Rtas' main collection

I am glad your coputer problems are solved now.
I have both figures you're showing here. Schleich is my favourite Przwalski's horse despite being just a remastered zebra. It worked and I love it. Interesting the way you've found it, a kind of survival instinct helped you. CollectA's version may be a little more recognizable and pose is fantastic for a wild horse, though, there's something weird on it and I never felt tempted to get it.

The Przewalski and Wild ass look great and as always, your photo makes them look especially good. Good news that you computer is repaired.

You are so right : That przewalski horse is among the absolute highlights of Schleich
And such a great story about how you two met each other

They look great together, and I am sure that wild horses can vary quite a bit in size

So good that your comuter is ok again, - I wished I could say the same about my camera

Congrats for the saved computer! Summer is approaching so take care with the heat now. I'm also glad that the reparation was not expensive.

That african wild ass was one of the first figures in my collection (the fourth together with the leopard seal), and the hyperrealism of it, including veins on the face and belly, fur grooves in the neck, the atonishing well done inside of ears... that made me take a real interest in collecting and discovering which other models CollectA had and maybe this wild ass took a great part in why now I'm in this forum thanks to have discovered which wonderful models this brand have to offer.

The Schleich's Przewalski's horse is a masterpiece, the fuzzyness it's very well done and I think it's much better than the currently available running CollectA and squarefaced Safari. Shame that is retired, but the running CollectA it's in my wishlist instead.

Thank you for your kind words about my computer guys !

V Mammals

L) Odd-toed ungulates

3) Tapirs

Species : South American tapir, Malayan tapir, Baird's tapir
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Mojo 387178 Brazilian Tapir (2013-2020)
- Schleich 14615 Tapir (2010-2013)
- CollectA 88596 Baird's Tapir (2013-still in production)
- CollectA 88597 Baird's Tapir Calf (2013-still in production)

Fun facts :
- When I see how much the Schleich tapir is worth on Ebay now, I feel very lucky to have it ! I found it in a toy shop and paid the regular price for it. I also found the Schleich wolverine, Papo manatee and platypus that day, a very successful hunt !
- I hurried up to get the older version of the Brazilian tapir which has been retired this year. I know both colours exist in the wild but I feel like this one is more iconic to the species.
- I can't understand why the Brazilian tapir is so much rarer as a toy than the Malayan one. It is much more common in zoos and when tapirs are concerned, I first think about south America and not south east Asia.
- I didn't know the Baird's tapir before discovering CollectA's figure. I needed an American tapir for my collection, didn't know much about Mojo at that time, and CollectA's Baird's was very nice so I got it as part of my second CollectA order. But now, I am happy to have a Brazilian too since it is the species I saw the most in zoos when I was a child.
- Anyway, that's great to have three different tapir species and I think these models are very representative of their respective species and are useful educational tools to tell the three tapirs appart : the Malayan is chubby with a fat trunk, the Baird's more muscular and the Brazilian thinner and more slender.
- I found the Malayan tapir during one of my figure hunts and ordered the two others from my favourite Ebay seller.
- I have seen Malayan and Brazilian tapirs in zoos but I have never seen a Baird's.

That's a great selection! I don't have the baby because I don't collect babies but some shouldn't be avoided and CollectA's is one of them. I have also the Safari Malayan tapir that I favour over the Schleich. Yours is the made in China version, isn't it?
I agree that it is hard to understand why Brazilian tapirs are so uncommon as toys. They were more popular in vintage times but this era of panda cuteness returned us to the black&white fashion.

