Grimbeard's prehistoric vault

[Grimbeard]

As promised in my welcome thread, I present you my current collection

Childhood collection
Currently stored in my storeroom, these are various toys that are not meeting my taste or size requirements for my current main display shelves. These are all dinosaurs I reveived/ bought during my childhood and that survived garage sales/ give aways.

Large UKIRD/various chinasaurs

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I'm actuallly quite fond of plateosaur, sadly its too large for my current shelves.


Medium UKIRD

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The only line I somewhat collected during my childhood. These are the ones I get out of the storeroom the most, mostly when my sister with her 2-year old niece comes to visit. She specially loves the Brachiosaurus.


Various medium chinosaurs/ unknown manufacturers

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Mostly survivors of garage sales. I actually like the coloration of the Triceratops, bold colors on ceratopsian in general are always a plus in my eyes.

Kenner/Toyway/Invicta

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I used to own the blue invicta plesiosaur as well, sadly it didnt survived the moving trip to my current home.

Various mini toys

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I had almost the entired collection mini UKRID (?) dinosaur that came with a panini sticker album, sadly they got sold during a garage sale.

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Main Shelve

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My current main display shelve. It try to stick to a 1:30/ 1:35 scale, alothough my sauropods and smaller theorpods are on larger respectively smaller scale. My current plan is to have each stage dedicated to an broad overview of one specific period/s form bottom to top:
- Paleozoic
- Triassic
- Jurassic
- Early Cretaceous
- Late Cretaceous
- Cenozoic

Currenly, only the mesozoic stages are filled. I have a much harder time finding Paleozoic/Cenozoic models I like.

Triassic

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Currently only containing 3 models/toys, good triassic models are quite scarce so I hope I can expend this plattform in the future.

Jurassic

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I keep both the old PNSO and the Rebor Stegosaur on this plattform since they work quite niceley as adult/juvenile pair. The Papo Allosaurus is supported by the Rebor Stegos's base since his leggs became quite wrapped and I'm still hesitant about the hot water treatment. The Allo will most likely soon move to the other shelve and be replaced by the PNSO Torvosaurus.


Early Cretaceous

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The stage that I consider closest to finished. The Safari Baryonyx is my most recent addition to this shelve and looks SO much better in person then the promo images suggested, Safari should really step up their promo game. The Giganotosaur got his lower jaw broken off during an accident and had to by glued back on and is currently supported by small felt pieces due slightly wrapped leggs.

Late Cretaceous

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While the extensive feather coat might be outdated by now, the Safari Tyrannosaurus is still my favorite sculp and displays great with the Eofauna Triceratops. I might replace the Papo Ankylosaur (or rather Euoplocephalus) with the PNSO one in the future.

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Secondary shelve

It keep the figures is still want to display but dont fit my curreny main shelves theme here.

Middle plattform

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The Papo Gorgosaurus is in my opinion actually one of, if not the best of their sculps, but its size doesnt really fit the other shelve. The velociraptor simply got replaced by the Safari Deinonychus, as i dont want 2 Dromeosaurs on the same shelves. The Schleich Diabloceratops displays great with the Gorgosaurus.


Top plattform

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Guilty pleasure incarnate. I'm a huge sucker for stop-motion animation, especially Ray Harryhousen and when I saw Rebor annoucing their Retrosaurus, i just HAD to get it. While the paint is quite differnt from the promo images, I actually like the primary grey paint more and the sculp is just fantastic.
I hope to get a model of the Crystal Palace Megalosaurus and Iguanodon one day so i can displace the progress of our understanding of Dinosaurs from the Crystal palace from the swamp monster dragon monsters of Burian to our current view. For the same reason, I hope we get a "Retrosaurs" Dollo-kangaroo-styled Iganodon as well one day.

Bottom plattform

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My small fossil collection. I especialy fond of the perisphinctes, since it was a gift from my now deceased mother I got after our very first museum visit back when I was 6. Its also simply a beautifull specimen.



I hope I can semi-regulary update this thread as my collections continues to grow. Hope you enjoy my little vault. 

[Gwangi]

Great collection, thanks for sharing. I'm quite fond of that old UKRD Plateosaurus too.

You said...

Currenly, only the mesozoic stages are filled. I have a much harder time finding Paleozoic/Cenozoic models I like.

Yeah, I think you're going to find that that's a problem in this hobby. One that also prevents me from trying to display figures in their appropriate time period.

[Duna]

Thank you for sharing your collection!
I really appreciate that you started (and still keep) the dinosaurs from your childhood and most are UKRD like mine. I have completed all the UKRD collections this year, 27 years later
You have a nice room to place your display figures, you'll fill up those shelves quickly ...

[EmperorDinobot]

So it is a mixture of wooden and shelves with glass platforms?

[Grimbeard]

Thanks for your kind words  .

