I guess it is time for a review of Bullyland Deinotherium.
It is a highly sought after figure, not yet a myth, but quite close. This is due to the relatively little number of Deinotheriums that have been produced and delivered.
Deinotherium (“terrible beast”) was a large prehistoric relative of modern-day elephants that appeared in the Middle Miocene and continued until the Early Pleistocene. Bones of at least three different subspecies have been found in Erurope, Africa and Asia. In life, it probably resembled modern elephants, except that its trunk was shorter, and it had downward curving tusks attached to the lower jaw. The tusks may have served as tools for abrading the nourishing barks off the trees.

Bullyland always made fantastic mammal figures, and their Deinotherium makes no exception. It is a heavy and massive figure, measuring 11cm in height and 21cm in length. Its sculpt looks like a monument. I can´t deny the charm of the figure; it is a proud bull caught in a protruding walking pose. It is, however, probably not scientifically correct. In the original skeleton, the back declines more than the Bullyland version reveals.

The reconstructions of the animal vary from rather slender to really fat and hippo – style. Bullyland took the golden middle – massive legs and feet on the one side, obvious ribs on the other. The ears are a matter of discussion, too. Were they as big as the ears of an elephant or were they smaller? The Bullylands version tries a compromise that is not that good: The ears do not really seem to fit to the rest of the overall look of the figure. Sorry, they remind me of the ears of an aardvark. But this is the only downer, really. Maybe the feet are a little too massive, too.

Unfortunately Bullyland paint uses to wear off quite quickly. My Deinotherium probably had a long slumber in a toy chest and has been moved very often while the child looked for other toys, and collided with other figures, toys or even sharp objects.
Some collectors thus decided to do fantastic repaints. You find those in our forum. As for me, I love the worn-off style of my own copy, showing it had a life before my cabinet episode. The toy chests and children who underestimate the value of the figure are the chance for collectors. Sometimes Bullyland Deinotherium shows up in lots with other animals, also recent ones. People then seem to consider it an elephant.
I bought mine on ebay, where a seller wrote “Dinotherium”. It was a snip compared to the value this great figure seems to have.

Deinotherium (Bullyland) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Dilong paradoxus lived in China in the Early Cretaceous, as did Caudipteryx and Beipiaosaurus (although perhaps not at exactly the same time), both of which have also subsequently made it into the Carnegie Collection. While it’s definitely a plus that this Dilong and the Beipiaosaurus are sculpted at roughly the same scale, Dilong was a somewhat more diminutive creature than Beipiaosaurus (or at least, the type specimen was). As such, fine details are a little more fudged than on the therizinosaur, particularly around the head; the teeth are indistinct while the eyes, apart from probably being a little too large, have asymmetrical splodgy pupils.

Of course, Dilong is most famous for having been preserved with evidence of a fuzzy ‘protofeather’ covering, and fortunately this is far more attractively rendered. The details remain very crisp up close, giving a pleasing impression of a ‘furry’ fluffiness. While the colours could be considered a little conservative, in this case it’s probably actually a good thing – a bright blue (for example) Dilong would actually have been incredibly unlikely, as the nature of ‘protofeathers’ all but prevents this colouration from being physically possible.

Anatomically, this model is very good even if it’s not perfect, and certainly excellent given its very cheap price tag. Perhaps most obviously, the hands do not match up especially well, the real Dilong having quite long hands and fingers of more differing lengths. The tail is also rather thin where it joins the body (not allowing room for muscles), although this was common in palaeoart until fairly recently. Other than that, the proportions are good – the legs are nice and long and the head is deep and narrow, with the characteristic low Y-shaped crest evident.

The Carnegie Collection has, since 2005, been so far ahead of the pack as regards feathered (nonavian) dinosaurs that it’s been a little embarrassing  (although that naked Velociraptor is a very unfortunate black mark), with Collecta only now catching up. Although certain aspects of the sculpt could use a little more finesse, this Dilong is certainly a worthy addition to a lineup that now also includes Microraptor, Oviraptor and of course the aforementioned Beipiaosaurus and Caudipteryx. Hopefully we’ll be seeing a lot more of them – starting with a Velociraptor resculpt!

Dilong (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd.) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

From top to bottom: Carnegie Collection Brachiosaurus, and Wild Safari Vagaceratops, Dracorex, Ceratosaurus, and Acrocanthosaurus.

