2011: Retrospective

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

I was thinking recently and it dawned on me that 2011 was a full ten years ago. That might come off as being rather obvious, but to me it didn't feel like that long ago. I think that year was pretty definitive in this hobby for me, and it's worth reviewing the developments of 2011 a decade later. It's definitely important to be thankful for what we had back then, especially since new releases may have drawn attention away from older pieces. This is not a complete list of 2011 figures, but rather only those in my collection.

Carnegie Miragaia and Carnotaurus. I think this was easily Carnegie's strongest year. It was also the final year that Carnegie released two dinosaurs. These are easily the best two figures that were new for 2011 in my opinion.


Safari offered new prehistoric plant life, which helped to form environments for the dinosaurs. Unfortunately, these have not been expanded upon, but I have several of each on my shelves.


Their selection of animals that year was impressive as well. The highlight of 2011 for me was the new Tyrannosaurus rex. When it came out, this was my definitive version of T. rex, and fit right in with the other new versions of their classic dinosaurs. The edmontosaurus that was introduced that year completed the scene of predator and prey.


Inostrancevia and Kaprosuchus were also welcome additions. They offered something quite different, with Safari's increasing number of non-dinosaurs. The guanlong wasn't received as well, but I think it's still a nice figure.


Safari put out a pair of prehistoric Toobs. Prehistoric crocodiles and sharks featured plenty of interesting species that have not yet been made into full-sized figures.



Papo had a good year, too. With their Jurassic Park-inspired Ankylosaurus, classic-looking Smilodon, and radiant Styracosaurus.


Procon CollectA made a whole lineup of creatures, of which I have only a few. There are still some from 2011 that I would like to add to my collection. The Dacentrurus is easily my favorite of the lot. It should also be worth noting that Concavenator was only first published the year before.



Bullyland made a new Dimetrodon for 2011, an improvement upon their previous figure.


The original 2011 Figures thread on Version 1 of the Dinosaur Toy Forum can be found here: https://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/thread/3314/2011-figures

In addition to new dinosaur toys, we also got to see two major documentaries that came out in 2011.

Dinosaur revolution still is one of my favorite documentaries, with its artistic approach, both comparing dinosaurs to modern animals and exploring speculation beyond what can be seen in the fossils. Not only was it a great show, but I think it sparked a movement within paleoart which began to venture into more speculative territory, and continued with All Yesterdays. It also highlighted the work of contemporary artists such as David Krentz, Angie Rodrigues, and Ricardo Delgado. Unfortunately it didn't see a proper home release, only having been released on DVD as an abridged version: Dinotasia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAL6A0qKDec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8eIXg6ppIw

Planet Dinosaur was broadcast in 2011 and it took a different approach, with completely computer-generated graphics. It was interesting to watch and felt like it was the BBC's attempt to make an updated Walking with Dinosaurs. I haven't seen this one since then, but it's definitely worth a re-watch sometime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28qCPOO5l-Y


There were a few notable dinosaur discoveries in 2011. Some of the most memorable include:

Brontomerus
Oxalaia
Daemonosaurus
Spinops

On a more personal level, 2011 is particularly memorable to me because of my increased involvement in dinosaur toy collecting. I bought the majority of the Carnegie dinosaurs that Summer from an educational toy store. At one point I was coming out with $60 worth of dinosaurs at a time with the help of some coupons (which was a lot for 8th grade me!). I also frequented the local museum, which I covered in another thread. I bought toy dinosaurs in their gift shop along the way, as well as some fossils, which were the beginnings of my fossil collection.  It was also the year I began sculpting dinosaurs.

Looking back, I think it's important to remember what we had, as some of it may have been pushed to the wayside in the years since. Much of what we saw in 2011 still holds up today, and is certainly worth revisiting.