I have these all in my collection plus an Unknown China made Malayan tapir. I will soon be getting the Papo & Safari figures from Paige (Sarlooswolfhound) with a couple of other very wished figures from various brands

Ah, tapirs! I bought first the Baird's one for being the most interesting species available (of course seen in zoos much before that ), in my first online order, and much after I bought the Mojo lowland tapir just because I tough that latter I would complete with the Safari malayan tapir that I had selected from a page. When I was ready to spent mone money with a new bunch of figures, that malayan tapir was disappeared from this page and I went crazy looking in every place of the net but nobody have it!!! Since them I'm looking for it everywhere and it's disapperaded from the whole net

Oh tapirs :)

V Mammals

M) Even-toed ungulates

1) Giraffids

a) Giraffes

Species : Reticulated giraffe
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Schleich 14750 Giraffe, Female (2016-still in production)
- Schleich 14749 Giraffe, Male (2016-still in production)
- Schleich 14321 Giraffe Calf (2004-2016)
- Schleich 14390 Giraffe female drinking (2009-2012)
- Schleich 14751 Giraffe, Calf (2016-still in production)
- Schleich 14320 Giraffe Female (2004-2016)
- Schleich 14389 Giraffe male eating (2009-2016)

Fun facts :
- I think giraffes are one of Schleich's strenghts, especially the drinking and eating ones from 2009 which are, in my opinion, absolute masterpieces. The drinking female is probably my favourite figure of all. The pose, the paintjob, these eyes catching perfectly giraffes' kind expression, that "classy" look typical of Schleich : all the ingredients are there to make a great figure.
- The old figures from 1994 are also among my favourite vintage models.
- My first "modern" giraffe was the 14320 model and it's now my least favourite. I regretted buying it at first because I collected only one figure per species at that time and wanted the drinking one instead. Actually, I was kind of forced to buy it... It was in a small independant shop whose owner was always following me around and looking at what I did, like if he was afraid that I steal something. He made me feel really uncomfortable and I left his shop prematurely, paying for that giraffe while I had not really decided if I wanted it or not... Then, I decided to collect families and herds instead of single individuals, found the drinking and eating models and even bought the new figures from 2016, and I am now glad that I have this first, less appealing but still pretty nice walking giraffe.
- I woke up very early and took the train at 6 am for a three hours long journey to find the eating male. The day before, I had called the shop owner and she was kind enough to send me photos. I found many more fantastic retired figures in this shop, but this giraffe remains the most wished I got that day. I remember my figure hunts as a very good period in my life. I was unemployed and had plenty of time to travel in order to find new figures. I remember the excitement before entering the shops and the joy of finding a rare or very wished model ! Ordering online is nothing compared to finding figures in shops.
- Mojo's idea to release a Masai giraffe instead of a reticulated one in 2020 is actually a very good one and I am willing to add this new subspecies to my collection.
- I found the eating male, the drinking and the walking females during my figure hunts. I bought the previous calf in my favourite Schleich shop and bought the three models from 2016 in that other shop close to my job.
- I have seen reticulated giraffes (and several other subspecies) in zoos.

I have all these in my collection and one of them is my leutistic one. 8 out of my 10 reticulated giraffes are Schleich while the other two are Bullyland. My older Schleich giraffes that you have (2004) have different paint jobs due to me getting them in 2009 at ToysRus half an hour from my village. I'll surely be getting the Masai giraffe by Mojo as well as maybe their reticulated female (she isn't priority)

Do you have the Bullyland sitting one ? If yes, may I see it next to a Schleich one please ?

Giraffes are surely one of Schleich strenghts, I think I counted around 20 at Toy Animal Wiki.
Seriously, I do think many Schleich giraffes look great, especially the finish work and that was really one of the company's strenghts.
Which major brand do not have good giraffes? I think all of them already released very good models, Bullyland included. I do really think the drinking model is the most iconic, I don't have Schleich giraffes but I remember considering it for my collection. Schleich recovered with superior quality, an idea that AAA had explored a few years before.
Another iconic model is the 14149 figure. Not the most accurate but equally a nice pose. Mojö's first giraffe is clearly inspired in a Schleich model and I am really happy they're releasing a new figure representing a different subspecies.
My favourite giraffe is the current CollectA's figure, it is also superiorly finished, very well painted, a richer texture than Schleich's and legs and hooves are more delicate too, thus showing proportions more adjusted to the real animal. It is also slightly larger what is an advantage.
I already told you before but I love all the effort you put to acquire your models, especially some discontinued Schleich and it shows the passion you have for your hobby.