So it is a mixture of wooden and shelves with glass platforms?

Yeah, its 2 different displays right now.

One is a fully wooden one with 5 compartment, the other one if part of my large wooden living room cabinet, with glass plates seperating each compartment.

[Shonisaurus]

Nice and varied collection my congratulations.

[Halichoeres]

Very nice collection! I wish you luck on the Triassic and Paleozoic, it can be hard to get good models from there as you say. At least in Germany some of the old Bullyland figures might be a bit easier to hunt down.

[Grimbeard]

@Halichoeres
Yeah, Bullyland might be the best/easiest options since Schleich is VERY hit and miss with prehistoric toys (the only thing interesting for me are their Dinogorgon and maybe their new Nothosaurus next year). Favorite and Kaiydoo make the best palezoic models in my oppinon, but are very hard to come by in Germany outside for EBay.

Anyway, new additions means changes in my carbinets:


PNSO Parasaurolophus has joined the late Cretaceous plattform.


PNSO Mini Sinosauropteryx has joined the early Cretaceous plattform.


PNSO Torvosaurus has joined the Jurassic plattform and replaced the Papo Allosaurs, who now stands the the other cabinet.

Since the days get darker now, I think I will look into some lighting for the main cabinet. Not sure yet of lightning in the back or in the front would look better. In the farther future, I think I will also look into adding picture backgrounds and maybe even some diorama environment, but I will need to get some practice first to do it proper justice.

[Shonisaurus]

My congratulations on all your new acquisitions. The PNSO torvosaurus and parasaurolophus are figures that if it were in my hands I would buy them immediately. You have a great collection.

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

Lovely acquisitions, and nice little collection, with some very special figure choices.

[Halichoeres]

The new additions look right at home!

[SidB]

@Halichoeres
Yeah, Bullyland might be the best/easiest options since Schleich is VERY hit and miss with prehistoric toys (the only thing interesting for me are their Dinogorgon and maybe their new Nothosaurus next year). Favorite and Kaiydoo make the best palezoic models in my oppinon, but are very hard to come by in Germany outside for EBay.

Anyway, new additions means changes in my carbinets:


PNSO Parasaurolophus has joined the late Cretaceous plattform.


PNSO Mini Sinosauropteryx has joined the early Cretaceous plattform.


PNSO Torvosaurus has joined the Jurassic plattform and replaced the Papo Allosaurs, who now stands the the other cabinet.

Since the days get darker now, I think I will look into some lighting for the main cabinet. Not sure yet of lightning in the back or in the front would look better. In the farther future, I think I will also look into adding picture backgrounds and maybe even some diorama environment, but I will need to get some practice first to do it proper justice.

Looks like you have one of the stable Safari T-rexes, mine just tipped over for the umpteenth time. I'll look forward to your diorama display, when it's ready. Nothing before its time!

[Grimbeard]

New aquisitions courtesy of my lovely family and friends  :

First of a quadrette of invertibrates. As written in the new aquisition thread, I think they are actually bootlegs of Favorite and Colorata figures since they lack any stamps and the paintjob looks off on some places, but still look pretty nice. I also tried to step up my photography game a little bit by using better lightning and backgrounds.



Anomalocaris, most likely "inspires" by the Favorite one. I think it might be a little too flat, but sculpt and paintjob are still really nice looking.



Trilobite, I'm neither sure what exact genus nor which companiny "inspired" this one.  I really love the color of this one, nice blend of reddish-salmon to a brownish-yellow.



Euryptorid, most likely Pterygotus or Acutiramus if it is "inspired" by the Colorata Paleozoic Creatures Box. This one has the blandest color scheme of the four but the scuplt is very nice though. Euryptorid are so rarely made that I'm really glad to have this one


Cameroceras, also "inspired" by the Colorata Paleozoic Creatures Box. This one looks REALLY close to the original, but without at rod, its kinda hard to pose and position properly. I might try something with transparent strings.

Next up, everyones favorite armored fish



Safari Ltd. Dunkleosteus. The scuplt might no longer be up-to-date and the PNSO one has basicly eclipsed it by quite a margin, but I stil think this one has the nicest color scheme of all Dunks models. Its also nice to know that this models was one of the kickstarter of the "golden age" of dinosaur and prehistory models and toys we live in today.

Next, up to the Permian


Safari Ltd. Dimetrodon, the Collecta one might be slightly more accurate, but I vastly prefer the Safaris color scheme and sculpt, the Collecta one always felt kinda sloppy to me.



Schleichs Dinogorgon. I think as a general rule, as further the animal is related from a theropd dinosaur or marine reptile, the better Schleich does it justice. Their ceratopian are generally good and their extanct animal are usually great (beside the occasional dud). This Dinogorgon looks great (beside the blunted teeth) and Gorgonopsid are just as rarely made as Eurypterids. The only other decent ones I know of are the
Inostrancevia from Safari and the Lycaenops from the Kenner JP Line.

