Schleich @ The London Toy Fair January 2016 (Gemsbok & Pangolin Photo's included!)

Dear friends

I have finally been able to attach all the photos taken from the London Toy Fair back in January – this set are those taken at Schleich.  
It was getting very busy at the stall and I kept getting in the way and so had to be quick – apologies for not taking any specific pictures of models, I regret not photographing the leopard close up!
Anyway, this time the stall was full of mainly sales reps temporarily hired and who had no real clue about the model ranges direct.  A woman who I would usually speak to was not present so it was just a matter of taking pictures and leaving.
The stand this year was also the simplest, plainest I have ever seen.  There was not that much on display and other than two large freestanding models (dino and panda) there was nothing special about the stand – did Schleich run out of money and ideas on how to ‘sell’ their models at the toy fair? Who knows ha!  There was a small coffee shop installed in the centre, presumably to warm potential buyers.
Look back at previous toy fair photos and you will see the extravagance of their stand in previous years whereas this year it was like a quick dash to put something together at the last minute with minimum equipment…..strange.  This is also replicated in their new catalogues – a plain simply cheaply made two part booklet series – what happened to their wonderful book style catalogues from previous years?? Oh well….we cannot have everything.
The packaging style of the boxed products has also changed – gone is the smarter look and in come a model colourful childish, cartoonish style packaging.
So to the important bits – I just wanted to see that Gemsbok and oh boy it did not disappoint – I have taken many close ups of this as I really like it.  I know others have some objections but I adore this model and cannot wait to get two or three copies when it is released – why do we have to wait until July???  Oh the torture!

The paintwork on this is glorious and it is just so much better sculpted than the previous one.  The leopard is lovely flamingo cute.  Whilst I love Schleich and will collect all new wildlife models I do feel that the Pangolin is not as good as existing models available.  It’s is perfectly fine. A smart pangolin but that’s it.  There is nothing more exciting about it – I much prefer the one currently available 

I loved the large scale replica of the sitting panda

QUESTION: what is the white lion and cub all about? Where has this come from? I asked someone there and he didnt know saying that it looks like an unfinished paint version to him. Where is this white lion? I remember seeing a listing of an exclusive white lion but that was meant to be another mould and not this one. Any information would be appreciated :-)


Click here for the original toy fair general photos: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Bullyland: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Papo: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Breyer: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Ok so here are the photos.  Enjoy!

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The white lion and cub are special editions to the complete waterscape playset (water whole, small river and waterfall) you can buy in one box

NightLioness wrote:

The white lion and cub are special editions to the complete waterscape playset (water whole, small river and waterfall) you can buy in one box

ah thanks for this, it's a clever way of making people buy a box set just to get new animals. The drinking zebra is also back :-)

Thank you for the photos!

Wow, I had to do a double-take on that packaging - looks like cheap dollar store toys! Not the quality product they used to portray. Yes, much more childish and more appealing to the younger set. But it just makes their product look poor quality...

Love that pangolin

Numaan wrote:

NightLioness wrote:

The white lion and cub are special editions to the complete waterscape playset (water whole, small river and waterfall) you can buy in one box

ah thanks for this, it's a clever way of making people buy a box set just to get new animals. The drinking zebra is also back :-)

You are welcome Do you know by any chance if the drinking zebra is different than the older one? The drinking zebra is a special edition in the waterwhole set :)

The gemsbok looks really nice, but have to see it with my own eyes
Although Schleich is going way out of the collectors line and is more and more appealing to children (especially with the rather blank boxes and packaging o.0) I did buy 4 new animals already, cheetah, flamingo, a foal and the new Frisian horse (also the two frogs).

No photo of the Border Collie? Of wasn't it on display?

thanks for the photos--Cannot wait for the Oryx. Though his head seems a little large.

Thanks for the photos! Spasibo!

Can't wait for near all, the Oryx, the volcano, the white lion, the bayala animals and so on.
But look at the prices. They are lower than usual. I thint that are the prices for the retailers.

Thanks for the photo's.. I look foward for the farm life items!

LeeAnn wrote:

Wow, I had to do a double-take on that packaging - looks like cheap dollar store toys! Not the quality product they used to portray. Yes, much more childish and more appealing to the younger set. But it just makes their product look poor quality..

Exactly my thoughts, such a pity.. :c It's the same with their new 'catalogue'. I miss the good old quality which made me love this brand so much..

But still, the gemsbook looks really nice indeed! I see your point with the pangolin, but still, it looks just so cute.. I'll sure add him to my collection as soon as my local Schleich shop's selling it!

