Recent acquisitions

[Isidro]

Last arrival: bought in eBay about a month ago, the Kaiyodo Deep Sea series Silver Chimaera (Chimaera phantasma). It comes with a bottlecap and a stick for holding. It measures 6,3 cm long and is absolutely perfect! I love it!





With my other deep sea pals:


Size compared with the Safari LTD leopard shark:


Size compared with the CollectA zebra shark:

[AnimalToyForum]

It is very nice. 

[Beetle guy]

That looks good indeed @Isidro, you found your way to the Japanese figurines ;-)

[sbell]

I haven't really had much (modern animal) to mention lately, but today is exciting--thanks to @bmathison1972 I now possess two more Yowies! An Atlantic wolf eel (the first figure of one that wasn't a a Bering wolf eel made by Kaiyodo...) and a Beluga Sturgeon (also only made once before, by Epoch!)

[bmathison1972]

Glad they arrived (finally LOL) and you enjoy them, Sean :-)

[stemturtle]

American dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae, (Zyrtec Drug), length 1.4 in. or 3.5 cm.
This was a lucky find on eBay. The only other dust mite that I know about is by Play Visions, which is extremely rare.


Advertising snow globe.
The arachnid was enclosed in a snow globe used to market the antihistamine Cetirizine by Zyrtec.
I cut the globe open to remove the dust mite. The figure is made of hard plastic.


Size of the dust mite compared to Play Visions "deer tick."
This deer tick is a knock-off. The correct ID is probably the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum.
See Arthropods -Ectoparasites .

[bmathison1972]

American dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae, (Zyrtec Drug), length 1.4 in. or 3.5 cm.
This was a lucky find on eBay. The only other dust mite that I know about is by Play Visions, which is extremely rare.


Advertising snow globe.
The arachnid was enclosed in a snow globe used to market the antihistamine Cetirizine by Zyrtec.
I cut the globe open to remove the dust mite. The figure is made of hard plastic.


Size of the dust mite compared to Play Visions "deer tick."
This deer tick is a knock-off. The correct ID is probably the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum.
See Arthropods -Ectoparasites .

Aaaaaack!!! I need that @stemturtle . I have the PV dust mite, however.

[stemturtle]

Aaaaaack!!! I need that @stemturtle . I have the PV dust mite, however.

I have a different species of mite on order. Will post photo and source upon arrival, in a week or so. 

[Isidro]

Yesterday I went to a shop where I found a very little stand with very few figures for sale. One of them belonged to my wishlist, so I bought it: the CollectA's springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis). It have the same good quality and accurateness level that is usual with CollectA's antelopes :-)



Into the sun:


Let's munch some greens:


Beware!


Pleased to meet you, Mr Gemsbok


Do you know, dear pal? I've found a magnific pool full of mud at the other side of these hills... Let's travel together

[stemturtle]

Ectoparasites (Novelties by Stexe).
Left column: arachnids. Right column: insects.

The set of Ectoparasites includes 4 cast sculptures, each about 2 inches or 5 cm. 
Urethane rubber, painted to simulate bronze with a green patina. 
Available at https://www.etsy.com/shop/stexe.


Eyelash mite, Demodex folliculorum


Itch mite, Sarcoptes scabiei


Head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis


Crab louse, Pthirus pubis

I recommend this seller. Custom orders can be requested.

[bmathison1972]

@stemturtle are these nicer than you thought? The seller offered a custom paint for me (I don't like the bronzed look) but I wanted to see your review first.

[stemturtle]

@stemturtle are these nicer than you thought? The seller offered a custom paint for me (I don't like the bronzed look) but I wanted to see your review first.

The sculptures are excellent. I am not a fan of the bronze look either, and look forward to seeing your custom paint variations. You may provide references for repaints.

[Isidro]

Hello!
Today I received the Colorata Saltwater fish set, made in 2015 and formed by 15 species/figures (16 actually, tough one is designed as just an accesory).
I bought it in eBay because I found a great offer: 48 € and free shipping for the set, while the normal price is about 56 € and an average of 10-15 € of shipping costs. However, the damn customs make me pay an extra 26 € more!!!!!!!!!! AGAIN!!!!!!! (same quantity that they robbed me with the Minizoo figurines). So, finally I paid more than the normal-priced sets. Man is the only animal that trips twice over the same stone...
But at least, the figures are beautiful and fantastic! I'm more fish-fan than most "only-big-mammal" lovers, and I found some of these figures quite exciting. Here they are:

General view of the new additions


Spiny red gurnard (Chelidonichthys spinosus). I like a lot triglid fishes because their spectacular pectoral fins and strange conformation.



Pacific saury (Cololabis saira). Wonderful and very well done, this is a fish that I knew thanks to this set!!


Japanese flying fish (Cypselurus agoo). Pectoral fins must be assembled (each one individually) and pelvic fins too (as an united pair). A wonderful figure!


Oceanic sunfish (Mola mola). By far better than the Safari LTD sunfish, at least in painting terms. Of course this fish cannot stand upright, but since I dislike very much to use bases and sticks in my figurines, I let mine gently supported against the lateral panel.


Spotted jellyfish (Mastigias papua). This is included as a complement of the sunfish (because sunfishes eat jellies), and the base includes two holes, one for each animal. However, I prefair to get it separatedly as an own figure, mainly because of the scale. It's not enormous as the jellyfish figures made individually, so it can go into mi collection, unlike the others. A so tiny figure cannot be extremely detailed, however it's enough accurate, and recognizable as species.


