Thankful for- 2023

Alright, I wanted to start this topic again; if for nothing else than just an exercise for me. As in the past, I like to reflect on the collecting year as it comes to a close. I find that its nice to revel on new additions just one more time and its nice to think on the joy of collecting. I have so many wonderful friends here whom have given me treasures, or things that I was able to pursue and purchase after a long search, or any number of other scenarios. Anyway, I will update this topic periodically with some of my favorite additions from this year, and I encourage anyone to contribute if they like! 

First off... every year I find that there are "themes" to my collecting focus. This year I got enamored by elephants! 


Of the prehistoric kind.This past spring and summer I learned of Eofauna and TNG and fell IN LOVE with their prehistoric mammals! I put off getting them as prehistoric figures are often so much more expensive and are just not as big of a focus for me (or so I thought). But then I noticed that the Eofauna and TNG mammals I wanted were going out of stock in some places and began to panic. But still, trying to save on shipping I waited until I found a place with all 4 Eofauna in stock! When they arrived I fell in love! Then I had to piece together the TNG models but was able to track them down in the end. I love the stegodon and smilodon the most from that series. 

Then, in the fall, the stars seemes to align. I found a Safari Ambelodon for sale for a reasonable price but in the UK. Luckily, I have one my best friends who lives there and was so gracious as to help me out (THANK YOU AGAIN Taylor!). A short while later, I also found the Bullyland gomphotherium state-side and snapped one up! Lastly, after missing out on several listings of the Safari smilodon cub over the last few years (the high bids quickly got out of my wallet's price range) Jolie so kindly posted a link to a very reasonable buy-it-now listing on ebay! 

Thus, it has been a very productive year for the prehistoric category of my collection this year.

Wonderful and very useful picture which makes me to drool! I absolutly need this TNG Smilodon and Mammoth and the Eofauna deinotherium!

Yes I was hoping you would do this topic again this year! I will have to look through my new additions and post some of mine. I already have some ideas. I still haven’t gotten any of those TNG figures… they’re so beautiful! So happy you got the smilodon cub!

For future reference on Eofauna (if you plan on getting Sue). I highly recommend buying from everything dinosaur. They’re based in the UK but even with the shipping I find they have the best prices for Eofauna and prehistoric Papo. If you ever have a question they have amazing customer service and they always get right back to me about anything.

That's a formidable group of figures. One of my most exciting arrivals of the last years was the EoFauna straight-tusked elephant and you surely know what it feels like to receive something that meets all your expectations in terms of quality. It was a clever move to get all of them at once.
What about the TMG, do they give the same feeling as an EoFauna or close to it?

Thank... full of tusks

Every single model on the pic is great, collectors have been spoiled this year

Saarlooswolfhound wrote:

First off... every year I find that there are "themes" to my collecting focus. This year I got enamored by elephants! 

How wonderful that you got so many beautiful figures Paige and you are celebrating them here on this thread!

I love that woolly rhino? most of all

I've had so many excellent figures this year too, many with the help of some great people and friends on this forum.
I really appreciate being on here, and more so because I specialize mainly in 1/32nd scale which isn't that popular really :)

Here are my picks for 2023!



1.) Just about a week ago I was so excited to find the Bullyland okapi on eBay! I was so happy to see it in great condition with only a few marks on the ears and abdomen. I love okapis and this one has been on my search list for quite awhile now. It is probably one of the nicest okapis... I never realized it was female until I had it in hand I hope I can find the calf now.

2.) Last year the white leafy sea dragon was on my thankful chart, now the yellow one joins it! A perfect model.

3.) With birds being one of my favorite groups to collect, I was so happy to see a new Andean condor! Papo has been spoiling us these past couple years

4.) Again with the beautiful kiwi by Papo.

5.) A really great seahorse, I love it on my reef display

6.) I never thought I'd be so excited for a pigeon figure, but it is such a great model!

7.) Big thank you to Roger for helping me get the exclusive Schleich black swan!

8.) I love getting new owls, Safari's new grey owl was no exception. I was obsessed with the Guardians of Ga'Hoole books so I'm always happy to get a new owl figure to name

9.) I'm always looking forward to getting new BotB models. The Andean cat is gorgeous as usual and I can't wait to get photos of it in the coming months!

