Duna's collection (Ikea cabinet and more) "updated feb"

[Duna]

I finally got the ONLY ONE figure that I was missing in a very special collection. The very first figures I had ever in my life were (along with the Jurassic Park Danones) the 1992 UKRD pteranodon and two Jurassic Park key rings with figurines by YOLANDA.
When I decided this year to complete all the collections from my childhood, this was one of them, but I found it very difficult to find them all. I saw pictures of them, so they still existed in collection webs but most of them had already been sold.

YOLANDA had made in 1989 a collection of 9 "dinosaurs", 6 of them were given away also as promotional articles for "Embutidos Cabo" and so called "Cabosaurios". The other 3 (a brachiosaurus, a pteranodon and a velociraptor deinonychus) are very rare. This three dinosaurs but in a slightly smaller size were released in 1992 as official Jurassic Park/Amblin products along with a lot more, making 12 in total. Most of them didn't appear even in the first or in none of the movies. They were more appealing than the plastic monochrome of the Danones, and colourfully painted.
CLICK ON THE PICS TO ENLARGE

There were 3 different Jurassic Park collections:

- 1992 Yolanda Jurassic Park/Amblin key rings:
There were 12 figures, a lot of them. 6 of them based on the Jurassic Park film dinos, but with their own "touch". They are "muscular" and brighly painted, and in spite of their clown feet, most of them have standing issues, because the soft rubber warps easily.

6 of them were (and still are) very common to find, because they were given away as promotional articles, too. These were the Tyrannosaurus, Gallimmimus, Triceratops, Brachiosaurus, Velociraptor and Dilophosaurus. The velociraptor looks like a Deinonychus because it is based on the 1989 figure (before Jurassic Park), but the dilophosaurus is definitely faithful to the film. No tail draggers here



I've said they were also released as promotional articles ... and what can be even more collectable than a Jurassic Park article? Of course, Coca-Cola!  I got almost all the Coca-Cola versions, on one side the Coca-Cola logo, on the other side the JP.



There are at least two colour versions of some figures which I also have, a white bellied Tyrannosaurus with painted nails, and a light brown bellied Dilophosaurus (instead of green).
These key rings (non promotional versions) were sold in a package like this (very very collectable and quite expensive now. You can find them in Ebay):



But there were also 6 more key rings that even didn't appear in the Jurassic Park film (at least in the first movie). These were not released as Coca-Cola and others- promotional articles and are quite rare. They were: Spinosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Stegosaurus, Dimetrodon, Torosaurus and Pteranodon. I got the Torosaurus 29 years ago, and it was given free by buying something, but I don't remember what. I did to it what most children did, cut the ring and played freely with the figure. Most of the figures I got had the ring cut, too, you can see it in the pictures. I found some pictures in Google of all of them with the rings, though.
The only figure I was missing was the Pteranodon, I had only seen it in pics ... when suddenly I came across one in the most incredible place ... in eBay from UK, I still can't imagine how a Spanish figure ended all the way up there, but I'm so happy to reunite it back here with its mates ...



You can read 1992 U.C.S (Universal Central Studios - AMBLIN), the Yolanda logo, the CE symbol and and a warning not for children under 36 months.


Spinosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Stegosaurus, Dimetrodon, Torosaurus and Pteranodon


- 1992 Yolanda Jurassic Park/Amblin pendants:
Some figures were also released in mini size with a ring to be used as pendants or similar. They were monochrome and I don't know how many there were. Maybe the 6 most common species from the film.




- 1992 Yolanda Jurassic Park/Amblin 6 figures:
The 6 figures from the film (Brachiosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Dilophosaurus, Triceratops, Gallimimus and Velociraptor) were also released without the rings. I have the feeling that the rings were cut in the factory after molding, that's why the place of the ring is still noticeable under the paint.
I was so lucky to get a collection in such a mint condition.




- 1992 Yolanda Jurassic Park/Amblin 6 monochrome figures:
Again the same 6 figures were released in monochrome rubber in the same size. Colors were pink, yellow, green and orange. They came in mixed bags but they could have been probably promotional figures, too, but I can't remember well.

[Roselaar]

Very interesting! I love obscure little JP collectibles like these!

Torosaurus is a fascinating choice... Don't think that one ever returned to the JP franchise in whatever form!

[Halichoeres]

Does the Ankylosaurus have a club? Because the parts I can see sure look like a nodosaurid!

[Duna]

Does the Ankylosaurus have a club? Because the parts I can see sure look like a nodosaurid!

Oh, you have a very good eye. No club. Yes, it could be a nodosaurid. Maybe sauropelta? It has two spikes pointing upwards ...

