Safari 2018 - complete list!

The Siamese!!! Oh I will be going broke this coming year with all these wonderful new releases!

WhiteLightning Wolf wrote:

The Siamese!!! Oh I will be going broke this coming year with all these wonderful new releases!

You and me both!!!

I'm very excited for the releases this year, I'm impressed with the species choice and selection. I just hope that the painting is decent since thats what they struggle with the most. But the rhino, bison, chicken, and more all look great and I can't wait for them to be in stores.

Wow! Another Uintatherium. This is a must have, also the Megacerops.

Now we are talking. I felt 2017 was a strong year for Safari and if the new releases continue like this, 2018 will be too. The two teaser photos that interest me the most still have not been revealed, so I have something still to look forward to.

I should point out the flying frog, bison, plus the already mentioned tabby cat and maybe Komodo Dragon are mere repaints, or so it seems (if new sculpts, they don't look that different).

In this latest batch the sei whale, babirusa, and Sumatran rhino are spectacular. I know CollectA did a babirusa recently but it's a bold move for Safari.

nice reveals! I love that Safari is going full throttle with the prehistoric mammals now!

has any other company done a Sumatran rhino? it looks like it could fit right in the same past time period with the uintathere and megacerops!

CollectA just started its previews and they will definitely have a few more classic releases but for me the Sumatran rhino ( and it's a fantastic sculpt) will be the highlight of 2018 , and this in a year a second beautiful Pygmy Hippo, Vaquita , Sei Whale , African civit, bongo calf , Musk Ox have been made !! the Indonesian Rhino is truly a masterpiece

JamesPanda wrote:

CollectA just started its previews and they will definitely have a few more classic releases but for me the Sumatran rhino ( and it's a fantastic sculpt) will be the highlight of 2018 , and this in a year a second beautiful Pygmy Hippo, Vaquita , Sei Whale , African civit, bongo calf , Musk Ox have been made !! the Indonesian Rhino is truly a masterpiece

I see we have a very similar taste

Safari has really good surprises this yes ! I'll get the babirusa, the megacerops, the Sumatran rhinoceros, the musk ox and the regaliceratops at least !

Very nice new releases!  Overall, I am really impressed with both species and sculpting choices, especially for the extant animals.  I love the Sumatran Rhino, Siamese, and Przewalski's Horse.  The Megacerops and Ankylosaurus are amazing as well.

Safari, I think you're a fantastic company overall, but in my personal opinion, copying the CollectA Regaliceratops so closely was in poor taste.  I could say the same thing about the Uintatherium, but that one at least has a vastly different design and I like the smaller size (although I still very much prefer the CollectA Unintathere's looks).  I just wish those spots were filled by more deserving and unique species.

And did you see : They have a Siamussy-Kitty-Cat !!!!!!

barracudacat wrote:

Very nice new releases!  Overall, I am really impressed with both species and sculpting choices, especially for the extant animals.  I love the Sumatran Rhino, Siamese, and Przewalski's Horse.  The Megacerops and Ankylosaurus are amazing as well.

Safari, I think you're a fantastic company overall, but in my personal opinion, copying the CollectA Regaliceratops so closely was in poor taste.  I could say the same thing about the Uintatherium, but that one at least has a vastly different design and I like the smaller size (although I still very much prefer the CollectA Unintathere's looks).  I just wish those spots were filled by more deserving and unique species.

I think it takes a couple of years for a toy to go from idea to production--I'm sure when they started these figures, they had no idea what CollectA was doing. Regaliceratops was only described in 2015; I'm sure both CollectA and Safari saw it and thought it would be cool to make. It's just that CollectA made it a little faster, and by the time it was revealed, the Safari sculpt had almost certainly been completed. If they resemble each other, it might be because both were influenced by the artwork of Julius Csotonyi.

As for the Uintatherium, Safari wasn't able to make mammals because of their agreement with Carnegie, so I'm sure the glut of prehistoric mammals this year--including the Uintatherium--is just a product of their being freed from that agreement.

