Safari Ltd - TOOB, box sets, collectors cases

[stemturtle]

We welcome the issue of a species that is new to the collector of salamander replicas.
The highly anticipated olm is part of a toob of 8 troglobites.


Olm, Proteus anguinus, total length 3.5 inches or 9 cm.









Our cries were heard too late to correct the number of toes on each hind foot from 3 to 2.
Update: The Olm after toe amputation and repainting can be seen in Customised figures.




Group shot: Eel, Olm, Millipede, Crayfish, Crab, Spider, Catfish, Scorpion

Available on eBay
Edit: the words “glow-in-the-dark” were deleted.

[sbell]

Do they really just list it as an 'eel' in the set? From what I had been told, it's supposed to be a synbranchid, which is a far more unusual (probably a first time) figure. Doesn't look like any anguilliforme I know of.

[stemturtle]

Do they really just list it as an 'eel' in the set? From what I had been told, it's supposed to be a synbranchid, which is a far more unusual (probably a first time) figure. Doesn't look like any anguilliforme I know of.

Yes, sbell, the figure is indeed marked “Eel.”

[Jetoar]

I like the new figure and the toob in general. I think that it is a good point of Safari  .

[bmathison1972]

This is a review of the complete Butterflies of the World set as part of Safari LTD's Collectors Case series. The undersides of the figures are not detailed, so an overall review of the set seemed more valuable then doing walk-arounds for individual figures.

This is one of three butterfly sets by Safari. They did an Authentics collection, made up of hard plastic, thick figures, and recently a TOOB featuring 8 species. This Collectors Case series presented here consists of 12 species and came out in 2001. I recently found it by accident on amazon.com when I was doing Google searches to try to find the makeup of the K&M set LOL. I was surprised I never had purchased this set! Perhaps I assumed they were re-releases of things I already had?!?

And now that I examine the figures, many are the SAME sculpt as some of the K&M Wild Republic Butterflies Tube (same with the K&M and Safari Insects tubes--they must use the same 'chinabug' manufacturer to produce these!).

I recently purchased a butterfly atlas which I hope will help me put names on Safari, K&M, and Toy Major butterflies!

On to the figures/species. They are not numbered so I will present them as they appear in the case. All species have English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian versions of the common names. Scientific names are not used, except where there is no English name (in which they anglicize the Latin name). All figures are roughly 50 mm across their wingspans.

1. purple emperor, Apatura iris.
This is a relatively good representation of this species. I have one additional figure of this species (which I like better). I am not sure who makes the figure, but it is similar to the Toy Major figures (but lacks the traditional 'TM' on the underside).



2. green swallowtail, Papilio blumei.
This figure has a rather peculiar color scheme. It should really be more black, with green maculae (not the other way around!). This species is no stranger to Safari LTD, having also been done for their Hidden Kingdom Insects line and Butterflies TOOB.



3. scarlet leafwing, Siderone galanthis.
This figure is listed in the set by its synonym, S. nemesis. This figure has also been done two other times by Safari, as part of their Authentics collection and Insects TOOB (the latter may be the same sculpt - I never purchased the original Safari Insects TOOB).



4. great orangetip, Hebomoia glaucippe formosana.
A Google search for information on this species revealed that this Safari figure represents the formosana subspecies. I have two other figures of this subspecies, by Toy Major and an unknown chinabug figure.



5. broad-bordered grass yellow, Eurema brigitta.
This appears to be a unique figure, but I have not checked my TM and generic figures yet to see if I may have another.



6. tailed jay, Graphium agememnon.
The tails on this figure are much more pronounced than on an actual specimen. Safari did another figure of this species in their Authentics collection, although other members of the genus have been done by Yujin and Cadbury (Yowies).



7. orange-barred sulfur, Phoebis philea.
Ah yes, a favorite of Safari, having been done three other times by them in their Authentics collection, Wild Kingdom Insects line, and Butterflies TOOB. I also have a 'chinabug' style figure by an unknown manufacturer.



8. large oakblue, Arhopala amantes.
Another apparently unique figure...maybe. When I see this figure morphologically, my first assumption is the great purple hairstreak (Atlides halesus). Removal of the longer 'tail' would make this species more compatible with the actual species. I said 'apparently unique' as maybe Toy Major's A. halesus is actually this species? I would like to think not, as TM's butterflies are pretty darn good dorsally!



