Recent acquisitions

[callmejoe3]

Well, there are too many orcas, an it's difficult to choose one of the best. For this one, I think is one of the best. I like the big sickle dorsal fin indicating that is a male. The shape of the head don't convince me too much, however. It looks like a bit too elongated. Also the rear border of flippers could be more rounded. Needless to say that the shape of the grey saddle behind dorsal fin is not accurate - I painted the forward-looking "point". Despite all these small issues this is one of the best orca figures that I'm aware of for my taste - otherwise I would not have chosen it for my collection, that being synoptic, must show the finest example of each species only.

I agree that it's one of the better figures out there, but I have similar reservations as you do. I don't own the figure myself, mainly because I already own too many orcas and I don't like the pose and its open mouth, similar to my 2004 Schleich figure. One complaint I have about the CollectA killer whale is that the palette is inaccurately painted. Real orcas have black patches on their pallets, which was a detail the 2004 and 2013 Schleich figures paid attention towards. IMO, my preferred competing killer whale figure is the updated Safari Ltd figure, since it simply looks the most realistic. However, I will say it has the drawback of lacking a sculpted-in blowhole.

[JimoAi]

Well, there are too many orcas, an it's difficult to choose one of the best. For this one, I think is one of the best. I like the big sickle dorsal fin indicating that is a male. The shape of the head don't convince me too much, however. It looks like a bit too elongated. Also the rear border of flippers could be more rounded. Needless to say that the shape of the grey saddle behind dorsal fin is not accurate - I painted the forward-looking "point". Despite all these small issues this is one of the best orca figures that I'm aware of for my taste - otherwise I would not have chosen it for my collection, that being synoptic, must show the finest example of each species only.

I agree that it's one of the better figures out there, but I have similar reservations as you do. I don't own the figure myself, mainly because I already own too many orcas and I don't the pose and that it's open mouth, similar to my 2004 Schleich figure. One complaint I have about the CollectA killer whale is that the palette is inaccurately painted. Real orcas have black patches on their pallets, which was a detail the 2004 and 2013 Schleich figures paid attention towards. IMO, my preferred competing killer whale figure is the updated Safari Ltd figure, since it simply looks the most realistic. However, I will say it has the drawback of lacking a sculpted-in blowhole.

I went with the 2018 schleich orca because of the proportions and the short dorsal fin suggests it's a female. My main issues are the lack of genital slits and a lack of a saddle which I have painted

[JimoAi]

Well, there are too many orcas, an it's difficult to choose one of the best. For this one, I think is one of the best. I like the big sickle dorsal fin indicating that is a male. The shape of the head don't convince me too much, however. It looks like a bit too elongated. Also the rear border of flippers could be more rounded. Needless to say that the shape of the grey saddle behind dorsal fin is not accurate - I painted the forward-looking "point". Despite all these small issues this is one of the best orca figures that I'm aware of for my taste - otherwise I would not have chosen it for my collection, that being synoptic, must show the finest example of each species only.

@Isidro and @callmejoe3 which orca type do you think is the collectA orca. By the way thanks for the idea of painting the forward saddle. Gonna do it too

[callmejoe3]

@Isidro and @callmejoe3 which orca type do you think is the collectA orca. By the way thanks for the idea of painting the forward saddle. Gonna do it too

I do not think the CollectA killer whale or nearly any killer whale figure is modeled after any specific ecotype. Part of the reason is that outside of a few of the Antarctic ecotypes, most ecotypes lack obvious physical differences from each other outside of size. I will say that by looking like a ''typical'' orca, several of the Antarctic ecotypes can be excluded because they have characteristics that make them physically distinct from other orcas. Both the Type B Gerlache and Pack Ice ecotypes have eye patches significantly larger than all the other ecotypes, Type C orcas have eyepatches that are both thin and slanted, and Type D orcas have more bulbous melons and very tiny eye patches. The CollectA orca can basically be any other killer whale ecotype other than the ones I've just listed.

[bmathison1972]

I agree with Joe; unless there are obvious, well-demarcated morphological features, subspecies of any animal figure are often nearly impossible to determine.