10.) A beautiful clouded leopard by BotB

11.) Thanks to Roger again for reminding me about the Papo lioness. I was very happy to find one with good paintwork Truly the queen of lions.

12.) Finally a figure I've wanted a long time, a cassowary chick! I'm obsessed with this little Yowie figure.



Now prehistoric models!



Prehistoric models were a big highlight for me this year and I was able to get many amazing figures for my collection. My dino display is getting quite crammed!

1-2.) An amazing pair of models by Nanmu Studios, the JP3 male and female raptors! I was so excited for these to release and I was very fortunate that I was able to get them before they quickly sold out.

3.) Another Nanmu model, "Rexy" in her iconic pose from the end of Jurassic Park. A really stunning model that I can't wait to get outdoor photos with.

4-5.) More JP3 raptors that I actually purchased at the beginning of this year by a seller on Etsy called Marco Makes. I got these before I knew about the Nanmu models but now I have a nice sized raptor pack! I love these raptors and they were done with such detail.

6.) A Nanmu spinosaurus that is a repaint from a figure I purchased last year. I typically don't like to get "repaints" but this paint scheme was too gorgeous to pass up. I think this is a very attractive pattern for a spinosaurus

7.) A figure I was quite surprised with this year, Papo's kronosaurus. It's no secret that Papo's prehistoric line has been dropping off in past years, but this figure is really great and feels like the old Papo. I especially love the barnacles on the figure.

8.) Another figure I just received a few days ago, the Safari arsinotherium! I absolutely adore Safari's prehistoric mammals so I was very happy to get this one. I love the wrinkled texture of their elephant figures.

9.) Then finally the Rebor deinosuchus. I love how realistic this model is. It has been so fun to take outdoor photos with and it even comes with prey Rebor has had other amazing releases this year with their sarcosuchus & diplodocus. I'm very excited to get their new direwolves.

Jolie, among these wonderful figures, I really find joy that you get some Bullyland which please you. I hope you can find the okapi calf, these two are made to work as a pair in a sweet scene. I don't have the Bullyland models but I really love them.

Each is great! I hope  an andean cat walkaround very soon!

Caracal wrote:

Each is great! I hope  an andean cat walkaround very soon!

I have one here! https://sts-forum.forumieren.de/t24911-beauty-of-beasts-andean-mountain-cat-walkaround-with-comparisons

Lovely models Jolie, the okapi and arsinoitherium especially!

Just a small thing to point out but... I have always found it interesting that people refer to the female rex in the JP and JW franchises as "Rexy". As you can read a bit of the history here. As I understand it, the closest that the animal has come to an official franchise name is actually Roberta; after the animatronic used in the movies. Most other references of Rexy in the franchise is as a placeholder or funny/familiar nickname. Similar to how you may use a common dog name to refer to an animal you don't know (i.e. "hey there Roscoe/Spot/etc., don't you bite me!").

Switching it up to some fish from this year.



I was so thrilled when I put on Marsh Education (of Arizona fishes) to get the rest of this set! My first model.of this series was the bonytail chub found in a thrift store in Salt Lake City a decade ago. Then I bought 4 more from Marsh and waited AGES hoping they might get the last one in stock again someday... alas, they did! This loach minnow is very pretty to look at anyhow.

The Bully salmon was a recent score from a good friend teardrop here. While not ascribed to a certain species, I still find it to be very nice to look at and enjoy its coloration.

Lastly, the Mahi Mahi. Apparently a copy of a japanese model but of otherwise unknown provenance. I now have 3, different colors. For whatever reason I am obssessed with this figure and keep an eye out ebay for variations and hope to find out more about the maker someday.

Saarlooswolfhound wrote:

Lovely models Jolie, the okapi and arsinoitherium especially!

Just a small thing to point out but... I have always found it interesting that people refer to the female rex in the JP and JW franchises as "Rexy". As you can read a bit of the history here. As I understand it, the closest that the animal has come to an official franchise name is actually Roberta; after the animatronic used in the movies. Most other references of Rexy in the franchise is as a placeholder or funny/familiar nickname. Similar to how you may use a common dog name to refer to an animal you don't know (i.e. "hey there Roscoe/Spot/etc., don't you bite me!").

