Rtas' main collection

Chester zoo has a beautiful black jaguar

Advicot wrote:

Chester zoo has a beautiful black jaguar

I love jaguars, they look so strong and mighty, so much more muscular than leopards. And knowing how they kill their prey makes them even more appealing.

It is the first Schleich tiger I really like. I have the old sitting one but that's another story.
Together with the cheetah, it is a good example how some Schleich felines have improved. The new lynx could join the batch if it was not so poorly painted.
However, Papo is the authority in terms of tigers. Since the first one in 2005, they are all really great and I have most of them. Even the last cub seems incredibly good. I'm also tempted by the new CollectA. Maybe if next year is so poor in new models as we expect, it is a good chance to get some that I avoided because of the priorities.
Calling a Bengal tiger to a figure that has a white version seems sensate, although you can certainly use it as you wish, mainly when your variation gives some plausibility to it.

I admit that Papo is much better as far as tigers and lions are concerned. But I started with Schleich and now every tiger or lion from them is too big for my collection, except the last roaring tiger I have.

As spacelab mentionned, it seems that CollectA is now making their big cats the size of Papo's. I don't know why these brands tend to make lions and tigers bigger than the rest of their figures. Maybe that's because they are the most popular animals and they want to highlight that. I am not sure about getting CollectA's model or not. I am interested in having a Siberian tiger in my collection and Siberian tigers are the heaviest tigers in the world but wouldn't it be too big, even for a Siberian tiger ? I think, just like you, I may buy it when I have nothing else to buy, which is not going to happen anytime soon.

I understand what you mean about bengal tigers and white tigers but CollectA's model also has a white version while it is a Siberian tiger.

I have the same tiger (adult), while it could be a bit bigger it's a masterpiece and I love it.

RtasVadumee wrote:

- I use this tiger as a Sumatran tiger in my collection. I actually first joined this forum to ask you if it would be relevant to do that. That was my first topic here.

I can't find a less relevant thing in the whole universe I'm always a bit unpleased about whole world caring about tiger (and leopard) subspecies with overhelming exaggeration, while they don't care for species, genus or even families or other kinds of animals (for example a bee is just "bee", which is very unfair). Species is just tiger, nothing more. Sumatran tiger is not a species as are not the Javan or the African leopards.

Pure bengal tigers are completely absent from zoos (except probably some zoos of India), and white tigers (except the wild ones, that probably are now absent from the planet as this mutation is extremely rare in nature), are not Bengal tigers but subspecific hybrids.

I agree that this tiger is a top-class figure. It also feels even better when you hold it, it's heavy and bulky and absolutely gorgeous.

I am soon to add CollectA's three Amur tigers to my collection to add a bit of interest as all my 31 (yes a lot I know) tigers are Bengal. Hopefully one day an Asiatic lion is added in to the mix so I don't just have 31 African lions.

V Mammals

H) Carnivorans

1) Feliforms

d) Felids

8. Bengal tigers

Species : Bengal tiger
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Papo 50182 Roaring Tiger (2015-still in production)
- Schleich 14371 Tiger Cub Standing (2008-2015)
- Schleich 14369 Tiger (2008-2015)
- Schleich 14370 Tigress (2008-2014)
- Schleich 14372 Tiger Cub Playing (2008-2013)

Fun facts :
- The roaring tiger was the first tiger I got and is still my favourite one. That's also one of the species for which I prefer the Papo rendition. But I needed a female to go with it and was very happy to find the retired Schleich tigress in a small independant shop during one of my figure hunts. They remained one of my proudest "marriage between brands" until I bought the retired Schleich male to a private seller I found on a famous French second hand website. Now, I have two males : the cubs' father whose territory the tigress lives on and a challenging rival.
- I bought the roaring tiger in a local toy shop (actually, the same as your alligator, Roger) found the tigress and the playing cub during one of my most profitable figure hunts and bought the Schleich male and the two standing cubs to private sellers from my region.
- I have seen tigers which looked like Bengal tigers in zoos but as Pardo said, they were probably subspecific hybrids.

My Schleich tigress has much bolder stripes, I'll show you a picture later.

Nice tigers

V Mammals

H) Carnivorans

1) Feliforms

d) Felids

9. White tigers

Species : Tiger
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Schleich 14731 Tiger, White (2015-still in production)
- Schleich 14385 Tiger Cub White playing (2008-2016)
- Schleich 14732 Tiger Kitten, White (2015-still in production)
- Schleich 14382 Tiger White (2008-2015)
- Schleich 14383 Tigress White (2008-2014)

Fun facts :
- I first got the most recent model to go with my Papo roaring tiger. Then, I found the female in a small idependant toy shop and decided to buy it to go with my male. But my male's stripes were bolder than my female's and I then had to get a more similar male to go with her. That's how I end up with many more white tigers than planned !
- When I was a very young child, I believed white tigers were Siberian tigers and lived in the snow (don't make fun of me please).
- I bought the most recent male and its kitten in my favourite Schleich shop, found the tigress during one of my figure hunts, bought the playing cub to a collector of my region I found on a French second hand website and ordered the previous male on Ebay.
- I have seen white tigers in zoos.

When I was younger I just accepted white lions and tigers without much thought, I believed we have black people, white people and other ethnic mixes so why can't we have white tigers or white lions. (if this has offended anyone I am terribly sorry)

I bought the most recent white tiger by Schleich I classed it as a female as she has a quite feminine face (I do know it has male specific organs) I have never ever seen a white tiger in person and I wouldn't care if I died without seeing one.

