Loon's Collection of Not Dead Animals

[Isidro]

Seems surrealistic, I would not say impossible because with nature the most strange things can happen, but... a bird that is near extinct because its main food sources disappeared 9000 years ago?

However re-reading my factsheet about G. amplus, I see that G. californianus also lived (and cohabited with G. amplus) during Pleistocene, so maybe you're right, at least partially.

[sirenia]

Seems surrealistic, I would not say impossible because with nature the most strange things can happen, but... a bird that is near extinct because its main food sources disappeared 9000 years ago?

However re-reading my factsheet about G. amplus, I see that G. californianus also lived (and cohabited with G. amplus) during Pleistocene, so maybe you're right, at least partially.

Those still around are largely due to a little versatility, going to dead sealife along with carrion of the terrestrial animals. It's like avocados, they are only around due to humans liking them, as the megafauna that moved the seeds died out.

[bmathison1972]

The California condor has been around longer than 9000 years.

The thing is, even if they never saw a human, the California condor would probably be extinct today (or soon) anyway with the loss of the mammalian megafauna whose carcasses on which they fed!

@sirenia - well said :-)

[sirenia]

The California condor has been around longer than 9000 years.

The thing is, even if they never saw a human, the California condor would probably be extinct today (or soon) anyway with the loss of the mammalian megafauna whose carcasses on which they fed!

@sirenia - well said :-)

Thank you!

[Loon]

Well, I missed quite the heated debate.

@callmejoe3 you're absolutely right. Overall I tend to be pretty lax on scale, but in the case of the whale shark I was hoping it would be able to represent a larger individual at the 1/35 scale. I'm working on a bit of a display with some whales, and was thinking that having the whale shark represent the largest fish species would be a good contrast, I guess. Oh well, I'll still include, as you said, it could represent a smaller female or an average male.

@Isidro I don't know if you misread my post, but I believe you're under the impression that I think sharks are the vicious monsters media makes them out to be. I was only referring to those ideas as something I once believed, and that couldn't be farther from what I believe now. My feeling is that all animals are inherently docile, of course some will attack, but I feel that rarely happens without reason.

Also, no, I was not mistaken, the california Condor has been around for quite some time. I agree with @sirenia and @bmathison1972 here. This Eons video from Pbs is what introduced me to this idea, I think it could be helpful: https://youtu.be/gWP_tFJmC40

[Loon]

Well, these all came today... This is maybe my biggest haul ever?

Listen, I had a lot of Christmas cash and no self control.


I'll be going over some of these in a little more depth for the next bit.

[callmejoe3]

Well, these all came today... This is maybe my biggest haul ever?

Listen, I had a lot of Christmas cash and no self control.


I'll be going over some of these in a little more depth for the next bit.

EXCELLENT Haul!

[suspsy]

Well, these all came today... This is maybe my biggest haul ever?

Listen, I had a lot of Christmas cash and no self control.


I'll be going over some of these in a little more depth for the next bit.

I look forward to reading the reviews!

[Loon]

EXCELLENT Haul!

Thanks! They're all pretty great.

I look forward to reading the reviews!

Thanks, but unfortunately, I'm on a reviewing hiatus for the foreseeable future. School and just life, in general, are taking up quite a bit of my time and energy currently.

[Loon]

I'm going to start talking about some of that big haul, but first, this guy came today. The 2018 Mojö Sea Elephant or Elephant Seal, as I know it, arrived today. It truly is a very beautiful thing, and another example of how good Mojö figures can be. Though, it technically was released by Schleich first, so I wonder if this is a Maia and Borges sculpt? The walk-around on the forum says the Schleich represents the Southern species, but the get coloration tells me this version is supposed to be the Northern species. Maybe I'm wrong (most likely).


As for something that actually came in the big haul, I got the CollectA Leopard Seal. There are a good number of leopard seals, but none of the other figures really look that great to me. This figure is definitely a new favorite. It captures the look so well, especially around the face.


My unintentionally ever-growing pinniped collection. Now, if anyone could recommend a good Walrus.

[callmejoe3]

I'm going to start talking about some of that big haul, but first, this guy came today. The 2018 Mojö Sea Elephant or Elephant Seal, as I know it, arrived today. It truly is a very beautiful thing, and another example of how good Mojö figures can be. Though, it technically was released by Schleich first, so I wonder if this is a Maia and Borges sculpt? The walk-around on the forum says the Schleich represents the Southern species, but the get coloration tells me this version is supposed to be the Northern species. Maybe I'm wrong (most likely).

The Schleich and Mojo figures are both from Maia and Borges. That can basically be assumed of any current Mojo figure that's the same sculpt as a retired Schleich figure, I believe.

[Isidro]

What an incredible bunch of new pieces, with a lot of must-haves from CollectA! And Safari leopard shark, that was my first figure!
CollectA leopard seal is great, tough I would prefair a thicker neck.
The best walrus is for me undoubtely the Safari LTD one (still in my wishlist).

