Spacelab's Collection FINAL PART.

SO many lovely cows! Honestly, each one is a treasure.

spacelab wrote:

Andreas, I buy 90% of my models locally in Athens, you just have to know where to look. The big-chain toy stores are usually selling cheap animal replicas but you can find most of the major brands models in book-stores or special modeling shops.
For older vintage models there is always the flea market in the center of Athens, mostly on Sundays. If you visit again Athens in the future, I will gladly send you info and addresses where to look.

So i have to visit Athen in the future :)

It seems that I missed a few updates here.

To begin with, thanks for making me discover the weddell seal from happy kin, it scales well with the others. Your walrus and sea lion are also on my wish list to be paired with my Schleich.

I'm also surpised by your unexpectedly nice Schleich vixen which fits better with the Papo male than mine, the previous model. I never liked the last Schleich, that's why I opted for its predecessor, but your sample may almost make me change my mind.

I now see that the humongous size of the CollectA fennec is a urban legend. This is the best rendition from major brands and it doesn't seem any bigger than the Papo on your picture, maybe only slightly bulkier.

The two Arctic foxes fit so well together that despite the lack of male genitals on any of them, I consider them as a couple and just pretend that the nuts are hidden by the fur (daddy is the more recent rendition IMO).

Your cow choices are similar to mine, this is also something I cannot resist despite being a wildlife collector. Lucky you are to own a horned brahman, this is a highly coveted figure on forum.

The CollectA longhorn is indeed a masterpiece, certainly better than my Schleich, but I'm too lazy to order it online. I had never seen the old Schleich bison next to the new one, they fit well but it doesn't add anything to the new one so I'm not disappointed to have passed on it. I would recommend the Papo for a more accurate size but I already know you will find it "too Papo". I also recommend the Papo yak, there is no aesthetic incompatibility this time.

I agree Benjamin, the CollectA longhorn is very impressive!

RtasVadumee wrote:

To begin with, thanks for making me discover the weddell seal from happy kin, it scales well with the others.

Well, as I wrote, the weddell seal is somehow small compared with the major brands seals. Maybe my photo is playing tricks, it's supposed to be a large seal in real. What is in perfect scale with the others is the Antartcic fur seal.


thank you all for your comments!

Part 15: Deer

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photo 1 / EURASIA L to R
Père David's Deer (Collecta 2018)
Fallow Deer (Collecta 2014)
Red Deer (Schleich 2017)
Moose (Schleich 2017)
(Iberian) Red Deer (Collecta 2011)

photo 2 / AMERICA L to R
Woodland Caribou (Collecta 2015)
Moose (Schleich 2010)
White-tailed Deer - Buck (Schleich 2019)
White-Tailed Deer - Doe (Schleich 2003)

Maybe it was a joke at first, but anyway after Roger's comment in Ben's collection topic (I think..) I decided to use my collecta Red Deer as an Iberian subspecies, it seems very well fitted. So the majestic Schleich Red Deer from the European Forest set is my central/north European one. This is a model I searched a lot to find and paid the whole set just for it. In my humble opinion it's a replica that Schleich's style is much different, the sculpt is fantastic and the expression is more on the aggressive side than on the cute side. It's really hard to understand why this one didn't get its own release and was retired so fast... A mystery.
I split my Moose in two continents, they are both good models in similar style. My White-tailed Doe is pretty old, but since I haven't buy a newer one, this is it. A vintage touch is not bad after all. There are no words for the Woodland Caribou.
I definitely miss and want a Roe Deer... 

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Goldfrapp - Deer Stop (2000)
I know it's the boring part of my posts for most of you, but spend 4 minutes of your life to hear an excellent performance of a great female singer. Erotic and lamenting at the same time, it comes from the first album of this duo from England. Lights down.


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As a record cover, I chose one that it's even more relevant than usual to our hobby. This is a German synthpop band called De/Vision, obviously another Depeche Mode influenced German project. The title is Fairyland (1996) and there is a Fawn toy covered with bandages on the cover..

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I love deer, and I love the models that are available in plastic- all of the ones you have are so beautifully and realistically made!

Nice deers, I remember you were trying to decide which red one to choose and the debate was basically Bambi's father king of the woods vs random stag I see that you finally chose the king, while I prefer the regular roaring one.

Your idea to split your mooses in two continents is good, I rejected the old one countless times because I prefer the newer rendition but I could have used that excuse to have two stags. I still can actually, I think Andrés still has one for trade.

I agree the song is beautiful so is the clip, relaxing, and I wonder if that toy on the cover is referenced on TAI

You have a fantastic assortment of deers, even if a roe deer and an elk are missing. I must revisit that section in my collection, I use the CollectA moose and a lightweight Schleich white-tailed deer and I may get the CollectA white-tailed deer instead and I must find a good American moose. Safari's is undoubtfully an American one but I am not sure the model appeals me. I need also to replace my old Safari elk for the newer one even if it is not a figure as nice as some deers currently available like these three from CollectA: fallow, caribou and Père's David. It was always a problem for me to find a satisfying red deer, maybe my Lineol is my favorite but I assume that this hard to find Schleich is a good option. For future releases, I would love to see a musk deer, I think they're not able to smell blood but...
I enjoy that you put these songs and covers related with the presented subject, is it what gives identity to your topic. I think I have listened to all the songs and my most sophisticated comment for this last song is, if you are surprised with the weird sounds a deer can do, it is because you haven't listened this song until the end.

Bonnie wrote:

I love deer,...

