Recent acquisitions

[AcroSauroTaurus]

Only the three in the front should be posted here

Why? Are the two dinos not recent acquisitions?

They are, its just that this forum is for currently living animals. The Dinosaur Toy Forum is for prehistoric life.

[Isidro]

After a long pause I return here to show my Epiphany gifts

1. CollectA's Common fallow deer, Dama dama. No doubt, it's the best fallow deer figure available in the trade. A common but often forgotten species that CollectA represented with inmaculate accuracy, as they tend to do with their hoofstock.





All my cervids are CollectA's. No wonder why.


2. CollectA's markhor, Capra falconeri. The tallest of the wild goats and with one of the most spectacular horns of all the ungulates. It's fully wonderful and a must have!

I retouched it a bit. Original:


The bold blackish stripe running across both sides of its back is the most striking feature. I made it much more diffuse so it went much more realistic:


And now released into the wild:


I also repainted the eyes, originally whole black. I did into goat eyes, with a brownish olive iris and horizontal pupils.


It fits perfectly with other Himalayan caprines!

[Isidro]

3. CollectA's common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius). Such an ABC species as is the common hippo have, of course, tons of different figures to choose from even the most little and obscure brands. It could easily be the wild species with most models in the figurine world. However, CollectA did THE hippo. The real masterpiece with zero distance to perfection. It's such an extremely accurate hippo that it's impossible to not fall in love with this figure. Every detail in it is so perfect. The barrel body, the square muzzle, the wrinkles around eyes, the sexy little ears, the stubby tail, the short legs, the rosy hues on the underparts...




The inside of the mouth is also absolutely perfect. They not only sculpted the teeth in the perfect position, with the perfect proportions and the perfect shape (cissel-like lower incisors), but also a perfectly shaped fleshy parts.


Even the sexual organs are done with absolute precision. I'm not expert in hippo intimate parts but I interpret it as a female, with the  udders on each side of the vagina.


Now Happy Hippo (tough looks like more Angry Hippo) released into their predilect habitat: a shallow pool!


Now I have completed the whole family Hippopotamidae in my collection. Various people says that the pygmy hippo from CollectA is too big. Well, maybe a bit compared with the other hippo. But not strikingly, the size is not bad and it's enough for include both in my collection.

[Isidro]

4. Schleich's Common leopard (Panthera pardus). I struggled a bit before choose which leopard will be better for my collection. The new 2019 CollectA leopard was my main option during a time, but more recently I returned to the older Schleich that I have seen for sale during the early begins of my collection but not bought it, and never found for sale again.

It have a nearly perfect sculpt, but the authomatic paintjob that Schleich gives to their models have some issues for such a complicated pattern as is the leopard skin.


So I took my brush and paintings and... voilá! It's one of the repaints I'm most proud of!!! I absolutely LOVE how it resulted!


Also the After and Before of the frontal view:



And now released into the scattered trees of the African savannah or the dry forest of the Indian ghats:




I think Schleich, despite how little exciting is for me in terms of species range, is the brand to be chosen regarding big cats. Except my Papo snow leopard, all my big cats (including cheetah) are Schleich.

[Isidro]

5. Safari LTD's wild boar, Sus scrofa. Strangely, the tag on it says only Boar and in spanish Cerdo, that is the word for domestic pig (wild boars are called Jabalí in spanish). Wild boars are also very represented in toy form with tons of models to choose, and some are quite good. But in my opinion, nothing as superb as the Safari LTD one, with perfect shape and expression and these absolutely wonderful lovely "streaks" of hair in the body. I think Blaine's synoptic collection wild boar influenced me a bit to chose this one as my future wild boar, but so long time passed since then that I don't remember if I chosen it after or before Blaine got hims. This model was only very slightly customized, regarding only the repaint of tusks (from pure white to a slightly more yellowish tune and paint them to the base because the base of the tusks was painted brown like the fur, I also added a thin dark like between the upper and lower tusk for make them more clearly separated).