Personally, I'm always happier when Safari and CollectA make different species from one another, because it means more variety on my shelves. But to call it "poor taste" implies some nefarious intention that I don't think exists. Maybe that's not what you meant, but that's how it came across.

^^^
Very well put, halichoeres.
It makes sense to me that Safari ltd. is trying to fill up their extinct mammals gap, caused by their contract with Carnegie.
Starting with making the best known creatures first seems like a good business plan to me.

halichoeres wrote:

barracudacat wrote:

Very nice new releases!  Overall, I am really impressed with both species and sculpting choices, especially for the extant animals.  I love the Sumatran Rhino, Siamese, and Przewalski's Horse.  The Megacerops and Ankylosaurus are amazing as well.

Safari, I think you're a fantastic company overall, but in my personal opinion, copying the CollectA Regaliceratops so closely was in poor taste.  I could say the same thing about the Uintatherium, but that one at least has a vastly different design and I like the smaller size (although I still very much prefer the CollectA Unintathere's looks).  I just wish those spots were filled by more deserving and unique species.

I think it takes a couple of years for a toy to go from idea to production--I'm sure when they started these figures, they had no idea what CollectA was doing. Regaliceratops was only described in 2015; I'm sure both CollectA and Safari saw it and thought it would be cool to make. It's just that CollectA made it a little faster, and by the time it was revealed, the Safari sculpt had almost certainly been completed. If they resemble each other, it might be because both were influenced by the artwork of Julius Csotonyi.

As for the Uintatherium, Safari wasn't able to make mammals because of their agreement with Carnegie, so I'm sure the glut of prehistoric mammals this year--including the Uintatherium--is just a product of their being freed from that agreement.

Personally, I'm always happier when Safari and CollectA make different species from one another, because it means more variety on my shelves. But to call it "poor taste" implies some nefarious intention that I don't think exists. Maybe that's not what you meant, but that's how it came across.

Well said, Halichoeres! Often when companies make similar species it's because they were influenced by the same thing. For example, a couple companies making Pachyrhinosaurus about the time 'Walking with Dinosaurs' came out; and last year Mojo an Safari made a blue tang when 'Finding Dory' came out. I doubt there is any malicious attempt to 'out-do' one another with various species.

While I also prefer species diversity, I also really like getting the same species from multiple companies. It's fun to compare styles and accuracy. It's also interesting too that you start to see styles preferred by local cultures (e.g. Schleich's style might be more appealing to Europeans based on art and culture in the region while Safari's style might be more appealing to American consumers). Not sure if that is intended but overtime you see similar patterns emerge in regional figures, especially mammals as they are more expressive in their appearances. This was particulary evident (to me at least) in older figures, but as all the companies become increasingly scientifically accurate, they tend to me more similar to one another across company lines.

bmathison1972 wrote:

halichoeres wrote:

barracudacat wrote:

Very nice new releases!  Overall, I am really impressed with both species and sculpting choices, especially for the extant animals.  I love the Sumatran Rhino, Siamese, and Przewalski's Horse.  The Megacerops and Ankylosaurus are amazing as well.

Safari, I think you're a fantastic company overall, but in my personal opinion, copying the CollectA Regaliceratops so closely was in poor taste.  I could say the same thing about the Uintatherium, but that one at least has a vastly different design and I like the smaller size (although I still very much prefer the CollectA Unintathere's looks).  I just wish those spots were filled by more deserving and unique species.

I think it takes a couple of years for a toy to go from idea to production--I'm sure when they started these figures, they had no idea what CollectA was doing. Regaliceratops was only described in 2015; I'm sure both CollectA and Safari saw it and thought it would be cool to make. It's just that CollectA made it a little faster, and by the time it was revealed, the Safari sculpt had almost certainly been completed. If they resemble each other, it might be because both were influenced by the artwork of Julius Csotonyi.

As for the Uintatherium, Safari wasn't able to make mammals because of their agreement with Carnegie, so I'm sure the glut of prehistoric mammals this year--including the Uintatherium--is just a product of their being freed from that agreement.