Time warp to the Cenozoic!



Safari Megacerops (formerly Brontotherium). My first (but certainly not last) Cenozoic model! I love how hefty and bulky it feels and looks, the paintjob is simple but really nice.  Colllectas Paraceratherium reveal for next year will mostl likely be joining this one, I actually love its mangy look, gives it plenty of character. I kinda wish that the other cenozoic creatures I'm most interested in would have models I like: There are almost no proper Phorusrhacids, especially in 1:30 to 1:40 scale; Rebors Smilodon looks awesome, but is was too big for my taste and the best wooly mammoth in my oppinion is still the old carnegie one. I would love if Eofauna would try a proper wolly mammoth (or an american mastodon, also the Safari one already looks really nice) next year.

Since im currently working working on lightning form my main shelve, no new shelf update pictures.

[Shonisaurus]

My congratulations. You have acquired a large number of new figures! They are all very pretty. I'm glad for you.

[Bread]

Wonderful additions to your collection. I have to agree about Safari's Dimetrodon being superior to CollectA's. I had a hard time choosing and I knew CollectA's was more accurate, but ultimately Safari's just looked better in sculpt and coloration.

Where did you get those bootleg invertebrates?

[Grimbeard]

Wonderful additions to your collection. I have to agree about Safari's Dimetrodon being superior to CollectA's. I had a hard time choosing and I knew CollectA's was more accurate, but ultimately Safari's just looked better in sculpt and coloration.

Where did you get those bootleg invertebrates?

According to my brother-in-law, he "found them on amazon". Might be these ones https://www.amazon.de/TOYANDONA-Spielzeug-Garnelen-Trilobite-Vorschule/dp/B098W7RQYQ/ref=sr_1_3?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=trilobit+figur&qid=1637435259&qsid=258-0776459-1094567&sr=8-3&sres=B098W7RQYQ%2CB00B5JG1Y4%2CB07D43F6X9%2CB08XBHY5MH%2CB0032O9A2K%2CB084BXBK4X%2CB07L7GMR53%2CB087C4LYMQ%2CB01MYDLV3X%2CB08BLP88F2%2CB00ZW9WBLA%2CB00MFLGBPU%2CB01MUF5EJY%2CB000GWN8ME%2CB01N4PQV3W%2CB000BR4KOE%2CB08FGXXC85%2CB000BNB1KO%2CB09BG3PWT7%2CB08X6VPNS2

[Ravonium]

Nice new figures; regarding the trilobite, it's a bootleg of the Favorite Olenoides.

[Halichoeres]

The Paleozoic is my favorite era just because everything is so alien. I'm always happy when companies deign to give us something from that time. I agree that Dinogorgon is one of Schleich's best in recent years.

The rest of the Favorite set that the Olenoides is from is pretty great, too! Wiwaxia, Hallucigenia, Marrella, etc.

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

Lovely acquisitions, and nice to see so many non dinosaurs in one post.
And as far as I'm aware the original Favorite Co versions are not easy to acquire

[Grimbeard]

Updates for my main shelf, I added some lightning , placed my newest additions and shuffles some older models around.

Overview:


Top comparment (cenozoic):


Finally not empty anymore! Im hoping to find proper companions for the Megacerops next year, Collectas Paraceratherium looks very tempting. Still havent seen a Smilodon or Wooly Mammoth that I like enough to add them. A nice Phorusrhacid would be cool too.

2nd Compartment (late cretaceous)


The Papo Anky has been switched with my Papo Gorgosaurus, kinda posing as a juvenile T-Rex. I also added the Schleich Diabloceratops from the other cabinet to give the Triceratops some company.

3rd Compartment (early cretaceous)


Shuffled the models a bit around. Im not sure if the Deinonychus will stay in this compartment, its quite out-of-scale compared to the other ones.

4th Compartment (Jurassic)


Slightly switched the postions around, I think this and the 3rd compartment benefit the most from the new lightning.

5th Compartment (Triassic)


Also only slightly moved around. Im really looking forward to Collectas Smok, I not sure if I want 2 Rauisuchids in one shelf.

6th Compartment (Paleozoic)


Biggest change and the one Im most proud of. I tried to mix things up by having the Anomalocaris, Cameroceras and Dunkleosteus attached on strings from the upper shelf board to simulate swimming. I think its turned out pretty ok, might look even better if I can my hands on transparent strings. I really wish there would be proper 1/30-1/40 carboniferious or late devonion tetrapods toys, a Tiktaalik in that range would be awesome.

My next project for the shelf itself for next year will be a custom base for the Giga as it is currently supported by some felt pieces in order to keep standing. This will be my "trial" to see if I would enjoy (and actually manage) building custom diorama pieces.