So we’re back already with another Run the Set! This time we’ll look at a much more recent one, a box made up of miniature versions of some of the CollectA Deluxe and Standard dinosaurs. This is box set 1, released in 2016 under the catalog number A1101. Set two was released at the same time–giving us 20 small versions of CollectA dinos in one year, along with some other modern animal ones. Honestly, I would love mini versions of all of the CollectA prehistoric animals–it would take so much less space!
The figures in the set are very high quality for being miniaturized versions of larger models. At one point I had almost all of the pairs, so was able to compare them and they reproduced very nicely. From what I can tell, most were based on the deluxe models. When they weren’t, I think it was because the standard model was one that they should be rightly proud of (or were fairly new)–from what I can tell, it was only the Kentrosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Mosasaurus and Diplodocus. The deluxe models included Baryonyx, Parasaurolophus, Pteranodon, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, and Tyrannosaurus. In the case of the latter, it was their most recent, feathered version (not the leaning-and-roaring one, or the carrying-a-dead-ornithomimid one!).
Because this set is a tube-style box set, the figures are all roughly the same size. The Mosasaurus is noticeably larger than the others, while the Kentrosaurus and to a similar extent the Pachycephalosaurus are a bit smaller. This means that the scales of these models are all over the place, a pretty big departure from the deluxe line at least. In general the dinosaurs’ models are designed at 1:40 (with some exceptions) while the set ranges from 1:56 to 1:175
As I said, the sculpts are pretty much spot-on reproductions of the larger models. The paint schemes tend to be a little simpler, at least in some of them. Maybe it’s because sets like this are seen to be toys more than collectables, while at least the deluxe models are seen more equally toy and collectable? Or maybe it’s just easier given production processes and small sizes. Honestly I don’t know, but overall the appearances are close, and generally up to the standard of the originals. That Parasaurolophus though. It’s soooo orange! Which is still true to the original, but it’s a little weird. AM major exception is the Triceratops–the pose is the deluxe one with a raised head, but the paint scheme is not. It’s kind of but not really similar to the original Procon Triceratops scheme.
I had the good fortune to have these sets provided to me by CollectA, back when it was still feasible to be a small retailer of them; by the time they might have been something I could bring in the Canadian supply chain was disrupted too much…it’s a part of the reason that the store will be gone by year’s end.
As for getting this set, you absolutely should. Get both actually. And the more recent Prehistoric Sea Life and Prehistoric Mammals (+Estemmenosuchus+Kelenken) box sets too. We should encourage these sets from Colorata because small sets are where we have the opportunity for the most figure diversity! Plus, they’re relatively affordable which provides a lot of fun or a lot of figures for display or dioramas!
