CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around

Subject: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Sun Mar 15, 2020 12:39 pm

Since 2017, CollectA is in what I call the 3rd wave of models.
This new wave is marked for relevant updates of their figures that represent common species, very important to the business.
This new batch is being particularly proficuous with many core models being replaced for fabulous new figures with high quality standards. Even the white rhinoceros, that was not replaced during the 2nd wave, received a new version.
The first leopard, released in 2008, was replaced by a Amur leopard, in 2015, following the bold strategy of CollectA 2nd wave where some of the common animals were replaced by related but different taxa.
This 3rd generation, features an African leopard Panthera pardus pardus pardus, being again a CollectA figure made to the subspecies level! cheers

There is also a black version of it.

It is slightly to the large size, weighing 56g, similar to what a Schleich jaguar weighs, it is close to 5,5 cm tall at the shoulders and 10 cm long from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail. I'd put it into 1:12 scale for a large male.

The pose shows a walking leopard, in a very elegant movement, somewhat reminescent of the Mojö Fun's rendition.

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The tail is long, somewhat thick, but it gives a wonderful balance to the figure. It is held high up and curled towards the dorsal part of the animal. It is also slightly leaned to the left side of the figure what gives an impression that it is wobbling as long as the feline walks.
From this angle, this figure reminds me a lot the style of the Mojö Fun puma. cat

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Legs are harmoniously placed under the body with elegance without sacrificing the balance of the figure.

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It is a bulky model with a wide head but in a correct way for this species.

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Pawpads are carved and painted. Though, it was made as flat as possible so the figure stands. Masculine genital parts are presente but discreetly.

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Body is covered with conspicuous rosettes with lower legs, head and inner parts are all spotted.
Basal color is darker on dorsal parts and lighter on vetral areas.

Eyes have pupils painted and are outlined by a dark line. There is also some whitish under the eys.
I believe there are samples with pupils better positioned. Wink

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The back of the ears are correctly marked.

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Time to find a good tree and have a good rest. Sleep

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Comparison picture of two CollectA African animals that I adore.
2018 African civet and 2019 African leopard
More comparison pictures can be seen [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] cat

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Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Sun Mar 15, 2020 1:37 pm

There is ONE good thing about this *beep* corona virus : Roger makes walk-arounds cheers

It is a wonderful model, and with your comments and pictures I see it as a natural part of the CollectA fauna Very Happy

As you mention, the only slightly negative thing one can find, is the paintwork of the eyes, which seem a little bit wrong, but that is only if I WANT to find something Embarassed

This model is really magnificent, and I have changed my mind and am sure that he will have to move in here and join his Amour cousin on the shelf cat

Thankyou ever so much for this great walkaround and all the interesting comments and links cheers

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

Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Sun Mar 15, 2020 1:58 pm

I also have this Panthera pardus, it's an amazing model cheers

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Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Sun Mar 15, 2020 2:31 pm

A must have that figure

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STS members can merge [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] Andreas [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Sun Mar 15, 2020 2:35 pm

Best leopard figure out there, and a very big step up from that dreadful Schleich blank panther you showed last time ;-)

Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Sun Mar 15, 2020 2:44 pm

Great male leopard, he fits rather well with the Bullyland one.

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

"Our planet is in crisis. The monster of this earth, is not a tiger nor a lion or shark. It's us we've destroyed the planet." (My own quote)

Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Sun Mar 15, 2020 2:59 pm

Here it is !
The wonderful leopard by Collecta, presented with a wonderful walkaround by Roger ! Applause

I like this model !
It has many many positive points on it and all were noticed from Roger.
Although I have to be honest, I am not a big fan not only of the eyes, but of the head in general.
Watching only the head yes, we can see that it is leopard, but the profile could be done better.
The eyes too...
That`s why, still my favorite leopard model is the '' black jaguar'' by Papo Laughing

But I want to admire Collecta for this nice Leopard model.
I really like the proportions, the natural walking pose ... and I think, for a mass product, this model is very well , and rich painted Applause

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

Last edited by Roger on Sun Mar 15, 2020 7:31 pm; edited 1 time in total

I really enjoy reading your comments and opinions about the model. I am enjoying this leopard a lot although I wished the flanks were sculpted as the Papo's jaguar Kosta mentioned. I intend to get some more 3rd wave figures. Namely the African lion that looks so beautiful, the white rhino and the hippo that is probably even better than Papo's one.

