Recent acquisitions

[bmathison1972]

Nice Koifish!

I am going to get the Papo bat! I held off because it was the same species as Kaiyodo's. But since the Japanese population is now a different species, I can get the Papo to represent the common brown long-eared bat!!!

[Koifish]

Nice Koifish!

I am going to get the Papo bat! I held off because it was the same species as Kaiyodo's. But since the Japanese population is now a different species, I can get the Papo to represent the common brown long-eared bat!!!

I really hope that other companies might produce more little bat species in the future. Especially some of the species found in Texas, like the Mexican free-tailed bat.

[EpicRaptorMan]

I really like Papo's products. The bat alongside their brown crab were the two figures that really sold me. Really would like to see more bats from them. Particularly a vampire bat on all fours.

[JimoAi]

got the toymany Blue spotted ribbontail ray which I'll show on Thurs along with my haul! would def like to review it

https://a.co/d/bxo5Q6t Amazon link to get it

[EpicRaptorMan]

It looks really good but I think a 2x3" scale is too small for my liking.

[JimoAi]

It looks really good but I think a 2x3" scale is too small for my liking.

these rays get to 30cm wide and 71cm long max and are usually smaller

[EpicRaptorMan]

It looks really good but I think a 2x3" scale is too small for my liking.

these rays get to 30cm wide and 71cm long max and are usually smaller

It's to scale better with my Batray and SafariLtd cownose ray

[SerAndrew]

I hate not having photos but I thought I'll share anyway and maybe add pictures later.

So, I recently received some 2023 models, namely CollectA angelshark (which is very big, but I can "hide" it and make it not so intrusive) and right whale (which will be a different species than the Safari, not sure which one yet) and CollectA pidgeon, which is going to be the wild specimen, the Kaiyodos will remain as the domestic ones.

Also, I'm a bit in a calf-mania, and I'm adding some, like the Papo baby orca and baby harp spotted seal and CollectA baby beluga and humpback whale (this one is tiny! even more because its dad will be the old Schleich big one).

Wondering what other calfs do I miss.... If someone wants to give a hand, you can check my video, despite it will be a bit outdated now hehe

[bmathison1972]

Got three things today (don't feel like taking pic, sorry):

1. Yowie Group blue damselfish, to replace the Yujin version - thanks @JimoAi
2. Papo brown bat; now that the Japanese population is a different species, the Kaiyodo Chocoegg figure can represent that one and the Papo bat the Eurasian species
3. Safari Ltd. Smithsonian bumble bee. I now have TWO of the three! One to go and I will have an entire Smithsonian Insects collection

[JimoAi]

My latest haul. Not too much for my main display but did get some for my others

We'll start with the main display figures:

Got a replacement CollectA pilot whale. The nicest pilot whale thus far. It represents a full grown bull quite well!

Qualia Bigfin reef squid to replace my favourite co one as the proportions are quite off

Kitan club Elephant shark. Will get deeper into the exact species in the review but despite being advertised as a wooden model, I feel this one isn't too intrusive and it's great to have another chimaera in the collection!

toymany Bluespotted ribbontail ray. Was ecstatic to see this figure  being produced! A very welcome addition since it's one of the most beautiful fish in the ocean and one of the most popular rays. The main anatomy is accurate except for some minor nitpicks and it is on par with the Safari Toob figures and that's saying alot for a new company that used to produce bootlegs . Like the Elephant shark, stay tune for the review!

CollectA Elasmosaur. Marketed as an Elasmosaurus but I will database it as Turangisaurus because of the figure size in relation to the scale of my other prehistoric figures and Prehistoric Planet's influence.

Madtsoia (repaint of Bandai's ball python). Got this one due to my gashapon addition. Because I no longer have a modern day terrestrial collection and the length when stretched, I decide to give it an original paint scheme so it can represent a prehistoric snake, which I went for Madtsoia because of its appearance in Prehistoric Planet.

1:1 Marine life

Floral egg crab: my first of Bandai's Dango mushi figures and since I've started getting 1:1 figures, this crab fits both descriptions. I'll be using it as Mr Krabs as Super7 hasn't announced a Mr Krabs ultimate and I associate Mr krabs with crabs in the genus Atergatis because of the typical crab shape and Since crabs in the genus have poisonous flesh, it does go well with Mr Krabs being an overall scummy resident in the show

Papo Common clownfish. Went with this for a 1:1 Clownfish. The Safari is too large and while this figure doesn't fit a max size individual, this figure fits all my needs

4d puzzle Moorish idol. I'm unsure if this is a knockoff because of the sloppier paint but it's a really nice figure nonetheless and the only 1:1 Moorish idol I can think of

CollectA yellow Boxfish. A cute edition to the 1:1 collection. I love that the scales are sculpted which doesn't look obvious in the promo pic.


Misc items

Get in line dinosaur San 2 by Bandai. Added this set to my collection just for the cartoony Mosasaurus but ended up getting all because of the nature of gashapon being random and didn't get it until 8-9 rolls in. The line includes a Parasaurolophus, Velociraptor, Pachycephalosaurus, Allosaurus, Ankylosaurus and the Mosasaurus. They're all chibified this not very accurate: the raptor being naked though it would be awesome to make it bird like and the Mosasaurus having the Jurassic world scutes but having a flukez albiet upside down

[Ikessauro]

Happy to have found this bad boy! 