Upcoming releases from Safari Ltd (New for 2012) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

The Spinosaurus:

The Therizinosaurus:

Bullyland are continuing their trend of adding points of articulation to their figures, presumably to increase playability and provide a marketing hook, so the new releases have moveable arms and jaws, respectively. Next up from me, an overview of Safari Ltd’s 2012 releases.

Upcoming releases from Bullyland (New for 2012) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

I’ve critcised the Favorite ‘soft’ dinosaurs in the past for their bland, uninspired paint jobs – tending towards greyish brown and brownish grey (with dark green as an occasional special treat). As if to make up for it, their Parasaurolophus is an absolute colour riot. The bright red pompadour is, of course, just traditional, but I absolutely love the vibrant greens and yellows and spotted  back on this model. The only thing stopping this figure from receiving top marks in the paintjob department is a slight sloppiness with the fine details – specifically, on the hands. While all the digits on the left hand have painted claws, the right hand lacks them entirely (see below). Still, this is only a very minor fault, probably peculiar to the one that I own.

Anatomically, it’s hard to think of any mass-produced plastic Parasaurolophus figures that are better than this one, or even the equal of it, except for the sadly long-discontinued Battat. Unlike many Parasaurolophus figures, this one does not have a super-skinny, swan-like neck, and is therefore more in line with modern thinking on the anatomy of these dinosaurs. The proportions are excellent, although the spine may be a little lower than it should be over the hips. In addition the shoulder girdle might be rather too high – see this Scott Hartman skeletal from last year – although this sculpt is a few years old now (I was going to credit Niroot for pointing this out to me via Twitter, but have you seen the size of that guy’s ego? It’s ENORMOUS).

I’ve always liked the Favorite models for their very crisp detailing and clean finish. As is common to all the Favorite ‘soft’ models of scaly-skinned dinosaurs, this Parasaurolophus has all-over scalation. One could argue that since the scales on the real dinosaur would have been much, much smaller than this (to scale), such detailing is actually unrealistic. In the past I have tended to view the scales as a plus in that they help give a better impression of the scaly nature of the animal’s hide, and fade into obscurity when viewed from a distance anyway; however, it’s all a matter of personal taste. This is also true of the creature’s mouth, which on this model has been rendered cheek-free. I’ve always favoured ‘cheeks’ for no particularly good scientific reason, but that issue would appear to be unresolved for the time being. In any case, since the mouth is closed this hardly detracts from the figure overall.

I’m waffling far too much about tiny, nitpicky things again, though. Taken as a whole, this is an excellent figure and a worthy addition to anyone’s hadrosaur collection. What’s more it is, as a plastic figure, cheaply available where sold. Recommended.

Parasaurolophus (Soft model by Favorite Co. Ltd.) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Just as with the Allosaurus, a large, overhanging ‘lip’ covers all of the teeth in the upper jaw, with only the very tips visible on close inspection. This is in marked contrast with the majority of Tyrannosaurus figures, which – by design – appear to emphasise their subject’s huge, intimidating dentition (occasionally to an exaggerated degree, like the teeth are dangling from their roots). On the mandible, the gumline is drawn back to allow space for the upper teeth. On the whole, this is not unlike the Komodo dragon or indeed some modern carnivorous mammals (although the latter, of course, have muscular, mobile lips).

This is bound to be the most divisive aspect of this figure, especially from an aesthetic point of view. Some people are going to be seriously put off by the ‘lip’, believing that it makes  their pet monster look rather, well, toothless. Personally, I must admit to finding the look a little offputting at first. However, it is – for now – actually quite plausible. At the very least, it gives the figure a distinct, even distinguished look. The sculptor hasn’t tried to produce some dragon-like monster that they think will look cool to kids (and big kids) – they’ve done their best to sculpt a restoration of an animal that really existed. The only shame is that the teeth that are visible are somewhat rounded and blunted, presumably to prevent breakage, which detracts from the look somewhat. A little more finesse wouldn’t have gone amiss there.

That said, this is still a sculpt with excellent attention to detail. Thankfully, the ‘prodded with a coffee-stirrer/Biro lid’ look of the Allosaurus is not replicated here – instead, the plausibly bulky and muscular creature has been furnished with well-executed scalation, skin creases and sags. The painting is virtually immaculate, right down to the tiny hand claws and shark-black eyes. In terms of colouration, the model is perhaps best described as being a deep claret red on top, marbled with swirling black, and grey below. It is attractive and stands out while remaining suitably subtle and subdued, again in contrast with the bright blue Allosaurus.

