Spacelab's Collection FINAL PART.

Part 30: Porcupines and other Rodents

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PHOTO 1 L to R
Indian Crested Porcupine (Collecta 2019)
Himalayan Crestless Porcupine (AAA)
Cape Porcupine (Schleich 2011)

PHOTO 2 L to R
Capybara (Collecta 2012)
North American Beaver (Papo 2010)
Long-Tailed Chinchilla (Collecta 2015)
Eurasian Beaver (Schleich 2013)

PHOTO 3 L to R
White Mouse (Schleich 2002)
Red Squirrel (Schleich 2003)
Red Squirrel (Collecta 2011)
Marmot (Papo 2011)
Guinea Pig (Schleich 2006)

I love porcupines, they are cute and tough. A challenge for toy-makers and it's interesting to see the technique that is used the few times this mammal has been shaped into a toy. The 3 models I have clearly shows this diversity. I'll keep the AAA in my main collection, although much biigger than the rest, partly because of its unique features and partly because it's the only Crestless species I have.
I still consider of adding the latest Papo squirrel, because of its pose. Otherwise, CollectA's model looks wonderful. Papo marmot is already a classic I think.

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Echo & the Bunnymen - Porcupine (1983)



It's the 2nd time the Bunnymen are appearing in my videos, I try to avoid repetition, but not many options for porcupine songs. Also the track is good, their 3rd album was named after this and Liverpool is doing great lately.

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For an album cover I chose the last Birthday Party album. It's the iconic early band of Nick Cave, disbanded in 1983. This album is very dark, raw and brutal, inspired by American Southern Gothic imagery. So, not the average music listener cup of tea... It was a shock when I bought it in a relatively tender age, but I loved it growing up. The artwork is inspired by comics, here is a mouse shooting a cat for a perfect birthday party...

The Birthday Party - Junkyard (1982)

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Finally some snacks and toothpicks for the croc

No Chipmunk ? No American procupine ? And no Mole-rat ?

Nevertheless it is a nice selection

Yes, inviting these for a bath could result hurtful!
I suspect [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] doesn't like thhe way Safari porcupine was conceived.
About the marmot, it is still my favorite, one of the things that changed during these last years was the poor assortment of European fauna figures, Alpine species were often quite representative in the past and brands like Bullyland or Schleich used to release them often. Marmot, chamois, ibex are not anymore common toys. I like that you use the Papo beaver as a North American one.
I listened to the first song of that album of the cover and it seems they used a porcupine to get those vocals.

Kikimalou wrote:

No Chipmunk ? No American procupine ? And no Mole-rat ?  

Yes, as Roger said, I don't like the Safari porcupine much and I'm a patient person. Unfortunately I couldn't find the schleich chipmunk locally or a cool mole-rat...

Roger wrote:

I listened to the first song of that album of the cover and it seems they used a porcupine to get those vocals.  

Haha, you are a brave man. Although I bet you didn't listen to the opening track of the album, but rather a bonus track on the youtube list that is not on the album, it's true that Nick Cave was having some porcupine days in The Birthday Party:
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Great figures! My friend has the Schleich "Fizzio" porcupine and I really love that model, the best porcupine I think

spacelab wrote:

Roger wrote:

I listened to the first song of that album of the cover and it seems they used a porcupine to get those vocals.  

Haha, you are a brave man. Although I bet you didn't listen to the opening track of the album, but rather a bonus track on the youtube list that is not on the album, it's true that Nick Cave was having some porcupine days in The Birthday Party:

The song is this one it has an aflictive athmosphere like for example the (1985) Death Valley 69 by Sonic Youth and Lydia Lunch.
That's a perffect porcupine, recognizable to the species level.

OK, it's the closing track of the album. Lydia was a notorious girl and hung-out quite a lot with those Australian guys...

Nice, but i miss the american porcupine by Safari :)

Wonderful, I am a big fan of squirrels! I would definitely recommend the new Papo squirrel, even though I am a dog collector I had to get this beauty and it is even more stunning in real life! I love the CollectA Chinchilla too!

Beautiful rodents collection! I have few and no porcupine! :/

Superb models! I feel that AAA is underrated in many ways... perhaps not everyone's taste but a good several models are done really well! This porcupine is proof.

thank you!

Part 31: Antelopes

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PHOTO 1 L to R: Blue Wildebeest (Schleich 2009), Gnu calf (Schleich 2009), Black Wildebeest (Collecta 2012), Hirola (Collecta 2016)
PHOTO 2 L to R: Gemsbok (Schleich 2016), Scimitar Oryx (Collecta 2013), Giant Sable Antelope (Collecta 2012)
PHOTO 3 L to R: Mountain Nyala (Collecta 2014), Bongo (Collecta 2017), Giant Eland (Collecta 2012), Greater Kudu (Schleich 2011)
PHOTO 4 L to R: Springbok (Collecta 2014), Thomson's Gazelle (Schleich 2009), Defassa Waterbuck (Collecta 2012), Dama Gazelle (Collecta 2019)
PHOTO 5 L to R: Saola (Collecta 2013), Nilgai (Collecta 2016), Blackbuck (Collecta 2013), Saiga (Collecta 2017)


Thanks to CollectA we are blessed to have a good variety of Antelopes. I think my favorite is Saiga, such an unusual and interesting animal! There are plenty more species to be made if a brand shows the same bravery, but we can't complain for diversity and quality with these horned pals..  

