Who makes it? Kaiyodo as part of their Dinotales line, Series 5 to be exact, the A version (more brown). The item number is 90A (the Dinotales stayed pretty consistent with their numbering over several series)
When did it come out? About 2006
Still available? Only in auctions and other lot sales. These were limited run collection series, and Kaiyodo set the standard in these days. There were, and are, a number of blind bag series featuring dinosaurs/prehistoric animals, but we have yet to see anything like the range and quality of the Kaiyodo Dinotales sets.
Where can it be found in my displays? In the Dinotales Display case, 1BESTA
How does it fit in the collection? I have made a point of getting at least one version of every original Dinotales model, so having this in the collection was a given.
Any story behind it? Dinotales overall really pushed me towards the Japanese collectables available. By the time series 5 came out, I was well aware of what was happening and when. So by this time, I would make sure that I had at least one version of each set. By Series 5 Kaiyodo was losing steam with the series—instead of 24 different figures (plus some secret figures) they had reduced to 10 figures, with two different paint schemes. I picked one of each because I didn’t (and still don’t) usually chase paint variations. Dinotales (in this iteration) pushed on for several more years before ceasing as ‘candy’ figures of some kind, but are still an important part of my collection.
Notable remarks about this figure (a review that isn’t really a review): Of the many animals out there, I would not consider myself qualified to judge the accuracy of this Plateosaurus model. My initial impression is that it seems a little skinny for a prosauropod, but that was the style at the time (Kaiyodo dinosaurs do tend toward the shrinkwrapping). And it has that tail-dragging kangaroo-posture which is unfortunate (more current reconstructions seem to favour bipedal postures, but no tails dragging–something that could be reflected using a base). But the earthy tones and detailed sculpt make this a nice figure nonetheless (no matter the interpretation, every Kaiyodo Dinotales sculpt was a wonderful blend of detail and style, especially for such small candy-prize figures)
Would I recommend it? Definitely. The fragile nature of these figures (they are a kind of brittle plastic) and the fact that the majority actually had to put together means that it can be difficult but not impossible to find Dinotales. That said, getting together a collection of them now can be an expensive proposition—there are well over a hundred of them (variants notwithstanding) and their value can depend on what series they are from and even the species they are. The Plateosaurus is probably less sought after than some of the more obscure and unusual dinosaurs, so that’s good for prosauropod fans. Even better, they are quite small models, so a collection of them does not take up a lot of room, and they can be great for dioramas and other scenes—this plateosaur comes in at a roughly 1:100 scale
