A Designer's Collection: A Study of Aesthetic Variation

[mgaguilar]

A   D E S I G N E R ' S   C O L L E C T I O N :   A   S T U D Y   O F   A E S T H E T I C   V A R I A T I O N
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At the risk of making this sound far more ambitious than it actually is, I will take this opportunity to introduce myself, as well as my humble and growing collection.

Hello!

My name is Michael, and I am an architectural designer based in Los Angeles. I have long had an interest in dinosaurs, specifically a passion for large Theropoda when I was growing up.
I was a hobbyist photographer for awhile, doing weddings, in-studio shoots, as well as outdoor sessions (specializing in portraiture), so I do have a solid rig, although my skills are lacking.
I have the utmost respect for all of you and the impressive mass of collections many of you have built over the years in the hobby.

Perusing this site is one of my favorite past-times, and I have long-since been a lurker, but never a member. This past year, I finally joined up, and began pursuing a collection of figures
much more seriously. You may have seen me around the forum declaring my love of Tyrannosaurus rex specifically, and for that, I apologize, as you're about to see much more of the
overly-cliche beasty.

I do enjoy a particular niche in this hobby; collecting a certain species exclusively and assessing the various permutations that spawn from the myriad of artistic licensure in sculpts, paint, etc. 
In other words, I like to see variation in a single species. That being said, I do hope you enjoy these photos, and I look forward to hearing all of your thoughts on this ever-growing collection.

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T H E   C O L L E C T I O N

I .   G I G A N O T O S A U R U S    C A R O L I N I I

Vitae : Giganotosaurus carolinii
Safari Ltd. The Carnegie Collection : Giganotosaurus carolinii






I I .   K R O N O S A U R U S   Q U E E N S L A N D I C U S

Safari Ltd. Wild Safari : Kronosaurus queenslandicus
CollectA : Deluxe Kronosaurus queenslandicus






I I I .  Q U E T Z A L C O A T L U S  N O R T H R O P I

Safari Ltd. The Carnegie Collection, Schleich, CollectA, Papo, Wild Safari, CollectA (Hatzegopteryx thambema)





I V .   T Y R A N N O S A U R U S   R E X

Battat, Kaiyodo Sofubi, Mojo Fun, CollectA, Safari Ltd. The Carnegie Collection, Safari Ltd. Wild Safari, Papo, Schleich, Rebor,
ToyWiz, Ravensburger, Dinosaurs in the Wild, Chronicle Collectibles, W-Dragon
Repaints, doubles, and a couple bootlegs.

Growth.






DISCLAIMER
There may be some bootlegs in some of these photos, specifically the overall shots, and I obtained the vast majority of them before I was aware of the truth of the nature of the market,
and how they affected production and the trade, so I do recommend not scrolling down further if you are sensitive to that type of thing. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience.
I will point the aforementioned figures out if there is a photo of one of them.
This is also a primarily first-post thread that will constantly be updated, rather than continuously commented on for new updates.

[Jose S.M.]

Very nice photos! It's interesting to see how different companies tackle the same species.

[mgaguilar]

Very nice photos! It's interesting to see how different companies tackle the same species.

@Jose S.M. thank you very much! And yes, I do love to see all the variation and interpretation.
Even within Safari alone there are so many, whether it's through scientific discovery driving the changes, or just the push for more higher-definition models.

[Halichoeres]

Your collection is like the complete inverse of mine! I like to see the way various people approach collecting. Thanks for sharing your photos

[mgaguilar]

Your collection is like the complete inverse of mine! I like to see the way various people approach collecting. Thanks for sharing your photos

Ahahaha, I take it you are quite selective in your choice of figure, and only purchase one or two per species, but have a broad-range of species coverage?
I do love to see the varying collection mindsets as well. From completionists, to the one's focusing on specificity, it's brilliant all the same. 
Thanks @Halichoeres  for stopping in!

[Faelrin]

Really nice collection you got there. I honestly really like seeing different figures of the same genus or species together to show how different things are, as well as how things are advancing. Your rex collection is a great example of this.

[Brocc21]

I always liked how companies all have their own style so seeing their takes on the same animal is always. Very interesting

[Ravonium]

As someone who only collects one of every genera, this is an interesting idea for a collection thread. I'm especially curious as to what discussion this will generate.

[mgaguilar]

Really nice collection you got there. I honestly really like seeing different figures of the same genus or species together to show how different things are, as well as how things are advancing. Your rex collection is a great example of this.

@Faelrin I agree! It's fascinating to be able to make comparisons based upon accuracy and understanding depending on the time period. It wasn't too long ago that the Battat rex was the shining example of horizontal body orientation, and it's amazing to see how the focus of certain characteristics has changed, i.e. body plumage, arm-pronation, etc. I'm interested in assembling a sort of compendium in the near future of well-represented figures.
Like Tyrannosaurus, and perhaps Triceratops, the big two, for coverage's sake.