V Mammals

H) Carnivorans

1) Feliforms

d) Felids

10. Lions

Species : African lion
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Schleich 14363 Lioness, Walking (2007-2014)
- Schleich 14726 Lion, Roaring (2015-still in production)
- Schleich 14363 Lioness, Walking (2007-2014) - Paintjob variation
- Papo 50126 Playing Young Lion (2011-2019)
- Papo 50125 Young Lion on its Back (2011-2016)
- Schleich 14373 Lion (2008-2015)
- Schleich 14825 Lioness (2019-still in production)
- Schleich 14712 Lioness (2014-2019)
- Papo 50124 Young Lion (2011-2019)

Fun facts :
- The lion is undoubtedly the most popular animal figure among kids but strangely enough, I had no proper male lion in my collection until I started collecting again and bought the roaring one in 2018.
- My favourite lion is the 14373 from 2008. I even prefer it over Papo's models (although Papo's lionesses and cubs are better).
- The cubs and young lion are the only Papo figures compatible with mine as far as size is concerned. I would love to have Papo lionesses but they are too big, unfortunately.
- One of the 14363 walking lioness I ordered arrived badly damaged. If you look carefully, you can see some plastic is missing on the hip. I got my money back and was allowed to keep the damaged lioness. Then, I ordered another one from another seller which came with a different paintjob. As I try to adapt my number of figures to the species' social behaviour, I am always looking for new lionesses so I am happy to have them both even if it is the same mould.
- I am desperately looking for the 14375 lying lioness. That's one of the very few retired Schleich figures I have never found during my scavenger hunts.
- I bought the roaring lion, the 14712 and the 14825 lionesses in my Schleich favourite shop, found the 14373 lion in a garden centre during one of my figure hunts, ordered the two 14363 walking lionesses on Ebay and bought the Papo young lion and cubs in another local shop.
- I have seen lions, both African and Asiatic, in zoos.

Update :
- Schleich 14375 Lioness Lying (2010-2013) was added to the pride. For further information, please check the addition topics.
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My lion pride is 31 strong and contains figures from Schleich, Papo, AAA, Mojo and an Unknown manufacture. For my 'last' African lion figure I allowed my mother to pick out of 10 figures on a PowerPoint and she picked this one: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

A fair amount of my pride is named and the 2015 Schleich male lion was named Tolstoy after Leo Tolstoy who wrote War & Peace. The name was picked by my grandmother.

Wow, all the adults are so entertained seeing the spectacle of the cubs playing!

Advicot wrote:

My lion pride is 31 strong and contains figures from Schleich, Papo, AAA, Mojo and an Unknown manufacture. For my 'last' African lion figure I allowed my mother to pick out of 10 figures on a PowerPoint and she picked this one: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I like Mojo lions but don't know what size they are

I'll post you a comparison on Friday with a Schleich lion

Nice lions too

V Mammals

H) Carnivorans

1) Feliforms

d) Felids

11. White lions

Species : African lion
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Figures on this picture : Schleich 42321 Big Adventure at the Waterhole

Fun facts :
- I got these two as part of the Schleich waterhole set. I did not buy it especialy for the white lion but was still happy to get one for my collection.
- I only paid 20€ for the set as it was retired and had stayed a long time in the shop. A few month later, it was officialy re-released at the price of 100€ or so. The best Schleich deal in my life !
- I think it is one of the best white lions on the market as it is not immaculate white as most figures are but has beige shadings as real white lions are supposed to have. The cub, however, is ridiculous.
- The white lioness which is going to be released this summer will complete that family.
- I have seen white lions in zoos.

Update :
- Schleich 42505 Lion mother with cubs complete the family. For further information, please check the addition topics.
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Regarding lions my opinion is again completely different from yours. In my opinion, there isn't great Schleich lion male figures. I only agree that among all of them, the most decent is the 2008 version, especially when we compare it with the unspeakable 2006 antecessor. It always puzzled me why brands have such difficulty making a decent lion male when it is the most popular figure.
Though, last years things are changing. There are three male lion figures I find excellent even if I only have one of them. The last versions of Papo (roaring), Mojö Fun and CollectA. I have the Mojö model, the only that, despite the chin, looks a real animal when I see it in outdoor pictures. Papo I know from shops and it is incredbly detailed while the CollectA seems to be a very serious model, I must see it in real.
Papo lioness is the figure that exercised over me the strongest seduction power of ever. Even if I never had decided to collect, after seeing it, I couldn't resist. It is still my favorite lioness and my favorite feline figure too.
I hope you can find the female lioness lying, I once almost considered to buy it to ask someone to customize it as a puma but I didn't, it was not a good idea either.

I must admit I hesitated over buying the Papo lioness once I found it in a local shop, even if it is not the same scale as my other figures. I think I would have bought it if it had the same painting as the first generation. Nowadays, Papo lionesses' paintjob is quite different from what it used to be, still good in my opinion, but not as great as the first bunch :
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Eww that newer paint job is awful, it's a good job I have the first generation painting :)

Las Schelich's lioness is quite good, but I dislike the rest of the lions of the branch. Currently my pride is just Papo, with the roaring lion (eyed paintjob corrected by myself, since I'm also quite concerned about eye painting...), the lioness shown above, the lioness hunting (in my opinion these last two are masterpieces, even when I have the latest ones, with the worse painting), the young male and the white female with a cub in mouth. I was trying to get the playing cub you have, buy I wasn't succesfull...

About tigers, also all Papo, even though I have the last Schleich, but I retired it from my main collection since doesn't fit with the rest. I have the roaring male, the trigess lying with cubs, tigress with cub in her mouth and little cub playing.