Rtas' main collection

Yes, it's very obvious that all the Schleich adult seals are harbour seals without possible discussion. But they're just harbour seals that adopten an orphan grey seal pup, as discussed many times in the forum

Contrary to you, I've seen harbour seals in the wild but never grey seals, the latter only in zoos.

Yes, nobody did a Mediterranean monk seal but K&M did a Hawaiian monk seal and Yowies a Caribbean monk seal.

V Mammals

H) Carnivorans

2) Caniforms

f) Pinnipeds

2. Other pinnipeds

Species : Leopard seal, southern elephant seal, walrus, California sea lion
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- CollectA 88806 Leopard Seal (2017-still in production)
- Schleich 16081 Sea Elephant (1998-2002)
- Schleich 16080 Walrus (1996-2011)
- Schleich 14704 Sea Lion Cub (2013-2016)
- Schleich 14365 Sea Lion (2007-2017)

Fun facts :
- As it often happens with Maia & Borges moulds, the Schleich sea elephant has been re-released by Mojo with a better paintjob. I strongly recommend it as it is the only elephant seal from western brand large enough to fit properly with other pinnipeds from Schleich or CollectA.
- The old Schleich walrus was also re-released by Mojo and even by Papo between 2014 and 2017 (I found it in a shop once). It's a nice model, larger than the more recent Schleich and Papo renditions and thus, more compatible with my collection, that's why I never replaced it. However, I recently saw, thanks to Taos's comparison pic, that CollectA's model is roughly the same size as my old Schleich. Furthermore, the CollectA walrus comes with a lovely cub and I would love to have one. So what do you think guys, should I replace my Schleich walrus by CollectA's ?
- The sea lion is my mother's favourite figure and one of her favourite animals. So, I bought a second one and gave it to her as a gift. Her figure is much darker than mine and stays always in her car.
- I got the second sea lion and its cub in a small independant toy shop I visited with my parents. I talked with the shop owner about my passion for animal figures and Schleich and she was so kind that she gave me a book about the history of Schleich for free !
- The leopard seal was part of my third CollectA order. It's one of the figures I wanted the most from CollectA.
- I have the elephant seal and the walrus from my childhood. I ordered the leopard seal from my favourite Ebay seller and found the sea lion and its cub during my figure hunts.
- I have only seen sea lions in zoos (both californian and south American) and never seen walruses, elephant seals or leopard seals. However there has been a sea elephant in Paris' zoo (Vincennes) in the 1930s.

RtasVadumee wrote:

So what do you think guys, should I replace my Schleich walrus by CollectA's ?

Replace it? Don't you try to represent in your collection the social behaviour of each species? You need every walrus from all brands to put all together...

RtasVadumee wrote:

- I have only seen sea lions in zoos (both californian and south American) and never seen walruses, elephant seals or leopard seals. However there has been a sea elephant in Paris' zoo (Vincennes) in the 1930s.

I've seen sea lions in the wild too, and walruses at three different zoos. No leopard seals nor elephants seals, sadly. There is no leopard seals in captivity since last one, Casey, was euthanised at Taronga Zoo (Australia) after a long illness. Fortunately, there are (I think) still elephants seals in a Kamo aquarium in Japan - nowhere else in the world.

Pardofelis wrote:

RtasVadumee wrote:

So what do you think guys, should I replace my Schleich walrus by CollectA's ?

Replace it? Don't you try to represent in your collection the social behaviour of each species? You need every walrus from all brands to put all together...

They won't fit well together at all even if they're the same size, I am pretty sure about that. My old Schleich will not be detailed enough next to CollectA's model and will have to be replaced I am afraid :
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Well if you don't wish to replace him you could have him as the subspecies: Leptev walrus, and have the CollectA as the Pacific walrus as you desire.

Here are some zoos that held northern elephant seals in the past: Berlin, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Munich, Wuppertal, Copenhagen and Antibes

And 33 zoos used to hold Southern elephant seals, including one near my home

V Mammals

I) Sea-cows

Species : Dugong, west Indian manatee
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- CollectA 88766 Dugong (2016-still in production)
- Papo 56015 Manatee (2014-2019)

Fun facts :
- I don't have the more recent Papo manatee yet and don't know if I will ever get it as I like mine and think it has that typical "Maia & Borges" charm the newer version miss.
- I first saw the manatee in that shop close to my job but waited too long to get it and someone else bought it before me. I then found it again in a toy shop one hour away from my hometown, during one of my figure hunts (I also got the Schleich tapir and wolverine and the Papo platypus that day). I ordered the dugong from my favourite Ebay seller.
- I have seen manatees in two zoos (Beauval and Paris) but I have never seen a dugong.

