Rtas' additions - Birthday gift from El Desperado

Roger wrote:

Yes, who needs a remended wandering albatross when we already have the CollectA figure?

Well... someone whose CollectA albatross looks absolutely ridiculous in his collection because it is as large as his cassowary, which is yet from the same brand (I use the cassowary example to avoid comments about my collection being Schleich-focused and show that the albatross is objectively oversized even for CollectA standards ) ?

Well in my personal opinion Roger, they are the most welcome to ideas. When I was younger I would tell them my ideas, and I can't remember if they made a figure out of one. But at least they respond to you unlike Schleich who have completely ignored me when I am suggesting figures


Ben, I think as long as you keep your albatross away from your cassowary it won't cause to much of an eyesore

Advicot wrote:

Ben, I think as long as you keep your albatross away from your cassowary it won't cause to much of an eyesore

The problem is that I can't keep it away from the penguins and they look tiny next to him.

Ahh I see your problem, when I got the CollectA albatross it saw how huuuge it is I honestly didn't mind even though its wings were the length of my elephants. This year I have been a lot more accepting with size as some figures 2/3 years ago I would have rejected but as long as it fits with any animal with its size I thinks it's a keeper. I also get ever so attached to my figures and rarely ever sell/trade. If it was me I would keep him, he's well detailed and once he's gone, he's gone

Well, I would probably keep it unless Roger wants it and has something to offer me in exchange (I am sure he does).

If he's going to a good home, then why not! :)

Undoubtfully Safari Ltd is one of the nicest companies when interacting with collectors. They have a wonderful team and they also have responded to minor suggestions we've done in the past. They even participated as editors at the Toy Animal Wiki. I really love their team. When I mention I don't believe they'd accept to change the albatross to a Galápagos, it is just because it is not such a feasible thing.
Giving a new subtle colour to feet and beak doesn't requires anything special besides a few manufacturing directives and a new picture to the catalogue. Changing it to a Galapágos albatross, will require also some important changes in terms of marketing and eventually it will need to be released as a new product. A Galápagos is also a less marketable product, it is much more appealing a white bird that has the longest wingspan of all than a darker bird that is just a medium sized albatross. I know, the model won't change its size what would turn it even less interesting to Ben. ;)though, if we want a suggestion to be accepted, it cannot be made just focused in our personal collecting interests, it needs also to be interesting to the company.

Wandering albatross are actually huge birds, but CollectA figure is too much for even this. Tough not when compared with almost all birds of almost all brands, all of which are also oversized (when compared to bigger mammals).

What penguins do you have? Excluding those of Japanese brands, all are also oversized, so they maybe could fit with the albatrosss... Look, even the second largest penguin species is dwarved by an albatross

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I have emperor penguins from Schleich and they are too small compared with the CollectA albatross.

Some more new figures...
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The fox is a male, I bought it as a mate to my Schleich female. Don't know if they will fit though.
The vulture looked really nice, maybe even nicer than my Schleich, I could not resist.

Nice additions!
However the fox have something, perhaps the pose that didnt convice me... and the vulture... its a long story but I have mine totally free but when put it with the rest of my collection I didnt liked it at all so finally I retired it. I may give it to my little cousin who is also starting his collection and I enjoy buying him some from time to time.
After a long quarantine filling my CollectA gaps, now I'm with some Papo models too. Currently I'm wondering about their wildebeest, which I find superb but its huuuuuge... I have other humongous figures as the Safari Mandril and wild dog (and birds, of course), but all my ungulares are quite well balanced so... Anyway any kind words towards him may convince me hajaja
(Another problem will be how to make it fit in my display without being ridiculous)
Recently I added the gharial and hammerhead shark and I'm waiting the camell (long time in wishlist), the gibbon and a red doe I never paid attention to.
Also I'm on the wait of some japanese's!
And some of you may remember that I want the Schleich manta ray so badly...well, I found it in an online figure hunt as Ben may say jajaja It made me quite happy. Look how proud it is hanging over some sharks
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Two really wonderful pieces! The fox is the best for sure and the vulture looks really great!

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Photo by Mladen Vasilev

Roger wrote:

Two really wonderful pieces! The fox is the best for sure and the vulture looks really great!