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

I would guess Edmontonia, that's the most popular Nodosaur in older works

[Duna]

I would guess Edmontonia, that's the most popular Nodosaur in older works

Very interesting!

[Halichoeres]

I'm definitely getting Edmontonia vibes. Wouldn't surprise me if Yolanda sold it as Ankylosaurus, however--lots of clubless ones have been released, and of course clubbed ones have been sold as nodosaurids. Sometimes I think manufacturers choose a name at random.

[Duna]

Hi again,

I have to add a lot of figures and new display cabinets and shelves (I finally managed to find a place for them -in my bedroom-). But now I would like to show you some of my last adquisitions and at the same time, the first I've ever had. 

In 1993 I got my first dinosaur figures. One of them was a green plastic tyrannosaurus rex which I won in a supermarket as a prize. I still remember with emotion waiting at home for the supermarket to open, looking at my prized ticket that said: "A giant dinosaur". I wondered if it was large, how much big, which dinosaur species .... and I went all by myself to collect it. When I received a plastic bag with a quite large (but much less than what I understood by "giant") plastic very outdated green tyrannosaurus, I was a bit disappointed. By that time I knew perfectly that tyrannosaurus didn't drag its tail on the floor and didn't have sprawled legs and FOUR fingers in a too large arm. But it was a gift and it was mine and overall, it was a dinosaur. By that time I had the Danone Jurassic Park collection that were also made in hard monochrome plastic and were quite retro, so the new T-rex fit perfectly and was received with open hands.





I played a lot with those figures and I still have them. Even my children have played with them, too.
Recently, a few months ago, I discovered that that green Tyrannosaurus is in fact very special. Much more than I had ever imagined. It is so rare that probably not one member in the forum (but one  ) has any. It's a reissue of the Jecsan tyrannosaurus and much more rare than the original from the 50s.

JECSAN made the first Spanish 5 dinosaur figures in 1959, they were part of a set that was called "Animales Antidiluvianos". It's very special as it should be spelled "Antediluvianos", but "Antidiluvianos" was mispelled. In the box set also came 7 prehistoric men. The dinosaurs were made of hard vulcanized rubber that it's very fragile and very beautifully hand painted. Sadly the paint in most cases has not resisted well the pass of time and the rough play and it's very difficult to find figures in good condition.
What makes this collection so special appart from the age, is that while there may be a little influence by Burian style in some figures, the sculpt is unique and very well done for that time. And more, they are quite large and painted, while most figures from the 50s were made of monochrome plastic and smaller.
The dinosaur figures are so coveted that most go easily between 80-150€ even in very bad condition. There is a set of only the 5 dinosaurs now on sale listed at 1000€. A complete set with the box would probably go for several thousands, but that would be amazing to see because I've never seen one on sale.
Here you can look at some pictures, they are not mine (credit to the authors from Todocoleccion and soldadosdeplastico.blogspot).


http://soldadosdeplastico.blogspot.com/2018/10/jecsan-antidiluvianos.html






About 30 years later, the manufacturer that bought the molds reissued only two of the dinosaurs in monochrome plastic: the triceratops and the tyrannosaurus. I know nothing more about how many were made and if they were distributed in other places apart from the supermarket chain that gave them away as special prizes. I wonder also why they didn't reissue the rest of the dinosaurs ... a mystery ....
Appart from my dark green rex, I have been so lucky to get recently the tyrannosaurus in light green marbled colour and two triceratops, one brown and one brownish red. I don't know if there are more colours but probably not as these are the only ones I've seen. The two molds seem to be in perfect condition despite the long time and the plastic material looks like the perfect choice.
So according to some collectors these two reissued plastic figures seem to be more rare than the hard rubber originals and there are none on sale but for a recently listed light green Tyrannosaurus on eBay, and that's the first I've ever seen.








They are quite large - the tyrannosaurus is a bit taller than the Papo velociraptor - and the sculpt is amazing and very detailed, the tyrannosaurus' teeth are individually sculpted and the head is a beauty. There is a lot of detail in the triceratops skin, too.

I just wanted to share with you some interesting information about vintage figures. And Jecsan undoubtedly have made a very important place among collectors. 

[Libraraptor]

Thanks for sharing these!  I like both variants very much,  but I prefer the monochrome ones.

[Duna]

Thanks for sharing these!  I like both variants very much,  but I prefer the monochrome ones.

I agree with you ... As in Marx and Invicta collections (I have some of the painted Invicta figures, too) the monochrome ones make you appreciate better the beauty of the sculpt.