Update :
- Schleich 14839 Manatee (2021-still in production) replaces the old Papo model. For further information, please check the addition topics.
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I missed a lot these days, I see.
Well, it would result tedious if I tell all foxes I have, just a few notes.
Considering only major brands, my favourite red fox is current Papo's. I like best the CollectA fennec although I assume it is a little to the cute side, though, it is larger than Papo's, the size is not only how tall a figure is and their poses are different. Schleich is an excellent brand to explain it, you tell often other brand figures are too big but if you compare the size of their heads or paws, you will see that sometimes the smaller figure does not have necessarily these parts smaller. By the way, why Schleich never made a fennec? It is a perfect species for their style.
My favourite Arctic fox is Papo's and yes, it has a beautiful face. Safari's is a relatively poor rendition but I like htat it is very furry. It is needing a updated version.
My favourite grey wolves are the previous ones from Safari but stupidly I never got them. All your Schleich are slightly small when compared with other company wolves.
Safari's Arctic wolf is my favourite wolf figure of ever, it is a tremendous figure, very realistic, very detailed and with a perfect pose. It is defintely not a large figure.
Won't you get the Safari coyote? It is such a great figure, it may be slightly large but not when compared with these further two.
My maned wolf and black-backed jackal are also CollectA's, there aren't many options but fortunately they are both excellent figures. I have the old Schleich jackal, it is not in any way comparable with CollectA's but I recomend you to get it if you have the chance, you can always add it to your vintage collection. It is an interesting figure of an interesting species with a quality very similar to your Schleich puma. Looking forward to get Papo golden jackal.
My African painted dog is Safari's, superb model and very nicely painted. Mojö's is nice and a completely different rendition but I never acquired it.
My dingo is Southlands', it is fair to put this little company among major's once their models are enormous in quality. I never felt tempted to get the Safari representation, something do not works to me but, it is not out of the battle.
My post goes long, and seals and friends are far from being my main collecting subject.

Nice to see you back there Roger !

Yes, I am considering the Safari coyote but just like the wolves, it won't be part of my first Safari purchase as I am more interested in harpy eagle, pecari, tree kangaroo... I forgot to mention it in my post, you are right.

I once had the chance to get the old Schleich jackal but refused it as I am not adding new vintage figures to my collection anymore.

Your manatee and dugong are very nice. In my collection I have 4 manatee and my only dugong is the same as yours. Have you thought about the walrus ?

V Mammals

J) Elephants

1) Asian elephants

Species : Asian elephant
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Schleich 14753 Asian Elephant Cow (2017-still in production)
- Schleich 14754 Asian Elephant Bull (2017-2019)
- Schleich 14755 Asian Elephant Calf (2017-still in production)
- Schleich 14655 Asian Elephant Calf (2012-2017)
- Schleich 14653 Asian Elephant Male (2012-2017)
- Schleich 14654 Asian Elephant Female (2012-2017)

Fun facts :
- My favourite Asian elephant bull may still be the vintage model from 1998 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] which does not appear on this photo since I moved it to my vintage collection. I first bought the cow from 2017 as her mate and the 2012 calf as their baby. This family made of figures from three different generations stayed in my collection until I decided my old bull was too "vintage-looking" to go with my cow. It was heartbreaking to replace it by the 2017 model. Then, I got the 2012 bull and cow and the 2017 calf, and reorganized my families in a more classic way.
- My favourite female is the cow from 2012. I also love the Mojo one. Maybe I will add it to my troop one day.
- The new Asian elephant bull was retired in 2019. It's surprising that it was produced for only two years. Don't know what happened with it
- I bought the most recent female in my favourite Schleich shop. Both calves were presents from my mother she bought in that same shop. I got the newer male in another local shop and found the 2012 bull and cow during my figure hunts.
- I have seen asian elephants in zoos.

