The Life Cycles sets topic: being the list of Life Cycles I've seen online by unbranded figure companies.

Dear Sts Friends:

I'd like to take a moment to compile a list of life cycle sets, and just mention that Safari isn't the only one to do life cycle sets. I've seen several listings on Ebay, and here is the list I've compiled:

Note: All of these life cycle sets are at least four models, maybe more, and they are all unbranded, according to Ebay:

The List: Alligator, Ant, Black swan, Butterfly, Centipede, Cicada, Chicken Cobra, Crocodile, Devilfish, Dragonfly, Duck, Earthworm, Frog, Giant white Kneed Spider, Goose, Grasshopper, Horseshoe Crab, Ladybug, locust, Octopus, Praying Mantis, Salmon, Scorpion, Snail, Tarantula, Turtle White Swan.

I also saw a wasp life cycle too, but I don't collect wasps, and other stinging flying things, so that's why it's not in the list. At this point, I'm hoping I can get a description of some of these sets, because with my collection, there are certain parts of life cycle sets that aren't useful to me. These parts would include: Eggs, unless they're eggs in a nest, Hatching birds, unless the models themselves look useful to me, a good example is AAA's Hatching Ostrich and eagle, both of which I want for my collection. Another useless part if a butterfly pupa, and for some reason, that figure never works out quite right in my collection. I speak from experience, when I say this, but anyway going on. Spiderwebs, with eggs or without are useless. Eggs in a pile of sand, or on rocks are useless too.

There, you see? That's why it's so important to get a description of these life cycle sets before I get them. The size of the figures matters too. For example, if the adult figure in the set if 3 inches or larger, then you know that this is a set that you'll want, because the figures are just right for what you're trying to do, in this case, tell stories. But if, for example, the adult in the set is 1 inch, well then that set does some one like me no good, because the figures are too small. Okay, maybe I'm digressing, but you get the point, right? Man am I excited about finding these other animal sets. I can't wait to see what they look like.

Aschuck

P.S. I saw some plant life cycle sets too, but they weren't on my list, because I don't collect plant life cycle sets.

P.P.S. If anyone has anything to add to this topic, then please reply.

I love life cycle sets, they're really interesting to see and some brands have done them quite well, definitely an unusual way of representing animal figures! I actually don't have any of these sets myself, so sadly can't help with sizing, but I hope that someone will!
And I would love to see the life cycle of a dog in future, puppies especially change rapidly in the first few weeks, and there is nothing more beautiful than an older dog!

Chinese producer have any. I will get the horseshoe crabs soon.

Anna, let us know which sets you want us to describe and we surely will do it for you. All at once is not possible, of course.
Lyfe cycles are the most educative toys of this hobby I know. I have the AAA life cycle of a frog and obviously their sizes are not exactly proportional but they are more than good to represent the different stages of the animal. If you need the description of this it is:
Figure 1, Tadpole, it is basically a head, without limbs with a long and laterally flattened tail that is used to swim
Figure 2. Tadpole already showing back legs and a longer head/body area
Figure 3, Froglet, it has already 4 limbs, full body and a shorter tail, no gills but lungs instead.
Figure 4, Juvenile frog, you can find some vestigial parts from the tadpole and froglet stages, namely a vestigial tail
Figure 5, Adult frog as we all know them and obviously without a tail

Let me only tell you that I understand why pupae are not interesting for you. They represent an inactive stage of the animal and they often are made attached to a part of a plant or other similar structure. They are often inside a capsule or completely covered or vurved and they are boring toys.
However, they are very interesting, they represent the magic side, the stage where they have the metamorphosis from, for example, a caterpillar to a butterfly. With a good description, you will figure it out without difficulties, obviously you need to check first what is the structure where the pupa is anchored or attached and then to check the real creature or its capsule. It feels like something dead but it is one of the most misterious and exciting events of Nature, a little miracle of life.
Even the pupation can be different in several animals and even in diferent families of butterflies and some figures are good enough to help you understanding it.
We can pretend a caterpilar is walking or feeding or a butterfly is flying and we cannot give too much use to a pupa, but, as you mentioned several times in your fantasy ideas, we can pretend what is happening with a pupa just immagining it inside our heads, how the caterpilar, bulky with short legs and no wings, can slowly transform into a delicate butterfly with huge wings and beautiful colors that you can immagine as different textures and shapes.

Dear Sts Friends:

Well, tonight I did some more research, and here's what I found, in addition to the list in the first post:

Life Cycles of a Leatherback Turtle, Stag Beetle, and Tortoise, all unbranded.

Well, what do you think of that? Looks like this doing research thingy for figures has really paid off. Ah, I wish Safari would do a life cycle set or two for 2022. Oh well, we'll see what they do. Anyway, that's the latest news, for now, so I'll post if there's more.

Aschuck