Rtas' additions - Birthday gift from El Desperado

Many wonderful figures: howls, snakes and death adder, giant salamander, mole rat, crabs.. (the only one I don't like too much is the quagga)

Roger wrote:

I know you're tired of this comment but I insist, you're not the same collector anymore. Now you're even collecting Pokemons and feeding them with earthworms. It seems the only figures I have from these you're showing are those you consider somewhat like poor friends. The quagga, brown snake and Lapland owl. OK, I admit, most of those Japanese models are absolutely superb. Though, I surely don't want to feel tempted into crabs too. Those are too good to be ignored but I will try to stay faithful to my collecting tradtions.

I did evolve as a collector but I think that I'm still keeping an aesthetic coherence in my collection

Hi there !

Today, a little major brand interlude before the next (huge) Japanese parcel !

My local shop finally received the new Papo from 2021 that you all have already seen a dozen times on pics here. As I often say, France is traditionally the most neglected big Western European country by its own national pride but this year is not as bad as usual since the new figures arrived in June instead of September, like in 2020

Of course, the heron was most awaited but I was already quite sure to get the emu and its chick too, and I also took the opportunity to add two older models that I had changed my mind about : the stork with chick and the greater flamingo.
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Unfortunately, I didn't have the required figures for relevant comparisons with me when I bought these, so I had to wait for a visit to my parents to take the pics. That's why we come back to the ulgy green background with flash for once, sorry for the inconvenience !

I was already pre-convinced about the quality of Papo's emu as soon as the first promo pics were released and Lucky Luke's pics confirmed my initial good impression. This new ratite is indeed the perfect mate every wedding planner was waiting for to end the Southlands male's celibacy.
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Actually, despite a less ambitious and let's say more "boring" pose, I would even go as far as saying that this emu is the best one on the market so far, even before the Southlands already very good rendition. I feel like the French brand managed to catch better the overall unkind and quite ugly look of the emu's face, with those truly sinister eyes, hairy forehead and strong black bill menacing every zoo visitor carrying popcorn ! The Southlands model's face looks smooth in comparison. That's why the Papo "feels" even more emu to me, although the Australian rendition remains a masterpiece with better proportions. Anyway, there is absolutely no need to choose as they fit perfectly well together, even if I will have to ask my local painter to make the bases compatible with each others so that I can pretend they are both together at the same place. Here, the choice of the base to repaint is obvious as Southlands Replicas is a dying brand whose figures will be very rare and valuable soon, so there is no question of altering any of them.
As far as size is concerned, Southlands is slightly taller but Papo is somewhat bulkier. Females are precisely heavier than males and since Southlands was officially labelled as a male, there is no doubt about who is what in this pair.

The chick is absolutely great too, nothing to complain about from the pics of real ones I have seen on the net. Obviously, I will buy several of them to mirror the ostrich family. It's just that I was desperately broke when they arrived at the shop so I only "secured" one in case they would all be sold very quickly Here is the eldest of the sibling, with an African little playmate :
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The acquisition of the Papo emu was thought as a replacement to my Mojo I never liked very much. It's indeed quite massive compared with the Schleich ostrich and clearly not as good as the two others. Still, they all fit quite well together so I don't really know anymore what to do. However, I think I would prefer a pair to mirror my cassowaries rather than a trio in that particular case... So if anyone wants it then consider it as available for trade, otherwise I will keep it.
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I had always been convinced that my Schleich flamingos were just regular greater ones since I got one of them as part of the African waterhole set, until I was taught here that they were in fact Chilean flamingos. My pair does not especially show that typically Chilean grey legs/pink knees feature, I mean not more than my new Papo as you will see on the following pic, still I decided to follow the official STS identification for the only sake of finding a good excuse to add a new species That's why the Papo giant joined its smaller Schleich relative, a size difference which is actually perfectly faithful to reality :
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This is, after all, not an as bad figure as I thought. I have never been so bothered by the thick legs as most of you, that's something I have accepted with major brand birds. Some would even find it a stronger model than the Schleich, as it is more detailed as far as the head's paintjob and feathers' texture are concerned. The eyes especially, make it look more real than the Chilean. Yet, I keep being quite annoyed by the too pink colour which makes it look more American than greater, since greater flamingos are supposed to be whitish. So I think I'll just ask my local painter to repaint it based on Andrés' pics who did the same with his sample. The plan is actually to complete the trio with a Safari American so it will likely be necessary at some point anyway.

The next addition was meant to be part of my family reunification policy. Indeed, I knew thanks to Paige's comparison pics that the Papo stork with chick would make a nice wife and child for my new Schleich "male". To speak true, that Papo adult is definitely not as finely sculpted as its Schleich counterpart. The legs are thick, even for my tolerance threshold. The beak is too. Once won't hurt, the Schleich model was the one made to look realistic with these typical slanted eyes while the Papo was given rounder eyes to appear friendlier. Finally, the chest is more fluffy on the Schleich figure while the Papo's plumage is plainer.
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Despite different styles, they nonetheless form a wonderful couple. Within the white stork species, males are usually slightly taller than females and the kind and sweet round eyes of the Papo model make it look more girly than the Schleich and its harsher slanted eyes. Of course this is pure anthropomorphism but never mind.

