Missed opportunities

[Carnoking]

One year ago today, I missed out on this lot because I am an idiot. I do hope it went to someone who would have appreciated the lot more than I would, after all there was really only one in there that I wanted  But still...What are some missed opportunities in collecting that haunt you to this day?

[Ikessauro]

I too once missed the Battat Dippy, not entirely my fault though. I had no way to afford a Battat Diplodocus at that time, for how much it usually sold. One night I was browsing eBay and came across an auction for the Dippy, listed as Buy it now, just 30 bucks plus shipping. There was also the option to bid, starting at 1 dollar. I went crazy for a second, ran to check if the seller shipped overseas and if I could manage to find a way to order it then and there. It took me less than 30 seconds to open the listing, but when the page finally loaded on the screen, someone else had made a bid of 1 dollar, the minimum accepted. Thus the Buy it Now option went away and I couldn't order the model. The auction price ended over 200 bucks if I remember correctly.

[Gwangi]

I have a few missed eBay stories but instead I'll share my most recent missed opportunity. This one was a lot of dinosaurs on Facebook marketplace. They were local, about an hour away, and the lot was $10. There were a few nice toys in the lot, some old Carnegies, but the main draw for me was a Battat Boston Museum of Science T. rex. I asked the seller if he could hold the lot for a few days and he seemed cooperative. The day before the pick up I messaged them asking for their address and they never got back to me, I asked a few times but got completely ghosted. They no doubt sold it to someone else who probably doesn't even realize the value of that T. rex anymore than the seller did. I should have made the extra effort to pick it up the day it was listed. It's unusual to find something so rare, so close to home.

[Loon]

This is one of my greatest misses. I have the Mercari app, and check it regularly, but for a few days, I ignored it. Of course I missed this:

This Carnegie Spinosaurus is already hard enough to find, let alone for a price that good.

[indohyus]

Missed out on the T. Rex from the Walking with Dinosaurs Quick line (the smaller figure). £10, kicking myself now.

[Faelrin]

Missing out on the REBOR Acrocanthosaurus (assuming it doesn't go back into stock in the future), since it's out of stock everywhere I can think of (BBTS, Everything Dinosaur, Urzeitshop, Minizoo). Thing goes over $100 on ebay now, and I'm not entirely sure if those sellers are legitimate. I really should have gotten this thing back in 2017 when I had the opportunity.

[postsaurischian]

@Faelrin:
https://shop.modellpferdeversand.de/Rebor-TM-Figurines/REBOR-Museum-Class-Replica-Dinosaurs/Rebor-RBR10006-Acrocanthosaurus-Hercules::8604.html?language=en

[Faelrin]

@postsaurischian Thanks so much for sharing the link. I just hope the stock last until like next month since I already have my spending for this month planned out (such as accounting for pre-orders, and paying my friend back, etc). I honestly had no idea this site had it though (then again it's been a long while since I last checked it, and that was for other brands).

[Stegotyranno420]

When i was young i got good grades in school, so my dad decided to get a reward for me. He asked me what dinosaur i wanted. I thought about it. I had Trexs,Trikes,Stegos,Sauropods, A few Spinos,  paras, raptors. But i did not have a giganotosaurus, which i recently found out about after watching dinosaur train. So i said Giganotosaurus. The first two pics on Amazon were the only ones that were good priced and quality. The rest were minis, chinasaurs, or books.  The first one was the Carnegie Giga, which had a disstorted picture, making it look disgusting, and it was 5 dollars more, the other was the schleich giga, which was photo editided to look way better. Of course, my youngself wasnt expirence with all these figures, for my only legit figure was a safari dunkleosteus which my brothers friend offered. That friend had a collection of papo and safari figures, and i was so amazed by looking at it. I always look at pictures of schliech, safari, and papo figures, the latter two being more nostalgic
Back to the story, i decided to get the schliech giga because it seemed better with that editing and was cheaper. When i got it i was so amazed by the size, structure, solidness, and detail of the figure. It was a amazing figure, which along with the rest of my collection, i had to donate when i was in fourth grade. After that, i realized how awesome carnegie giga was and realized it was related to all those safari figures i saw when i was very young. I wished i got the carnegie, its so overpircced, and rare. The only figurs i have left are the Mojos i won and a few chinasaurs including Geoworld Rex and Safri Dunkleosteus  that survived the "extinction"

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

I have had more missed opportunities than I can remember. I normally win eBay auctions but there are those times that they go over what I'm willing to pay. Then there are figures I had the chance to purchase and didn't that have since been retired. One in particular that I was outbid on was the centrosaurus from the AMNH dinosaur family tree. On the bright side, this thread convinced me to buy a rare figure on eBay just now.

