handful of new molds in 2014. The Boston Museum of Science line was simply the most realistic set of mass-market dinosaur toys that had ever been made. Even now, almost 30 years later, some of them have not been matched for accuracy and sculpt quality (Ouranosaurus, arguably Acrocanthosaurus and Gallimimus). It was also one of several lines active around that time specifically associated with museums--Schleich had a partnership with a German museum, Safari was making the Carnegie line. But Battat was, in my estimation, the best of those, although later Carnegie figures were absolutely gorgeous. Battat only lasted a few years and became really highly sought-after by collectors, especially the Acrocanthosaurus and Diplodocus. The Diplodocus was selling for $600 or more about five or ten years ago, although prices have come down a bit since. Still, you'd probably pay $300 in an eBay auction if it were correctly identified by the seller.

There was a brief resurrection of the line in 2014-2015 with some of the old figures re-released with new paint jobs, and four new sculpts. One reason the line is particularly beloved among the forum's old-timers is that Dan LoRusso, who sculpted some of the originals and all of the new ones, was active here and interacted with us and answered our questions. Sadly, he passed away in 2015, with several new sculpts in various stages of production that were never released.

[edited to correct the dates; I was off by a year]

[Thialfi]

Great acquisitions all, lots of beautiful stuff to get us through these cold days!



Trees!



A totally unexpected CollectA nautilus amongst the typical Schleich fair in the museum I went to yesterday! Wanting to buy this cutie for a while and actually seeing her in person had me convinced.



Local store had one lonely Safari plesiosuchus laying around - obviously had to give him a proper home together with his fellow crocodyliforms.

[need4swede]

Battat was mostly active in the mid-1990s...

Wow, thanks for that great write-up, @Halichoeres!
I knew there had to be some historical context that I was missing. I see now why there's a degree of sentimentality surrounding this figure. Great to see the artistry of these models and their creators live on through the love and admiration of the community.

In a related sense, as someone who has worked very closely with many historic racecars (and their road-going variants), the general consensus is that owners take on the role of custodians; that the cars aren't really yours to own, but instead what you embrace is the responsibility for its care and, to some extent, its cultural relevancy. It becomes more about the preservation of history than anything else - I like to think a similar philosophy has been acted out here in this thread, albeit on a smaller scale.

Thank you for sharing your insight - it's been great learning about this stuff!

[Fembrogon]

I think you're on to something there, @need4swede; that sense of preservation and history is probably a big part of why the more vintage toy lines appeal to a lot of us. Some toys end up looking dated as time marches on, but they represent a part of paleontology & paleoart history that helped us get where we are now - in Battat's case, they even stand up to modern toy renditions. The Battat Diplo may be 20 years old, but it's still considered one of the best figures of the genus to date. It's a testament to the artists of the time, and arguably a challenge waiting to be met by current artists and manufacturers.

[need4swede]

I think you're on to something there, @need4swede; that sense of preservation and history is probably a big part of why the more vintage toy lines appeal to a lot of us. Some toys end up looking dated as time marches on, but they represent a part of paleontology & paleoart history that helped us get where we are now - in Battat's case, they even stand up to modern toy renditions. The Battat Diplo may be 20 years old, but it's still considered one of the best figures of the genus to date. It's a testament to the artists of the time, and arguably a challenge waiting to be met by current artists and manufacturers.

Very well said, @Fembrogon - I agree completely.

To add to this sentiment, through the combined practice of collecting these figures we ensure that they live beyond us, to be enjoyed by new generations of collectors and admirers of the art. We owe it to not only to the people who designed and manufactured these models, but also to future collectors that these pieces be cared for and preserved so that their legacy may live on long after we're gone. Such is the case for a lot of people involved in collecting historic race cars, and I think the same underlying philosophy regarding the responsibilities of the custodians [owners] could, and should, apply here as well.

It's just a coincidence that these happen to be dinosaur figures, of all things; a topic of paleontological study and scientific discovery that encompasses millions of years of history through careful preservation methods, most of which natural to our world. I find the topic of preserving the history of these figures to be quite fitting to the subject matter, all things considered.

[SidB]

Occasionally, a comment will pop up, expressing surprise at the fervor of Batttat affectionados towards this line, now apparently slipping into the past. Posts such as the above, from @Halichoeres , @Fembrogon and @need4swede , echo what has been said previously regarding the value of this brand in particular, and others too, such as Invicta, Marx and Carnegie. It also explains why many react quite passionately when these lines are dismissed as hopelessly outdated and of little worth. The past, when properly situated as part of a vital continuum, can continue as a living tradition and not as a dead hand.

[Eocarcharia]

Nice little bunch of additions @Thialfi


This was my surprise find at Target today: