Spacelab's Collection FINAL PART.

I have no special reason to postpone the acquisition of these species. As wild animals they are as important as any others in my collection. The fact is that I don't have them. Something to rectify someday. I also haven't decided which exact ones to get. A very athmospheric song, you are right.

A dugong and a manatee, how fantastic! The Schleich 2021 one looks actually very nice, I love the details of the wrinkles of its skin!

Roger wrote:

I have no special reason to postpone the acquisition of these species. As wild animals they are as important as any others in my collection. The fact is that I don't have them. Something to rectify someday. I also haven't decided which exact ones to get.

I didn't comment the models, I'll do it now and I think I can help. For dugong you don't have many options, so there's just a manatee riddle to solve. I bought the Schleich one recently, after being able to check all the big brands manatees in real. Here's my point of view:

Maia & Borges old sculpt that was also used by Schleich, Mojo and Papo is charming, but it's rather somehow outdated. Also the head seems too big.
Papo new model is beautiful, but it's exaggerated. Too many wrinkles, it gives almost a Shar Pei muzzle and doggie eyes. Still a fine contender.
Schleich has the best proportions, small head (what a surprise) and it feels heavy and of good quality.
Collecta is weird, the proportions, the shape and the colour.
Safari is OK, just not exciting, also somehow outdated, even if the painting is now better than the one pictured on TAI.

So, my top-5 would be like this:
1. Schleich
2. Papo
3. Maia & Borges (schleich & papo & mojo)
4. Safari
5. CollectA

It's very rare that I don't place CollectA on the top of a list and even rarer to have it on bottom...

I really do need that dugong, and the manatee turned out way better than I expected and I was pleased to get one. Both are superb models for a superb collection!

spacelab wrote:

Roger wrote:

I have no special reason to postpone the acquisition of these species. As wild animals they are as important as any others in my collection. The fact is that I don't have them. Something to rectify someday. I also haven't decided which exact ones to get.

I didn't comment the models, I'll do it now and I think I can help. For dugong you don't have many options, so there's just a manatee riddle to solve. I bought the Schleich one recently, after being able to check all the big brands manatees in real. Here's my point of view:

Maia & Borges old sculpt that was also used by Schleich, Mojo and Papo is charming, but it's rather somehow outdated. Also the head seems too big.
Papo new model is beautiful, but it's exaggerated. Too many wrinkles, it gives almost a Shar Pei muzzle and doggie eyes. Still a fine contender.
Schleich has the best proportions, small head (what a surprise) and it feels heavy and of good quality.
Collecta is weird, the proportions, the shape and the colour.
Safari is OK, just not exciting, also somehow outdated, even if the painting is now better than the one pictured on TAI.

So, my top-5 would be like this:
1. Schleich
2. Papo
3. Maia & Borges (schleich & papo & mojo)
4. Safari
5. CollectA

It's very rare that I don't place CollectA on the top of a list and even rarer to have it on bottom...

Very interesting observations and your top show clearly that there isn't a sacred brand and choices can vary a lot depending of the species.
I was tending to the Papo model but it was before the release of the Schleich new figure. I must check it in real, I never liked the CollectA and I owned the M&B but it was too cute for me.

Damn it ! Not a single one in common this time! How it is possible?
Well, my manatee is the Papo but I could let myself be tempted by the Schleich with its very love & peace side, it goes pretty well for a manatee.
As for the Dugong ... But ? Unbelievable ! I don't have a Dugong ! How it is possible ? Oh yes, I have the very little one from Colorata ... Very small ...
The CollectA is the right guy for me.
Another very nice post that just added to my shopping list. Thank you for the temptation

Kikimalou wrote:

Thank you for the temptation

No problem, that's what Odysseus said when he heard the Sirens and his partners tied him on the mast.

spacelab wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

Thank you for the temptation

No problem, that's what Odysseus said when he heard the Sirens and his partners tied him on the mast.  