And seriously, who would resist a stork chick as cute and well done as this one ?! This is truly the best part of the figure and I do enjoy especially the tiny short wings compared to the body.

These storks wouldn't be here without our last newcomer. Indeed, I previously used the old Schleich from the 90s which is way smaller but more conveniently sized to go with the Papo marabou, the Schleich pelicans and the Schleich flamingos used as greater ones. But one figure was so good that it made me break my whole birds scale and move my waders at a larger one, closer to the raptors' scale. This figure is the Papo grey heron which was released this year.

As a birdwatcher, the heron was a too familiar species to be missed, and it was actually a very wished species of mine despite I was convinced that no major brand would ever release a new one. But Papo, as part of its late European birds mania, granted us with one it will be hard to ever surpass. Everything has already been said about this masterpiece and I don't have much more to add except that size does not really matter anymore at such a level of perfection. Talking about it, yeah it's big. Even with new storks it's still quite imposing and would fit better as a North American great blue. But at least it gave me a good excuse to add another bird I was considering, the Safari roseate spoonbill which is humongous too but fits quite well with it. I am curious to know your opinion but in mine, the spoonbill is even more oversized than the heron.
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Of course I will still support the basking shark in the next Figure of the Year contest but that long-legged fowl is so good that it would even be able to make me enjoy a Papo victory

Now that I mention it... You know I was much disappointed by the result of last year. Yet, I'm not such a sore loser and gave a chance to the usurper you crowned ! It's way nicer in real than on pics and quite a beautiful figure actually, I do understand its victory a bit better now, even if I still don't approve it.
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It makes me think that I never showed you my (small) prehistoric mammals collection. It's only made of purchases from the two big brands found locally, I don't want to start buying CollectA stuff, I would end up overwhelmed with all the expenses I already have with Japanese figures. Maybe you'll see it in August when I'll be on holidays.

Congrats!
I would keep the Mojo emu too. It's not so bad, only a bit simplistically painted in the face. And emus go in flocks rather than pairs.


The Schleich flamingo si absolutely a Greater (including American) flamingo without discussion. Not a Chilean in the least way.


The new stork is nice despite the elephantiasis it suffers on legs. It would be easy to make a sharper bill by adding paste. I like your other three Ciconiiformes too, they fit very well together (but as you know, none for me, I would prefair half the size of these ones).

And the Megaloceros is really impressive. If I collect prehistoric (I don't), then it would be one of the figures I would purchase.

I like all the emus, too, I hadn't seen them all together before and I'd struggle to pick a favourite (actually, no - we have one at work who does a great menacing face at my workmate who's afraid of him, then runs up to me for pats and cuddles, so he's my favourite emu! )

The heron is beautiful, I've considered him as a mini taxidermy specimen for my Edwardian collector's study, but I don't think he'd scale right, could anyone tell me how tall he is?

And I ditto Pardofelis, if I collected prehistoric he'd be right up high on my wishlist, magnificent looking creature and well painted.

So many beautiful Papo models, I love that heron too, so realistically painted and sculpted!

Beautiful models all, but I adore the Megaloceros from afar... really need to just buy one already! Congratulations.

"size does not really matter anymore at such a level of perfection" - Quote by Benjamin!

Starting with the emu, I am starting to like it more and more and your chick is particularly beautiful. However, if I ever get the Papo model, I won't get ride of the Mojo emu. I still love it and I think it is as good as the other two. It is also the first of them all what is fantastic for a brand that never released an ostrich. Southlands is confined to a certain geographic area so there's no comparison in this regard.
Roseate spoonbills stands over 80 cm while grey herons around 100 cm. So they look nice together to me.
I think I never bothered about the stork's designs but you are completely right. This time it was Papo who went too far in several aspects that make a figure look more toyish, from the legs, to the bill and especially the eyes. Even not being a fan of the Schleich model, it is undoubtfully a more realistic rendition.
About the Megaloceros it was also not my choice but when I received it as a very generous gift from Susanne, the only thing I can tell is that I got absolutely impressed with the artistic level of this piece. Very sumptuous and it even seems to have a kind of triumphal posture as it was proud of winning the STS contest for figure of the year.

Congratulations

Thanks ! I think I will keep the Mojo emu finally.

Pardofelis wrote:

The Schleich flamingo si absolutely a Greater (including American) flamingo without discussion. Not a Chilean in the least way.

Why do you think that ?