[bmathison1972]

Never seen one elevated on a base like that. Is the same model overall as the main Smithsonian hopper?

[Ikessauro]

Never seen one elevated on a base like that. Is the same model overall as the main Smithsonian hopper?

What do you mean by "main Smithsonian hopper"?
Pardon my confusion, but the toy is marked as Smithsonian, the box says it is from the Smithsonian line. Up until now I didn't realize it does not mention Safari Ltd anywhere in the box or figure. Did they make it separately after parting ways with Safari? Are there variants of these figures?
I have seen at least a couple others in box like this. The bumblebees and Tarantula if I recall correctly.

[bmathison1972]

sorry @Ikessauro - when I said 'main' I meant the figures that don't have holes on the bottom nor come with bases. I have every Smithsonian insect/arachnid (save for one bee) and none of them come with a hole for propping up on a base).

I just pulled my hopper off the shelf and it also has 'Safari LTD' stamped on the bottom.

It's possible Safari produced them for another distributor (but if so, I would still expect them to have their name printed on it...). Looks like yours has 'NSI' or similar?

It's before the time of @Shane but maybe he knows?


Anyway, this arrived today. A sneak peak for now. Trying to decide if I can hold off until Halloween to review it LOL

[Ikessauro]

sorry @Ikessauro - when I said 'main' I meant the figures that don't have holes on the bottom nor come with bases. I have every Smithsonian insect/arachnid (save for one bee) and none of them come with a hole for propping up on a base).

I just checked and all the others  I have from this line have Safari ltd printed on them and do not have holes. Interesting discovery

[Koifish]

Anyway, this arrived today. A sneak peak for now. Trying to decide if I can hold off until Halloween to review it LOL

That packaging is hysterical        Can't wait to see the figure, I didn't know these existed.

[Shane]

@bmathison1972 @Ikessauro

Very interesting find. This is obviously way before my time professionally, but I do recall as a child buying the scorpion and the lubber grasshopper, and they had no packaging other than hangtags and were more clearly marked as Safari products.

Looking at the packaging photo, it appears there's a date in the CE marking area. It's tough to see but it looks like 2000 or 2004? Which puts these way after the intro date of the original Safari items.

I don't have a definite answer but these types of agreements with official organizations that were made many decades ago may have stipulated that ultimately the sculpts belong to that organization, so it might be in this case the Smithsonian decided to use those molds/sculpts to create new editions of the figures.

I'm all for something that makes these designs more readily available, but it's strange I've never seen this type with packaging/base come up for sale before. Looks like they were sold at Kaybee toys (and eventually clearanced, like most Kaybee products). I was a pretty regular frequenter of Kaybee when it was still a mall staple, but can't recall ever seeing these on shelves.

[bmathison1972]

@bmathison1972 @Ikessauro

Very interesting find. This is obviously way before my time professionally, but I do recall as a child buying the scorpion and the lubber grasshopper, and they had no packaging other than hangtags and were more clearly marked as Safari products.

Looking at the packaging photo, it appears there's a date in the CE marking area. It's tough to see but it looks like 2000 or 2004? Which puts these way after the intro date of the original Safari items.

I don't have a definite answer but these types of agreements with official organizations that were made many decades ago may have stipulated that ultimately the sculpts belong to that organization, so it might be in this case the Smithsonian decided to use those molds/sculpts to create new editions of the figures.

I'm all for something that makes these designs more readily available, but it's strange I've never seen this type with packaging/base come up for sale before. Looks like they were sold at Kaybee toys (and eventually clearanced, like most Kaybee products). I was a pretty regular frequenter of Kaybee when it was still a mall staple, but can't recall ever seeing these on shelves.

The date on the hopper above looks like 1994. I wonder if the 'NSI' stands for National Smithsonian Institute, and as you said Shane, the Smithsonian repurposed these, possibly through another manufacturer (hence the lack of a Safari stamp). Safari and Smithsonian may have shared equal rights to them (?)

EDIT: Actually the packaging mentions Natural Sciences Industries. That must be the 'NSI' and who actually made them.

[Shane]

The date on the hopper above looks like 1994. I wonder if the 'NSI' stands for National Smithsonian Institute, and as you said Shane, the Smithsonian repurposed these, possibly through another manufacturer (hence the lack of a Safari stamp). Safari and Smithsonian may have shared equal rights to them (?)

EDIT: Actually the packaging mentions Natural Sciences Industries. That must be the 'NSI' and who actually made them.

The 1994 date embossed on the figure is from the original sculpt. The inscription looks identical to the usual version but "Safari Ltd" has been scrubbed.

However, if you look at the photo of the underside of the box, above the barcode, next to the CE mark there is a copyright date that appears to show something in the early to mid-2000s timeframe. The last digit is tough to see, but looks like it could be a 4, or 0, or 6.

[bmathison1972]

Yes, I see now, it says 2000