Advicot wrote:

Your manatee and dugong are very nice. In my collection I have 4 manatee and my only dugong is the same as yours. Have you thought about the walrus ?

Yes, I may do what you suggest but anyway, walruses are not a priority right now since I have many new species to buy before.

V Mammals

J) Elephants

1) African elephants

Species : African bush elephant
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Schleich 14761 African Elephant, Female (2016-still in production)
- Schleich 14763 African Elephant Calf (2016-still in production)
- Schleich 14657 African Elephant Female (2012-2016)
- Schleich 14658 African Elephant Calf (2012-2016)
- Schleich 14762 African Elephant, Male (2016-still in production)
- Schleich 14656 African Elephant Male (2012-2016)

Fun facts :
- I think that, unlike Asian elephants that are just ok, African elephants are one of Schleich's strenghts, along with giraffes or apes. I really can't decide which family I prefer. In my opinion, the most recent figures are more "realistic-looking" (details and textures of the skin are amazing) but the older models are majestic and have this "classy touch" typical of Schleich I appreciate so much. So, I would say that my favourite female is the 2016 version while my favourite male is the 2012 rendition.
- I have also the vintage family from the 1990s, including the young elephant from 2001 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] . It is a very interesting and complementary figure as it is older and larger than a calf but still not fully grown. Newer generations really miss a figure like that. I even tought about including it in my new troop but it is unfortunately too "vintage-looking" to fit well. I wish Schleich release a similar young elephant soon.
- I bought the newer female and her calf in my favourite Schleich shop. I didn't buy the male there because its tusks were bended. So, I went to another local shop on the same day and got the male. I found the retired female in an independant toy shop during one of my figure hunts (I also got the Asian elephant bull there). I had to order the retired male from Gaschers.de because I did not seize the opportunity to get it when I had the chance. Indeed, I first found it in an independant toy shop during one of my figure hunts but since I was only collecting one figure per species at that time, and wanted to get the newer male, I decided against it. Moreover, the shop owner was always looking behind me and he made me feel uncomfortable so I left his shop before getting everything I wanted. When I ordered the retired male a few years later, I also purchased the calf which was available on the same website.
- I have seen African bush elephants in zoos.

My Asian elephant herd is 9 strong and all of them have a story to tell and names, I had so much fun playing with them as I told their stories.

My African bush elephant herd is 11 strong and they also all have names and a story to tell.

I have become slightly addicted by buying Asian elephants. Let me tell you: From 2010 till 2016 I had only two of them: Schleich 2004 female and calf. Then I bought the 1998 male for £6.00 on eBay. Soon after I bought the 2012 female at ToysRUs for the price of £0 as we were going to take back a duplicate but the cashier didn't know what to do so we picked up the elephant and walked off with it. Next came the calf of the female, and the Papo calf which came off my grandfather, and the CollectA. Next was the 2017 female who I bought at my local toy shop. Finally 2 years later the Mojo came into my herd on Xmas day 2019

Shamefully, images on the forum are not downloading to me today. They appear as links, but the links doesn't show the image either. It's a shame, because I'm in the look for a perfect elephant. None of the elephants I know convince me because they are too poor in detail, have too thick tusks, or, overall, are too small for me. However, since all your elephants are Schleich I think that here I also would not find a good comparative view of various brands elephants for spot the one that can fit into my collection. So at the moment I will be still with no elephant in my collection: much better for my very little space haha

Pardofelis wrote:

Shamefully, images on the forum are not downloading to me today. They appear as links, but the links doesn't show the image either. It's a shame, because I'm in the look for a perfect elephant. None of the elephants I know convince me because they are too poor in detail, have too thick tusks, or, overall, are too small for me. However, since all your elephants are Schleich I think that here I also would not find a good comparative view of various brands elephants for spot the one that can fit into my collection. So at the moment I will be still with no elephant in my collection: much better for my very little space haha

I had also little troubles on forum and it was not easy to performe a few maintenance tasks. Though, after a few trials, I think it is now back to normal. Let me know. :)
I have the same problem as you to find a satisfying elephant and contrarily to Benjamin, I find Schleich elephants very unrealistic. They surely assumed a design commercially successful, many people love them but I find these figures really chubby and with big heads and generally not correct proportions. Their legs are often around 50% thicker than they should be, thick tusks and thick trunk. considering the small size they are made. They look cute and as most elements have this plushy design, it gives an illusion that there is some harmony. I think I like the Schleich Asian elephant male recently retired and that's all. Mojö Asian female also looks nice but these are all figures I don't have. I stopped buying elephants, I only enjoy my Britains and some others as the Lineol ones that are prohibitive and I obviously don't have too.
I am waiting for CollectA, I have some hope that their 2nd generation of African elephants will be great.

