Animal Planet Animal Head Tube - Insects (Toy Major)

[bmathison1972]

This is an overview/review of the complete Animal Planet Animal Head Tube - Insects by Toy Major. Now, I do not completely understand the relationship between AP and TM. I assume AP used TM to produce (or select) figures to put together this tube. I do not know the year of its release, but the figures are marked with '1994', '1997', or '2003' which suggests TM supplied random earlier figures to put this tube together. Some of the figures have other letters on them, suggesting they were originally made for other series. I bought the set sometime after 2008 (don't remember exactly when).

None of the figures are unique, which is not surprising given TM's reputation of doing knock-offs. Honestly, with these generic bin-style figures, it becomes a 'chicken-or-the-egg' scenario as to who made what and when first.

Each figure is marked with a common name, the traditional 'TM' logo, and the year of (original?) production. With each below I will include the size and year. Sizes do not include antennae, legs, or other appendages.

On to the critters (in no particular order):

1. rhinoceros beetle (32 mm; 1997)
This is the smaller version of another generic rhino beetle I have



2. worker ant (40 mm; 1997)
an interesting color choice for an ant.



3. queen ant (43 mm; 2003)
another interesting color choice



4. grasshopper (45 mm; 1997)
a unique color pattern, if not sculpt



5. spider (35 mm; 1997)
This is also marked with a 'B' and may be a PlayVisions knockoff!



6. fly (35 mm; 2003)



7. spider (30 mm; 1997)
this figure is also marked with a 'G' and may also be a PV kockoff!



8. mantid (50 mm; 1997)



9. scorpion (55 mm; 1997)
I love the color on this one!



10. bee (30 mm; 2003)
another smaller version of a larger chinabug I have



11. ladybug (25 mm; 1994)
an even earlier figure than others in this set!



12. dragonfly (63 mm wingspan; 2003)
a colorful little one

[Roger]

Blain, I was warned that the topic had no replies for more than 300 days but I wanted to reply to some of your questions.
Animal Planet is not a manufacturer but they sell toys under their trademark. So, they need a manufacturer. They're currently using Mojö Fun figures as source for their range but they used in previous years, figures from other HK manufacturers. One of them was Toy Major that is a odm/oem company that manufactures to other brands/companies. So the story is simple, Animal Planet wanted to release a plastic bugs set and Toy Major manufactured them.
It is also not a surprise that your Innovative Kids figures are TM like, much probably TM also manufactured to them.

[stargatedalek]

Blain, I was warned that the topic had no replies for more than 300 days but I wanted to reply to some of your questions.
Animal Planet is not a manufacturer but they sell toys under their trademark. So, they need a manufacturer. They're currently using Mojö Fun figures as source for their range but they used in previous years, figures from other HK manufacturers. One of them was Toy Major that is a odm/oem company that manufactures to other brands/companies. So the story is simple, Animal Planet wanted to release a plastic bugs set and Toy Major manufactured them.
It is also not a surprise that your Innovative Kids figures are TM like, much probably TM also manufactured to them.

TM also made many unlicensed bootlegs.

Animal Planet typically uses multiple manufacturers at once, I doubt Chap mei will loose their business anytime soon.

[bmathison1972]

Blain, I was warned that the topic had no replies for more than 300 days but I wanted to reply to some of your questions.
Animal Planet is not a manufacturer but they sell toys under their trademark. So, they need a manufacturer. They're currently using Mojö Fun figures as source for their range but they used in previous years, figures from other HK manufacturers. One of them was Toy Major that is a odm/oem company that manufactures to other brands/companies. So the story is simple, Animal Planet wanted to release a plastic bugs set and Toy Major manufactured them.
It is also not a surprise that your Innovative Kids figures are TM like, much probably TM also manufactured to them.

the manufacturer of the figures isn't that important; the set was marketed by Animal Planet and that's what's important. These sculpts have been made and copied and altered back and forth so-many times, who's to know who came first. These are specially marked TM so they were probably made by Toy Major for AP.

[bmathison1972]

I have re-captured these images for Postimage.