[mgaguilar]

As someone who only collects one of every genera, this is an interesting idea for a collection thread. I'm especially curious as to what discussion this will generate.

@Ravonium That's amazing to me. I'd love to see what criteria you look for when choosing a model for representation of a species. I imagine something along the lines of scale, aesthetic, accuracy, and overall personal preference.

Thank you! I'd love to see some discussion about the various differences that arise, and what may have caused these particular differences in focus (as I mentioned in another post) over time.
Such as Safari (Doug) & CollectA choosing to pursue feathered rexes around similar periods, and then having the scale patterns for certain areas of the body of a Tyrannosaurus discovered.
I assume CollectA's decision to sculpt and release a partially-feathered and mostly scaled figure this year was based on that discovery.
Or, I guess a similar parallel would be how the Jurassic Franchise has driven many a toy company that produce dinosaur figures to pursue the pop-cinematic counterparts.

I always liked how companies all have their own style so seeing their takes on the same animal is always. Very interesting

Same! At times, they almost seem like the same creature in name only.  But it's the diversity that makes it fun for me. Always pursuing the next aesthetic permutation.

[Ravonium]

@Ravonium That's amazing to me. I'd love to see what criteria you look for when choosing a model for representation of a species. I imagine something along the lines of scale, aesthetic, accuracy, and overall personal preference.

I look for all of those factors. Let me use the two Kronosaurus you posted as an example (I prioritise the factors you mention in the exact order I've written them in)

Spoiler

In terms of scale, both models score around the same for me. They are both around 1:25-1:30 scale. I usually don't get Mesozoic animal models that large (unless they are very small in real life), but there are no 1:35-1:40 (my preferred scale) Kronosaurus models, so I let scale pass in this case.

In terms of aesthetic, I think the CollectA model has a better pose and color scheme, but the Safari model has a better texture. Both are equal in terms of paint application.

Finally, in terms of accuracy, the Safari model is better. According to the 'experts' ( ) of the forum, the CollectA model is missing a row of teeth. Whether this is a severe or minor drawback, I'll let you judge    The skin of the CollectA is also less accurate (which is actually a valid complaint).

Overall, I pick the CollectA version because, despite minor drawbacks in accuracy, I think it is better in terms of pose and color than the Safari Ltd.

Keep in mind I'm probably in the minority with this opinion.

[close]

Although, if you're going to ask someone about their experience mostly collecting one of every figure, I think @Halichoeres would be a better person to ask. He's much more experienced in this field than I am.

[Halichoeres]

Your collection is like the complete inverse of mine! I like to see the way various people approach collecting. Thanks for sharing your photos

Ahahaha, I take it you are quite selective in your choice of figure, and only purchase one or two per species, but have a broad-range of species coverage?
I do love to see the varying collection mindsets as well. From completionists, to the one's focusing on specificity, it's brilliant all the same. 
Thanks @Halichoeres  for stopping in!

Yep, that's right. Usually one per genus, although sometimes I'll allow a second or third to accommodate different scales, different hypotheses of appearance, or just when it's really hard to choose a favorite. I didn't realize that @Ravonium was a similar sort of collector! I tend to prioritize accuracy, but I give weight to aesthetics, scale (I prefer 1:40 for large animals and larger scales for smaller animals), and a few more minor factors. It helps keep my collection a relatively manageable size, and limits my expenditures.

[Ravonium]

I didn't realize that @Ravonium was a similar sort of collector! I tend to prioritize accuracy, but I give weight to aesthetics, scale (I prefer 1:40 for large animals and larger scales for smaller animals), and a few more minor factors. It helps keep my collection a relatively manageable size, and limits my expenditures.

Yep, I am a fairly similar collector, and I started collecting extant animals in this method years before every member who's posted on this thread (so far) joined this forum. Back then, I did it solely for 'logistical' reasons, rather than any desire to get the most accurate version of a species, and it is still largely like this now, only that I've considered accuracy a bit more ever since I started becoming a somewhat professional collector, which is probably attributable to finding this website I've since weeded out much of my older extant and extinct animals, replacing them with better versions. Despite all this, throughout the 7 or so years I've been doing this, I have never felt any incentive to change this rule. If anything, it's been quite the opposite 

[Shonisaurus]

Mgaguilar you have a surprising collection of prehistoric figures. I see a great variety of Tyrannosaurus, I congratulate you for that.

[mgaguilar]

@Ravonium That's amazing to me. I'd love to see what criteria you look for when choosing a model for representation of a species. I imagine something along the lines of scale, aesthetic, accuracy, and overall personal preference.

