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

[Duna]

Time for Starlux ceratopsians ... 

And let's look for the inspirations!



Here is the Protoceratops by Caselli (from Halstead book). Same sculpt, bumps, black beak.


Styracosaurus was probably inspired in those from Burian, the animal in the back has the same cream coloured nose horn. The first version was painted in dark grey, the second in beige/cream.


Obvious inspiration in Burian's famous monoclonius: same pose, same head with the halfmoon mark on the side, frill and legs positioned in the same way.



EDIT: Yes, I found the inspiration of the quadrupedal psittacosaurus in the same artist, Caselli.

Triceratops, as being a well known dinosaur, most depictions of that time look mostly the same. It's not exact as Burian's and looks a bit like Parker's. I don't find any drawing I can exactly say it's inspired on.

[Fembrogon]

These Starlux figures are quite striking; it was quite commonplace for older dinosaur toys to imitate the prominent artists of the times, but Starlux seems to have taken the replication practice to a unique level. They look incredibly charming; I can see why collectors say they're so dangerous!

[Shonisaurus]

By the way Duna, how many Starlux figures do you have? How much did they cost you out of curiosity? They are vintage cult figures.

[Duna]

By the way Duna, how many Starlux figures do you have? How much did they cost you out of curiosity? They are vintage cult figures.

Hi, Shoni! I have the complete collection of Starlux et La Prehistorie, I just completed it last month. There are 87 animals and 13 prehistoric men, plus 8 more different versions of some of the figures. It's one of the collections I'm most proud of having. About the cost? About 1000€, and I just lucky to get some cheap lots. If you try to buy them one by one, most figures go for 10-15€ each and taking into acount that some figures cost more that 40€ alone, you can end up paying twice or three times that, and because of shipping costs.

[Shonisaurus]

By the way Duna, how many Starlux figures do you have? How much did they cost you out of curiosity? They are vintage cult figures.

Hi, Shoni! I have the complete collection of Starlux et La Prehistorie, I just completed it last month. There are 87 animals and 13 prehistoric men, plus 8 more different versions of some of the figures. It's one of the collections I'm most proud of having. About the cost? About 1000€, and I just lucky to get some cheap lots. If you try to buy them one by one, most figures go for 10-15€ each and taking into acount that some figures cost more that 40€ alone, you can end up paying twice or three times that, and because of shipping costs.

It's exciting to hear that. You are honestly a very lucky person to have that cast of figures. Having the complete collection is a huge achievement, it costs as you say your money but it is worth it. In my case, I am very happy to have the entire vintage collection of Battat dinosaurs.

[Bokisaurus]

Always exciting and fascinating to see your collection thread updates!
Really enjoying looking at all the starlux figures and the art that inspired them!
It must be something to see the entire collection all together!
Congratulations again on completing it😃

[Duna]

Hi again!
Now I would like to present the cavemen from the Starlux prehistoric series. There were 13 in total, 10 men and 3 women (you can tell them by the breast, because the faces are indistinguishable). I don't hide that the prehistoric men are the least I like of this vast collection. They don't look like real men, the face is painted lighter that the body (I-don'-hecking-know-why), the paint is awfully sloppily applied in most of them and so this makes most of them look like zombies or clowns. Clothes don't look much realistic, too, but it's nice the sculptor made several human species (Neanderthal, Cromagnon, even a Pithecanthrope) and in such interesting poses.

The first of them was released in 1972, it was the PH50/FS40050 Homme des cavernes ou homme prehistorique. It is a caveman holding a club over his head. This figure was replaced by a taller, slightly different figure in 1982, called FS40001 Homme de Néanderthal. Probably to go along in size with the rest of the collection or just maybe the sculptor wanted a more nice version (I think the first had a very short-inexistant neck). The first version is difficult to find (as all the first and later retired figures) but not impossible and not expensive if you can find it. It's easy to tell appart by the first one having a wider fur coat, more beard and mirrowed position of the legs.


1972 version on the left, 1982 and on, on the right.


In 1974 came the Pithecanthrope carrying a dead antelope? on his shoulders. 5 more were released in 1979 including the woman carrying a child on her back and the rest in 1982. The woman squatting in front of fire is the only figure that doesn't have a base. Yep, I've stated previously that I don't like fixed bases, but this collection is as it is, so, no complaints.




These were within the last figures of Starlux that I purchased, for several reasons. I didn't like them at first and I was decided not to get any. Other reason was that they were a lot, and no seller was offering more that 3-4 at the time so that meant having to buy from different sellers with quite high shipping costs for each figure. By the way, some of the cavemen weren't available for sale, so some of them do seem to be rare. They weren't as popular as the dinosaurs. And as you see in the pictures, more than half of them are holding very thin spears and clubs that break very easily, so most of them usually have parts missing.
But ....
... they were undoubtedly part of the Starlux La Prehistoire collection and without them, it wouldn't be complete. That wasn't a matter while I was missing one of the dinosaurs (the deinonychus) and the spirifer, so that didn't bother me much. But the same day I got them both in my hands ... my completionist part started thinking ... I know most collectors just pick the figures they want or the species they want from any collection and are perfectly happy. In fact I do the same with the newer brands, I don't mind at all. But with the vintage ones ... I just can't help it. I love them as much I would like the see them as a whole. As they would have been collected in that time.