9. orange albatross, Appias nero.
Another apparent unique figure (although one in the K&M set may turn out to be this). If so, this is the nicer representation.



10. common morpho, Morpho peleides.
I know, I know, you are saying, Blaine how can you call this a Morpho? Hey, that's what Safari labeled it as, despite the fact it has tails!!! Uggh. I am tempted to cut them off, but I do not like to alter figures. I prefer to show their mistakes, as a lesson and to compare line to line or manufacturer to manufacturer. Another 'tailed morpho' (maybe the same sculpt) appears in the Safari Insects TOOB. The common morpho has also been done by Furuta as part of their Choco Egg Funny Animal Series, although Safari's figures in other lines may represent this species too,as Safari has done additional morphos in their Authentics collection, Hidden Kingdom line, and as a Good Luck Mini. The figure in the Butterflies TOOB is specifically presented as a different species, M. menelaus.



11. paper kite, Idea leuconoe.
Yes, really. Another figure with unnecessarily added tails! Yikes. Safari also did this species in their Authentics collection but neither compares to the adult (and pupa) done by Yujin in their Insects of Japan Series.



12. eastern swallowtail, Papilio glaucus.
Last but not least, one of the best figures in the set. I also have figures of this species by Safari from their Hidden Kingdom Insects line and Toy Major. I also have a tiny figure from K&M's Mini Butterfly Polybag which is probably attributable to this species.

[Roger]

Blaine, another great set review. I didn't know even about these but only about the butterflies from Nature tube. Some of them look wonderful and I'll use this topic as reference for Toy ANimal Wiki.
I am just like you, I like to keep figures as they are originally once these mistakes turn them peculiar and turn it more interesting to compare between several brand releases.

[bmathison1972]

Blaine, another great set review. I didn't know even about these but only about the butterflies from Nature tube. Some of them look wonderful and I'll use this topic as reference for Toy ANimal Wiki.
I am just like you, I like to keep figures as they are originally once these mistakes turn them peculiar and turn it more interesting to compare between several brand releases.

thanks Roger, I thought you would like it. I plan on doing reviews for the TOOB and Authentics sets too (but still tracking down all the species in the Authentics set).

Feel free to use this text and images on your Wiki for educational purposes!

[Roger]

Blaine, another great set review. I didn't know even about these but only about the butterflies from Nature tube. Some of them look wonderful and I'll use this topic as reference for Toy ANimal Wiki.
I am just like you, I like to keep figures as they are originally once these mistakes turn them peculiar and turn it more interesting to compare between several brand releases.

thanks Roger, I thought you would like it. I plan on doing reviews for the TOOB and Authentics sets too (but still tracking down all the species in the Authentics set).

Feel free to use this text and images on your Wiki for educational purposes!

Thanks once more Blaine, of course I love it! I'll surely use your pictures and list of species. . Your interesting reviews and comments are more adjusted to the forum and the Wiki doesn't intend to remove the interest in foruns. It is just a tool to collectors identify their figures and also to know what exists. Simple species pages of these butterflies will be created with galleries of all representatives we can find from each species.
Another contributor listed these species from Authentics though we have no pictures yet.
• Common Morpho Butterfly
• Large Tree Nymph Butterfly
• Orange-barred Butterfly
• Siderome nemesis
• Sulphur Butterfly
• Swallowtail Butterfly

[bmathison1972]

Blaine, another great set review. I didn't know even about these but only about the butterflies from Nature tube. Some of them look wonderful and I'll use this topic as reference for Toy ANimal Wiki.
I am just like you, I like to keep figures as they are originally once these mistakes turn them peculiar and turn it more interesting to compare between several brand releases.

thanks Roger, I thought you would like it. I plan on doing reviews for the TOOB and Authentics sets too (but still tracking down all the species in the Authentics set).

Feel free to use this text and images on your Wiki for educational purposes!

Thanks once more Blaine, of course I love it! I'll surely use your pictures and list of species. . Your interesting reviews and comments are more adjusted to the forum and the Wiki doesn't intend to remove the interest in foruns. It is just a tool to collectors identify their figures and also to know what exists. Simple species pages of these butterflies will be created with galleries of all representatives we can find from each species.
Another contributor listed these species from Authentics though we have no pictures yet.
• Common Morpho Butterfly
• Large Tree Nymph Butterfly
• Orange-barred Butterfly
• Siderome nemesis
• Sulphur Butterfly
• Swallowtail Butterfly

I will double-check what I have tonight or tomorrow. I know I have the morpho, tree nymph, orange-barred sulfur, Siderone, and swallowtail. I do not remember a second sulfur but I will check. I was hoping to get a name on the 'swallowtail' but maybe Safari never supplied one?!?