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Photo by Mladen Vasilev

Wow, Roger, you found the perfect photo !
And I absolutelly agree with you about these two models.
Congratulations Ben !

Thank you guys

Andrés, if your ungulates are well balanced, I don't recommend you the Papo wildebeest, especially if you plan to get the CollectA antelopes and especially the black wildebeet. I think you should rather try to find the Schleich retired model on the internet which is perfectly to scale with these figures.

I am glad you found the retired Schleich manta ray. It is a very realistic model, the best manta ray on the market, and as I told you, I bought it right after seeing real ones because it made me realise that it was a perfect replica.

RtasVadumee wrote:

Thank you guys

Andrés, if your ungulates are well balanced, I don't recommend you the Papo wildebeest, especially if you plan to get the CollectA antelopes and especially the black wildebeet. I think you should rather try to find the Schleich retired model on the internet which is perfectly to scale with these figures.

I am glad you found the retired Schleich manta ray. It is a very realistic model, the best manta ray on the market, and as I told you, I bought it right after seeing real ones because it made me realise that it was a perfect replica.

Aaaah don't know what to do... the CollectA wildebeest is not so appealing to me, specially the facial hair, while the Papo's seem amazing. And the Schleich seems to vintage now...

And, yes, the manta is perfect :)

I really don't think THIS Schleich wildebeest looks too vintage :
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And CollectA's is another species, that's why it is different.

I agree with Ben, this Schleich wildebeest is very good for your collection and looks much better in real than in photos. Also the Collecta might not be perfect, but it's OK for a black wildebeest (not many choices actually for that).

It worked as my only blue gnu, with its calf for 9 years and she is a great model you should think about getting :)

spacelab wrote:

I agree with Ben, this Schleich wildebeest is very good for your collection and looks much better in real than in photos. Also the Collecta might not be perfect, but it's OK for a black wildebeest (not many choices actually for that).

The CollectA black one has actually a wonderful pose. I always display it surrounded by my lions pride in my African diorama with the waterhole.

About the wildebesst question, my opinion is that they are all great! I have Papo's and CollectA's and I traded the Schleich what I hope to correct someday once I like the figure. As it was mentioned, ColectA's is a different species, a white-tailed gnu and it is an excellent figure, perfect size, delicate sculpt, dynamic pose.
Papo and Schleich are blue gnus and it is hard to choose. Schleich's has a good size and it is generally a good representative with a simple design and pose. Papo's is a stroke of genius, a manifestation of artistic inspiration in the best sense. It doesn't need to fit with anything, it is a brilliant sculpture on its own. Though, if size matters, it is too big for similar sized animals made by Schleich but goes nicely with other Papo antelopes. There is also the Safari blue gnu and calf, I never felt tempted to get it despite being a fan of the sculptor's work, it is appreciated among some collectors and there is a strong gnu signature on it.

costicuba wrote:

Roger wrote:

Two really wonderful pieces! The fox is the best for sure and the vulture looks really great!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Photo by Mladen Vasilev

Wow, Roger, you found the perfect photo !
And I absolutelly agree with you about these two models.
Congratulations Ben !

Thanks, I knew the photo already and it screams Papo!

Hi friends,

I don't want to open a new topic so I ask my question here.

The Papo shop close to my job recently received the famous baby croc many of you use as a caiman.

Do you think I should buy it ? I mean, is there any objective evidence showing that it is indeed a caiman ? Which caiman species ?

Sorry but I can't find the topic about this issue.

I hope someone on forum can give you a more objective opinion.
The debat is [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and I suggest also this [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
My opinion is on that first topic and I couldn't convince myself about what it really is. Though, the Papo model is more faithful to a caiman than many retired crocodile figures were to anyy croc species.

In my humble and too far from expert opinion it can be used as both. Even more if we attend to how inaccurate other well classified models are. I first used it as baby african crocodile together with the last Schleich adult. But I felt they didn't match at all, so finally I "changed" it by the spectacled caiman :)
By the way, I'm not convinced with the Schleich Nile crocodile. I really like the Papo version, but it's huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge. I can accept Papo's general "hugeness" for species no other brand has done so I have no excuse for buying the croc.

Very nice additions