What is this? I had mentioned that there might be some other random topics among these, and today the RNG picked one–a closer look at one of my shelves! Fortunately, I have completed my move and reorganization, so I at least know what is where.
This first, randomly picked one is dedicated to a group that I honestly don’t collect much of, except as interesting anomalies, parts of other series, or because I want to. It’s the shelf that houses most of my invertebrates (other than those that fit into other series that are kept together like Dinotales, Yowies, Bottlecap figures, etc). It’s not that I don’t like or dislike them, I just need to have limits! I’ve seen how many beetle figures alone have been produced by Japanese companies…I can’t start into that too!
Most of the figures in this shelf are prehistoric, because that’s where much of my collecting has focused. Within that, a great deal is Burgess Shale and similar fauna…because of the marketable invertebrates companies seem to treat those as the go-to. Seriously, I have Burgess-specific sets from at least four companies (Favorite, ROM, Safari, TedCo, Giant Microbes…okay, five) to say nothing of the ones made by Kaiyodo, Yowies, and even other models by Favorite. All together, it’s probably more than all of my other prehistoric invertebrates combined (in figure number or taxa represented…seriously, have these companies not heard about eurytperids? Or Arthropleura? They’re begging for a decent-sized mass market figure. Even ammonites and their relatives don’t show up as much.
There are some modern figures as well–toob figures from Safari mostly, and one large FameMaster Centipede puzzle. It’s pretty cool, very dynamic. The Safari figures are mainly from the Cave Dwellers toob and Venomous animal toobs–their associated vertebrates are elsewhere in the shelves. There are also some larger figures made by Bullyland and Safari that include oddities like Cuttlefish, Nautilus and Sea stars.
I’m obviously not going to go in and discuss every figure in the shelves, but I will point out some of the highlights and oddballs. Eventually these will get discussed in the figure discussions. Now let’s zero into the shelves a bit.
This is the top corner, usually a little darker. Notable for two very different takes on what is probably the same ammonoid species–one by Safari (left) one by Bullyand. With a Favorite Pikaia to balance things. Plus, in front of that, a Vauxia figure that you might recognize from the first clades post. I guess sponges just need to be first…or random luck.
The next close up is mainly centered on a few anomalocarids–The big Favorite Anomalocaris, the ROM Laggania (apparently properly Peytoia), and the Safari Cambrian toob Anomalocaris. As well, a couple Wiwaxia, more ammonites, and some modern arthropods. and a Canadaspis trying to poke it’s way into the photo.
Further into the back right corner, a couple of Jellyfish; one a fossil species from Bullyland and one one a modern Sea Nettle from Safari. It’s like I incidentally book-ended the two back corners with these two companies! Plus a Safari shrimp.
This is where the plush Burgess critters from Giant Microbes go! Fun fact–I got them from my kids, who bought them at the NHM in London! Plus a few different scorpions. By accident, a number of myriapods…
Of which there are actually more! That one in the middle is especially interesting…because it’s the only Arthropleura toy I’m aware of. How has ever major animal figure company missed this giant, person-sized millipede? And the irony is not lost that it’s smaller than every other centipede and millipede surrounding it….
In the centre front we have…a lot of things, from very tiny trilobites and glass squids to more Burgess critters and one Ediacaran organism. Mostly toob figures…and a Bullyland cuttlefish. And Belemnite. There’s quite an assortment here.
And into the front left–lots more toob figures, a really cool Marella from Favorite, and a Sea Star from Bullyland! And a few Opabinia, which seems to be very popular as a figure (as far as Cambrian critters go). That weird brown lump? It another tiny toy trilobite (I think Phacops or something else with a big glabella) that is…not great, but it came with a Triops kit…as a ‘tadpole shrimp fossil replica’. Not it’s not.
So thanks for going on this weird, convoluted journey through one of my shelves. It may inadvertently give more insight into my thought processes than anything else…a shelf like this tends to get kind of random and cluttered, due to the nature of the subjects. When we someday hit one of my other shelves, we might see a bit of contrast…