[Loon]

I was waiting to get Banjo as the figure was at the time still in stock, then the stock ran out this year.
At least the last one went to another forum member as far as I remember.
I hope that after the pandemic it goes back in production as the model was 3D-printed, not cast from a mold.

I believe I may have been that other member, I got one of the last of Urzeitshop's stock. I really hope it goes back in production soon too, hopefully I can get one that stands better.

[Roselaar]

I missed out on an opportunity to get hundreds of PlayVision Prehistoric Amphibians and a small legion of Invicta Troodons as a bonus. I only bought two sets of amphibians for myself, at 1 euro per figure. Should have gotten all 200+ figures available. I went back there eventually and bought whatever they had left, which was still close to a 100 figures, but almost only Eryops, Triadobatrachus and Peltobatrachus. Still got those at a steal for 50 euros, with 5 Invicta Glyptodons thrown in as a freebie.

[Sim]

I have had more missed opportunities than I can remember. I normally win eBay auctions but there are those times that they go over what I'm willing to pay. Then there are figures I had the chance to purchase and didn't that have since been retired. One in particular that I was outbid on was the centrosaurus from the AMNH dinosaur family tree. On the bright side, this thread convinced me to buy a rare figure on eBay just now.

@Pachyrhinosaurus, what is the Centrosaurus figure you referred to?  Do you have any images of it?  I haven't heard of it before.

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

I have had more missed opportunities than I can remember. I normally win eBay auctions but there are those times that they go over what I'm willing to pay. Then there are figures I had the chance to purchase and didn't that have since been retired. One in particular that I was outbid on was the centrosaurus from the AMNH dinosaur family tree. On the bright side, this thread convinced me to buy a rare figure on eBay just now.

@Pachyrhinosaurus, what is the Centrosaurus figure you referred to?  Do you have any images of it?  I haven't heard of it before.

Not a toy-- a centrosaurus supposedly cast from the same mold as was used for the dinosaur family tree exhibit at the AMNH. Looking back on the photos from the auction, it wasn't exact but at the same time it could have been an earlier version.

[Dinoguy2]

I'll tell you about my #1 greatest eBay loss in 4 days 1 hour, unless I'm being overly pessimistic about my chances... 

[Loon]

@Loon Oh yes, it was you.
As David Elliott said in an interview that he has great things planned for the museum's future I really hope that bringing back one of their most popular souvenirs will be part of it.

Hopefully, and maybe this means "Banjo" won't be the last figure they make.

[Dinoguy2]

I have had more missed opportunities than I can remember. I normally win eBay auctions but there are those times that they go over what I'm willing to pay. Then there are figures I had the chance to purchase and didn't that have since been retired. One in particular that I was outbid on was the centrosaurus from the AMNH dinosaur family tree. On the bright side, this thread convinced me to buy a rare figure on eBay just now.

@Pachyrhinosaurus, what is the Centrosaurus figure you referred to?  Do you have any images of it?  I haven't heard of it before.

Not a toy-- a centrosaurus supposedly cast from the same mold as was used for the dinosaur family tree exhibit at the AMNH. Looking back on the photos from the auction, it wasn't exact but at the same time it could have been an earlier version.

I'd be interested to learn more about the history of these. I think this cladogram was part of the early 90s renovations, and it features definite early 90s era models like the Barosaurus. But some of them look much more vintage. It wouldn't surprise me if the Centrosaurus in that auction used to be part of this "set" but was replaced with an updated one when they arranged them into a cladogram. I'll have to check old pictures from the AMNH and see if they used to be hanging near individual mounts.

[Halichoeres]

I missed an eBay auction for some Play Visions amphibians when I was traveling for work. I managed to get them all eventually, though.

[Shonisaurus]

I missed two opportunities, in regards to the loss in two auctions, those of the uintatherium and andrewsarchus of Play Visions, unfortunately I bid very low, I trusted and lost both auctions.

[Libraraptor]

I tend to forget missed opportunities quickly because I try not to live in the past. There may have been some, but honestly, I can´t remember. I´m not that obsessed anymore, quite realistic and know that most of the figures I really desire  (White Post, Dawn Of The Dinosaurs) will forever remain out of my reach anyway.