[Loon]

@callmejoe3 ah ok. I had assumed because of the whales being Maia and Borges, nice to see it finally confirmed.

Some more figures from that massive haul, this time we're focusing on what I like to call "the Soap Gang".

This is because all of these guys need a good cleaning for one reason or another. I wanted to clean up the MBA figures since they're older and probably had a bit of grime on them, and in the Shark's case, it's because of the awful adhesive Schleich's tags leave behind.

First up, the Schleich 2020 Hammerhead Shark. Like cetaceans, sharks are an ever-growing part of my sea life collection, and it would be a little silly to not have a Hammerhead. I think this Schleich figure is the best of the available versions of this species, which I believe is the Great Hammerhead. Thanks to the walk-arounds and reviews, I can now identify this guy as a male because of the claspers.



Next up, is the 1992 Safari Monterey Bay Aquarium Sperm Whale. Finally, after some time searching, my quest for a good sized sperm whale is complete! She's far nicer looking in hand, and definitely the better of the two older, larger MBA whales I own. Sure, there's a few scratches here and there, and the jaw has a pretty unsightly seam, but, I really love this figure. My only issue, and I wish I photographed this better, but near the blowhole there seems to be a bit of glitter. It looks almost like it's part of the plastic, but luckily it's not too noticeable. 

I really like the sculpt on this one. Sperm Whales seem to be very hard to get right for a lot of companies, but this one looks pretty accurate, though maybe a bit flat. I still maintain that the 2019 Safari figure is the best sculpt, but I just wish it was bigger.


Another old MBA figure, it's the 1992 Humpback Whale Calf! I know these calfs are harder to find, so I'm very happy to have this one. It's such an improvement over the Papo one I had paired with my newer MBA Humpback mother; it actually has the dorsal fin.




Speaking of the mother, I got the 1992 Humpback Whale adult in the same lot as the other MBA figures. I already have the 2016 "Remastered" version of this figure, and I love it. So, I figured I may as well share some comparison shots.

The sculpt has at least one very noticeable difference, that's the extra material on the left fin. It's there to stabilize the figure; which is good because the newer one can tip over if you touch the tail the wrong way; though the newer fin certainly looks nicer.

Speaking of fins, that's another spot where I feel the older figure is definitely not as nice. The overall finish is far glossier but also a lot rougher looking, almost like a KO. The seams along the side of the body, and especially on the fins are pretty noticeable.

Other than that, the paint is far more simple on the older figure.

This contrast is most noticeable along the bottom of the figure. The newer release is far more detailed. I definitely prefer the newer version, and am a little upset that the Sperm Whale never got the Remastered treatment.

[callmejoe3]

@callmejoe3 ah ok. I had assumed because of the whales being Maia and Borges, nice to see it finally confirmed.



Speaking of the mother, I got the 1992 Humpback Whale adult in the same lot as the other MBA figures. I already have the 2016 "Remastered" version of this figure, and I love it. So, I figured I may as well share some comparison shots.

The sculpt has at least one very noticeable difference, that's the extra material on the left fin. It's there to stabilize the figure; which is good because the newer one can tip over if you touch the tail the wrong way; though the newer fin certainly looks nicer.

Speaking of fins, that's another spot where I feel the older figure is definitely not as nice. The overall finish is far glossier but also a lot rougher looking, almost like a KO. The seams along the side of the body, and especially on the fins are pretty noticeable.

Other than that, the paint is far more simple on the older figure.

This contrast is most noticeable along the bottom of the figure. The newer release is far more detailed. I definitely prefer the newer version, and am a little upset that the Sperm Whale never got the Remastered treatment.

Your comparison is interesting to me since I don't own the most recent cast for the MBA humpback. The older cast, which I also own, is the OG version. The new cast you have I believe is the 3rd version that was among the MBA figures that got ''remastered'' in 2016 with new matte paintjobs.

Between these releases, there was a second cast that was likely released sometime in either the late 90s and early 2000s. That is the version I've owned since around 2012-2013.

A significant difference in the sculpt is that the 2nd version was a bit more robust with a larger stomach and thicker body, overall. The older figure has a more arched back and a flatter/wider body. The dorsal fin is also less prominent, looking more like one of the dorsal knuckles.



(You should be able to notice how the older figure on has a more arched back)



(Old figure: top-right; 2nd cast bottom-left. The older figure should look slightly wider.)


Now what surprised me from what I've seen of the 2016-version is that its overall sculpt is more similar to the original version than the 2nd cast. Otherwise, the paint job looks pretty much the same as the 2nd sculpt except it's matte. It piqued my interest as being one of the newer casts to get before the line may eventually become fully retired.

