2015 top 10 poll discussion

[AnimalToyForum]

Last year it was quite an undertaking for Brontodocus and myself to set up all the polls to vote for the best figures of 2014. Even so, it would be a shame not to do the same for 2015 figures. Brontodocus, are you up for this again? Would anybody else be willing to help out?

[Plasticbeast95]

How can I help?

[bmathison1972]

last year I suggested taxonomic, rather than company-based, categories. That way a fish was up against a fish, etc. It might also better distribute the workload given the large number of figures produced each year, especially if several of us with taxonomic interests chipped in. For example, I would be happy to do the inverts .

[Plasticbeast95]

That makes sense, species vs. species. Rather than Papos vs. Safaris.

[AnimalToyForum]

That's a good idea. What would the other categories be?

[bmathison1972]

That's a good idea. What would the other categories be?

Mammals
Birds
Reptiles and Amphibians
Fish
Invertebrates

or possible expanded:

Mammals (non-marine)
Birds
Reptiles and Amphibians
Fish and Marine (whales, dolphins included?)
inverts

or

Mammals (non-marine)
Birds
Reptiles
Freshwater fish and amphibians
Marine fish and mammals
inverts

or...

[AnimalToyForum]

I think the second is the best, where marine vertebrates are grouped together. Otherwise the mammal list might be too big and fish list too small.

So, what we need to do, is create the lists (with photos) as new threads. This is where members can help, thanks for offering! Maybe bmathison1972 can do the inverts as you suggested? I can do the reptiles and amphibians thread. PlasticBeast95 kindly offered to help as well- would you be able to create some such threads? Once the lists are in place and we have agreed they are complete, then I can step in and set up the polls. Sound like a plan?

[bmathison1972]

I think the second is the best, where marine vertebrates are grouped together. Otherwise the mammal list might be too big and fish list too small.

So, what we need to do, is create the lists (with photos) as new threads. This is where members can help, thanks for offering! Maybe bmathison1972 can do the inverts as you suggested? I can do the reptiles and amphibians thread. PlasticBeast95 kindly offered to help as well- would you be able to create some such threads? Once the lists are in place and we have agreed they are complete, then I can step in and set up the polls. Sound like a plan?

we should talk Sean into the fish

[stargatedalek]

I can take birds if no-one's already got it.

[sbell]

I think the second is the best, where marine vertebrates are grouped together. Otherwise the mammal list might be too big and fish list too small.

So, what we need to do, is create the lists (with photos) as new threads. This is where members can help, thanks for offering! Maybe bmathison1972 can do the inverts as you suggested? I can do the reptiles and amphibians thread. PlasticBeast95 kindly offered to help as well- would you be able to create some such threads? Once the lists are in place and we have agreed they are complete, then I can step in and set up the polls. Sound like a plan?

we should talk Sean into the fish

I can try and do that. It might be more Japanese than most groups!

[AnimalToyForum]

Great! That's reptiles/amphibians (me), inverts (bmathison1972), fish/marine vertebrates (Sbell), birds (stargatedalek) all accounted for. If PlasticBeast takes on the mammals then that's everything! Thanks everyone, feel free to set up the threads (but not the polls yet)!

[sbell]

Great! That's reptiles/amphibians (me), inverts (bmathison1972), fish/marine vertebrates (Sbell), birds (stargatedalek) all accounted for. If PlasticBeast takes on the mammals then that's everything! Thanks everyone, feel free to set up the threads (but not the polls yet)!

I never agreed beyond fish!Mainly because whales, seals, sea turtles and penguins create problems in overlap. And nobody makes sea snakes anyway.

[bmathison1972]

Great! That's reptiles/amphibians (me), inverts (bmathison1972), fish/marine vertebrates (Sbell), birds (stargatedalek) all accounted for. If PlasticBeast takes on the mammals then that's everything! Thanks everyone, feel free to set up the threads (but not the polls yet)!

I never agreed beyond fish!Mainly because whales, seals, sea turtles and penguins create problems in overlap. And nobody makes sea snakes anyway.

I see whales/dolphins with the fish as 'marine mammals' but pinnipeds with mammals, sea turtles with reptiles, and penguins (and other shore birds) with birds.

[AnimalToyForum]

Great! That's reptiles/amphibians (me), inverts (bmathison1972), fish/marine vertebrates (Sbell), birds (stargatedalek) all accounted for. If PlasticBeast takes on the mammals then that's everything! Thanks everyone, feel free to set up the threads (but not the polls yet)!

I never agreed beyond fish!Mainly because whales, seals, sea turtles and penguins create problems in overlap. And nobody makes sea snakes anyway.

I see whales/dolphins with the fish as 'marine mammals' but pinnipeds with mammals, sea turtles with reptiles, and penguins (and other shore birds) with birds.

I'd go with that, simple enough. But leave the whales and dolphins to me if you just wish to focus on fish, Sbell.

[sbell]

Great! That's reptiles/amphibians (me), inverts (bmathison1972), fish/marine vertebrates (Sbell), birds (stargatedalek) all accounted for. If PlasticBeast takes on the mammals then that's everything! Thanks everyone, feel free to set up the threads (but not the polls yet)!

I never agreed beyond fish!Mainly because whales, seals, sea turtles and penguins create problems in overlap. And nobody makes sea snakes anyway.

I see whales/dolphins with the fish as 'marine mammals' but pinnipeds with mammals, sea turtles with reptiles, and penguins (and other shore birds) with birds.

I'd go with that, simple enough. But leave the whales and dolphins to me if you just wish to focus on fish, Sbell.

I can add cetaceans. I gnerally don't follow them at all, but it does bulk up an otherwise short list.

[brontodocus]

Aw, sorry, been away to Southern Bavaria and also bought a new Computer which took some time to set up properly. I've completely missed this. Glad to see that it seems everything has been covered already. Let me know if some help is still needed here and there.

[AnimalToyForum]

I'm finally revisiting this topic! I couldn't create the 2015 final poll because the the semi-final polls weren't created in the end.

I'd really like to reintroduce an annual top 10 but experience has shown that it has to be simple to work. Dividing the contenders by company or taxonomy first, works on paper, but it takes time and creates work. It is also dependant on multiple members playing their part, which failed in 2015. It doesn't help that we haven't been very good at maintaining the "New for" sections, which are useful as a reference only when they are up to date. The Photobucket disaster didn't help.

So, I'm going to adopt a simpler approach for subsequent polls, the same approach we now use on the Dinosaur Toy Forum.

First, I'll create a thread in which members suggest top 10 contenders - figures they would actually vote for in their personal final top 10. Then, I will create a poll in that thread with all the suggestions. I think this is a viable alternative to the exhaustive approach we've attempted before.

I'll begin with the top 2015: http://animaltoyforum.com/index.php?topic=2208.0