My pig herd. I think soon I can start a ham factory


6. The dama gazelle (Gazella dama). Of the 2019 CollectA releases there was two figures that I chosen for my collection: this and the white rhino. And now I have both. I'm very happy with this gazelle, sculpted and painted with the superb style of CollectA with antelopes. The gracile legs and long neck are perfectly interpreted, as well as the very sinuous horns.

I did only little custom job in this model. I painted the ears behind, and a bit in the border, added small touches over the hooves and redefined the black stripe under the tail. Oh, and I sharpened the horns. Maybe not so little custom at the end. But visually the result is almost identical to the original model unless one looks very close.




With other CollectA's gazelle-like antelopes:

[bmathison1972]

Isidro, I am happy you like the Safari wild boar. I thought it was the best, too, but curious what European collectors thought (since it is native to Europe, I wondered if a European company might get it better)

I have to disagree on the cats, though. While the three shown here are pretty nice, I prefer Papo and Safari [that jaguar as the anthropomorphized facial expression I can't stand...]

[Isidro]

7. Safari LTD's lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris. Well, Safari is the brand for sharks and I asked a wide variation of them for Epiphany for choose from. Lemon shark is not my favourite species but is nice and distinctive with that yellowish colour.




The worst thin is that the pectorals fins were badly bended. And given the shape of the "support plastic" I think that is how intended to be. But I would prefair a lot one with straight fins that rest in the fin tips and not in the belly.


These guys are surprisingly wide and flat. The underside is white and the inner part of mouth is unpainted.


With other Safari sharks:


And finally, 8. Safari LTD's arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). Well, it's a good polar fox, tough the hair is not as finely sculpted as in other figures. Originally, it had an unaesthetic bluish shade in the lower flanks and belly:


which I corrected painting pure white in it and also in the border of ears:



Actually, this fox is the correct size when comparing with other too much overgrown foxes in the trade:


But when compared with the usual scale of many other animals common in the trade, this fox is rather an Arctic wolf!!!! I get disappointed by the enormous size of it

[Isidro]

Well Blaine, I think that the Schleich jaguar have just a jaguar expression! The only flare can be the eyes looking in slightly different directions but not much noticeable!

[Avian]

Nice new figures. I prefer Papo big cats as well.

[Mitsukuni]

Wonderful new additions Isidro

[suspsy]

3. CollectA's common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius). Such an ABC species as is the common hippo have, of course, tons of different figures to choose from even the most little and obscure brands. It could easily be the wild species with most models in the figurine world. However, CollectA did THE hippo. The real masterpiece with zero distance to perfection. It's such an extremely accurate hippo that it's impossible to not fall in love with this figure. Every detail in it is so perfect. The barrel body, the square muzzle, the wrinkles around eyes, the sexy little ears, the stubby tail, the short legs, the rosy hues on the underparts...




The inside of the mouth is also absolutely perfect. They not only sculpted the teeth in the perfect position, with the perfect proportions and the perfect shape (cissel-like lower incisors), but also a perfectly shaped fleshy parts.


Even the sexual organs are done with absolute precision. I'm not expert in hippo intimate parts but I interpret it as a female, with the  udders on each side of the vagina.


Now Happy Hippo (tough looks like more Angry Hippo) released into their predilect habitat: a shallow pool!


Now I have completed the whole family Hippopotamidae in my collection. Various people says that the pygmy hippo from CollectA is too big. Well, maybe a bit compared with the other hippo. But not strikingly, the size is not bad and it's enough for include both in my collection.

Say! All the teeth on yours have been painted! The smaller ones in my hippo's mouth are just pink! I had assumed that this was the norm, but it looks like I simply got a bum one. Bad luck for me, but at least this shows CollectA wasn't skimping!

[Avian]

The figure looks absolutely wonderful!

