Papo, M+B, Schleich sea life: The same models!?

They look very similar, right? See You here the Comparison:
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So by Papo I am very disappointed with the manatee and walrus, as there are better models and Papo it even can better.   Only the really new octopus looks very good.

Yes, manatee and walruus are not good news for collectors... Octopus and beluga will enjoy us I guess   

With Maia & Borges there is a good explanation : They made the ones for Schleich , and were allowed to manufacture several of the marine animals again, only with their own logo  
Sorry, you probably know this already   


But Papo !   
Perhaps M & B also makes the manatee and walrus for them now   

At least they are something for collectors of variations, even if it is only variations in the logo    -marking

Thankyou for the great comarison-photoes . 

Walrus and manatee looks very similar

I was hoping the walrus would look somewhat like Papo's mutant one  Papo's octopus seems to be in a "walking" position, but Schleich's and M&B's is in a laying position.

SUSANNE wrote:

With Maia & Borges there is a good explanation : They made the ones for Schleich , and were allowed to manufacture several of the marine animals again, only with their own logo  
Sorry, you probably know this already   

Also the tropical fishes and any sea life models more   

Will Maia & Borges turn in a kind of AAA?
If I am not wrong, Schleich, Bullyland and Safari, the three oldest major brands, used AAA molds in their ranges in early years. :)
As a collector I also don't find it interesting, I enjoy to see new representations, to study them and compare them. However it can make the difference between Maia & Borges keep in business or not. ... and I am not neutral to the interesting water and lake birds they released recently.
I really hop more figures or series from the brand, I like their sculpts and adore their manufacturing.

Roger wrote:

I really hop more figures or series from the brand, I like their sculpts and adore their manufacturing.

Me too   

Even if they are the same models than e.g Schleich have made, I like them! Thanks for the pic, Numaan!

WOW!!! Yes ! They are THE SAME   

Roger wrote:

Will Maia & Borges turn in a kind of AAA?
If I am not wrong, Schleich, Bullyland and Safari, the three oldest major brands, used AAA molds in their ranges in early years. :)
As a collector I also don't find it interesting, I enjoy to see new representations, to study them and compare them. However it can make the difference between Maia & Borges keep in business or not. ... and I am not neutral to the interesting water and lake birds they released recently.
I really hop more figures or series from the brand, I like their sculpts and adore their manufacturing.

I don't understand your point, Roger. AAA cross-licensed some of its figurines (mostly sealife) for attribution and distribution by those other makers, but so did Maia y Borges itself and Safari, Ltd. with Schleich, back in the early to mid 1990's. AAA is a well-known maker with diverse animal lines. Maia y Borges has made dogs and now waterfowl independently of the major makers.

jonesee wrote:

Even if they are the same models than e.g Schleich have made, I like them! Thanks for the pic, Numaan!

Maia y Borges now not only offer the same sealife figurines they manufactured for Schleich in the past, but also additional figurines that were never made before, to my knowledge (bull shark, etc.).

I also think you can not compare like that.
When Maia & Borges as smaller brand I understand maybe, but by Papo as a major brand I am a little disappointed, they can do it self better. I think it had to go at Papo quickly, perhaps to increase the seawater series.

I really don't see the problem here. When Maia y Borges released their own versions of the old Schleich manatee, etc., I thought it was a very good thing for them to do because it gave newer collectors a chance to obtain fresh new versions of these species, instead of having to pay through the nose to get a badly scuffed retired Schleich manatee, etc. For what it's worth, I think the new Papo octopus is superior to the old Schleich and AAA versions, but that's just my opinion...  

schleich61 wrote:

Roger wrote:

Will Maia & Borges turn in a kind of AAA?
If I am not wrong, Schleich, Bullyland and Safari, the three oldest major brands, used AAA molds in their ranges in early years. :)
As a collector I also don't find it interesting, I enjoy to see new representations, to study them and compare them. However it can make the difference between Maia & Borges keep in business or not. ... and I am not neutral to the interesting water and lake birds they released recently.
I really hop more figures or series from the brand, I like their sculpts and adore their manufacturing.

I don't understand your point, Roger.  AAA cross-licensed some of its figurines (mostly sealife) for attribution and distribution by those other makers, but so did Maia y Borges itself and Safari, Ltd. with Schleich, back in the early to mid 1990's.  AAA is a well-known maker with diverse animal lines.  Maia y Borges has made dogs and now waterfowl independently of the major makers.  

Yes, you're right, that's why I am questioning if M&B will turn in a kind of AAA and clearly not saying that they are a kind of AAA. Can you see the border?

Roger wrote:

schleich61 wrote:

Roger wrote:

Will Maia & Borges turn in a kind of AAA?
If I am not wrong, Schleich, Bullyland and Safari, the three oldest major brands, used AAA molds in their ranges in early years. :)
As a collector I also don't find it interesting, I enjoy to see new representations, to study them and compare them. However it can make the difference between Maia & Borges keep in business or not. ... and I am not neutral to the interesting water and lake birds they released recently.
I really hop more figures or series from the brand, I like their sculpts and adore their manufacturing.

I don't understand your point, Roger.  AAA cross-licensed some of its figurines (mostly sealife) for attribution and distribution by those other makers, but so did Maia y Borges itself and Safari, Ltd. with Schleich, back in the early to mid 1990's.  AAA is a well-known maker with diverse animal lines.  Maia y Borges has made dogs and now waterfowl independently of the major makers.  

Yes, you're right, that's why I am questioning if M&B will turn in a kind of AAA and clearly not saying that they are a kind of AAA. Can you see the border?

