In 2023, CollectA followed up on the success of their 2022 Deluxe Triceratops with a smaller version for their standard line of prehistoric toys. Triceratops, of course, is one of those “A-list” dinosaurs that pretty much everybody knows and has no shortage of toys to its name, so let’s see how this one measures up.
The official name for this toy is “Triceratops Confronting,” and as such, this individual is sculpted with its huge head lowered, its mouth open in an angry bellow, and its feet planted as though it is confronting another Triceratops for dominance or a hungry Tyrannosaurus rex hoping to make a kill. From the pointed tips of its massive brow horns to the end of its tail, it measures 19 cm long.
The main colour on this chasmosaurine is light brown with a beige underbelly, dark brown stripes, and black to bring out the skin texture. The horns, beak, eppocipitals, and claws are tan, the tongue is pink, and the eyes are glossy black. Finally, the quills running down the rump are black. Yes, CollectA is still putting those purely speculative quills on their ceratopsians. Reckon it’s just a take or leave it situation at this point. Anyhoo, the colour scheme is reasonably good and I especially like how it’s not simply the same as Donnybrook’s.
Aside than that, this is a pretty accurate toy. The long, curved brow horns and small nasal horn make this toy recognizable as a Triceratops horridus (and I’ll again express my desire for a company to make a T. prorsus instead for a change). The feet have the correct number and arrangement of digits and claws and the legs and neck are appropriately muscular. And as with the Deluxe toy, the skin on this one has been carefully sculpted to reflect the intricate scale and scute patterns that Triceratops is now known to have possessed. The brow horns have subtle grooves running down their length and the epoccipitals and feet are also very nicely sculpted.
Overall, I think this is a pretty solid Triceratops toy as long as you can accept or get past those quills, and besides, it was definitely high time for CollectA to replace their original standard-sized version. Plus it’s easier on the wallet and goes well nice with other small ceratopsian toys in their catalogue. My thanks to them for this review sample. 🙂
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This is a very nice Triceratops but with the market flooded with good ones, I wonder how well it will do, especially for synoptic collectors like myself? I surely don’t see myself replacing the 2018 Safari version in the foreseeable future.