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These are my two sirens too as the choice is quite obvious here since there is only one dugong and the new Schleich is quite overwhelmingly the best (only the Papo could challenge it but you pointed its exagerratedly folded face).

In French, both sirens and mermaids are called sirens, the Greek sirens and the nordic sirens. And it's quite obvious to me that these critters can only be mistaken for mermaids and not flying sirens, even if I can't understand how a Danish prince could fall in love with "that".

I had the chance of seeing a tiny adorable baby manatee during my last visit in Beauval, that was the unexpected surprise of the day !

RtasVadumee wrote:

And it's quite obvious to me that these critters can only be mistaken for mermaids and not flying sirens, even if I can't understand how a Danish prince could fall in love with "that".

I suppose Andersen had an obsession with unrequited love and that's a very imaginative way of expressing it. We also know he loved Greece and the myths and he was afraid of his step-sister. This might link to one of the most popular myths here, about Alexander The Great's step-sister who transformed into a mermaid and was the greatest fear of Greek sailors. I might also speak non-sense, but this is why I started this topic..

Part 24: Eulipotyphla & Monotremes

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L to R
Hedgehog (CollectA 2011)
Hedgehog (Schleich 2005)
Platypus (CollectA 2017)
Mole (Papo 2020)
Echidna (Southlands Replicas 2017)

The sales-girl at Attica Zoo Park's gift-shop was so excited with the Collecta hedgehog that I could not let her down and I bought it, though it was not a priority at that point. I never regret it, it puts a smile on my face whenever I see it and that's the main reason I collect these little replicas.
Now, how about a song with moles in holes?

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B Movie - Moles (1980)



This one comes from a great early 80's legendary compilation album. It's done by a label called Some Bizzare and it was supposed to gather some of the most interesting new and unsigned bands of the time. The songs were exclusive for the compilation and it actually made history by including the very first appearance on record of a totally unknown band from Basildon, Depeche Mode... Other unknown bands that later became popular stars include Soft Cell, The The and Blancmange. B-Movie never became mega-stars, but did some pretty good records afterwards and gave me the chance to have a moles song in this post. Not bad at all.

That's a wonderful group of little models. I love that mole!

I also have to say that the album with the pop out badger is quite a piece, I love that.

Once won't hurt, the CollectA hedgehog is cuter than the Schleich which I prefer, but they don't fit bad together and could even be joined by a few pups to complete the family.

The mole is one of the best figures of 2020 IMO, greatly underestimated on this forum which gave preference to the more common squirrel, to my dismay.

There has been a debate to decide if that echidna was too monochromic or not, in my opinion this a perfect example of the typical "refinement in simplicity" of the Australian brand and certainly its more compulsory model for a wildlife collector.

I see that the CollectA platypus is beautiful and would have made a more suitable mate for my Papo, but for availability reasons, I got the Schleich instead.

Lovely hedgehogs, I actually really love the CollectA one! And the mole is beautifully made too!

Moles in Holes is something that sounds completely with underground roots. At least for me.
CollectA hedgehog is my favorite representative of the species. I have the Schleich too but I favor clearly the CollectA model. I am waiting for that mole too and there's no competitor for that echidna. About the platypus, I must find an excuse to get it to see how it compares with my Papo figure, I am sure it will be a serious competitor and platypuses are perfect for small flats.

A treasure for each collection

Excellent models once again! The platypus and mole especially... I NEED them!

Part 25: Wolves & Wild Canids

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photo 1 - L to R
Gray Wolf (Safari 2008)
Gray Wolf (Schleich 2003)
Arctic Wolf (Safari 2007)
Gray Wolf (Collecta 2009)

photo 2 - L to R
Maned Wolf (Collecta 2013)
Black-Backed Jackal (Collecta 2014)
Coyote (Safari 2011)
African Wild Dog (Safari 2005)
Dingo (Southlands Replicas 2017)

I know what is seriously missing, but I'm not ready to accept those big yellow eyes yet. Maybe when I grow up. I don't know what to comment, I think all these are great models, even the Collecta gray wolf that was not so well received (although with the new coat is much better). I was very hesitant with the African Wild Dog because of its size, but first Rogerio had convinced me mentally and then I saw it unexpectedly in a shop and could not resist. Such an elegant model, ahead of its time and not so large after all (Ben it's fine).
The Safari Wolves are also unbeatable. Both of them, might be my favourite of this lot of wild canids. Collecta and Southlands models of the 2nd photo have been praised several times here so I have nothing to add. A wish for an Ethiopian Wolf maybe. And a Golden Jackal free of vertigo please.