Personally, I'm always happier when Safari and CollectA make different species from one another, because it means more variety on my shelves. But to call it "poor taste" implies some nefarious intention that I don't think exists. Maybe that's not what you meant, but that's how it came across.

Well said, Halichoeres! Often when companies make similar species it's because they were influenced by the same thing. For example, a couple companies making Pachyrhinosaurus about the time 'Walking with Dinosaurs' came out; and last year Mojo an Safari made a blue tang when 'Finding Dory' came out. I doubt there is any malicious attempt to 'out-do' one another with various species.

While I also prefer species diversity, I also really like getting the same species from multiple companies. It's fun to compare styles and accuracy. It's also interesting too that you start to see styles preferred by local cultures (e.g. Schleich's style might be more appealing to Europeans based on art and culture in the region while Safari's style might be more appealing to American consumers). Not sure if that is intended but overtime you see similar patterns emerge in regional figures, especially mammals as they are more expressive in their appearances. This was particulary evident (to me at least) in older figures, but as all the companies become increasingly scientifically accurate, they tend to me more similar to one another across company lines.

Right on Halichoeres ..!!

Quote :

I think it takes a couple of years for a toy to go from idea to production--I'm sure when they started these figures, they had no idea what CollectA was doing. Regaliceratops was only described in 2015; I'm sure both CollectA and Safari saw it and thought it would be cool to make. It's just that CollectA made it a little faster, and by the time it was revealed, the Safari sculpt had almost certainly been completed. If they resemble each other, it might be because both were influenced by the artwork of Julius Csotonyi

Thank you for explaining this better. I can understand if both companies simultaneously created the same species since this often happens. However, what I find very hard to understand is just how similar they look in terms of pose and design. You can see what I mean here since both look like they're calmly bending over for a drink.

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Even if it was coincidental, I would have either nixed the figure or reworked it so that it looks different (like the two Uintatheres). I definitely don't see its inclusion as nefarious, but rather a poor business decision since most of the sales will probably go to CollectA. I actually very much want Safari to succeed. Hopefully, they will take some of these suggestions to heart. They really are one of the best figure producers in the world and when they stick to their own thing, they remain on top.

Looking at the blurry Poleroids, and the 'hints' Poleroids, the following still need to be revealed:

scorpion
spiny lobster
owl (with ear tufts, so it's not the barn owl GLM)
marmot
Hyaenodon/thylacine-looking thing
tiger-striped sauropod
falcon/hawk (African species, apparently)
possibly two cartilaginous fish (based on suspect fins)
koala (or something with an ear like a koala)
plus others not hinted at (any more TOOBs?)

bmathison1972 wrote:

[Well said, Halichoeres! Often when companies make similar species it's because they were influenced by the same thing. For example, a couple companies making Pachyrhinosaurus about the time 'Walking with Dinosaurs' came out; and last year Mojo an Safari made a blue tang when 'Finding Dory' came out. I doubt there is any malicious attempt to 'out-do' one another with various species.

While I also prefer species diversity, I also really like getting the same species from multiple companies. It's fun to compare styles and accuracy. It's also interesting too that you start to see styles preferred by local cultures (e.g. Schleich's style might be more appealing to Europeans based on art and culture in the region while Safari's style might be more appealing to American consumers). Not sure if that is intended but overtime you see similar patterns emerge in regional figures, especially mammals as they are more expressive in their appearances. This was particulary evident (to me at least) in older figures, but as all the companies become increasingly scientifically accurate, they tend to me more similar to one another across company lines.