Of course Ben, I'll also try and get the Asian elephants together. (I've been very busy)

Roger, As far as major brands giraffes are concerned, I really dislike Papo's and they are a target of my jokes just like their zebras are targets of yours

Roger wrote:

My favourite giraffe is the current CollectA's figure, it is also superiorly finished, very well painted, a richer texture than Schleich's and legs and hooves are more delicate too, thus showing proportions more adjusted to the real animal. It is also slightly larger what is an advantage.

That's why this is the giraffe in my collection

V Mammals

M) Even-toed ungulates

1) Giraffids

b) Okapis

Species : Okapi
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Papo 50077 Okapi (2009-2018)
- Schleich 14830 Okapi (2019-still in production)
- Schleich 14361 Okapi (2007-2011)

Fun facts :
- The okapi is one of my favourite species. That's why I have so many of them, although it is a solitary animal. If I collected figures of one particular species in every brands like Roger does with the red fox, it would certainly be the okapi.
- That's one of the species for which I prefer the Papo rendition. It was the first I got, a long time before I start collecting again. I did not buy it for collecting purpose at that time, I just bought it because I liked okapis very much. It stayed on my desk for a while before joining the rest of my collection.
- My father shares my fascination with okapis, that's why I bought another Papo figure for him. He keeps it in his doctor's office.
- Okapi males are slightly smaller than females so the Papo figure fits better with the Schleich female than the Schleich male ! This male is actually one of the most oversized figures within Schleich range, I don't really understand why they made it so big.
- I bought the Papo model in that shop close to my job, a long time before I started working there. I bought the Schleich female in my Schleich favourite shop, as a mate for my Papo male. I finally got the Schleich male from another collector from my region. I didn't really need it but since I love okapis and it is still a very nice model, I had to buy it.
- I have seen okapis in zoos.

I have to say I don't like the Papo okapi, though I've seen it's been praised. These fat legs look very weird to me..

Perhaps I prefer it because I got it before the two others and got attached to it ?

I guess you have the 2019 Schleich female ?

I have these 3 in my collection as well as the CollectA baby. I got the retired Schleich in 2009 (from my local toy shop) (I think) and was my only okapi for 7 years, then I got the Papo from my Papo provider, the CollectA from my other brands provider and the Schleich also from my local toy shop

Here a good animal to explain why it is not easy to be always rational while choosing a species representative. I owned, at once, the old Schleich, CollectA's and Papo's.
Old Schleich figure is a traditional Schleich of its era, basic standing pose with the head turned to one of the sides, huge head and good finish quality.
Papo's figure has a better ratio head//body but legs are really too thick as Kostas pointed.
CollectA's figure is probably the best of these I mentioned although it suffered a little from the CollectA manufacturing transition the company performed during these years.
I favour a lot the grace of a model and my choice was paradoxically the Papo figure, I like it and I just don't know why, I have a similar feeling about the Papo Cape buffalo.
Christophe recently warned me to the virtues of the new Schleich model and I may consider getting it, your picture also shows how graceful it is. just compare the legs with the Papo model.
I think you should collect okapies, they make a wonderful collection and they're not many.

Since I had no okapi till 2019, I had the chance to choose from all 4 (the 3 in the picture + the collecta) after seeing them and holding them is shops.
The Schleich 2019 was for me superior as far as shape, proportions, face and the basic painting. The colour is absolutely elegant and shiny as in real okapis. The only part that this latest Schleich is worse than the rest are the back thighs stripes, that could be much much better. Shame for this, because it could be an almost perfect model.

Advicot wrote:

I have these 3 in my collection as well as the CollectA baby. I got the retired Schleich in 2009 (from my local toy shop) (I think) and was my only okapi for 7 years, then I got the Papo from my Papo provider, the CollectA from my other brands provider and the Schleich also from my local toy shop

It would be great to see the CollectA baby with the other okapis, one more comparison pic I'd like to see from you !