[Stegotyranno420]

It was around 2011 when I started knowing about companies like papo and safari. I remember those carefree days of my 3-4 year old self going to the internet to look at pictures of this dinosaur figures. They were so unlike the ones I saw in stores, so unlike those cheap quality figures, they always filled me with such awe. Those were the days when I started to really love dinosaurs, a story that will eventually lead to today.
I'm not sure what's the moral or conclusion, but this is just my story about dinosaurs and 2011.
Thanks for sharing your story @Pachyrhinosaurus . I love hearing these kinds of looking back stories

[Wallnut]

I started dinosaur toy collecting in 2011 when I was 6 I got my first figure in my collection schleich torosaurus I didnt know anything about papo safari or collecta so until 2016 I get only schleich figures but I always got figures I like the WOH apato and stego along with replicasaurus iguanodon,shonisaurus,allosaurus and quetzalcoatlus over the years but still the only figure I got in 2011 was my schleich torosaurus.

[PrimevalRaptor]

2011 was a pretty neat year, the two Carnegies still are among my favorite models.

Also am I confusing things or didn't Bullyland release this Dilophosaurus alongside the Dimetrodon? I remember getting them around the same time at least (and being really excited cause it was feathered)

[Roselaar]

Also am I confusing things or didn't Bullyland release this Dilophosaurus alongside the Dimetrodon? I remember getting them around the same time at least (and being really excited cause it was feathered)

Yeah, the Bullyland Dilophosaurus and Dimetrodon were released simultaneously.
I don't believe the Collecta Rhomaleosaurus was released in 2011 though, I think it came out earlier.

2011 was definitely a good year! For me, this was the time where I started to shy away from purely collecting JP figures and Papo, because I ran out of figures to collect. The 2011 offerings of Coolecta and safari definitely made me turn my eyes to those lines, and I remain an avid fan ever since. Needless to say, my dinosaur collection has grown considerably since 2011.

Interesting idea for a thread, this looking back at specific years! 

[sauroid]

2011 was the year i joined the DTF (V1).

[SidB]

This has been a good retrospective. I still have several of these figures in my collection - they've stood the test of time, especially the stunning Carnegies. Their presence puts a lie to the harsh negativity of those who disparaged Forest Rogers' skill as a paleoartist. I was certainly aware of the DTB at this time, but I don't think that I was yet clued-in to the DTF. That was likely in 2012 and therefore was the new DTF, of course, though I didn't formally join until 2016. Good to look back.

[Gwangi]

A fantastic thread, I love these trips down memory lane. 2011 may have been the last good year for Carnegie. It was certainly the last good year for dinosaur documentaries because nothing in the style of Dinosaur Revolution or Planet Dinosaur has come out since, that I'm aware of. Some of the releases from that year are still among my all time favorites, the CollectA Plateosaurus is still among the best for that genus.

2011 was about the time I joined the DTF, though it could have been 2010 (I can't remember). I know it was the year I began reviewing for the blog, with the AAA woolly rhinoceros being my first review.

[Faelrin]

I wasn't into dinosaur collecting back in 2011. Though I did become aware of the Papo Allosaurus at that time thanks to a JPOG mod that was based on it. Never got around to getting it back then.

[Bread]

Wow, what a wonderful thread you have made @Pachyrhinosaurus! I enjoyed reading your retrospective, it was very interesting plus I got to learn some important dates and history of older figures. Thank you.

For me, I was not collecting figures until 2014, of course that's when Safari had their best year ever, in my opinion. So, in 2011, I had maybe a few cheap and miscellaneous figures that I played with, me being 10 years old at the time. I know for sure I became more interested in dinosaurs and prehistoric life, but I did not have the money to collect CollectA and Safari figures at the time. Although I did have my library card to read some dinosaur books

[Shonisaurus]

@Pachyrhinosaurus Thanks for reminding me of such good times. In my case, it is when I started buying dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals in online stores. I didn't know it had been so long! It was a memorable year especially for Carnegie and Safari.

For me, Carnegie's miragaia is for me the best figure of its kind, or at least the best sculpted. Regarding Carnegie's carnotaurus, over the years they have had many competitors but at that time it was for me the best figure of that species.

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

I wish I had been here in 2011, lots of things would have been nice, though I am glad I got a Carnegie Miragaia for a reasonable price, well would have been reasonable without the customs duties anyway. You've also reminded me I need to get some more trees. Put they don't make many.

[SidB]

A fantastic thread, I love these trips down memory lane. 2011 may have been the last good year for Carnegie. It was certainly the last good year for dinosaur documentaries because nothing in the style of Dinosaur Revolution or Planet Dinosaur has come out since, that I'm aware of. Some of the releases from that year are still among my all time favorites, the CollectA Plateosaurus is still among the best for that genus.