[Loon]

CollectA Pacific White-Sided Dolphin
I actually got this a little bit before the big haul arrived, but haven't really paid much attention to it till now. While I do like this figure's sculpt, I can't say I really like this figure that much. It's not bad, but this species has such a striking color scheme and this figure really doesn't capture that at all. But, I understand that the MBA version is incredibly rare, so it'll make a good enough substitute for now.


Schleich 2018 Killer Whale
Thanks to a recommendation in my ever-changing "looking for a good [insert animal here]" thread, I picked up Schleich's recent Orca female. Schleich continues to surprise me with their modern animal. Overall, this is a pretty quality figure, really, the only issue I have with it is that the white paint could use a few more coats.


CollectA Striped Hyena
Finally, something actually from that big haul. This is a fantastic figure. Despite being a bit older, it has a level of detail in terms of paint and detail that really sticks out. It's simple, sure, but still, it works.

[Isidro]

It seems that photos of hyena (with Schleich spotted hyena) and dolphin intermixed
And I agree with you in the poor paintjob of the CollectA stripe-sided dolphin. However is the one I have. There is no better available option regarding size and sculpt.

[callmejoe3]

I definitely agree about the Pacific White-sided dolphin. The main issue being the lack of a white lateral field on the sides of the tail, instead having just a thin gray line.

However, on the flip side, Pacific White-sided dolphin's colorations can vary greatly in their precise composition, so I'm not too upset.

[JimoAi]

@callmejoe3 ah ok. I had assumed because of the whales being Maia and Borges, nice to see it finally confirmed.

Some more figures from that massive haul, this time we're focusing on what I like to call "the Soap Gang".

This is because all of these guys need a good cleaning for one reason or another. I wanted to clean up the MBA figures since they're older and probably had a bit of grime on them, and in the Shark's case, it's because of the awful adhesive Schleich's tags leave behind.

First up, the Schleich 2020 Hammerhead Shark. Like cetaceans, sharks are an ever-growing part of my sea life collection, and it would be a little silly to not have a Hammerhead. I think this Schleich figure is the best of the available versions of this species, which I believe is the Great Hammerhead. Thanks to the walk-arounds and reviews, I can now identify this guy as a male because of the claspers.



Next up, is the 1992 Safari Monterey Bay Aquarium Sperm Whale. Finally, after some time searching, my quest for a good sized sperm whale is complete! She's far nicer looking in hand, and definitely the better of the two older, larger MBA whales I own. Sure, there's a few scratches here and there, and the jaw has a pretty unsightly seam, but, I really love this figure. My only issue, and I wish I photographed this better, but near the blowhole there seems to be a bit of glitter. It looks almost like it's part of the plastic, but luckily it's not too noticeable. 

I really like the sculpt on this one. Sperm Whales seem to be very hard to get right for a lot of companies, but this one looks pretty accurate, though maybe a bit flat. I still maintain that the 2019 Safari figure is the best sculpt, but I just wish it was bigger.


Another old MBA figure, it's the 1992 Humpback Whale Calf! I know these calfs are harder to find, so I'm very happy to have this one. It's such an improvement over the Papo one I had paired with my newer MBA Humpback mother; it actually has the dorsal fin.




Speaking of the mother, I got the 1992 Humpback Whale adult in the same lot as the other MBA figures. I already have the 2016 "Remastered" version of this figure, and I love it. So, I figured I may as well share some comparison shots.

The sculpt has at least one very noticeable difference, that's the extra material on the left fin. It's there to stabilize the figure; which is good because the newer one can tip over if you touch the tail the wrong way; though the newer fin certainly looks nicer.

Speaking of fins, that's another spot where I feel the older figure is definitely not as nice. The overall finish is far glossier but also a lot rougher looking, almost like a KO. The seams along the side of the body, and especially on the fins are pretty noticeable.

Other than that, the paint is far more simple on the older figure.

This contrast is most noticeable along the bottom of the figure. The newer release is far more detailed. I definitely prefer the newer version, and am a little upset that the Sperm Whale never got the Remastered treatment.

Safaris old hammerhead does hold up quite well

[Loon]

I posted more about this on the Dinotoyforum, but I just had to share it here. This is the first of 3 customs I received from DTF member paintingdinos; it's a repaint of Safari's 2017 Gigantspinosaurus modelled after
James Gurney's magnificent painting.

I'm just in love with this thing. Not only is it a great homage to one of my favorite pieces of paleoart, it also just looks amazing. The paint job really brings out how great the underlying sculpt is. I initially wanted to use a KO Vitae Giganotosaurus, but after reading about how toxic those bootlegs are, I figured Safari's was the next best thing, especially because of it's more dated nature, as far as the skull, so it matched Gurney's art better. And the base, it's just so much better now. It looks like actually earth, as opposed to monotone playdough like it used to.

[bmathison1972]

WOW, that's nice Loon. I always like the Safari Giga, but this paint looks better on it.