Papo @ The London Toy Fair January 2014

So here are the photos taken from the Papo stand at London Olympia this year.  It was nice to catch up with one of the senior sales reps called Karen Tank.  She is lovely and has become used to me visiting every year and allows me to take as many pictures as I want which is such a nice change.  where Schleich reps are a little too formal, business like and a little cold, the Papo team are really friendly, warm and nice.

I was given a Papo Oryx and the Tigress with baby as a gift which was soooo nice of Karen.  I appreciated the little gesture.

Unfortunately Papo is not able to bring all the latest releases to the show for production reasons.  They will have everything at Nuremberg next month but as the London show is relatively smaller and so early in the year it can be difficult to get the prototypes or new models from their factories/work shops in time.

Anyway below are the photos taken whilst there.  Unfortunately due to Papo showcasing their models on light up boxes it is very hard to take photo because it affects the picture.  I had to place the new models that were present at the show on top of a toy building in order to be able to take clear pictures.

I must say I love some of the new Papo models.  The female hippo is superb! I Love here! and I definitely want to get her asap.  There was only one new dino model available which I tried to picture in all positions.  Yes, the Manatee and walrus are identical Schleich models purchased from the Maia and Borges factory.  I mentioned this to Karen but of course she will not be familiar with Schleich's range.  all that she knows and confirmed was that Papo has been looking at new factories and locations across Europe to expand their business and have for the time being settled with Portugal.  This new immediately made sense and now I understand more about the M&B factories.  It seems M&B sell their designs and services to bigger brands and so Schleich would have had sole licence for select models produced by M&B for them.  Now that Schleich discontinued the range M&B were free to do what they want and released the same models with their own branding.  Then Papo comes along and purchases two of the designs so M&B make these for them.  Funny really because in the future we will come across models on ebay or in flea markets of the Walrus or Manatee and will always have to check to see which of the three brands released it.  Interesting really although I would really have loved to have seen newer designs of these models just to spice things up rather than re releases of the same molds.

The parrot is fine but nothing new that we have not seen before.  The leatherback turtle is very pretty but it is proportionally a very large oversized sculpt and bigger than CollectA or Schleich's new turtle models.  Stork and nest are similar to the current Bullyland model and the new Zoo set does not enthrall me.  I think it is because it is quite simplistic in style and design, made of wood and quite small too.  

The new Papo Beluga is really cute but I have to say the absolute HIGHLIGHT of the 2014 toy fair was definitely, certainly, absolutely the new Papo Snow Leopard.  IT IS STUNNING!!! The paintwork is amazing, the best I have seen in any brand.  It is absolutely beautiful.  Yes it does use the same Puma mold from previous years but there are differences for instance the tale is thicker and bushier to represent the thicker coat of the real animal.  I am in love with this model and it is right at the top of my wants list for 2014.  I hope when you see the pictures you will agree :-)

Anyway all the pictures are below. Sorry for any low quality or odd images there was only so much I could take on my new smart phone!  Enjoy!

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You saved the best for last

I am not very familiar with the Papo range, but... pink cats?

Thanks again Numaan!

Thank you for the pictures!
The snow leopard looks very different on the catalogue picture, but if he don't will as much expensive how the tigress I think he also can come to here. I really hope that Papo next year will do a better paintjob with more animals

Wow, gorgeous leopard! The paint on most is better than expected, thanks for sharing.

Numaan, it is really appreciated that once more you took your time to share with us all these interesting informations and pictures about what we all are expecting... more new figures!
I have the same feeling as Bryan, the snow leopard looks very different from what we were expecting after seeing catalogue picture. A good candidat to enter a collection but need to check first.
I think I don't like the stork, these thick legs
On the other hand, tortoise looks very nice, I have the previous version but probably I'll also get that.
Hippo looks to have a great body, bottom of feet looks more detailed than male but the head looks funny, maybe it looks funny like a hippo in real.
I like Papo, it is one of the few brands that makes me feel impressed with figures that I don't collect.
Well, I did know about the cooperation and manufacturing in Portugal and everyone figured it after seeing the first pictures. But now it is official and I am glad Papo is working with M&B.

Animal_Figures_4U wrote:

You saved the best for last

I am not very familiar with the Papo range, but... pink cats?

Thanks again Numaan!

Don't be scared, Papo is not Schleichizing their farm line, these belong to Fantasy series as all these figures should belong.