SUSANNE wrote:: There is ONE good thing about this *beep* corona virus : Roger makes walk-arounds

costicuba wrote:: That`s why, still my favorite leopard model is the '' black jaguar'' by Papo

You want to kill me with your jokes! Very Happy

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Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Sun Mar 15, 2020 6:52 pm

Roger wrote:: I intend to get some more 3rd wave figures. Namely the African lion that looks so beautiful, the white rhino and the hippo that is probably even better than Papo's one.

Oh yes, these 3 models are the best choice !
You really should get them.
I have the both lion colors , but if you want to choose one of them... and if you still don`t have other white lions ( like me),
I am suggesting you the white one . It is really nice.
The Papo`s Hippo is still closest to my heart, but the Collecta one is really well made.

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Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Mon Mar 16, 2020 1:57 am

First of all, another truly excellent walkaround, so congrats Roger for your pics and your comments, so helpful and informative!
About the leopard now, I might be the grumpy one here or there's something wrong with my perception, cos I feel like I'm the only one that doesn't consider it an excellent model.
I have to say that I'm a huge Collecta fan, for me it's undoubtedly the best brand these days. The Rhino, the Hippo, the Antelopes or even the horses are on top! But this leopard..hmm
OK, it's not bad at all, but.. What I see in a real leopard is that unbelievable beauty of the fur pattern, the rosettes are divinely placed, they look symmetrical without been symmetrical, anyway I can't say it with words. What I feel is that Collecta did not make the proper effort to represent that. The result is a bit messy for me, especially on the neck and shoulders. Schleich did a better job on that.
Then, I have to agree with Kosta about the head and the eyes of course.

Roger wrote:: I believe there are samples with pupils better positioned.

Unfortunately not, it's quite strange, like they made it on purpose! I buy my Collecta figures from Attica Zoo Park and there's always about half a dozen of each one on display. Never found one with well positioned pupils. Maybe this is the reason that everyone's pics on the net (including the official) are from the sides.
And finally, I'm not too keen on the (almost) orange colour of its fur, I know that this can be realistic for certain animals, but it feels too close to a tiger's fur for me. I would prefer it more yellow.

Well, since I still find this figure appealing but can't make peace with these issues, I'm seriously thinking of getting the black version of it when it's available. If only they'll improve the eyes, that's not too hard, isn't it?

Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:03 am

costicuba wrote:

Roger wrote:: I intend to get some more 3rd wave figures. Namely the African lion that looks so beautiful, the white rhino and the hippo that is probably even better than Papo's one.

Oh yes, these 3 models are the best choice !
You really should get them.
I have the both lion colors , but if you want to choose one of them... and if you still don`t have other white lions ( like me),
I am suggesting you the white one . It is really nice.
The Papo`s Hippo is still closest to my heart, but the Collecta one is really well made.

I understand your suggestion for a white lion. It would give something different to my collection once I don't have any white lion indeed. I also am not needing more African lions but the new CollectA is too tempting. I may acquire the normal colored version but I will have time to think about your suggestion.

spacelab wrote:

First of all, another truly excellent walkaround, so congrats Roger for your pics and your comments, so helpful and informative!
About the leopard now, I might be the grumpy one here or there's something wrong with my perception, cos I feel like I'm the only one that doesn't consider it an excellent model.
I have to say that I'm a huge Collecta fan, for me it's undoubtedly the best brand these days. The Rhino, the Hippo, the Antelopes or even the horses are on top! But this leopard..hmm
OK, it's not bad at all, but.. What I see in a real leopard is that unbelievable beauty of the fur pattern, the rosettes are divinely placed, they look symmetrical without been symmetrical, anyway I can't say it with words. What I feel is that Collecta did not make the proper effort to represent that. The result is a bit messy for me, especially on the neck and shoulders. Schleich did a better job on that.
Then, I have to agree with Kosta about the head and the eyes of course.

Roger wrote:: I believe there are samples with pupils better positioned.

Unfortunately not, it's quite strange, like they made it on purpose! I buy my Collecta figures from Attica Zoo Park and there's always about half a dozen of each one on display. Never found one with well positioned pupils. Maybe this is the reason that everyone's pics on the net (including the official) are from the sides.
And finally, I'm not too keen on the (almost) orange colour of its fur, I know that this can be realistic for certain animals, but it feels too close to a tiger's fur for me. I would prefer it more yellow.

Well, since I still find this figure appealing but can't make peace with these issues, I'm seriously thinking of getting the black version of it when it's available. If only they'll improve the eyes, that's not too hard, isn't it?