I agree with what you said, of course we as collectors want diversity and the opportunity to have a unique and rare (in reality and toy form) animals on our shelves (like CollectA's new civet), but by having multiple figures from brands or eras you can also choose which ones you like best. I am a wolf collector especially and have a shelf that is bursting with them. I enjoy looking them over once in a while because I have some models that are really well made and realistic, some that are a bit more cartoony and expressive, some that are poorly made anatomically or reflect the human fears about them (very fearsome face for instance). And all are from a variety of large and small brands and brands that specialize in human action figures not animals etc. etc. I enjoy comparing these because they are an artistic representation of something, whether its style, competence or level of skill in sculpting, or even marketing strategy. But at the end of the day they can also represent animal variation in the world, just like people, each individual can look very different from the next. etc. etc....

barracudacat wrote:

Quote :

I think it takes a couple of years for a toy to go from idea to production--I'm sure when they started these figures, they had no idea what CollectA was doing. Regaliceratops was only described in 2015; I'm sure both CollectA and Safari saw it and thought it would be cool to make. It's just that CollectA made it a little faster, and by the time it was revealed, the Safari sculpt had almost certainly been completed. If they resemble each other, it might be because both were influenced by the artwork of Julius Csotonyi

Thank you for explaining this better.  I can understand if both companies simultaneously created the same species since this often happens.  However, what I find very hard to understand is just how similar they look in terms of pose and design.  You can see what I mean here since both look like they're calmly bending over for a drink.

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

Even if it was coincidental, I would have either nixed the figure or reworked it so that it looks different (like the two Uintatheres).  I definitely don't see its inclusion as nefarious, but rather a poor business decision since most of the sales will probably go to CollectA.  I actually very much want Safari to succeed.  Hopefully, they will take some of these suggestions to heart.  They really are one of the best figure producers in the world and when they stick to their own thing, they remain on top.

When in 2015 Regaliceratops fossils were named, the artist Julius T. Csotonyi made a painting of what it would have looked liked.
That painting is probaly used both by CollectA and Safari ltd. to create their models.
That could explain why it looks almost the same.

p.s. Check out some of Csotonyi's work.
He makes some amazing paleoart.
I love it.

SUSANNE wrote:

And did you see : They have a Siamussy-Kitty-Cat !!!!!!

Yeeeaahhh
And it is a good looking one

So many wonderful models we will get from Safari next year

And I know that it is a common animal for a toy model, but I am in love with the Bison
More photos HERE
It look`s really nice
Of course the paint work will be not like that...we know Safari .. but still the sculpt is very nice.

costicuba wrote:

SUSANNE wrote:

And did you see : They have a Siamussy-Kitty-Cat !!!!!!

Yeeeaahhh
And it is a good looking one

So many wonderful models we will get from Safari next year

And I know that it is a common animal for a toy model, but I am in love with the Bison
More photos HERE
It look`s really nice
Of course the paint work will be not like that...we know Safari   .. but still the sculpt is very nice.

Completely agree ! The Pygmy hippo and Bison are shadowed by the other amazing new releases , but both these are beautifully sculpted caught in the moment of Motion !!
The Siamese cat looks like a Siamese cat !! She is purring to be picked up !

I think it´s time to reorganize this thread and update the first post with a list and pictures of all the new figurines :O So we don´t have to scroll through the whole thread and can look all the newcomers directly :)
Cause I even missed the new ones And I´m very surprised about the interesting choice! We waited years for a barbirusa and a przwalski and CollectA heard us - and now Safari is hearing us too. The Przewalski even looks better than the CollectA one.
The sumatran rhino is something for my wishlist for sure And I´m very sure this figurine was on a lot of whislists :)

Quote :

p.s. Check out some of Csotonyi's work.
He makes some amazing paleoart.
I love it.

I would love to. He sounds amazing! Unfortunately, I have noticed this is a problem with some of CollectA's designs as well.

Duck-Anch-Amun wrote:

I think it´s time to reorganize this thread and update the first post with a list and pictures of all the new figurines :O So we don´t have to scroll through the whole thread and can look all the newcomers directly :)

You are right, it is supposed to be the author topic to do it but, as it is a patched up topic, I did it myself. It is needing some formatation but I believe it will be easier to check now. Anything missing just let me know.

Thanks for putting that together, Roger. The only thing amiss is that the Leviathan should go with the other mythical/fantasy creatures.