Now I wached a other time the pictures of the leopard, it remeber me a lot of a clouded leopard.  

First of all: Thank you Numaan for the pictures, it is well appreciated.
It's a real shame Papo couldn't show anymore from the dino line except for the Archaeopteryx.
And I too have high hopes for the snow leopard, but I'll believe it when I see it.
(Prototype Texas Longhorn syndrome anyone?)

The rest....*sigh*
Where to start?

The Stork is awful. It has tree trunks for legs. And it's beak is laughable.
Why? They were able to make this beautiful, well sculpted, elegant Peacock last year?
The Macaw is missing half off it's wingspan?
Beluga whale, also known as the white whale, is painted grey?
Leatherback turtle is nice, but apparently as big as a Beluga?
Spanish bull is a repaint.
Brown goat is a repaint.
Black Scottish terrier is a repaint.
The Percheron's neck is just as big as his barrel?
OH COME ON!
What's going on here?

  

arafan wrote:

Now I wached a other time the pictures of the leopard, it remeber me a lot of a clouded leopard.  

:lol:Bryan, I confess I thought it also mainly when watching the picture below. For a moment I thought it was another Papo hybrid like the jaguar/leopard.
Though, it is a snow leopard in painting and sculpting although we can see easily a clouded leopard. Will PeGe repaint it in a clouded after narrowing a little the tip of the tail?
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Roger wrote:

Animal_Figures_4U wrote:

I am not very familiar with the Papo range, but... pink cats?

Don't be scared, Papo is not Schleichizing their farm line, these belong to Fantasy series as all these figures should belong.

 

Thanks Numaan!

wow 2014 figures     
snow leopard, cat and husky
      

Hi Numaan, I've worked a bit on your darkest pics    I hope you don't mind.

Phantastic pics

Thanks Numaan! Love the husky dog and black Scottie

Haha, Harriet I also love this Husky! Wonderful figure!

And hippo is amazing, as well as leatherback turtle. I like snow leopard too. I can't see Siamese cat and lion, probably were not ready yet?

Thank you for pictures Numaan!!!     

Thank you for sharing all these nice pics with us Numaan   

I'm really happy to watch at the hippo female, tortoise, leatherback turle, octopus, snow leopard, beluga and archaeopteryx.

I think the Leatherback turtle is not too big compared with the previous caouane, isn't it the biggest sea turtle species?   

I'm really enjoying the new beluga isn't the M+B one, even in gray it is very very tempting   

The archaeopteryx is really stunning   

And the birds ? Two poor things to forget IMHO: A short winged macaw and a stork with legs oedema. We are far from Papo's ducks, puffin and owl   

I don't collect pets but I like the new dogs, indeed I think Papo is excellent for dogs   

Thanks for the pics   

Roger wrote:

Hippo looks to have a great body, bottom of feet looks more detailed than male but the head looks funny, maybe it looks funny like a hippo in real.

I agree, everything except the head looks nice, but the muzzle is not good. It's too weak and narrow  
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Thank you Numaan. beluga and leatherback turtle are definitively on my list. I would like to see the snow leopard in person.

Hi Christophe

Thanks for adjusting some of the pics, you did a great job! It is too technical for me! Next time I will run dark pictures by you first. thank you    

Numaan wrote:

Hi Christophe

Thanks for adjusting some of the pics, you did a great job! It is too technical for me!  Next time I will run dark pictures by you first.  thank you    

You are welcome   

skysthelimit wrote:

Thanks for the pics   

Roger wrote:

Hippo looks to have a great body, bottom of feet looks more detailed than male but the head looks funny, maybe it looks funny like a hippo in real.

I agree, everything except the head looks nice, but the muzzle is not good. It's too weak and narrow  
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Hippos have sometimes also weak and narrow muzzles!

Kikimalou wrote:

Hippos have sometimes also weak and narrow muzzles!

You've searched but you haven't been able to find adult female with muzzle like that   

skysthelimit wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

Hippos have sometimes also weak and narrow muzzles!

You've searched but you haven't been able to find adult female with muzzle like that   

I've just spend less than one minute   

I've spent only a second to see it's to narrow. We'll see it in person...

skysthelimit wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

Hippos have sometimes also weak and narrow muzzles!

You've searched but you haven't been able to find adult female with muzzle like that   

Who said Papo female hippo must be adult one? Maybe it's subadult?