Bastard halibut or olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Flat fishes are a special thing too, and this one is lovely!


Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax). Lovely little creature, perfect in shape and colour


Chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus). One of my most wished figures of the set. I love mackerels because of their beautiful colors and shape

[Isidro]

False kelpfish, marbled rockfish or sea ruffe (Sebastiscus marmoratus). While not my favourite of the Scorpaeniformes, it's a magnific figure and nicely painted.


Striped marlin (Tetrapturus audax). With no doubt, the king of this set, and maybe the strongest reason that convinced me to buy it. Pectoral and pelvic fins must be assembled. The plastic is soft, so one must take care with the bending of the bill. Fortunately it comes with a protective sheet.


Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus). Maybe if marlin is the king, tuna is the queen. It's a so magnific species and a so magnific figure. I'm absolutely in love with it


Japanese horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicus). Not a very exciting species for me but is sooo well done!


And now, four figures that I do not like enough for include in my collection.

Dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus). It's a bit too small, the body is too green (no deep blue in the dorsum), and dorsal fin is too transparent (no blue). The soft caudal fin came twisted and is very difficult to correct. And the most important: this fish cannot stand upright alone (and I will not use the base and stick).


Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis). It's a magnific species for me, but the paintjob is... uh... ugly. Black lines that join forming strange angles? They should not join. A deep blue patch that end abruptly at the operculum border? That should not happen... And I cannot repaint it because my colours don't include metallic silvers and bluish...


Red seabream (Pagrus major). It's just too big for my taste, plus, sparid are really not my favourite fishes, so I don't feel nothing special about this figure.


Tiger puffer (Takifugu rubripes). I like tetraodontiforms a lot, but this figure is too big for my taste.


So I would like to trade the four last figures in 1:1 trade by any of the next:
-Colorata arapaima
-Colorata Australian lungfish
-Colorata bald eagle
-Colorata golden eagle
-Colorata harpy eagle
-Colorata secretarybird
-Colorata silver arowana
-FloZ grey whale
-Happy Kin baiji
-Happy Kin northern right whale dolphin
-Happy Kin strap-toothed whale
-Joy City pygmy hog
-Kaiyodo longose lancetfish
-Mojö Fun pronghorn
-PNSO Beluga
-Safari LTD California condor
-Safari LTD malayan tapir OR Papo Malayan tapir
-Starlux Jentink's duiker

I also can exchange/sell all the bases and sticks for the quantity of wished figures that you find fair

[bmathison1972]

Nice, Isidro. You probably saw this set was the 'basis' for the start of my marine bony fishes collection. I am coincidentally working on the freshwater ones now!

[Isidro]

Yes I saw it, and altough I knew the set previously, the detail of the figures shown in your images of your synoptic collection post is what make me wish them a lot!

[sbell]

So I would like to trade the four last figures in 1:1 trade by any of the next:
-Colorata arapaima
-Colorata Australian lungfish
-Colorata bald eagle
-Colorata golden eagle
-Colorata harpy eagle
-Colorata secretarybird
-Colorata silver arowana
-FloZ grey whale
-Happy Kin baiji
-Happy Kin northern right whale dolphin
-Happy Kin strap-toothed whale
-Joy City pygmy hog
-Kaiyodo longose lancetfish
-Mojö Fun pronghorn
-PNSO Beluga
-Safari LTD California condor
-Safari LTD malayan tapir OR Papo Malayan tapir
-Starlux Jentink's duiker

For the record @Isidro there is no Colorata Silver arowana. There are, however, 3 different versions of their Asian arowana (gold crossback, red and blue).

[Isidro]

Oh! I tought that this was a silver arowana, but you're right, the shape is not correct for Osteoglossum and fits much better with Scleropages!
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71LTPV5Xh-L._SX466_.jpg

[sbell]

Oh! I tought that this was a silver arowana, but you're right, the shape is not correct for Osteoglossum and fits much better with Scleropages!
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71LTPV5Xh-L._SX466_.jpg

Yup, that's the 3rd release. First was a crossback gold, next was a red

[Isidro]

New batch thanks to my first trade with forum members!  Big thanks to @widukind and @pelycosaurus ! :-)

1. Common genet (Genetta genetta). No brand, only "China" stamped in the belly. The figure is made of a soft, rubbery plastic, but still a very good and detailed sculpt, and perfect in size, what is a difficult to find thing with smaller mammals. I knew that the painting very bad but I still bought it for repaint it.




Somewhere in Andalusia the still unretouched genet meets the repainted Papo iberian lynx.


And in the African savannah it finds the small Kaiyodo serval.


After and before repainting. The repainting was not perfect, as the original black spots are too difficult to camouflage amongst decent-sized and sharp black spots!



2. Pygmy hog (Sus salvanius) from Joy City. I was illusionated by this figure since the moment of know its existence, as it's a very wished obscure animal for me, and much better done than the other JoyCity animals. However when I opened the mail I was disappointed. It measures just 4,5 cm lenght! It would be a 1:30 scale more or less, too tiny for me. Besides that, the texture is extremely grainy with hundreds of micro grains. That would be maybe not an issue in the fur, but they're an issue in the hooves and the nose. So finally I will not include it in my collection. I'll add with my Colorata fishes (red sea bream, skipjack tuna and Japanese pufferfish) as a figure for trade by other figures if somebody want!