From an anatomical point of view this is one of the best mass-produced Tyrannosaurus figures available, and very difficult to fault. ‘Lips’ aside, the body is near-perfectly proportioned – the arms are, for once, just as miniscule as they should be – while the barrel chest, huge thighs and thick, muscular tail are all true to the real tyrant reptile. Someone has really done their homework here. This somewhat robust rendition of Tyrannosaurus also stands in contrast with a number of rather skinnier models that have been produced down the years, and (although produced in 2010) the look of the figure fits neatly with recent research.

In the end, though – thanks to that ‘lip’ – you’ve probably already decided whether or not this figure is one you’d like to go for. The price is worth mentioning, too – at about 30cm (or a foot) long, this figure can be rather expensive to obtain for its relatively small size (mine was a Christmas present). In spite of such issues, I think this is a well-executed figure and I’d highly recommend it to anyone seriously into collecting up-to-date dinosaurs.

Tyrannosaurus (Desktop model by Favorite Co. Ltd.) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

With the much maligned Tylosaurus (see below) a distant memory, Papo have pulled it out of the bag and surprised us with news of not just one sad soggy reptile, but seven new prehistoric animal sculpts for 2012. And they’ve thrown in a repaint for good measure too. Here’s what we have:

First up, a brand new version of an adult Tyrannosaurus rex:

I suspect this new T. rex is supposed to be the male counterpart  to the prexisting female (repainted for 2012), because two baby Tyrannosaurus are also being introduced to complete the family pack:

Also exciting, 2012 will see Papo produce their first ever sauropod, a mighty Brachiosaurus:

And we’ll breeze past the aforementioned Tylosaurus so find, bringing up the rear, and also sticking with the family theme, two new baby mammoths:

Coming up in the next few days, summaries of the new 2012 figures from Bullyland, Safari Ltd, and perhaps even Schleich if I’m in the mood.

Upcoming releases from Papo (New for 2012) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

It’s a well-known fact that CollectA’s prehistoric animal figures vary in quality. Some of them are good and incorporate current palaeontological knowledge, while others are poorly sculpted and sacrifice accuracy. The subject of today’s review belongs to the latter group, but to be fair, the toy was released when CollectA was just venturing into the dinosaur toy business in 2007. The figure is supposed to represent Dilophosaurus, a 20 foot long Early Jurassic theropod notable for two thin crests on top of its skull and a distinctive notch in its jaw-line. However, CollectA’s effort bares almost no resemblance to the real animal. It takes on a cartoonish persona instead, which might appeal more to little kids instead of collectors.

Reviewing this figure and pointing out its flaws is a piece of cake, you will immediately see that this Dilophosaurus is in an outdated tripod position, but then you might also notice that its tail doesn’t actually touch the ground – it is able to stand on its own two feet. This makes the tripod position redundant as it could have been sculpted in a more accurate horizontal position like CollectA’s Eustreptospondylus and standard sized Neovenator (even though they were both bad sculpts as well). The rest of the body also has many flaws. Dilophosaurus was a long slender animal, but this figure is a pot-bellied, short-tailed abomination. And while it has a fat belly, the ankles appear too thin to support its weight if this creature were real. In general appearance the whole body has detailed wrinkles and folds of skin, a common feature of generic dinosaurs in the toy market. The arms should be shorter but at least the hands have the right number of fingers. On the head the bottom jaw is crudely sculpted and dislocated, while its teeth are blunt and pebble-like when they should be sharp and pointed. It also lacks the aforementioned notch in the jaw, so the only character that really distinguishes it from other generic theropod figures is the pair of iconic crests on top of its head.

The colours on this figure work fine in my opinion. A line of black is painted along the back of the figure, while the rest of the body is a dark blue-green with bands of lime green running down the flanks. The hand claws are just little black spots dotted on the edges of the fingers. The head crests are orange and the mouth is sparkling clean with pink gums and a raspberry tongue, when it should probably be rotten and dull from eating all those Anchisaurus.

So that’s it, in terms of accuracy this model is among the worst in CollectA’s ever-growing line of prehistoric figures. But accurate or not, I see this as a happy little fellow to be played with by a happy little child, although I can’t recommend it to anyone who only accepts the most accurate models into their collection. If you’re one of those people, then Safari’s awesome rendition of this genus might be up your street. I bought this figure because I’m a sucker for Dilophosaurus and CollectA’s expanding collection of prehistoric animals. And remember, it could have been worse – at least it lacks a retractable frill! Always available on eBay here.