So when I saw a whole collection on sale with the 13 figures in mint condition I didn't hesitate much. The price was on the normal side of how those figures go individually (or even a bit less), but the shipping costs would be for once. And the condition of the figures was the best of the best. It was a break for the endless searches and the tension in bids, and easy way to close that chapter.
I got later the first version of the caveman holding a spear over his head just as I've done with all the other versions of the figures (colours and sculpts).

Having them in hands, now I feel they are not as bad as I thought they were. Yes, the painting on the faces is horrible and distorts the looks of the figure. But the poses are nice and interesting, and not badly executed.
But when you compare with those tiny absolute marvels that are the Marx cavemen, that are 4 times smaller, but so incredibly well done (they even have the hairs on the chests!), ... I just think they would have looked better unpainted, to appreciate the sculpt on its own and better. However, I think that part too is executed better in the Marx version.

Hope you like them!

[Shonisaurus]

Nice Duna figures, static and very curious figures.

[BrontoScorpio]

It is obvious you invested a lot of time and effort with these early humanoids.

[Halichoeres]

Wasn't aware of that pale variant of the Styracosaurus!

[Duna]

Wasn't aware of that pale variant of the Styracosaurus!

The first version, the dark grey one was the first to be released, it was substituted by a repaint in that creamy color with brown horns (which I find more appealing). I thought it was more common the later version, but it seemed that is not, curiously.

[BrontoScorpio]

When I got mine - I was amazed how surprisingly heavy those two are.

[Duna]

Yesterday I received these ....

PNSO styracosaurus which was for me an inmediate buy because I was so much in need of a very good styracosaurus model. I have both the Papo and the Safari (the Collecta is too oversized for my collection), and in the display cabinet only the Safari version (the Papo is with my children), but I wasn't complete happy with it because of the large scales and the blunt frill spikes with that dull colour. The sculpt is very good, however, so it won't leave my home. The PNSO version is just perfect in every way, I love it so much. I would have liked it a bit larger, but I can't be too exigent because Styracosaurus wasn't a large species.



With the Papo version, which is the same size:



And now 2 little fossils I wanted for a long time, I had no dinosaur fossils in my humble collection (only a broken megalodon tooth, a shark tooth, a plant fossil (araucaria trunk), an insect in ambar, two fishes, a mosasaur tooth, and some trilobites, ammonites, orthoceras, and other similar). But I just wanted a mammal and a dinosaur fossil. My dream is a mammoth large tooth (or tusk) and a tyrannosaurus large tooth (yep, can't one dream?) but they are out of my reach now. So I went for the least expensive but also cool, a spinosaurus tooth (nice size) and a cave bear tooth.

The Ursus spelaeus (cave bear) tooth cames from Romania and is an incisive (I think it's from the lower jaw, the one next to the canine). It's very cool. Quite cheap because it has a small part of the root missing. But I don't mind at all.



Here in comparison with my 40 year old Starlux cave bear figure:



The spinosaurus tooth though being large, it's cheap because it's glued (broken and glued fossils are cheaper than those that were found and extracted intact). It's from Morocco. I love the texture and the edge is well preserved.



Here is in comparison with the PNSO spinosaurus:



Hope you like them!

[Libraraptor]

I like the mix of figures and fossils! Thanks for sharing!

[Duna]

I like the mix of figures and fossils! Thanks for sharing!

I'm happy you liked! Just thought they could look cool together. 🤗

[Bokisaurus]

Very nice styracosaurus, I can't wait for mine to arrive!

[Shonisaurus]

What beautiful fossils, the spinosaurus one is the one I like the most, the ursus spelaeus tooth is very nice although I put it in second place in front of the spinosaurus tooth (it's magnificent!) and the PNSO styracosaurus... it stands out in Beauty, this year the PNSO ceratopsid replicas are super-improved over the previous year. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

[ceratopsian]

Beautifully composed photos of fossils and models. I buy the occasional cheap
fossil too. Lots of pleasure and I don't feel guilty about them not being in a museum!

[SidB]

Very nice styracosaurus, I can't wait for mine to arrive!

It is very fine indeed - pushed my Papo one off the ceratopsian display shelf too. Better than the Safari one also, as @Duna points out, though my Safari is saved from the storage box by virtue of its being part of my dedicated Safari/Carnegie Safari display. Only the iconic Battat is a rival, but I think that it will stay in storage too.

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

Very nice, kinda surreal to see all those classic Starlux figures and a new PNSO right in the middle of them.
Is that a cave bear too?