Again Numaan, thank you so much for taking all this time to upload and submit your pictures to the forum

Thank you for great photos. This fair looks really small compared to the Nürnberg Spielwarenmesse.

Tupolew Tu-154 wrote:

Can't wait for near all, the Oryx, the volcano, the white lion, the bayala animals and so on.
But look at the prices. They are lower than usual. I thint that are the prices for the retailers.

Those prices are in british pounds, not euros.

Wonderful pictures thank you !
Just as well they aren't released until July, I may have caught up on my existing wish list by then !

Thank you for the photos.
The new style of boxes is ugly. I like the previous one much more...

Thanks for the photos!
I love the waterfall, marine life also attracts me a lot!

Oh wait, it there a new horse standing in the second horse themed photos?
The one in the background standing by the car. The sand colored one?
Or is it a already known horse?

NightLioness wrote:

Oh wait, it there a new horse standing in the second horse themed photos?
The one in the background standing by the car. The sand colored one?
Or is it a already known horse?

You mean this photograph?

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I think it's the Andalusian stallion

NightLioness wrote:

Oh wait, it there a new horse standing in the second horse themed photos?
The one in the background standing by the car. The sand colored one?
Or is it a already known horse?

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It's just the lighting that makes it look like different colour

Thank you again, Numaan. All your posts about London Fair have been amazing!

Tarunyada wrote:

I see your point with the pangolin, but still, it looks just so cute.

Indeed, pangolins are really cute people, aren't they?

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xacaxa wrote:

Tarunyada wrote:

I see your point with the pangolin, but still, it looks just so cute.

Indeed, pangolins are really cute people, aren't they?

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Awwwwww, yes they are, and the pangolin on your picture is just too cute

Thank you ladies :3 XD I thought I did go crazy and saw a new horse o.0

I tend to assume "current" Schleich as a new brand using the same old name. It helps me being more receptive to new concepts and strategy of the company. When I started collecting, Schleich was a widely available brand, very popular but unfortunately, very predictable. The same boring figures and rarely something new and exciting. OK, many were really good, especially cattle and horses but I don't have these as my main collecting subject.
Now, with "new" Schleich, probably very disappointing to the most faithful collectors, I can see, among some failed atempts, some really good things, this pangolin, being or not as good as "my" pangolin, is a very exciting release and something that I never expected from the company. It, perhaps coincidentally, was released a short time after Mojö's pangolin and we are lucky enough to have two pangolin species in a short time.
Honestly, the new cheetah that I don't own yet, seems to be the best Schleich cheetah to the date. We have now serious looking crocodiles, not the jokes from early years, we have good tigers and some other surprises like their first ever flamingo, a renewed oryx, etc. If it serves as reference, I plan to buy more Schleich this year than in previous years. They are loosing in terms of quality and consistency but they're winning in unpredictability.
Thanks again for your effort uploading all these interesting photos.

To be frank. Im sad that you did not take close up photos of the LArger Dinosaurs that were on desplay here

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That Hereasaurus is a LOT bigger then any of us dino fans were anticipating, it shows that this companey has no sense of Scale.

Also the Barapasaurus looks Marvelous from this angle, its a nice and bulky sauropod

Well i did a little Internet Digging and i found more Pics

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Roger wrote:

I tend to assume "current" Schleich as a new brand using the same old name. It helps me being more receptive to new concepts and strategy of the company. When I started collecting, Schleich was a widely available brand, very popular but unfortunately, very predictable. The same boring figures and rarely something new and exciting. OK, many were really good, especially cattle and horses but I don't have these as my main collecting subject.
Now, with "new" Schleich, probably very disappointing to the most faithful collectors, I can see, among some failed atempts, some really good things, this pangolin, being or not as good as "my" pangolin, is a very exciting release and something that I never expected from the company. It, perhaps coincidentally, was released a short time after Mojö's pangolin and we are lucky enough to have two pangolin species in a short time.
Honestly, the new cheetah that I don't own yet, seems to be the best Schleich cheetah to the date. We have now serious looking crocodiles, not the jokes from early years, we have good tigers and some other surprises like their first ever flamingo, a renewed oryx, etc. If it serves as reference, I plan to buy more Schleich this year than in previous years. They are loosing in terms of quality and consistency but they're winning in unpredictability.
Thanks again for your effort uploading all these interesting photos.

Roger, you are the wisest crocodile ever

Thankyou for sharing these thoughts !
I have been kind of sad, because the old Schleich has changed...but you now open my eyes to a new and positive way to look at it

Omg omg omg omg omg!!!