Yes, it's petty obvious CollectA is going to release an African elephant sooner or later and, looking at their last hippo and rhino, it's also obvious it will be awesome.

I was 100% sure you would say Schleich elephants have too big heads Roger ! I cannot deny it about the 2012 generation but I don't really agree as far as the 2016 one is concerned. I still think they are the most beautiful and appealing elephants on the market. I mean, the African ones. I can perfectly understand one prefers Papo's rendition for the Asian species.

I also would like bigger elephants and I understand Pardo can't find a satisfying one in that regard. My African elephants look tiny next to my giant eland when I display them around my African waterhole...

Adam, I see that your Asian elephants collecting story is even more complicated than mine !

I really would like to see the Mojo female (or is it a tuskless male ?) next to a Schleich model of you don't mind.

Roger wrote:

Pardofelis wrote:

Shamefully, images on the forum are not downloading to me today. They appear as links, but the links doesn't show the image either. It's a shame, because I'm in the look for a perfect elephant. None of the elephants I know convince me because they are too poor in detail, have too thick tusks, or, overall, are too small for me. However, since all your elephants are Schleich I think that here I also would not find a good comparative view of various brands elephants for spot the one that can fit into my collection. So at the moment I will be still with no elephant in my collection: much better for my very little space haha

I had also little troubles on forum and it was not easy to performe a few maintenance tasks. Though, after a few trials, I think it is now back to normal. Let me know. :)

Just for information Roger, I still have the problem for some imges. Some are shown normally, other as links as Pardo said. For example in Blaine´s topic, there I have still the problem. Here in Rta´s Collection, I can see every photo

A realistic elephant does not sell as nicely. Here is the 2016 female with a real, surely starving, elephant female.

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Duck-Anch-Amun wrote:

Roger wrote:

Pardofelis wrote:

Shamefully, images on the forum are not downloading to me today. They appear as links, but the links doesn't show the image either. It's a shame, because I'm in the look for a perfect elephant. None of the elephants I know convince me because they are too poor in detail, have too thick tusks, or, overall, are too small for me. However, since all your elephants are Schleich I think that here I also would not find a good comparative view of various brands elephants for spot the one that can fit into my collection. So at the moment I will be still with no elephant in my collection: much better for my very little space haha

I had also little troubles on forum and it was not easy to performe a few maintenance tasks. Though, after a few trials, I think it is now back to normal. Let me know. :)

Just for information Roger, I still have the problem for some imges. Some are shown normally, other as links as Pardo said. For example in Blaine´s topic, there I have still the problem. Here in Rta´s Collection, I can see every photo

Thanks for your feedback. Can you see both elephants toy and real I posted on previous post?
... and what about pictures Susanne just posted [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] - Now everything is working correctly with me.

Roger wrote:

Here is the 2016 female with a real, surely starving, elephant female.

Hehe.. that was funny Roger. I believe that the truth lies somewhere in between, as in many cases is up to the individual. Sure Schleich elephants are chubby, but they're not that bad if we look this photo.

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

Of course I don't mind Ben, I'll do it tomorrow morning. Mine is a female (and that is how it is probably marketed) and it does have tiny tusks but hardly noticeable.

spacelab wrote:

Roger wrote:

Here is the 2016 female with a real, surely starving, elephant female.

Hehe.. that was funny Roger. I believe that the truth lies somewhere in between, as in many cases is up to the individual. Sure Schleich elephants are chubby, but they're not that bad if we look this photo.

Surely and good example, Kostas. My choice was also to illustrate better my opinion, a little extreme as well as yours is.
The truth surely lies between these two what means still far from what Schleich and some other brands are doing but I surely don't want one as skinny as the one I posted.

Which African elephant do you find better than the 2016 Schleich female Roger ?