Do you mean that M + B may increase and diversify offered animal lines like AAA?     That would be great, as I think Maia y Borges figurines are of very high quality...

schleich61 wrote:

Roger wrote:

schleich61 wrote:

Roger wrote:

Will Maia & Borges turn in a kind of AAA?
If I am not wrong, Schleich, Bullyland and Safari, the three oldest major brands, used AAA molds in their ranges in early years. :)
As a collector I also don't find it interesting, I enjoy to see new representations, to study them and compare them. However it can make the difference between Maia & Borges keep in business or not. ... and I am not neutral to the interesting water and lake birds they released recently.
I really hop more figures or series from the brand, I like their sculpts and adore their manufacturing.

I don't understand your point, Roger.  AAA cross-licensed some of its figurines (mostly sealife) for attribution and distribution by those other makers, but so did Maia y Borges itself and Safari, Ltd. with Schleich, back in the early to mid 1990's.  AAA is a well-known maker with diverse animal lines.  Maia y Borges has made dogs and now waterfowl independently of the major makers.  

Yes, you're right, that's why I am questioning if M&B will turn in a kind of AAA and clearly not saying that they are a kind of AAA. Can you see the border?

Do you mean that M + B may increase and diversify offered animal lines like AAA?      That would be great, as I think Maia y Borges figurines are of very high quality...

I don't know, but if that experience with Papo is fruitful, probably the brand will extend their lines to increase their business. I have no idea, I am only speculating.
I would love to see more lines like water and lake birds, with unusual species and their traditionally good quality.

When I bought the Papo manatee I had no clue that it was an old mould used by Schleich and Maia & Borges, but I certainly did wonder about the walrus.

At one point I thought Schleich & Papo were working in collaboration as they both released toco toucans at the same time, used the same moulds on certain models etc.

Advicot wrote:

When I bought the Papo manatee I had no clue that it was an old mould used by Schleich and Maia & Borges, but I certainly did wonder about the walrus.

At one point I thought Schleich & Papo were working in collaboration as they both released toco toucans at the same time, used the same moulds on certain models etc.

Papo and Schleich do not cooperate directly but there is a huge overlap of releases. Both tend to choose common species and also they use to follow the media tendencies.
Maia & Borges is still cooperating with both companies and also with Mojö Fun.

Roger wrote:

Advicot wrote:

When I bought the Papo manatee I had no clue that it was an old mould used by Schleich and Maia & Borges, but I certainly did wonder about the walrus.

At one point I thought Schleich & Papo were working in collaboration as they both released toco toucans at the same time, used the same moulds on certain models etc.  

Papo and Schleich do not cooperate directly but there is a huge overlap of releases. Both tend to choose common species and also they use to follow the media tendencies.
Maia & Borges is still cooperating with both companies and also with Mojö Fun.

Interesting this thread was revisited. I ordered a 'Mojo Fun' common dolphin, but when I got it, it was only marked Maia & Borges. And the color is very different from the M&B figure on TAI (mine is mostly gray with very subtle markings)

bmathison1972 wrote:

Roger wrote:

Advicot wrote:

When I bought the Papo manatee I had no clue that it was an old mould used by Schleich and Maia & Borges, but I certainly did wonder about the walrus.

At one point I thought Schleich & Papo were working in collaboration as they both released toco toucans at the same time, used the same moulds on certain models etc.  

Papo and Schleich do not cooperate directly but there is a huge overlap of releases. Both tend to choose common species and also they use to follow the media tendencies.
Maia & Borges is still cooperating with both companies and also with Mojö Fun.

Interesting this thread was revisited. I ordered a 'Mojo Fun' common dolphin, but when I got it, it was only marked Maia & Borges. And the color is very different from the M&B figure on TAI (mine is mostly gray with very subtle markings)

While Papo and Schleich keep their brand name marked on M&B figures keeping only the reference that it is made in Portugal, Mojö still preserves the M&B marking.
Mojö's Fun choice for the common dolphin colors is very weird, I suspect they painted it as a common bottlenose dolphin. It doesn't work defintely for a common dolphin. What you need for your collection is the "original" Maia & Borges version that I fear I cannot find it locally anymore.

Roger wrote:

bmathison1972 wrote:

Roger wrote:

Advicot wrote:

When I bought the Papo manatee I had no clue that it was an old mould used by Schleich and Maia & Borges, but I certainly did wonder about the walrus.

At one point I thought Schleich & Papo were working in collaboration as they both released toco toucans at the same time, used the same moulds on certain models etc.  

Papo and Schleich do not cooperate directly but there is a huge overlap of releases. Both tend to choose common species and also they use to follow the media tendencies.
Maia & Borges is still cooperating with both companies and also with Mojö Fun.

Interesting this thread was revisited. I ordered a 'Mojo Fun' common dolphin, but when I got it, it was only marked Maia & Borges. And the color is very different from the M&B figure on TAI (mine is mostly gray with very subtle markings)

While Papo and Schleich keep their brand name marked on M&B figures keeping only the reference that it is made in Portugal, Mojö still preserves the M&B marking.
Mojö's Fun choice for the common dolphin colors is very weird, I suspect they painted it as a common bottlenose dolphin. It doesn't work defintely for a common dolphin. What you need for your collection is the "original" Maia & Borges version that I fear I cannot find it locally anymore.

My M&B 'common dolphin' has the pattern of the classic common dolphin, but it is very subtle. It is not solid truly gray like a bottlenose. I have seen photographs of common dolphins that look like this, so I am OK with it (but the original probably would be preferred).

Thank you for the explanation, Roger!!!

Thankyou, Roger

The Maia & Borges common dolphin is still available on modellpferdeversand as I got mine quite recently. Its paintwork is very good, and the figure is 7.40 euros.