Rtas' additions - Birthday gift from El Desperado

Hi friends.

I have decided to open my topic with that very special addition I found today, while I was not expecting it at all.

Oh, that's nothing very exotic or scarce, and that's something you all have already seen thanks to Taos' and Susanne's brilliant pictures.

That's just the new dromedary mare from Schleich, but that's a very meaningful addition to me.

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In pair :
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In herd :
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With a central asian cousin :
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This camel is definitely the best 2020 figure from Schleich and I was looking forward to find it. Well, I got it in the most beautiful way...

Next week, I am going to start a job that I don't like at all but I was forced to accept because of financial issues. I have been pretty desperate during those last days, thinking that I have failed in life at only 27 and there is no turning back.

I went back to my parents' house for the weekend because I did not want to stay alone with my negative thoughts, waiting for my first day. And as always when I go back home, I visited my favourite Schleich shop hoping to find this new dromedary mare. I knew that it was probably my last time in this shop, since my day off will be on monday and this store is always closed on monday. So I really hoped to make one last purchase from this guy who had known me since I was a child and always provided me with Schleich figures. Unfortunately, he had not received the dromedary and I was very very disappointed.

The day after, today, I could not decide wether I would stay one day more at my parents' or go back home to prepare for my first day. I finally decided to stay because I still did not want to be alone with my bad thoughts.

So, in this afternoon, I decided to look for a present for my dog who will be 4 years old on next wednesday. I went to a garden centre but did not find anything interesting... until I got to the exit and found... A SCLEICH DISPLAY STAND This garden shop was not supposed to sell Schleich and a cashier told me that they had just received the figures this morning ! And among them, I found... THE DROMEDARY MARE

You cannot imagine how delighted it made me. It was like a light in the darkness. I know it may sound silly but it gave me a bit of hope in the future while I had not any.

And that's why collecting is much more than a hobby for me. On many occasions looking for new figures, finding them and adding them to my collection kept me busy and prevented me from falling into really bad mood. It helped me not sinking when I looked at my life and thought that it has no meaning. This time is no exception.

Now, I am going to bring this dromedary back home rather than letting it with the rest of my collection at my parents', so that I will not forget the joy I felt when I found it and can remember it after a hard day at work.

Looking for a figure, finding it, adding it to your collection can be one of those little joys in life that help you carry on regardless the ruthlessness of life. Until now, I had no one to share these joys with and collecting remained a solitary hobby.

Now, I am glad to be part of this international community full of sweet members I can talk with about one of the things I like the most in life.

PS : I went to another pet shop after buying the dromedary and found a wonderful birthday present for my dog :
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This is such a wonderful story

I am ever so happy for you, and I cross my fingers that the job will turn out better than you feared

Yes, - you are not alone - You know, - when I get a model I like very much, I keep it next to my bed at night, so I can see it when I wake up

And such a super charming gift for your doggie, I am sure he/she will be very exited ;-)

Thank you Susanne.

And that's a "he". He is a chihuahua

Nice family :)

That is really a beautiful story and please don't demotivate so early. Life has a lot of changes and sometimes what seems to be not so good results in something important to give a positive direction to our life. I think it is more stressing not having a job as it happens with me for such a long time than having something that we do not enjoy too much. At least it is my personal experience. It also depends of you, we always can find some positive things when we start working in a new place.
It is wonderful that you have your father to support you. I undestand you about the meaning of the dromedary, this hobby works as a kind of therapy to many of us and some little things in hard times can work as a sign of hope.
If I ever find my Papo dromedary male unhappy, I will surely find a beautiful mare like yours once now I know it works! Good luck!

As you've just experienced with the dromedary, life is full of surprises. So nice you found it when it was least expected..
Good luck with your new job, I believe the most important part in a job is the people you'll meet and not the job itself. So, good luck again and I hope you'll be surprised positively!

Thank you Roger and spacelab.

During my chilhood, since I was eleven, I was a boarder in a sad boarding school and from times to times, could go out with an aunt on thirsday, and visit a game shop where I could buy one Starlux animal figurine.. that was the light of the week!.. Starlux figurines helped me to bear my prisonner-like life!.. :)

Good luck Rtas, You're yet a young man and many opportunities will come! :)

Thank you Caracal.

The new dromedary is gorgeous and I will probably get it next weekend as well as the red panda and wombat. The group photo you posted is just perfect as I have the others and I wanted the scale of them together.

The end of the quarantine is a pain in the ass for me but at least I can go to that toy shop close to my job again !

Here are the two first figures I got after two months without buying anything : a new seal species in my collection (and a proper mother for my white "definitely not-harbour seal" pup and an European brown bear to replace my old vintage Schleich.
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I forgot to buy the Papo albatross, I will probably go back tomorrow to get it. I may also purchase the Papo griffon vulture which looks gorgeous and will work nicely with my Schleich. I am also considering the Arctic hare since my Schleich is a mountain hare. I even found a Papo lynx with "not so bad" eyes

It seems the confinement made you more receptive to the beautiful figures of a certain French company. I don't have any of these but I love both!

Ahah ! That's not the confinement, I was already getting more receptive when I joined this forum !

The seal is a spotted seal

Your figures are very beautiful

I adore both of those models

The bear especially is just ever so wonderful ! I had him standing here next to my computer for a long time.
But then my crazy, old cat decided that if she has to stay  away from the computer, so must the bear, and she kept pushing him to the floor

So now poor bear has moved to a less dangerous place

Nice additions again

Wonderful! I suppose soon we will join to the flock of people getting first figures after a long time witouth buying. This seal was during months in a stationery near my home and I always doubted about buy it or not, because inacurateness of the paintjob. But the position is so charismatic and the sculpt is so well done. Now I regret that I didn't bought it, and it was sold. I hope to find it in future in any other stationery. For now the same stationery have the Papo dromedary and I'm in doubt about buying it or not.

Nice additions!!

Thank you guys !

Suzanne, I would be afraid to have a cat because they climb everywhere and may damage the figures. Anyway, I have always preferred dogs and mine is so respectful that he does not touch my figures and can even walk between them without making them fall !

Pardo, I think that the new Schleich dromedary is quite obviously much better, the texture and details are very close to what you enjoy about CollectA figures. But it's a mare and the Papo male actually fits well with her, that's why I bought it too. However, since you only collect one figure per species, I strongly recommend you the Schleich mare.

They have one seal left in that shop where I bought mine. If you really want it, I can trade it with you. However, I don't think getting it in Spain would be very complicated as it is not retired yet.

Great new figures!

Thank you Paige !

New figures from today !
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As some of you already know, I am planning to replace my CollectA wandering albatross by the Safari smaller and thinner version. This black-browed one from Papo will represent another albatross species in my collection.

Since my Schleich white hare is a mountain one, this Arctic hare is a new species in my collection too.

Finally, I did not plan to buy that young hippo but when I saw it in the shop, I thought it would be an interesting addition to my collection since I have only adults and babies and no immature individuals yet.

Congratulations on your new additions! The hippo calf is such a sweetie

All good excuses to buy more figures. I like this hippo youngster, it is a very good figure as well as the sitting Schleich baby is. No reason to replace the CollectA albatross but you do what you want with your collection. I am also acquiring the Arctic hare, maybe Safari's is slightly better but the Papo is equally nice.

Safari's Arctic hare would be too big for my collection.

I have seen Paige's comparison pics and the Safari albatross is in perfect scale with the rest of my collection. The CollectA albatross is really too bulky, it is nicer than the Safari I agree, but as excessively oversized as my Papo impala.

I may display it on my desk in my flat once I have the Safari or I may trade it with you since you seemed to be interested in it.