I look for all of those factors. Let me use the two Kronosaurus you posted as an example (I prioritise the factors you mention in the exact order I've written them in)

[offtopic]
In terms of scale, both models score around the same for me. They are both around 1:25-1:30 scale. I usually don't get Mesozoic animal models that large (unless they are very small in real life), but there are no 1:35-1:40 (my preferred scale) Kronosaurus models, so I let scale pass in this case*

In terms of aesthetic, I think the CollectA model has a better pose and color scheme, but the Safari model has a better texture. Both are equal in terms of paint application.

Finally, in terms of accuracy, the Safari model is better. According to the 'experts' ( ) of the forum, the CollectA model is missing a row of teeth. Whether this is a severe or minor drawback, I'll let you judge    The skin of the CollectA is also less accurate (which is actually a valid complaint).

Overall, I pick the CollectA version because despite minor drawbacks in accuracy, I think it is better in terms of pose and color than the Safari Ltd.

Keep in mind I'm probably in the minority with this opinion.[/offtopic]

Although, if you're going to ask someone about their experience mostly collecting one of every figure, I think @Halichoeres would be a better person to ask. He's much more experienced in this field than I am.

I love this. Definitive means of selection. Since @Ravonium explained their origin story, I have a couple questions for you as well @Halichoeres.
What made you decide to pursue this kind of collecting in the first place? And when did you come up with these guidelines that you set for yourself?
I imagine it's pretty intuitive to your own way of thinking, and reveals a bit about you yourself. 

@Shonisaurus Thank you! I aim to find most modern reconstructions. I will not collect anything before the 80's releases, probably. There is something about the "vintage" look that deters me from obtaining them. It could be possible that it is related to my own limited definition of the Tyrannosaurus rex (due to my age), and what I find appealing because of the environmental stimuli that had the most impact on me when I was younger (JP, WWD, etc.)

EDIT: Also, updated with Quetzalcoatlus Northropi, as well as the T.rex compendium, ahaha.

[Halichoeres]

Well, I started this hobby during grad school (PhD in evolutionary biology, focusing on phylogenetics, anatomy and ecology). I was on a grad school budget, so I knew I had to put limits on myself to be able to afford it. So I figured 1-2 figures per genus was reasonable, but of course this was before I knew how many different companies have made dinosaurs, and it was shortly before the rise of PNSO (and then Creative Beast, Vitae, etc). Now I have more than 80 companies' figures in my collection. And because I'm interested in ecology, I always arranged them as sort of mini-dioramas of things in comparable scales from close to the same time period, as though my shelves were a miniature museum. Not coincidentally, I was working in a museum at the time. So that's my story!

[mgaguilar]

Well, I started this hobby during grad school (PhD in evolutionary biology, focusing on phylogenetics, anatomy and ecology). I was on a grad school budget, so I knew I had to put limits on myself to be able to afford it. So I figured 1-2 figures per genus was reasonable, but of course this was before I knew how many different companies have made dinosaurs, and it was shortly before the rise of PNSO (and then Creative Beast, Vitae, etc). Now I have more than 80 companies' figures in my collection. And because I'm interested in ecology, I always arranged them as sort of mini-dioramas of things in comparable scales from close to the same time period, as though my shelves were a miniature museum. Not coincidentally, I was working in a museum at the time. So that's my story!

@Halichoeres thank you for that!
Absolutely fascinating. Would love to see some of the environments that you came up with then in comparison to now.
Origin stories are now one of my favorite things in this hobby. Everyone has such a diverse introduction to this little niche of ours.

[Halichoeres]

Well, I started this hobby during grad school (PhD in evolutionary biology, focusing on phylogenetics, anatomy and ecology). I was on a grad school budget, so I knew I had to put limits on myself to be able to afford it. So I figured 1-2 figures per genus was reasonable, but of course this was before I knew how many different companies have made dinosaurs, and it was shortly before the rise of PNSO (and then Creative Beast, Vitae, etc). Now I have more than 80 companies' figures in my collection. And because I'm interested in ecology, I always arranged them as sort of mini-dioramas of things in comparable scales from close to the same time period, as though my shelves were a miniature museum. Not coincidentally, I was working in a museum at the time. So that's my story!

@Halichoeres thank you for that!
Absolutely fascinating. Would love to see some of the environments that you came up with then in comparison to now.
Origin stories are now one of my favorite things in this hobby. Everyone has such a diverse introduction to this little niche of ours.

Well, maybe mini-dioramas is a bit of an overstatement, as I haven't built backdrops or scenery to go with them. I want to someday, but there never seems to be time. But you can see the evolution of the displays in my collection thread, of course.

[Bokisaurus]

Alway nice to see another collector's collection. Great collection, looking forward to see how it evolve.

[mgaguilar]

Alway nice to see another collector's collection. Great collection, looking forward to see how it evolve.

B @Bokisaurus thank you! I have long been a fan of your images, especially the species and related dinosaur comparison images. Will definitely be adding more soon, running out of figures to collect for the species I have.