EDIT: I remember now, the 6th figure is the tailed jay (not an additional sulfur). So I have all 6 figures, and am just currently lacking a specific name (English or Latin) for the swallowtail. The figure has green on it, so it may be a weird green swallowtail.

[sbell]

Blaine, another great set review. I didn't know even about these but only about the butterflies from Nature tube. Some of them look wonderful and I'll use this topic as reference for Toy ANimal Wiki.
I am just like you, I like to keep figures as they are originally once these mistakes turn them peculiar and turn it more interesting to compare between several brand releases.

thanks Roger, I thought you would like it. I plan on doing reviews for the TOOB and Authentics sets too (but still tracking down all the species in the Authentics set).

Feel free to use this text and images on your Wiki for educational purposes!

Thanks once more Blaine, of course I love it! I'll surely use your pictures and list of species. . Your interesting reviews and comments are more adjusted to the forum and the Wiki doesn't intend to remove the interest in foruns. It is just a tool to collectors identify their figures and also to know what exists. Simple species pages of these butterflies will be created with galleries of all representatives we can find from each species.
Another contributor listed these species from Authentics though we have no pictures yet.
• Common Morpho Butterfly
• Large Tree Nymph Butterfly
• Orange-barred Butterfly
• Siderome nemesis
• Sulphur Butterfly
• Swallowtail Butterfly

I will double-check what I have tonight or tomorrow. I know I have the morpho, tree nymph, orange-barred sulfur, Siderone, and swallowtail. I do not remember a second sulfur but I will check. I was hoping to get a name on the 'swallowtail' but maybe Safari never supplied one?!?

That wouldn't be a surprise--Safari often leaves out specific names, which can leave the figures frustratingly generic!

[brontodocus]

Wow, what a great review, Blaine!  I didn't even know about the existence of this set, let alone that they are identical to the mentioned K&M Butterflies Tube figures.

[bmathison1972]

Wow, what a great review, Blaine!  I didn't even know about the existence of this set, let alone that they are identical to the mentioned K&M Butterflies Tube figures.

they are not identical to K&M, but use a few of the same sculpts and share a couple species. K&M actually has some more interesting species. Now, the Safari and K&M Insect tubes are nearly identical sculpts all the way, just painted differently.

[brontodocus]

Wow, what a great review, Blaine!  I didn't even know about the existence of this set, let alone that they are identical to the mentioned K&M Butterflies Tube figures.

they are not identical to K&M, but use a few of the same sculpts and share a couple species. K&M actually has some more interesting species. Now, the Safari and K&M Insect tubes are nearly identical sculpts all the way, just painted differently.

Ah, okay! Thanks for clarifying!

[bmathison1972]

This is a review of the entire set of the Butterfly Authentics Collection by Safari LTD. The set was put out in 1997 and therefore predates both the Collectors Case and TOOB sets.

The figures are made of a smoother, stiffer plastic and the wings (and figure in general) are thicker than the Case and TOOB figures. The detail varies but in some cases the proportions and wing shapes are better than the others made by this company. None of these species are unique to Safari, having all been done at least twice, although in many cases this may have been the first time Safari made them!

The figures all on average have a 65 mm wingspan. As you can probably tell, there are three actual sculpts here, with two different paint jobs each. The undersides are not detailed and all marked 'BUTTERFLY' along with company logo and the year (1997).

On to the figures:

1. green swallowtail, Papilio blumei.
This figure is not marketed at the species level, but I assume it's correct, as it has been made three other times by Safari before, in their Hidden Kingdom Insects line, the previously reviewed Collectors Case series, and the relatively recent Butterflies TOOB.



2. paper kite (a.k.a. large tree nymph), Idea leuconoe.
This is Safari's first of two versions of this species, the other in the 2001 Collectors case. Neither compare with Yujin's Insects of Japan figure however, although at least this one lacks tails!!!! I also have a figure from the K&M Mini Butterflies Polyvinyl bag set that is probably this species.