Thank you! I interchange Rexy & Roberta. I'm used to calling her Rexy as a kid so that's what I stick to most of the time. I wished they used animatronics more in the Jurassic World series. The CGI is very jarring and takes you out of the scene. The animatronic velociraptors in JP3 still give me chills!

Indeed, its sad when a movie from the 90s does it better than 2010s and 2020s!!!

Another small group: Toros Bravos bull and a set of Wing Mau cats. 



The bull came from Taylor (thank you!) and I am very grateful for it as these models are magnificent and are hard to get in the US. I have 3 now, all from our very kind friend Taylor! It is nice to have a STS friend who appreciates domestic animals like I do. Then from Teardrop, I got this set of cats (thank you again!). While being more of a dog person in real life, I do really love cat breeds too. When I was a teenager I loved the scottish fold and here are 2. As an adult my taste has changed to the lovely American Curl and I couldn't believe when I saw someone made not one but TWO of them!  I also love persians which is a bit atypical for me as I tend to not appreciate the brachycephalic trait in any animal, so there is a pair of them also (and note they are not in the all too famous white color!).

It is interesting to the forum that you and Taylor enjoy so much Farm animals. Sometimes I feel they are a little neglected on forum but fortunately you both are here to remind us that they exist. Actually, I have 3 Papo Farm animals as priority in my wish list, the muscovy duck, the Guinea fowl and the white peacock.

Glad to be of help with the Toros,Paige.I agree that they are wonderful models and only happy to be able to help others in acquiring these models.
The cat breeds are a wonderful set and its always great to see lesser well known breeds being made.

Thank you Roger.Farm animal models were my first love when I was growing up and I have retained this all my life.These were also easier to acquire that zoo/wildlife models when I was a child.

Taos wrote:

Thank you Roger.Farm animal models were my first love when I was growing up and I have retained this all my life.These were also easier to acquire that zoo/wildlife models when I was a child.

That's an important background to influence your collecting interests. I was never a farm boy but next to me farm animals were common, ducks, chickens, turkeys and a cow. Sealife and birds are by far the most relevant wild animals of my childhood since I grew up next to a natural reserve but my obsession were frogs and toads. They do not represent a priority in my collection but I always like the lifesized frog figures. Our childhood is quite influencial, unless we don't have good memories of it.

Thank you both. :)

I think this will be nearly the end of my "thankful for" models. 


This year was a great year for my prehistoric collection. It really livened up. Not only did I find another grail in the WWD series Ophthalmasaurus but I got several PNSO models that enriched that group for me. I was SO excited to see the eatemmenosuchus by Safari I HAD to have it! And I snagged the elusive Scutosaurus and Leptoceratops for myself this year also.  Not only these but a great friend in Froggie (THANK YOU!) got me some Bullys also!

My prehistoric collection is frozen but I keep many of my Bullyland models. Some are among my favorites despite the huge boom of great prehistoric models of the last years. I love for example my Paratipotorax. However, if the collecting limitations did not exist, I would go for many PNSO. I only have one and it is so beautiful that I almost can't believe. :)

What a lovely topic. Those Wing Mau cats are SO good, I definitely hope to add them someday!

My 2023 has been pretty Breyer heavy. I joined several Facebook groups for collectors and was able to add many long time looked for models to my collection. I guess the noteworthy part of 2023 is that I sort of have "run out" of traditional sized Breyers I am looking for. Not that there aren't always more, because there always are, but my Grail list from childhood is nearly complete--just one more!

But I think what I was most excited about was finishing my Swaps stablemate "conga."


And having the chance to add three new fjords!




The other exciting thing for completion in 2023 was getting the last cat from the Cats to Go box, significant because those were the figures that got me into collecting as an adult to begin with (for better or worse, haha!)



And besides Breyer, my other big focus this year was Play Visions. It has been really fun to not only add many to the collection but to finally have them out on display! (The display has grown since this photo, but it's too dark right now to get a good picture.)

That's a proficuous 2023, Jill. I like very much the fjords but surely the most exciting is that you're complerting your sets of small figures. Since you're going for Play Visions now, I'm sure you will continue collecting for a very long time..

LOTS of great stuff here Jill! Congrats on everything, and that PV display is something to behold. Love your contribution here!

such an impressive collection Jill, it's wonderful to see your line ups of Breyer horses, tiny cats and the other tiny models! glad to managed to complete your cat collection!