Thanks to our English girl answer, I remembered my school years, when the teacher was very insistent on the exceptions of final S. So, Deer plural is Deer, just like Sheep and Moose... I corrected mine and I was happy to see that Ben and Roger made the same mistake as me.  Thank you Bonnie for accidentally reminding me my funny English teacher

RtasVadumee wrote:

I see that you finally chose the king, while I prefer the regular roaring one.

Yeah, I fell in love when I saw it. I also think it matches better my Collecta herd than the roaring Schleich, which of course is an iconic model and I wouldn't mind having it too!

Roger wrote:

my most sophisticated comment for this last song is, if you are surprised with the weird sounds a deer can do, it is because you haven't listened this song until the end.

Very observant ears. When I first heard Alison Goldfrapp in this song I thought she was a Human-Deer hybrid. Then I discovered she is actually a Peacock...

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spacelab wrote:

Bonnie wrote:

I love deer,...

Thanks to our English girl answer, I remembered my school years, when the teacher was very insistent on the exceptions of final S. So, Deer plural is Deer, just like Sheep and Moose... I corrected mine and I was happy to see that Ben and Roger made the same mistake as me.  Thank you Bonnie for accidentally reminding me my funny English teacher

English is definitely a confusing language! I'm glad I could bring back some funny memories from your English lessons though!

That's all debatable. Plural of deer is deer but plural of beer is beers. If beer had no plural, we could avoid so many drunk people.
Also, we read deer as bear and beer as dear. Plural of elk is elk but what is an elk? It is a moose if you are in England but it is another deer species if you are in USA. So, an elk is a moose but it is not a moose when it is an elk. Plural of moose is moose but plural of goose is geese. So, in Canada you can find Canada geese and Canada moose but if you tell it to an English friend, the deer you have seen in Canada are Canada elk but Canada elk is actually a wapiti. Now, who knows the plural of wapiti? Well, for me it is too many beer... sorry beers.

Here we've got a poem about exactly this, I've looked it up and pasted it in (but it's making my laptop's spellcheck very anxious )

We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes;
But the plural of ox should be oxen not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
But the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?

If I spoke of my foot and showed you my feet,
When I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn’t the plural of booth be called beeth?

If the singular is this, and the plural is these,
Why shouldn’t the plural of kiss be kese?
Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet the plural of hat would never be hose.

We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
So plurals in English, I think you’ll agree,
Are indeed very tricky, singularly.

Yes, that's the spirit. Wonderful! They missed the beer-deer comparison, it should be copyrighted to Rogério who dreams of deer after too much beer.

George wrote:

Here we've got a poem about exactly this, I've looked it up and pasted it in (but it's making my laptop's spellcheck very anxious )

We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes;
But the plural of ox should be oxen not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
But the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?

If I spoke of my foot and showed you my feet,
When I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn’t the plural of booth be called beeth?

If the singular is this, and the plural is these,
Why shouldn’t the plural of kiss be kese?
Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet the plural of hat would never be hose.

We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
So plurals in English, I think you’ll agree,
Are indeed very tricky, singularly.

Oh, that poem and everything is wonderful but now I don't know if the problem is too much beer or too many beers.
I only know that a copyright is not a cure for a hangover.

Part 16: Hyenas

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Striped Hyena (Collecta 2012)
Spotted Hyena (Schleich 2015)

Much more minimal here. They are both great models and certainly I would love a Brown one but I can't transform a Papo like Kosta ([You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ) has done so gracefully.


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Moby - Hyenas (2008)
The first song that came to my mind was one from R.E.M. but I think this is more interesting. Also Moby is a super cool guy, a real animal lover and generally a fantastic person and musician. I met him once, small man with a big heart. He even gave me one of his iconic cartoon sketches, I still have it on my wall.
There are some French lyrics in this song, that are from the Arthur Rimbaud poem Une Saison en Enfer (1873). Rimbaud was a great influence for me when I was young. Here it is, the video is totally unofficial..

Edit: the video I had chosen was age-restricted, so I post a static one...


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Siouxsie & the Banshees - Hyaena (1984)
I'm not sure if what this cover is showing has anything to do with Hyena. I can see an angry creature with teeth and big nails, I suppose it is. It's a stained glass image and art is always open to various interpretations.. Not the best Siouxsie and the Banshees record, but I love them anyway.

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Two very nice hyenas! I love the CollectA striped model.

A fantastic pair! The CollectA model really stands out, what a beauty! It would be really nice to see an Aardwolf by any brand one day too!

Nice hyena figures

Hyenas thanks!  


Part 17: Turtles

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L to R
Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Papo 2009)
Green Sea Turtle (Schleich 2013)
Leatherback Sea Turtle (Papo 2014)
Galapagos Giant Tortoise (Schleich 2020)

Not much diversity here, but I like to keep it like this. Though I would definitely been interested for a good small-sized Greek, Hermann's or Marginated tortoise, because these are endemic species where I live. This Schleich Green one floats in a nice way, try it. It might be good for photos. Strangely, the new Schleich giant tortoise is the best they ever produced. Especially for the details.
I believe the Collecta leatherback is more accurate for the species, but I chose Papo because of its bigger size. Not bad after all...

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Baby Guru - Turtle Hearts (2014)
From the current Athenian alternative scene, Baby Guru is a late 60's psychedelia influenced project, furnished with new elements here & there.. The song is cute and it was also nice to have a Greek music product here. They are not usually on my menu but they are generally a good band, especially on stage, with a small cult following.



No album cover for turtles, so that's all/

The papo loggerhead is suprisingly nice. Great batch again!

Wow, these all look so realistic, and the varying texture across each one exactly fits what you would see on the real species!