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There are so many songs about wolves! Hard to choose, so I thought of posting a "poppier" one and much more recognizable than the obscure bands I usually prefer. I won't give any info, the band was huge and is still having a quite good time lately. I want to comment the video though, filmed in the jungles of Sri Lanka. What is odd, is that I noticed a cobra, a monkey, an elephant, a leopard, some pigs and some cattle on it, but no wolf, even if the animal is used here metaphorically. The boys were hungry for success, they got it and they deserved it.

Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf (1982)  



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Same for the album artwork...I had many options in my records collection, but i like this very much. A wolf in your living room with a statue of Pericles in the background... Yeah, I love it. Grinderman was a side project of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. We love everything Nick does here.

Grinderman - 2 (2010)

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Wonderful again, especially also the song

So many beautiful models in your canine collection! The Safari Arctic wolf is stunning, I love the pose and the incredibly realistic fur! The Southlands dingo is lovely too, as are the CollectA models- and a great song to go with it too!

That 2nd photo could be from my collection though, I have the Papo jackal and a raccoon dog. Those are all very special models as it is the Arctic wolf. I am using the trendy Safari current wolf as my representative for a grey. So many grey wolves and still not a 100% satisfying one. I am glad I helped you to go for the wild dog.
I never enjoyed Duran Duran but I understand your choice here, cover is really great!

I was wondering when this would come!!! Excellent choices, the Safari arctic, Safari howling, and Schleich gray are some of my favorite models ever released! And to boot, the song is a longtime classic that I have enjoyed. :)

Great models all together, congrats on the excellent collection!

I am not a fan of the CollectA grey, but all your other wild canids are great!

There are plenty of wolf figures and, such as with all very charismatic ABC species, plenty of not such fantastic renditions.

The best wolves are indeed from Safari but I prefer the last one in a boring Schleichy pose than this howling one. For howling wilf, I prefer the old Schleich male, with quite an unusual coat colour. I am not a fan of the CollectA either but your (very) old Schleich looks unusually nice on your picture.

Your other wild canids look gorgeous together, especially the coyote that is not shocking at all with the rest as I thought. Definitely one of the models I will get as part of my next Western order, if I ever manage to get rid of my obsession for Japanese seafood...

The African wild dog is not too tall either as I thought, maybe I should have favoured it... I already have the Mojo which, thanks to its pose, artificially looks smaller but whose coat is not so typical and honestly, I feel lazy to add new figures of species I already have, except if they are from a different gender (but no one was able to certify me the virility of this Safari here).

A golden jackal is missing only because you are Greek, having already the CollectA black-backed one can easily pass on the Papo figure (I may not have it if it was not available locally).

Cool clip and song, makes me think of typical pop songs of the 80s like Tears for Fears.

I only know Nick Cave and the bad seeds because one of their songs is the main theme of Peaky Blinders

RtasVadumee wrote:

I only know Nick Cave and the bad seeds because one of their songs is the main theme of Peaky Blinders

Yeah, haunting song from a great album. Peaky Blinders has a good selection of tunes from some artists I like.
Nick Cave has a special relationship with Greeks, he was worshiped like God here from a very young age, many many years before the rest of the world would discover his dark greatness.

I agree, the old Schleich wolf looks very good in this photo....

I have one more Wild Dog, the one from Play Visions, but too small for me so it will be on my sale list soon... This:

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Thank you all for your comments!