[Crackington]

Yes thanks for sharing @Duna , I've never heard of Jecsan and it shows that Marx weren't the only ones making dinosaur figures in the 1950s. I suspect they had a big influence on Starlux. I'm also really pleased that your first dino turned out to be special, a treasure indeed👏

[Roselaar]

Very insightful! That box set looks amazing, the artwork is gorgeous! I absolutely adore the retro feel of these figures, they are sort of a blend of Starlux and Invicta.

Thanks a lot for sharing this, it's delightful reading about these practically unknown gems. You're quite the dinosaur toy paleontologist!

[Shonisaurus]

I admire you, you must have one of the best vintage collections in the world. Those overpriced dinosaurs are a real treasure for your collection. They are even much more interesting than the classic dinosaurs thanks for sharing and my congratulations.

[Lanthanotus]

Those Jecsan figures with their box are a real gem. I really like those old box arts and presentations of figures. As outdated as they are, they are indeed charming. Great collection pieces.

[Halichoeres]

These figures have so much personality! Thanks for all the detailed information.

[Duna]

I got this three in June, just a week before the new "customs law" started on July 1 in Europe, so I saved quite a lot.




In my collection, all "classic" dinosaurs I have known since my childhood have a place, and so, Tarbosaurus is one of them. I couldn't miss this, as PNSO has made a magnificent job. You have to have it in your hands to see those TINY scales that make the figure look gorgeous. I love the chubby look, too. I like Tarbosaurus and Tyrannosaurus to be bulky.
Yutyrannus doesn't fit in this "classic" list, but it's enough different from other dinosaurs to be interesting for me (as qianzhousaurus, amargasaurus, bajadasaurus, atlasaurus, miragaia ...).
This is a small figure, but nicely done, too. The "Saint Bernard" doggy coat is a fresh change from the white coats it is represented with (which I also like).



I'm also very pleased that these two figures stand perfectly without the rod, so I don't display it with them. I understand that some collectors like rods and bases for security reasons, but I display them in closed glass cabinets, so they can't damage if they tip over.
I really can't stand figures with fixed bases, so I don't buy any. I like to handle my figures a lot, from every angle. The display non fixed bases take a lot of space in the cabinet, and as my shelves have light (one lighting fixture that lights two shelves), they make shadow to the lower one. So I avoid buying them if I can find another figure of that species that doesn't have it (and looks nice).

I always wanted a Carcharodontosaurus figure, so I bought the Collecta some years ago, but I wasn't happy with it at all. And this year, bam! two Carcharodontosaurus figures to choose. If there was only the PNSO one to buy, I would have been absolutely happy with it. But there was the GR Toys version, and after watching just one video review with a comparison of the two, that was what made up my mind for me.
The first thing is obvious, the INCREDIBLE paint job that makes it look like a highest quality resin figure, it dwarfs any other figure of my collection put to its side. Believe me, it's an absolute beauty and I highly recommend it.
The second, it's slightly bigger than the PNSO but it was only 8€ more expensive when I bought it in Aliexpress. Third, it stands perfectly on two legs and does not need a rod or base, and I hate that my cabinet looks like a wood of clear plastic rods with that new decision of PNSO. That's why I didn't buy the pachycephalosaurus, too: such a tiny figure with a rod, REALLY?  ::
In fact, I have taken out all plastic rods from the PNSO figures I have (qianzhousaurus, tarbosaurus and yutyrannus) and I display the qianzhousaurus with its snout against the glass for support, because it does fall over without it). They look much better now.



I don't get tired to handle this figure. It's a beauty. Besides, mine closes its mouth really nice. And another thing, I like the theropods with lips. If there is no option between good figures (like PNSO tarbosaurus), I don't cry over buying one without lips, though.


Another interesting thing I have bought recently is a complete collection of Jurassic Park III fèves (the piece with the JP logo was missing, but I was fortunate to buy it from other collector). I don't collect Jurassic Park toys excepting the Danone Jurassic Park hard plastic monochromes (because I love small plastic vintage collections) and this collection is very different to what I normally collect, but these looked so nice.
Now I have to tell the story of "feves", probably not strange to most people, even less to Spanish like me, as we have here the same tradition.
There was an ancient pagan European tradition that, from about the III BC, started putting a fava bean inside a cake made with honey, dates and figs, and the person who found the bean was supposed to had prosperity and fertility as that is the meaning of beans. The tradition continued and some of the cakes were made in the shape of a crown. Families would gather to eat this cake and the person who found the bean was called Le Roi de la fave (the king of the fava bean). But during the XVIII century, in France, it was believed that the baker of the child king Louis XV wanted to please him and put a gold coin (some say it was a jewel) inside the cake, and it was a total success. Such that from that moment on, the coin started to be considered the special reward and the fava bean became the unwanted prize.
In 1870, the prize or coin was replaced with a tiny ceramic or porcelain figurine and though sometimes was made with hard plastic, the porcelain is the most prefered material nowadays. The time to eat these cakes is about January 6th, the Epiphany day. In English speaking countries I think they are known as King Cakes, and in France also Gallete des Rois.