Dilophosaurus (CollectA) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Straddling the borders of fossil evidence and artistic reconstruction are the coveted skeletal models. These fall within the higher price range of the Dinostoreus line, as well as the most fragile of the bunch. Their size allows each bone to stand out as an identifiable piece of the animal’s biological framework, making them useful for educational purposes and certainly satisfying collectors looking for something better than the dime-shop glow-in-the-dark plastic skeleton toys. My particular interest often drifts to the mighty Allosaurus fragilis, a staple of the Jurassic North American stage.

With this model, one can clearly recognize the most distinctive attributes of the animal. The high lacrimal crests, the hatchet shaped skull, the elegant length of the tail, and the powerful, inward-facing forearms are all present and accounted for. Since the reconstruction bears no flesh, there is no quibbling about speculative neck wattles or spiky adornments. It is simply Allosaurus as we know her, and as she might well appear in a museum mount.

The model is centered by a sturdy rod, held in the center of the wooden base. The standard name plate is present, of course. Just peel off the protective sticker, and you’re good to go. That being said, removing this delicate beauty from the box can be an adventure on its own, slowly unsheathing the silent beast from its styrofoam bedding, which is admirably buffered within the box by soft foam padding. This particular model even came with a full page of instruction, offering tips on how to safely remove the model from its protective shell. Not even Sideshow has offered such a courtesy for their models.

An excellent quality of movement is conveyed with the uplifted foot, suggesting a running pose. This would actually be difficult for a mass-produced model to pull off, but luckily, this piece takes full advantage of that solid central support rod. Some may find it distracting, but I honestly found it less cluttered-looking than a museum display. The “grounded” foot actually hovers just a few millimeters above the wooden base, presumably to prevent abrasive damage, and further cushioned by a bit of foam padding in the original packaging.

Since this replica isn’t too big – about 20 inches in length and 1:20 scale – it seems to get away with having the teeth all banded together. Separating them would have surely resulted in too many breaking off. The skull itself looks nice, and the varied shades of brown and green help add depth and interest to what might have a very bland arrangement of bones.

In the event of breakage, many repairs can be performed with standard superglue treatment. The Allosaurus is actually relatively small among other Dinostoreus skeleton models, making it a fairly affordable way to treat oneself – and I’ve been told it’s one of the sturdiest of the bunch. Like the skull models, these pieces have the “adult” feel if you’re worried others may ridicule your interest in dinosaurs. As if that’s ever happened.

Allosaurus Skeleton Model (Dinostoreus) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Six new theropods stand proudly (without need for support from their tails) in the line up:

Top row: Mapusaurus, Deinocheirus. Second row: Therizinosaurus, Rajasaurus, Neovenator. Bottom: Tyrannosaurus with Struthiomimus.

A couple or sauropods make an appearance, plus a single new stegosaurid and a family group of ornithopods:

Top row: Hypsilophodon family, Argentinosaurus. Bottom row: Miragaia, Amargasaurus.

We can also expect this ceratopsian-lovers dream – six new figures of horned dinosaurs, including no less than three new Triceratops  (one a repaint of an existing model):

Top row: Kosmosaurus, Triceratops corpse. Middle row: Triceratops (repaint), giant Triceratops (1:15 scale), Bottom row: Utahceratops, Koreaceratops family.

And in addition to the dinosaurs, there’s also a brontothere, a marine reptile, a pair of hominids, and some plant-life to boot:

Top row: Megacerops, Dolichorhynchops. Middle row, Neanderthal man and woman. Bottom row: Monanthesia + Cycadeoidea, Williamsonia.

CollectA are clearly moving forward with impressive purpose, energy and creativity. Their family groups of dinosaurs are especially intriguing, and their corpse and plant-life figures take their line into a fresh direction. One wonders how much longer CollectA can keep up this momentum, but it’s exciting to watch them continue to grow, and I hope we can review some of their new figures on the blog in more detail over the coming months. Also, Safari Ltd’s new offerings for 2012 have been out of the bag for a while now, so look out for an overview of those here soon as well.

Edit: For those who simply can’t wait, the new CollectA figures are already available from this seller on Ebay, but please note that they may be prototype versions: CollectA 2012 figures on Ebay Actually, there aren’t many left! They were there for a while but most have sold pretty quickly. Keep your eyes peeled for relistings

Upcoming releases from CollectA (New for 2012) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog