July 2022:[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Lot of ~150 mostly unbranded animal figures, $69.99 USD, free shipping from Idaho
Safari Ltd 2008
Gray Wolf (
Canis lupus) This figure features a strange paint issue at the mouth that makes it look as if it has blood on its lower jaw; perfect for a predation scene.
Play Visions 1998 Rainforest Wildlife Blue-and-yellow Macaw or
Blue & Gold Macaw (
Ara ararauna)
Play Visions 1998 Rainforest Wildlife
Mandrill (
Mandrillus sphinx) Also released in the Monkeys set.
Play Visions 1998 Rainforest Wildlife
Okapi (
Okapia johnstoni) Also released in the African Ungulates set with a different number. This one is in better condition than the one already in my collection.
Play Visions 1998 Rainforest Wildlife Banded Palm Civet (
Hemigalus derbyanus) Also released in the Civets, Genets & Mongoose set with different number and paint scheme.
Play Visions 1996 Wild Cats
Cheetah (
Acionyx jubatus) I’m keeping this as a replacement for one I sold after getting the Nat Geo Predators box set. Also released in the Serengeti set and reissued in the Yujin African animals set.
Play Visions 1998 Manu Amazon Wildlife Green
Anaconda (
Eunectes murinus) Reissued and recolored in the Yujin zodiac set as a Japanese Rat Snake (
Elaphe climacophora)
Play Visions 1998 Manu Amazon Wildlife
Harpy Eagle (
Harpia harpyja) Also released in the Birds of Prey set.
Play Visions 1998 Manu Amazon Wildlife Brown
Howler Monkey (
Alouatta guariba)
Play Visions 1998 Manu Amazon Wildlife South American
Tapir (
Tapirus terrestris)
Play Visions 1998 Manu Amazon Wildlife
Jaguar (
Panthera onca) Also released in the Wild Cats set with a different paint scheme.
Out of this large lot, only a few figures were definite keepers. The also-rans included more PV wild cats and wild dogs, Safari TOOB figures, Good Luck Minis, unbranded farm animal miniatures of a particular style, cartoonish bugs, and all manner of horses, snakes, and big cats. Many if not most of these have been resold.
August 2022:[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Lot of Australian Yowies, ~$60 USD +~$22 USD shipping from Australia
Series 4:
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (
Stenella frontalis)
Black-necked Stork or
Jabiru (
Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)
Leafy Seadragon (
Phycodurus eques)
Giant Oceanic
Manta Ray (
Mobula birostris)
Meerkat (
Suricata suricatta)
Sydney
Sea Hare (
Aplysia sydneyensi)
Argus Monitor or
Yellow-spotted Monitor (
Varanus panoptes)
Spinifex Pigeon (
Geophaps plumifera)
Spectacled Flying Fox (
Pteropus conspicillatus)
Series 5:
Scimitar-horned Oryx (
Oryx dammah) Missing horns.
Asian Small-clawed Otter (
Aonyx cinereus)
Eastern Angel Shark (
Squatina albipunctata)
2001 Adventures Series 6:
Bongo (
Tragelaphus eurycerus)
Whooping Crane (
Grus americana)
2002 Adventures Series 7:
Pied Heron (
Egretta picata)
Parma Wallaby (
Notamacropus parma)
2003 Series 8 Forgotten Friends A:
Northern Gastric-brooding Frog or
Northern Platypus Frog (
Rheobatrachus vitellinus) Extinct c. 1984
New Zealand Greater Short-tailed Bat (
Mystacina robusta) Not officially classified as extinct as per the IUCN; listed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct)
Bavarian Pine Vole (
Microtus bavaricus) No longer classified as extinct; it appears that this species was rediscovered three years before the figure’s release.
Crescent Nailtail Wallaby (
Onychogalea lunata) Extinct c, 1956
Little Swan Island Hutia (
Geocapromys thoracatus) Extinct c. 1955
Caribbean Monk Seal (
Neomonachus tropicalis) Extinct c. 1952
Lesser Bilby or Yallara (
Macropus leucura) Extinct c. 1960
Balinese Tiger (
Panthera tigris sondaica) The traditional Tiger subspecies
P. t. balica is likely synonymous with P. t. sondaica, in which case it is taxonomically indistinct from the Sumatran Tiger and therefore not an extinct taxon; extirpated from Bali c. 1940s-1950s
Pink-headed Duck (
Rhodonessa caryophyllacea) Not officially classified as extinct as per the IUCN; listed as Critically Endangered and may be extinct, though inconclusive sightings still occur.
Desert Rat-kangaroo (
Caloprymnus campestris) Extinct c. 1935
Hawaii Oo or
Hawaiian ‘O’o (
Moho nobilis) Extinct c. 1934
Lesser Stick-nest Rat (
Leporillus apicalis) Extinct c. 1933
Passenger Pigeon (
Ectopistes migratorius) Extinct in the wild c. 1901, extinct c. 1914
Choiseul Pigeon or
Choiseul Crested Pigeon (
Microgoura meeki) Extinct c. 1904
Southern
Pig-footed Bandicoot (
Chaeropus ecaudatus) Since the figure’s release, pig-footed bandicoots have been split into two species: southern (C. ecaudatus) and northern (C. yirratji). As the original species was named C. ecaudatus, I provisionally identify this figure as the southern species, which has been extinct c. 1945.
Short-tailed Hopping Mouse (
Notomys amplus) Extinct c. 1896
Red Gazelle (
Eudorcas rufina) Possibly synonymous with Red-fronted Gazelle (
Eudorcas rufifrons); listed by the IUCN as Data Deficient.
Eastern Hare-wallaby (
Lagorchestes leporides) Extinct c. 1889
Warrah or
Falkland Islands Dog (
Dusicyon australis) Extinct c. 1876
Broad-faced Potoroo (
Potorous platyops) Extinct c. 1875
Delcourt’s Sticky-toed Gecko or
Kawekaweau (
Gigarcanum delcourti) Extinct c. 1870. As of 2023, understood to be from New Caledonia and not New Zealand, and can no longer be identified with the Kawekaweau of Māori folklore.
Cuban Macaw or
Cuban Red Macaw (
Ara tricolor) Extinct c. 1885
Bluebuck (
Hippotragus leucophaeus) Extinct c. 1800. Missing horns.
2004 Series 9 Forgotten Friends B:
Golden Toad (
Incilius periglenes) Extinct c. 1989
Stephens Island Wren or Lyall’s Wren (
Xenicus lyalli) Extinct c. 1894
Quagga (
Equus quagga quagga) Extinct as of 1883. Subspecies of Plains Zebra.
2000 Lost Kingdom Series A:
Balbaroo fangaroo, Paleogene-Neogene periods
2002 Lost Kingdom Series C:
Giant Tree-kangaroo (Bohra paulae) Quaternary period
Also included were the unrealistic Series 5 Mandarin Fish and a number of duplicates, many of which I have sold as part of a $100 Yowie lot.
October 2022:[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Yujin Freshwater Fishes Book 1, original release, $70 USD, free shipping from Hong Kong
Asian Arowana (
Scleropages formosus) Secret figure
Big-scaled Redfin or Japanese Dace (
Tribolodon hakonensis)
Pale Chub or Freshwater Minnow (
Zacco platypus)
Rosy Bitterling (
Rhodeus ocellatus ocellatus)
Ayu or Sweetfish (
Plecoglossus altivelis)
Sakhalin Taimen or Stringfish (
Parahucho perryi, formerly
Hucho perryi)
Dolly Varden or Dolly Varden Trout (
Salvelinus malma malma) Secret figure. Strange that this figure was identified with the scientific name of a North American subspecies. Taxonomic changes, perhaps?
Whitespotted Char (
Salvelinus leucomaenis)
Masu Salmon or Cherry Salmon, juvenile (
Oncorhynchus masou masou)
Masu Salmon or Cherry Salmon, adult (
Oncorhynchus masou masou) Secret figure
Chum Salmon or Dog Salmon (
Onchorhynchus keta)
Rainbow Trout (
Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Japanese Ricefish or Medaka (
Oryzias latipes)
Round-tailed Paradise Fish (
Macropodus ocellatus, marketed as the true Paradise Fish,
Macropodus opercularis) The color pattern and tail shape on this figure show that it is supposed to be
M. ocellatus and not
M. opercularis.
Threespine Stickleback (
Gasterosteus aculeatus aculeatus)
Barramundi, juvenile ([
Lates calcarifer)
Barramundi, adult (
Lates calcarifer)
December 2022:[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]K&M
Lacertids (sic), large rubber toy, $10 USD+$4.63 USD shipping from Florida
As indicated by the name, this toy is intended to represent a member of the family Lacertidae: i.e. the wall lizards of Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. While I once identified the figure as Bocage’s Wall Lizard (
Podarcis bocagei, see here
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] it’s probably generic enough that it could stand in for any of a number of species.
This replica is notable as European species are usually poorly represented in the North American toy market.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]These 15 Play Visions/Wing Mau figures were acquired in a trade with
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] for $50 USD and a PV clouded leopard
1998 Play Visions Exotic Lizards
Thorny Devil (
Moloch horridus)
1998 Play Visions Exotic Lizards Smooth
Helmeted Iguana (
Corytophanes cristatus)
1998 Play Visions Exotic Lizards
Nile Monitor ([i9]Varanus niloticus[/i]) One of my most wanted Play Visions figures.
1998 Play Visions Galapagos Islands Wildlife Magnificent
Frigatebird (
Fregata magnificens)
1996 Play Visions Parrots & Cockatoos Sun Parakeet/
Sun Conure (
Aratinga solstitialis)
1998 Play Visions Weasels
Striped Skunk (
Mephitis mephitis) At the time of the set’s release, skunks were classified as mustelids; skunks (including the Asian species known as stink badgers) have since been reclassified into their own family, Mephitidae.
1998 Play Visions Marine Dinosaurs
Mixosaurus cornalianus , Triassic period
1998 Play Visions Marine Dinosaurs
Placodus gigas, Triassic period
1999 Play Visions Exotic Snakes Cape Coral Cobra or Cape Coral Snake (
Aspidelaps lubricus, marked
Shield Nose Cobra) The Shield-nosed Cobra
A. scutatus lacks the prominent banded pattern present on this figure, which likely represents the related A. lubricus.
1998 Play Visions Crocodiles Cuvier’s
Dwarf Caiman (
Paleosuchus palpebrosus)
1996 Play Visions Tropical Fish Mandarin Dragonet or
Mandarin Fish (
Synchiropus splendidus)
1996 Play Visions Bees, Wasps & Hornets Common Aerial Yellowjacket or Sandhills Hornet (
Dolichovespula arenaria)
1996 Play Visions Bees, Wasps & Hornets Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee or
Virescent Green Metallic Bee (
Agapostemon virescens)
1998? PV/WM Beetles Texas Ironclad Beetle (
Zopherus nodulosus haldemani, formerly
Zopherus haldemani)
1998? PV/WM Beetles Spotted Longhorn (
Strangalia maculata)
January 2023[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]K&M 2003 Australian Birds Series 1
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (
Calyptorhynchus banksii), no tag, no sound, $29.95 USD, free shipping from California. This is one of the rarest of all Audubon and similar plush birds. It appears that the majority of the Australian Birds series was exclusively sold in Australia; how this one ended up in California is anyone’s guess.
February 2023[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]K&M 2015 Limited Edition Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project
Akohekohe (
Palmeria dolei), no tag, working sound, $15 USD, $11.75 shipping from California. The eBay listing originally also included the common Audubon Northern Cardinal and was $30 if I recall correctly. The $15 was a custom offer for just the Akohekohe.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Lot of 12 Safari Ltd and CollectA Cretaceous dinosaurs and one marine crocodylomorph, $110 USD+$12.22 shipping from Tenessee
2017 CollectA Deluxe
Styracosaurus albertensis2018 CollectA Deluxe
Ceratosaurus nasicornis2017 CollectA Deluxe
Deinocheirus mirificus2014 CollectA Deluxe
Therizinosaurus cheloniformis2016 CollectA Standard
Mercuriceratops gemini2012 CollectA Standard
Kosmoceratops richardsoni2017 CollectA Standard
Einiosaurus procurvicornis2021 CollectA Standard
Kamuysaurus japonicus2020 CollectA Standard
Fukuisaurus tetoriensis2015 Safari Wild Safari
Sauropelta edwardsorum2020 Safari Wild Safari
Deinonychus antirrhopus2016 Safari Wild Safari
Masiakasaurus knopfleri2016 Safari Wild Safari
Plesiosuchus manseliiMarch 2023[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Leosco 2011 Save our Space Black-and-rufous Sengi or Black-and-rufous
Elephant Shrew (
Rhynchocyon petersi) $24 USD, free shipping from Illinois. This has been probably my most wanted commercially-available animal collectible on my list.
Lot of 10 mostly Safari Ltd figures, $19 USD, free shipping from Vermont
Safari Ltd 1995 Tennessee Aquarium
Fire Salamander (
Salamandra salamandra) This is a highly desirable collectors’ item; $19 dollars is far below what the salamander alone usually goes for.
Safari Ltd 2015 Incredible Creatures Atlantic
Goliath Grouper (
Epinephelus itajaraSafari Ltd 2014 Wild Safari generic
ammonite (Ammonoidea sp.) This figure cannot be confidently identified to genus, though a DinoToyBlog reviewer suggested
Pleuroceras.
Safari Ltd 2009 Incredible Creatures Atlantic
Horseshoe Crab (
Limulus polyphemus)
Safari Ltd 2014 Deep Sea Creatures TOOB
Giant Isopod (
Bathynomus giganteus) While the name “giant isopod” can refer to any a number of species, most figures tend to be assigned to
B. giganteus by collectors, as that is the largest and most famous species.
Safari Ltd 2013 Cambrian Life TOOB
Sanctacaris uncata. Cambrian period.
The 4 other items that I do not plan on keeping are an unbranded fake seashell, a Schleich Dunkleosteus with a missing left pectoral fin, a Safari cave crayfish with crayon(?) marks on it(!!!) and a heavily scuffed Safari manta ray.
Lot of 38 bird figures, $58.95 USD+$8.09 shipping from New Jersey
1999 Play Visions Farm Animals Domestic Swan
Goose (
Anser cygnoides domesticus)
1998 Play Visions Crested
Caracara (
Caracara plancus)
199? Club Earth Extinct
Alive Great Auk (
Pinguinus impennis) Extinct c. 1852
199? Club Earth Birds to Go Atlantic
Puffin (
Fratercula arctica)
199? Club Earth Birds to Go
Scarlet Ibis (
Eudocimus ruber)
199? Club Earth Birds to Go
Osprey (
Pandion haliaetus)
199? Club Earth Birds to Go Common
Kingfisher (
Alcedo atthis)
199? Club Earth Birds to Go Toco
Toucan (
Ramphastos toco)
199? Club Earth Birds to Go Pink
Cockatoo (
Lophochroa leadbeateri)
199? Club Earth Birds to Go
Hyacinth Macaw (
Anodorhynchus hyacinthus)
199? Club Earth Birds to Go Golden Parakeet or Golden
Conure (
Guaruba guarouba)
Also pictured are various Nayab and Safari birds suitable for customization. Of note are the Galapagos Penguin from the Penguins TOOB and the frigatebird and boobies from the Galapagos set.
The remaining non-keepers include a vintage Britains eagle, a common pair of rooster and hen figures, a baseless hen with a missing leg, a very common “Noah’s Ark-style” pelican figure, a white domestic turkey, some more Safari penguins, and most importantly, a duplicate caracara that was traded for the figures below.
April 2023[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Lot of 12 assorted rarities, acquired in a trade with
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] for the aforementioned duplicate PV caracara.
Fauna Figures 2017 Fishes
Ocellate River Stingray or Motoro Stingray (
Potamotrygon motoro) Courtesy of our own
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], the Fauna Figures resin models were produced in very limited quantities and were never widely available, making this one of the rarest items in my collection.
199? Club Earth Extinct
Alive Aurochs (
Bos primigenius) Extinct (in the wild) c. 1627. Technically a pseudoextinction, as domestic cattle (B. taurus) are derived from
B. primigenius.
199? Club Earth Extinct
Alive Toolache Wallaby or Grey’s Wallaby (
Macropus greyi) Extinct c. 1939. Misspelled without the
e on the blister pack.
199? Club Earth Extinct
Alive Steller’s Sea Cow (
Hydrodamalis stelleri) Extinct c. 1768
1998 Play Visions Monkeys
White-faced Saki (
Pithecia pithecia)
1998 Play Visions Exotic Insects Eastern
Velvet Ant (
Dasymutilla occidentalis)
1998 Play Visions Exotic Insects Egyptian Flower Mantis nymph (
Blepharopsis mendica, marked
Praying Mantis)
1998 Play Visions Exotic Insects
Thorn Bug (
Umbonia crassicornis)
1998 Play Visions Exotic Insects
Pyrops intricata, marked
Lantern Bug200? K&M Tropical Animals Nature Tube Snowy Egret (
Egretta thula) Not marked with species.
199? K&M Jellyfish Bulk
Purple-striped Jelly (
Chrysaora colorata)
1998 K&M Shark Bulk
Swell Shark (
Cephaloscyllium ventriosum)