3. tailed jay, Graphium agememnon.
This is another repeated in the 2001 Collectors Case set, although this figure has better proportions. Other members of this genus were done by Yujin (Insects of Japan) and Cadbury (Yowies).



4. scarlet leafwing, Siderone galanthis (syn. S. nemesis)
This is another repeated in the 2001 Collectors Case set, and again this one has better proportions. I am not aware of this species being made by any other company!



5. orange-barred sulfur, Phoebis philea
As I mentioned in the review of the Collectors Case set, this species has been done four times by Safari: 1) the figure here, 2) Collectors Case, 3) Hidden Kingdom Insects, and 4) Butterflies TOOB (and I've shown three already on this forum!!!!). I have a 5th by an unknown manufacturer (chinabug).



6. common morpho, Morpho peleides.
Ah! The same species as in the Collector's Case but without tails!! Safari also did morphos (not attributable to the species level, to my knowledge) in their Smithsonian Insects line, Hidden Kingdom Insects, and as a Good Luck mini. The figure is the Butterflies TOOB is indicated as being M. menelaus.

[Roger]

That's another great presentation, Blaine!
I like that you describe what is marked in your figures, it is always very important to help identifying them.
Authentics butterflies are normally hard to find and Authentics in general have a very peculiar design. Thanks for showing them!

[Jetoar]

Wonderful replicas Blaine as always  .

[Jetoar]

Of this line I have only the Siderone galanthis  .

[bmathison1972]

Review of the entire Insects Authentics Collection by Safari LTD (1995). This is the second arthropod-centric Authentics collection, the other being the Butterflies collection.

The figures are identified by simple common names, and the genera and species are my assumptions based on the morphologic features.

They are a stiff, solid plastic. Not super detailed but still have a neat charm about them. They are marked with their common names and the year (1995).

On to the figures/species:

1. emperor scorpion, Pandinus imperator.
The figure is 47 mm (to where the tail bends upwards) and is simply labeled 'scorpion'. Safari also made an emperor scorpion in their Smithsonian insects line. Emperor scorpions are very common as figures and have been made by Kaiyodo (Aqua Night Museum), Takara TOMY (Venomous Scorpions), Epoch (Toxic Creatures), Discovery Channel (Deadly Kiss: Poisonous Animals), Cadbury (UK Yowies), Bullyland (twice), AAA (multiple sizes), and I am sure many others.



2. bumblebee, Bombus sp.
The figure has a 62 mm wingspan and is labeled 'bumblebee'. Safari also released a trio of bumblebees in their Smithsonian Insects line and as a Good Luck Mini. I have additional figures by Bullyland, CollectA, and Play Visions.



3. monarch, Danaus plexippus.
The figure has a 65 mm wingspan and is simply labeled, 'butterfly' (and yes it has six legs  ). The wing pose is interesting on this figure and different from what we normally see. Safari has done this species multiple times, including as part of their Smithsonian Insects line (adult and larva), Hidden Kingdom Insects, and Safariology Life Cycle. I have additional figures by CollectA, Groovy Tubes Books (Bug Blast!), Cadbury (Australian and UK Yowies), Toy Major, and 4D Master, plus several unnamed bin-style figures. I think Blip Toys did one too as part of their Nature's Wonders series.



4. Mexican red-kneed tarantula, Brachypelma smithi.
The figure has a 72 mm leg span and is labeled 'tarantula'. Safari has done this species twice before, as part of their Smithsonian Insects and Hidden Kingdom Insects lines. I also have figures by Blip Toys (Nature's Wonders), CollectA, Kaiyodo (Toxic and Dangerous Animals), plus one by Play Visions that I think is attributable to this species.



5. green darner, Anax junius.
The figure has a 70 mm wingspan and is labeled 'dragonfly'. Safari did this species in both their Smithsonian Insects and Hidden Kingdom Insects lines (I only have the latter). It was also done by DeAgostini as part of their World Insects Data Book (the only non-scarabaeoid among 64 figures!!!!).

[Roger]

Monarchs seem very common as toys, probably the most popular of all butterfly figures. It was strange that it was not present in Authentics collection but here is the explanation. They just choose it to represent the butterfly in a series of arthropods.
These we already have pictured at the Wiki but we were never able of making such an approach to the species as you did brilliantly. Thanks Blaine!

[bmathison1972]

I have re-uploaded these images to Postimage. I had lost these with my old computer, but luckliy Roger snagged them for TAI so I just took them back from that site