Pardofelis wrote:

The heron is beautiful, I've considered him as a mini taxidermy specimen for my Edwardian collector's study, but I don't think he'd scale right, could anyone tell me how tall he is?

It's 8.2 cm.

Roger wrote:

Roseate spoonbills stands over 80 cm while grey herons around 100 cm. So they look nice together to me.

It was rather a matter of build than height to me : the roseate spoonbill is very massive when you hold it in your hands.

I have to admit the megaloceros is good, yes. I think the only other unusual prehistoric mammal made by Papo is the wooly rhino, I may hunt it down on Vinted in July since I'm not allowed Japanese purchases for 30 days (but that's another story ^^).

Very nice newcomers, especially the heron

RtasVadumee wrote:

Pardofelis wrote:

The Schleich flamingo si absolutely a Greater (including American) flamingo without discussion. Not a Chilean in the least way.

Why do you think that ?

It have a too long and thin neck. Very typical from Ph. ruber "sensu classico"
It have too reddish-pinkish legs (greyish in Chilean)
It have too small amount of black in the bill (like Ph. ruber, black extension is much bigger in Ph. chilensis)
The bill looks like a bit too elongated (Chilean have it a bit more hooked than Greater)

If your diagnostic is based in plumage colour, this is too variable. Caribbean flamingos devoied of a carotene-rich diet in zoos turn pale pink or even white. Same happens in nature if the flamingos are unable to found carotene-rich crustaceans. The hybrids between Old World and New World subspecies of Ph. ruber (sometimes seen at zoos, tough most zoos avoid them), are also of this colour.

RtasVadumee wrote:

Roger wrote:

Roseate spoonbills stands over 80 cm while grey herons around 100 cm. So they look nice together to me.

It was rather a matter of build than height to me : the roseate spoonbill is very massive when you hold it in your hands.

I don't have the figure even if it was always in my wish list. Roseate Spoonbills seem bulkier than grey herons in real but probably not as much as when comparing these figures. Their range of weights is similar even if the spoonbill is smaller. You will have a completely different perception if you ever compare the Papo flamingo with the Safari American flamingo.

The family grows :
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There was a commercial offer so I was able to get one figure for free. I chose a Papo African elephant calf.
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This is kind of a "teenager", similar to their hippo calf, definitely larger than my Schleich, so an interesting addition to my herd.

Emu babies! What a great family they make

A perfect family of emus. And that elephant is so handsome! Very nice group.

I like this elephant.

Little emu is very interesting too.

Ah, I saved the emus' picture, I love it!
When I started collecting, the few emu figures available, were so poor looking and now we have these three and such nice chick. Good idea for your elephant too.

Hi !

Before a HUGE arrival upcoming this week, I received a tiny parcel from my usual Ebay seller in Japan. This is a worthy and important addition, and a major gap I had to fill in my cartilaginous fish collection since it's a stingray and more precisely, the Xingu river ray from Kaiyodo.
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You don't imagine how much the lack of a stingray in my collection bothered me. They are I think, the most famous rays after the mantas, with their so iconic round silhouette and venomous sting. Actually, any species from any family, fresh or saltwater, would have been fine with me, I just wanted one small enough to fit with my Schleich manta and eagle. And as far as stingrays are concerned, Safari is the brand for the job.

Unfortunately, both models offered by the American company are from the Incredible Creatures line, so too big to fit in a standard sized collection. And the leopard whipray from Colorata is, in my humble opinion, quite ugly.

So, I was ready to give up on a stingray when I finally saw this one on my Ebay seller's listings. I didn't know it since it's missing on TAI (please, feel free to use my pic) but I found it beautiful, despite the key chain that could be removed. So, I asked Andrés about it who told me that he had already got one for himself as part of a set dedicated to venomous animals released by Kaiyodo. The set contained a few salamanders and a centipede, all too big for me except this ray.

It's a gorgeous model, really, I wouldn't have expected a figure from Kaiyodo (which I consider overall as the weakest of the four major Japanese companies) to look so much like a Kitan masterpiece or a top-tier Western model. The undulating movement of the sculpt is amazing but what I love the most about this figure is obviously the tiny sting on the tail. Not to be outdone, the paintjob is remarkably clean and the eyes quite expressive !

This Brazilian species can reach 50 cm as a maximum and the figure is a pretty small one so it fits well with my Western giant manta and spotted eagle rays from Schleich. Not only sizewise actually, but also aesthetically as the model is really Western/Kitan-looking as I already said.
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Now, I only need the cownose from Safari which is not from the Incredible Creatures series and is thus standardly sized, and I'll be done with rays !

Beautiful, smooth and realistically painted rays!

It is so adorable, I love it! Another excellent addition.

Congratulations

Benjamin, that is a very beautiful stingy thing.
I would love to put your model on TAW but Kaiyodo is quite complex for me and even the way it is structured on TAW is different from what I am used.
Is it from this set? It is a 2021 set.

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