[JimoAi]

@Isidro and @callmejoe3 which orca type do you think is the collectA orca. By the way thanks for the idea of painting the forward saddle. Gonna do it too

I do not think the CollectA killer whale or nearly any killer whale figure is modeled after any specific ecotype. Part of the reason is that outside of a few of the Antarctic ecotypes, most ecotypes lack obvious physical differences from each other outside of size. I will say that by looking like a ''typical'' orca, several of the Antarctic ecotypes can be excluded because they have characteristics that make them physically distinct from other orcas. Both the Type B Gerlache and Pack Ice ecotypes have eye patches significantly larger than all the other ecotypes, Type C orcas have eyepatches that are both thin and slanted, and Type D orcas have more bulbous melons and very tiny eye patches. The CollectA orca can basically be any other killer whale ecotype other than the ones I've just listed.

Is the transient okay to be used for the collectA?

[callmejoe3]

Is the transient okay to be used for the collectA?

Yes. Transient/Bigg's orcas don't really possess any obvious and consistent physical differences from other orcas without scrutinizing their skeletal anatomy. Really the only distinct difference is that they're typically larger, but that's it. As I said, basically every killer whale toy is so generic that they can represent any 'typical' looking ecotype. The only ones that look obviously different from the rest are the Antarctic ecotypes B,C,D.

[stargatedalek]

Long time since I've posted in these topics, but I already grabbed photos of these so I thought I might as well. My years long search for more Safari dodos has finally paid off. Pictured with old custom that I'll touch up when I paint these new ones after reposing them.

[bmathison1972]

wonderful birds, stars! And glad to see a photo from you! That dodo army is awesome. I have the Safari dodo for my Synoptic Collection.

[stargatedalek]

wonderful birds, stars! And glad to see a photo from you! That dodo army is awesome. I have the Safari dodo for my Synoptic Collection.

It is really nice, only one I know of (aside from the Kaiyodo skeleton) that is based on the updated skeletal knowledge from the fossil specimens instead of incorrect paintings (though it still has the old colours sadly).

[Isidro]

It seem your birds have an antigravitational power

The dodo is really nice, but honestly I can't see differences with the classic paintings of it... so maybe those old paintings are not inaccurate...

[Loon]

God, that's a lot of Dodo. Great haul!

I thought the Takara Tomy version was pretty good accuracy wise, but I'm probably wrong.

[JimoAi]

Long time since I've posted in these topics, but I already grabbed photos of these so I thought I might as well. My years long search for more Safari dodos has finally paid off. Pictured with old custom that I'll touch up when I paint these new ones after reposing them.

Another fellow anime figure collector. Anyways, the Takara tomy dodo is too small and shame the safari and Papo one are discontinued

[stargatedalek]

It seem your birds have an antigravitational power

The dodo is really nice, but honestly I can't see differences with the classic paintings of it... so maybe those old paintings are not inaccurate...

They are extremely inaccurate. This one also gets the colours wrong, but the neck and legs are longer in keeping with the fossils.

The short version of the story is that no naturalist ever made a real description of a live dodo, there was a black and white sketch of a dead one and a lot of paintings based on third hand accounts (passed between sailors, then to naturalists, then to artists). These paintings also inevitably took a lot of inspiration from each other. In more recent decades dodo fossils have been found that looked extremely different from those paintings, with much longer necks and legs and a not so overly rotund body. This figure (and now that I look it up, it seems also the Takara) were likely made about in this period, as composites of the paintings and fossils.

Then in the late 2000's and 2010's some other historical paintings started to get attention. Apparently at least three dodos really did make it off of Mauritius intact, just not to western Europe, and because the paintings were not commissioned by naturalists their historical significance was largely ignored for centuries. One depicts one of the two live (yes, live) dodos to make it to India among a collection of other domestic birds, and the other painting depicts a mount supposedly of a juvenile from Prague. Both have similar colours with dark or mottled brown bodies and black feathers on their necks and heads.

[JimoAi]

  Just added the battat ceratosaurus, Mattel scutosaurus and 2 Bandai animal kaiser torpedo rays

[Isidro]

Absolutely wonderful torpedos!!! If the size is right for me I would not mind getting one!

[JimoAi]

Absolutely wonderful torpedos!!! If the size is right for me I would not mind getting one!

8cm long

[Isidro]

Um, many thanks since my eyed torpedo is 6 cm long I would prefair a smaller one

[JimoAi]

@sbell is it me or does these Bandai electric rays a little cartoony?

[sbell]

@sbell is it me or does these Bandai electric rays a little cartoony?

They are--even their best figures are influenced a little by the style of the show/game that inspired them.
The Velez skate is a little better but same thing there. Same with most of the 'realistic' ones that I have