2011 was about the time I joined the DTF, though it could have been 2010 (I can't remember). I know it was the year I began reviewing for the blog, with the AAA woolly rhinoceros being my first review.

I vividly remember that review, one of the early trailblazers for those fascinated with Cenozoic megafauna. I got one shortly afterwards, and even though my collections have certainly moved on from that point, I still have that figure.

[Gwangi]

A fantastic thread, I love these trips down memory lane. 2011 may have been the last good year for Carnegie. It was certainly the last good year for dinosaur documentaries because nothing in the style of Dinosaur Revolution or Planet Dinosaur has come out since, that I'm aware of. Some of the releases from that year are still among my all time favorites, the CollectA Plateosaurus is still among the best for that genus.

2011 was about the time I joined the DTF, though it could have been 2010 (I can't remember). I know it was the year I began reviewing for the blog, with the AAA woolly rhinoceros being my first review.

I vividly remember that review, one of the early trailblazers for those fascinated with Cenozoic megafauna. I got one shortly afterwards, and even though my collections have certainly moved on from that point, I still have that figure.

I handed that figure down to my daughter, I can never get rid of it due to its personal significance. It's amazing how far along Cenozoic mammals have come in this hobby in the last 10 years. Back then you had to take what you could get.

[SidB]

And be happy about it to boot!

[Halichoeres]

Thanks for this trip down (collective) memory lane. I wasn't involved in the hobby then, but I got into it soon enough afterward that I was able to get the good stuff from 2011 while it was still new. The part I miss most is Safari's very brief experiment with interesting, diverse Toobs (2009-2013, RIP). And the even shorter experiment with plants!

[SidB]

Thanks for this trip down (collective) memory lane. I wasn't involved in the hobby then, but I got into it soon enough afterward that I was able to get the good stuff from 2011 while it was still new. The part I miss most is Safari's very brief experiment with interesting, diverse Toobs (2009-2013, RIP). And the even shorter experiment with plants!

I'm going to assume that the companies haven't and don't generate a lot of revenue by selling the plants. Production costs are likely up there with other, more popular figures, but sales are low. Not a formula for commercial success, obviously. I really can't fault the buying public, because I've never entered any flora on the "hopes and dreams" threads here on the DTF. I don't know if these are perused by the companies, but maybe I (we) should become a voice (voices) in the wilderness and request these (and even buy them!!!).

[Reuben03]

that was around the year my dinosaur obsession began to bloom.
i remember my excitement as my mother said she'd buy me the CollectA liopleurodon off of Ebay.
still have it! i was so excited, even when it was smaller than imagined. was cool to own a liopleurodon like the one in WWD (i of course didn't know about the Toyway line yet and it would've been WAY too expensive haha)

[Halichoeres]

Thanks for this trip down (collective) memory lane. I wasn't involved in the hobby then, but I got into it soon enough afterward that I was able to get the good stuff from 2011 while it was still new. The part I miss most is Safari's very brief experiment with interesting, diverse Toobs (2009-2013, RIP). And the even shorter experiment with plants!

I'm going to assume that the companies haven't and don't generate a lot of revenue by selling the plants. Production costs are likely up there with other, more popular figures, but sales are low. Not a formula for commercial success, obviously. I really can't fault the buying public, because I've never entered any flora on the "hopes and dreams" threads here on the DTF. I don't know if these are perused by the companies, but maybe I (we) should become a voice (voices) in the wilderness and request these (and even buy them!!!).

I'm going to start putting them in all the hopes and dreams threads. They're the only products I purchase in multiples, but I'm sure that doesn't make up for all the people who only buy the stock dinosaurs.

[Stegotyranno420]

that was around the year my dinosaur obsession began to bloom.
i remember my excitement as my mother said she'd buy me the CollectA liopleurodon off of Ebay.
still have it! i was so excited, even when it was smaller than imagined. was cool to own a liopleurodon like the one in WWD (i of course didn't know about the Toyway line yet and it would've been WAY too expensive haha)

Really cool story @Reuben03 .