In Spain we call them "Roscón de Reyes" and they are always made in the shape of a crown, a kind of brioche decorated mostly with sugar and candied or dried fruits and some are creamy filled, too. I love making mine for the family. The figurine that is hidden has no special name, we call it "figurita" or just "el rey" (the king) and nearly all of them are made in porcelain. All cakes must have the "king" figure but not all of them have the fava bean (mostly the most expensive ones made by bakeries but not the ones you buy in supermarkets). The person who gets the porcelain figure is crowned as King for that day, and the one who gets the bean must pay for the cake. So the saying goes: "Al que le toca el haba, la paga"  ("the one who gets the fava bean, pays for it). Because no one wanted to get the bean, everyone laughed at the one who got it, so that's the origin of the commonly used Spanish adjetive "tontolaba" (a shortened "tonto del haba", meaning "dumb of the fava bean"), that means exactly that: "silly, foolish".

The tradition was brought to America, and continues nowadays. In France, the tradition of the King Cakes is taken to other level as figurines go, there's a special cult for them and most are released in complete collections or themed editions. As far as to dinosaurs go, there's the Jurassic Park III, JP2, JW, JP special 25 aniversary, and Disney Dinosaur film fèves.



It's absolutely incredible how these figures are painted in such detail. The teeth for example are about 0,3 mm long in a 1 cm long figure, eyes are outlined ... I just can't imagine which tools and what ability is needed to hand paint them. There are all the species in JP3: velociraptor male and female, 2 different pteranodon, tyrannosaurus, spinosaurus, triceratops, stegosaurus, compsognatus. The size is tiny, the smallest about 1 cm and the longest about 2,5 cm long. The colours are wonderfully applicated, with many layers and no detail is missing, even tonges and nails are painted, too. I think these look better than the ones from JP2 TLW.

[Halichoeres]

The fèves are really cute! I like the Compsognathus especially. I don't have any of the JP ones, but I have a Myllokunmingia from another series and it truly is tiny, but still manages to look very good.

[Libraraptor]

I thought I was the only one having some Feves in his collection. They are pretty and cute!

[Duna]

I got recently some other figures that probably I am the only one interested in  but they mean a lot for me.

A new colour of the Danone Jurassic Park diplodocus. I thought the only colour this figure was made in was grey, blueish grey and marbled of the two tones, but I saw this one in a lot and I bought it. It's a very nice brown diplodocus. In the back the normal coloration, in the front the new finding.




Without doubt, the Bactrosaurus is the one that I have in most colours, I don't know why because some of the 12 figures were only made in one colour, sometimes two. This new one is brownish green beautifully marbled with dark blue.




As some of you know, I'm a fan of U.K.R.D. vintage dinosaurs from China, specially the series from 1991 to 1993. As I'm also a completionist, there is one collection of 1992 that it's very difficult to find. Sometimes one or two figures appear here and there, but they are very rare.
This is the UKRD set of bendable / poseable figures from 1992. I have no information about how many were there in the collection, but I least I know 8, from which I'm still missing 2 (deinonychus-velociraptor and pachycephalosaurus). The figures are made of soft rubber and bright paint that resists very well the rough play. They have metallic wires inserted in the legs, arms and tails, which sound very nice so you could pose the figures. But the truth is that the figures can only spread the extremities outwards and sprawl or do belly flips.
There is another non poseable rubber set of 12 figures from 1992, which most of this figures ressemble to, but there are some differences in the species choice, as the bendable set has the velociraptor and a very nice camarasaurus, which in the set from 1993 is called Apatosaurus.


Tyrannosaurus, parasaurolophus, brachiosaurus, triceratops, camarasaurus and stegosaurus.

I would like to find the two other figures so I can complete this collection, too, so I'll continue my search.

[Shonisaurus]

My congratulations on all your new figures, especially the UKRD retro figures, Danone, your beautiful miniatures and your PNSO carcharodontosaurus GR Toys, yutyrannus and tarbosaurus figures, superb description of all the figures, and you have a lot of culture when explaining masterfully the origin of the figures of the roscones of Epiphany in Spain the Roscón de Reyes. I'm glad for you.