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I won't post a song, just this beautiful cover artwork from Interpol's third album. A Kudu attacked by Lions, it's taxidermy of course. There are more wild nature photos in the booklet, most of them came from the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles. A fantastic record anyway, one of the best of the 00's for alternative rock. Here it is:

Interpol - Our Love To Admire (2007)

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CollectA for me makes the best horned/hooved animals hands down. There is so much diversity! I keep purchasing a few at a time and I am still missing a lot... These look so gorgeous together great selection! I was recently blown away with the woodland caribou by them, the quality is top notch!

I think our collections of antelopes follow a similar arrangement. We don't have many options for the most part of them but surely we also don't need when the single representatives are so good.
I remember when the collector of traditional figures were mostly focused in Schleich and other brands worked as a kind of complement. The sentence: - what's the size when compared with Schleich - is a classic already.
Ironically, you show loads of antelopes and it is basically a collection of CollectA models complemented with a few Schleich. No other brand is allowed.
I think one is mandatory, Safari lesser kudu, it is not just a subspecies of the greater kudu, it is a different species as your Niala is too. It is a very good model and it will work perfectly in your collection. The Arabian oryx is also a different species, Safari and Mojö have thicker legs than those antelopes from CollectA but it is an iconic species. CollectA will not make one since they have already the scimitar-horned.
The word bongo immediately brings to my memory this song of this Portuguese advertising. -

I can see many masterpieces :)

Roger wrote:

I think one is mandatory, Safari lesser kudu, it is not just a subspecies of the greater kudu, it is a different species as your Niala is too. It is a very good model and it will work perfectly in your collection. The Arabian oryx is also a different species, Safari and Mojö have thicker legs than those antelopes from CollectA but it is an iconic species. CollectA will not make one since they have already the scimitar-horned.
The word bongo immediately brings to my memory this song of this Portuguese advertising. -

O Bom Sabor da Selva? This a provocative advertise, probably made by some Kudus...

To me, Bongo immediately brings to my mind the percussions, BUT, if it is for songs there are two really huge European hits that came out in the wake of the new millennium.
The first one comes from Denmark and whenever it was played in dance clubs the chaos was similar to the Gnu migration... The Bongo Song by Safri Duo:



The 2nd came from France, it was Manu Chao's Bongo Bong. This guy is way too popular in Greece, selling out stadiums.



For the models you're suggesting, I'm just not especially attracted to them and I don't feel they'll be filling up some holes. Same for the Papo Impala. So, if a more appealing model of these species will ever be produced, I'll be happy to get it. If not, I'm happy I can spend in something else.

Phantastic antelopes I´m surprised how good the older Schleich looks near to the CollectA figures Maybe I should try to purchase the Gnu and Kudu rather then waiting for a company to release new models

I am glad you take my word mandatory as a suggestion. Obviously each collector makes his own choices. i think when you mention about not filling up some holes, it matches with what I think is the reason why you avoided the lesser kudu. Papo impala seems out of the collection when placed next to the CollectA models, I agree it is a large model. It is a pity, I know it is debatable but impala, is in my opinion, among the three most popular antelopes, together with the blue gnu and the unavoidable Thomson's gazelle. I believe you will see more impalas but I doubt you will find more lesser kudus. Maybe you will also never miss a common eland since you have a giant. It is like having all gazelle species, maybe we don't need them all. They are often very similar and even the springbok, that is not a true gazelle, looks a lot like a Thomson's.
These two songs you posted were also successful here, especially the first one.

Wonderful, this post was always going to be filled with beauties thanks to CollectA!

CollectA really has spoiled us. Splendid array of these gorgeous animals!

It's really really hard nowadays to have a bad antelope collection

I agree with your philosophy, collecting is a love affair. I myself won't give a cent for the Papo impala or oryx because I don't like them. I must confess it is the same with the CollectA bongo, I can't say it is bad one but it isn't the one I am waiting for. I can't do nothing against this.

It is the same with the Manu Chao Bongo Bong, I prefer by far the 1991 Mano Negra version  More Jungle, more Rockn'Roll

Hehe... it's hard to understand why you don't like the Bongo, but sure I agree about the Mano Negra bongo.

Mano Chao, i bought that single many years ago

spacelab wrote:

Hehe... it's hard to understand why you don't like the Bongo, but sure I agree about the Mano Negra bongo.  

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