[Advicot]

After a week's wait my nine new figures have arrived. They are:

Maia & Borges
Regal Angelfish
Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish
Raccoon Butterflyfish

Safari
Black Bear Cub
Blue Gnu

Mojo
Lion

Science & Nature
Sulphur crested Cockatoo

Bullyland
Collared Lizard

CollectA
American Flamingo

[Isidro]

Good additions!

[sbell]

Thanks to @Isidro I now have a couple new fish in the collection!

A fintastic little Bowfin and an amazing Chinese Paddlefish!



I was inspired to commission them when he revealed the ones he made for himself. My only regret is not having more fish done! Yet!

[Isidro]

It's so great that you like my models! It looks like that they want to swim in the aquarium below
Thanks a lot for post the photo and mention me!

[Advicot]

Great acquisitions @sbell and made by the great hands of @Isidro 

[Ikessauro]

Safari Ltd Timber Rattlersnake, more pictures in the Walkaround section.

[Isidro]

Time of an updating!
Recently I decided to make a purchase in Minizoo, the Australian online animal figurine shop. What made me buy here is the presence of the brand PNSO, that I don't know from any other great online shop, as well as a retired Mojo figurine that was in my wishlist, and they had only 1, so I must hurry. So as son as I was able, I bought the figures that I want.
PNSO and Science & Nature are two brands previously unrepresented in my collection. A new brand of accurate models always is something that makes me happy.
I was much less happy because, as in the only other occasion that I bought in MiniZoo, Customs charged me an extra of 26€  MiniZoo did a perfect job with shipping, I know it's not their fault, but I will never buy it again. I don't want to buy figures for the double of price that I paid!

But coming back to the positive things, there are the figures:

1. Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas), Hynnix the White Whale from PNSO. I like the idea that PNSO put names to their models, making them easier to remember and giving more personality. I fell in love with this beluga in the same instant that it was announced in the net. The promo pic is absolutely superb and shows the best beluga in the trade with no doubt. The real model have two minor differences with the promo pic: the vivid, heartouching painted eyes of the promo pic are just plain black in the real model, and the mold seam is much more noticeable. I reduced a bit the seam with a file, but left the eyes untouched. I think belugas have actually plain black eyes as far as I remember. Despite these two differences is still the best beluga in the trade. Overall, the musculature of the body is extremely well done, as well as the wrinkles of the skin (especially in the neck), and the bumpy crest in the midline of the back. Much more detailed than most belugas of big western brands.




The underside shows how amazingly detailed are the genital parts, and also shows that the underside of the flippers is painted grey, even dark grey. Is that realistic? I left it untouched. Should I paint them white?


Hynnix is the same size than the Papo whale shark, making the shark a bit dwarf. I want to take this pic just because Bailey and Destiny, the beluga and whale shark of the public aquarium of Finding Dory, that unbelievably share the same water (and hence the same temperature).


A more properly companion for the beluga would be the bowhead whale, that shares the gelid waters of the Arctic. Of course, the CollectA bowhead whale must be a newborn calf when compared to an adult beluga


2. Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) from Mojo Fun. This retired figure is one of the only two pronghorns done recently by western brands, the other being the Safari's. But Safari's pronghorn is oversized and have unaesthetical very divergent horns, as well as worst proportions and paintjob. So I wanted to find the Mojo one since long time ago but I only find too expensive ones. Here, MiniZoo had the last one for a cheap price! I'm sooo happy to have this figure sculpted originally by the famous and so talented Anna Dobrowolska


Compared with other North American hoofstock, it fits well:


Pronghorns are the fastest animals in the Americas. They got their speed as an evolutionary trait that makes them able to escape from the North American cheetahs.


As most of you know, I'm a bit tricky and perfectionist with figures. So I customized quickly my pronghorn. You can see it have now more accurate facial marks and neck-chest bands, I also sharpened the horns, and painted the legs (much more white and turning black just in the hooves, instead turning gradually black all over the leg).

Before:


After:

[Advicot]

Oh I truly want that pronghorn, but modellpferdeversand does not have it in stock.  I haven't used MiniZoo as the shipping can be crazy as it is coming from Australia.