Recent acquisitions

[stemturtle]

That's a cool idea, I might have to do that with mine too!

There should be a single pair of functional eyes. The superfluous eyes can be removed with a Dremel tool.

[stemturtle]

nice repaint. I have the Primeval 'giant scorpion' which is actually a giant whipscorpion, althoutht has features of both a vinageroon and a tailless whipscorpion!

This figure is a prime candidate for miniaturization. Wish I could figure out how to do it.
Congrats on your latest find of 60s arthropods.

[sauroid]

weta rex from PJ's King Kong 2005

[bmathison1972]

weta rex from PJ's King Kong 2005

Is that an altered figure or is that how it came? Is it identified as a weta? if it is sold as a weta and comes looking like that, I may have to try and hunt one down. I have two other wetas; a third would be most welcome

[sauroid]

that's the way it is. and that's what it's called in the movie. it comes with this kong figure (but i only have the weta rex)
http://www.mwctoys.com/images/review_gripkong_4.jpg
it is supposed to be a monster figure btw.

[bmathison1972]

that's the way it is. and that's what it's called in the movie. it comes with this kong figure (but i only have the weta rex)
http://www.mwctoys.com/images/review_gripkong_4.jpg
it is supposed to be a monster figure btw.

Thanks. There are a couple on ebay but they come with either a dinosaur or King Kong and are over $100 USD. I'll check periodically. A weta is hard to resist.

[bmathison1972]

that's the way it is. and that's what it's called in the movie. it comes with this kong figure (but i only have the weta rex)
http://www.mwctoys.com/images/review_gripkong_4.jpg
it is supposed to be a monster figure btw.

Thanks. There are a couple on ebay but they come with either a dinosaur or King Kong and are over $100 USD. I'll check periodically. A weta is hard to resist. Even though it is a 'movie monster' the detail is good enough to use as an actual weta.

[brontodocus]

I customized the figure to more closely resemble the Mojave Desert solpugid, yellow-brown in color.

Pale windscorpion, Eremobates pallipes, by Character Options Ltd. / customized, about 3 X life scale.

Wow, that's a brilliant idea and an excellent customisation, stemturtle!

[sbell]

I customized the figure to more closely resemble the Mojave Desert solpugid, yellow-brown in color.

Pale windscorpion, Eremobates pallipes, by Character Options Ltd. / customized, about 3 X life scale.

Wow, that's a brilliant idea and an excellent customisation, stemturtle!

That does look really good--very much like the ones I used to catch! Although the front 'fangs' were longer and thinner.

[stemturtle]

I appreciate your comments brontodocus and sbell. The chelicerae should have sharp-pointed ends and nasty teeth. Perhaps there was a casting constraint to simplify them. It's amazing that a desert arachnid can range as far north as Canada.

[sbell]

I appreciate your comments brontodocus and sbell. The chelicerae should have sharp-pointed ends and nasty teeth. Perhaps there was a casting constraint to simplify them. It's amazing that a desert arachnid can range as far north as Canada.

We used to find them in the theatre and washrooms (it's pretty much desert where they were anyway).

If we could, we would catch them and toss them grasshoppers. It was fun to watch them attack!

Then we'd put them out in the field in front of the centre. Most likely, they ran back in before we did.

[bmathison1972]

Today I received the 'Wild Kratts Creature Power Pack - Crawlers Set' by Wicked Cool Toys. There are three animal figures: soldier termite, hermit crab, and an argiope orb-weaving spider. Nicer than I thought they'd be. The figures are all marked '2015' but the 'power disks' that come with them are marked '2014'. The disks appear to be collectors items for the series and I will keep them as being analogous to the papers that accompany, for example, Yowies and gashapons.
Speaking of Yowies, these figures are about the same size and similar in terms of detail and accuracy (or maybe a little better)

[brontodocus]

Interesting figures, completely new to me. The spider looks very much like a Nephila, e.g. N. pilipes.

[stargatedalek]

After a bit of confusion from the postal service my latest trade arrived today.


Kaiyodo larval squid. Photo really doesn't do it justice, especially the way that the eyes are done.


Kaiyodo soil inverts (minus earthworm)
Pillbug Armadillidium vulgare (my favorite of the set)
Tardigrade Echiniscus japonicus
Mole Cricket Gryllotalpa orientalis
Earwig Anisolabis maritima








And some unexpected surprises (the Bullyland puffer up top managed to sneak out of the picture).

[bmathison1972]

the sheep ked and the chinch bug were extras from a vintage set; those species are rarely made so I thought you'd like them. The lizard was a non-arthropod from the Discovery Kids Gross set that I didn't have a need for (and the spider was a duplicate from that set). These were all extras I didn't need so I thought I'd just throw them in to see if you could make use of them.

[stargatedalek]

Thanks for them, obscure species are always a plus!

[bmathison1972]

some new ones this past week or so:

First, thanks to stars, my first New Ray and Playmobil Figures:



Secondly, I won a lot on ebay of 20 toy/plastic insects and (mostly) spiders. A lot of generic stuff but it did include 7 real Play Visions spiders, including two from the 1995 Habitat Earth set (Costa Rican zebra tarantula and Indian ornamental tarantula, the latter of which was a new species for me). Play Visions stuff is marked with 'PV' and/or a number, while the often equally good knockoffs/variants have a letter. I won the lot for less than $10 USD which is more than what the PV figures are worth!



lastly, some figures of the bee shrimp, Caridina cantonensis by a company out of Australia called AquaKitz. Aquakits appears to deal in aquarium supplies for breeding bee shrimp but they also have some figures, including 4 large (16 cm) and 7 small (5 cm), in various color variants. The large one I picked I did so because it represents one of the wild type color forms, and then I picked two random small ones. Each size has only one sculpt, with only differences in color. The figures have their legs embedded in foam, but the foam is removeable. I will keep them in the foam for the time being, but not sure how long it will hold up over time.

Very nice figures and to my knowledge the only of their species. Available from ebay or their site (http://aquakitz.com/)

[brontodocus]

The big Aquakitz shrimp looks great! I should check online stores for aquarium supplies (especially Zajac) here if they are also available in Germany. However, the price tag is what may keep me from actually buying one in the end.

[Beetle guy]

Today a little package from Japan arrived! With..what a suprise beetles and insects!


there are some specialists here but I think; Macrodontia cervicornis (Kabaya), diving beetle, Cybister japonicus (Kaiyodo), Dynastes hercules (kabaya), Neolucanus delicatus (Sega, small Mushi King series), Golofa porteri (Kabaya, 2x) and a dung beetle (Epoch, this one was a secret figurine with the flying beetle series). The two wooden logs belonging to the Macrodontia- and Hercules beetle. There came little info cards with the Kabaya models.

I really like this Macrodontia cervicornis by Kabaya. The detail is good and really nice paint on the elytra. The model measures; 4,5 cm (without legs). I've never  encountered these species as a toy model before.



The Golafa poteri is really nice to. Not scale 1;1 with it's 5,2 cm (horn to tip elytra). There is a little variation in elytra colour of these two.


The Dung beetle is really cool. I had this one with a high gloss finish. The flying beetle series of Epoch, where this model came as a secret, was redone by an other manufacturer, but the "real thing" looks more detailed and beter painted!


These models came along to. Their for trade 

anyone interested, please send me a message.

some extra pic's of the trade stuff.

[bmathison1972]

That Kabaya set is my last Holy Grail set to acquire. I wont lie, I am jealous . I sent you a PM about getting advice as to where I can get a complete set!