This kind of topics are not defintely to convince people buying these figures. We are not a shop, sellers and we also don't receive figures for free to promote them. The goal is clearly to help other members to take the best decision and to bring some constructive discusssion that may serve as a good orientation to the agents envolved in this business. Thus, I have to agree with your observations, especially about the eyes.
This is a question really important, I often judge a figure much based in its general sculpt but I know, from my experience on forum and in local shops, that the first thing people values is how good are the eyes. I use to say that if a figure is completely disproportioned but it has good eyes, people will love it. CollectA surely knows it and they should pay more atention to this detail. It makes a lot of difference in final sales.
About the Schleich leopard, I understand what you mean with the rosettes and I enjoy the way they sorted them, but even if I find it a nice figure, the sculpt seems quite unimpressive and isn't the tail more painted like a cheetah's tail?
Well, here goes a cruel close up of the eyes of my CollectA leopard.

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Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:37 am

Roger wrote:: This kind of topics are not defintely to convince people buying these figures. We are not a shop, sellers and we also don't receive figures for free to promote them. The goal is clearly to help other members to take the best decision and to bring some constructive discusssion that may serve as a good orientation to the agents envolved in this business. Thus, I have to agree with your observations, especially about the eyes.
This is a question really important, I often judge a figure much based in its general sculpt but I know, from my experience on forum and in local shops, that the first thing people values is how good are the eyes. I use to say that if a figure is completely disproportioned but it has good eyes, people will love it. CollectA surely knows it and they should pay more atention to this detail. It makes a lot of difference in final sales.
About the Schleich leopard, I understand what you mean with the rosettes and I enjoy the way they sorted them, but even if I find it a nice figure, the sculpt seems quite unimpressive and isn't the tail more painted like a cheetah's tail?
Well, here goes a cruel close up of the eyes of my CollectA leopard.

You almost convinced me to buy it and I agree with you it is the best looking leopard figure on the market. I don't think the eyes look so terrible.

Only one thing is still preventing me to buy it, the same thing as always : SIZE. I am afraid it would look too large next to my lions for example, and I don't want a leopard, even an African one, much larger than my jaguars.

You are right about people's obsession for figures eyes. It is very important for me and I just cannot enjoy a very well sculpted figure if the eyes aren't right. For example, I was unable to enjoy my Papo snow leopard until Caracal sent me an older version with much better painted eyes.
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Anyway, thank you for that walkaround, you almost convinced me. I need a new leopard because I only have old Schleich ones (as well as the Schleich black panther you did another walkaround about, and the Papo hunting black panther which is unfortunately too big for display). However I think I will wait for your Schleich jaguar to come back from holidays before making my mind up Laughing

Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:21 am

Roger wrote:: About the Schleich leopard, I understand what you mean with the rosettes and I enjoy the way they sorted them, but even if I find it a nice figure, the sculpt seems quite unimpressive and isn't the tail more painted like a cheetah's tail?

Sure, the tail is just one of the things that kept me from buying the current Schleich. Also, I'm not very keen with the face, Collecta's much better. If only we could take the good parts of all actual models and place them in one.. Since that cannot be done, I chose the classic 2007 Schleich that in general convinces me more as a leopard (having of course the disadvantages of another's era model).

Actually Roger, your model's eyes are rather OK.

Ritas, as far as size matters, yes, it's a bit bigger than the Schleich jaguars.

Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Mon Mar 16, 2020 12:46 pm

Thanks for the info Spacelab.

My leopard is also the 2007 Schleich, I don't know how the CollectA would look next to her.

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Schleich 370
CollectA 76
Papo 61
Safari 24
Yujin 15
Southlands 12
Mojo 14
Maia&Borges 5
Bullyland 1
Recur 1
Homemade 3
Bootleg 1
Total 582

Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Mon Mar 16, 2020 2:18 pm

It is interesting your preference for the 2007 Schleich version. Maybe a walk around of it could be a good idea. We already have a topic about the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].
I bought the 2007 leopard several years ago to my niece and as far as I remember, it is aproximately the same size as the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] recently.
Here is another comparison picture but it can be seen better clicking the link I provided at the of the first post.

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Subject: Re: CollectA 2019 African Leopard Walk Around Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:48 pm

Thank you Roger, this walkaround was a great read! This is the best leopard I have seen so far. I am grateful for the time given for paintwork and hope when I come to get mine that it will be beautifully painted too. I have always gone for Papo with my cats but it seems Collecta have drastically improved over the last few years and this will replace my Papo leopard in good time.

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