Spacelab's Collection FINAL PART.

Indeed, anacondas are heavy aquatic snakes, not viper or cobra like animals

You have a very respectable assortment of marsupials. These last years while European fauna lost protagonism, Australian fauna gained it in a exponential way. Was it not the covid constraints and we would surely witness a more impressive boom after the Australian fires.
It was all about kangaroos and koalas before and now, even removing the Southlands models, we already can get a good number of species.
This time I find the cover of the single more interesting than the song. It is quite surprising actually.

OK thank you Constantin and Christophe! :)

Part 34: Dogs

A small introduction to explain my concept here..
Collecting dogs was giving me a headache, for various reasons, but mostly because of the scale they are made. It was really hard to match them, either they looked big or small, depending with what animal you were trying to compare them..
So I decided some time ago that I will only collect 1:12 dogs or close to this scale and have them in a different shelve by themselves. This exclude my farm dogs, that I chose models closer to the 1:15 scale than to 1:12, because most of the farm animals I have are around the 1:15 scale.

In my photos below I will include at the end one more with smaller models I will retire, sell or trade.. They don't work for me anymore as I already explained.

CollectA 1:12
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Schleich 1:12
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Papo & Safari 1:12
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My Farm Dogs
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Smaller Scale (retired from my collection)
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That's all, I won't write down each model this time, it's easy to check. Aren't these two collies look great together?

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Oh, there are loads of songs with dogs in my collection, some are pretty important so this was going to be hard.. I mean, should I put the highly influential Stooges song I guess everyone knows, or other classics like a Cure song, a Bauhaus song, a Bowie song and so on... The list is endless.
Instead, I chose one more intimate to me and less known, but the title has a plea to God, something many of us might have said at some point. "Bring me back a Dog in the next life".
It's from IAMX and I think it's beautiful, anguished and dynamic!

IAMX - Bring Me Back A Dog (2006)



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For an album cover I chose a classic Britpop album, one of the most popular ever, especially in England. I believe the photo used is amazing, though I dislike dog races... The 3rd album by Blur.

Blur - Parklife (1994)

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I have been waiting for this since the start of this wonderful topic!
Really wonderful dogs, it's hard to know where to begin, you have chosen so many beauties for your collection! I completely agree, it is a nightmare to find dogs that scale with each other, so many different sizes! Safari's scales when it comes to dog breeds are particularly all over the place! I think 1:12 is a really good option, because it means that all those wonderful older Schleich dogs can join your collection as well as those new CollectAs! The boxer and beagle look stunning in your photos, when you compare to other dogs (Which are still lovely models) I realise just how amazing they are! I'd be really interested to know how you choose dogs for your collection other than by scale as I noticed you have multiple versions of one breed for some dogs? Is it just models you like, or ones that are easily available to you?
I really love how CollectA made a Shar Pei, I think they captured the wrinkles, especially down the back, really well and it's nice to have a good model of this breed! I've always loved how sweet the little CollectA corgi is too, as is the westie! Their bull terriers are also really nice considering they were earlier models, definitely a good one to have in your collection! It is hard to go wrong with Schleich's 1:12 dogs, they are among some of my absolute favourites and you have some of their most beautiful in your collection! I adore the goldie, pug, GSD and husky, the husky has been painetd so well and the GSD is incredibly detailed- and the golden is my favourite model ever of this breed in plastic! The Safari great dane is definitely a must have, looks really majestic in your photo and Papo dogs are generally always of a high standard, the colours of the basset look really smoothly blended! And I love how unusual the Cassis lapdog is, not of an obvious breed but lovingly made probably to resemble a real dog, it has so much character and it's nice to think that this model had a story behind it! Completely agree, the collies look gorgeous together and are two of my favourite breeds- I love the slight tilt of the head the Papo has! You have the lovely older version of Papo's collie too, the latest ones have a rather unnatural yellow that isn't blended around the edge of the black fur which is strange, it looked much better before. Your retired dogs are fantastic too, the Nayab GSD looks really good next to the Schleich, a surprisingly nice model especially considering it's smaller! I've always admired the subtle brindle pattern on the boxer too. Great song to go with this dog-themed update, and such a stunning photo on that cover, captured in action!
Thank you for this wonderful dog update!

Bonnie wrote:

I'd be really interested to know how you choose dogs for your collection other than by scale as I noticed you have multiple versions of one breed for some dogs? Is it just models you like, or ones that are easily available to you?

Thanks Bonnie! Actually this is a work in progress and my purpose was to have one model for each breed, but sometimes you can't help it. I wanted the Safari Great Dane to replace the old CollectA, but now I'm not sure I want to give it away and might keep it as a female. Same for the St. Bernard. Then there are some I got in lots, some from trades, etc.. I even can't decide which version of the Schleich Bernese I like best, so I keep them both..

Next on my list are a couple of CollectA, the Staffordshire and the Toy Poodle.

Yes, thankfully the rough Collie is one of those with the good painting, only you would notice that!

I really enjoy the collecting concept and I'm litterally developing a similar plan for my dogs.
Coincidentally it is 1:12 scale who got the best models, it is evident on Schleich because the average quality of their 1:12 scale dogs is much nicer than the smaller ones. These recent masterpieces from Papo, Safari, Mojo and CollectA also work nicely for 1:12 scale.
Great sound for the music you presented and the cover is great too.

Oh what a superb collection! The Papo cassis lapdog is a true gem and one of my all time favorites for sure.

spacelab wrote:

Bonnie wrote:

I'd be really interested to know how you choose dogs for your collection other than by scale as I noticed you have multiple versions of one breed for some dogs? Is it just models you like, or ones that are easily available to you?

Thanks Bonnie! Actually this is a work in progress and my purpose was to have one model for each breed, but sometimes you can't help it. I wanted the Safari Great Dane to replace the old CollectA, but now I'm not sure I want to give it away and might keep it as a female. Same for the St. Bernard. Then there are some I got in lots, some from trades, etc.. I even can't decide which version of the Schleich Bernese I like best, so I keep them both..

Next on my list are a couple of CollectA, the Staffordshire and the Toy Poodle.

Yes, thankfully the rough Collie is one of those with the good painting, only you would notice that!

I can definitely see that, when there are so many models of each breed out there it's hard to pick just one! The CollectA Dane would work well as a female! And the two Bernese are interesting variations so definitely worth keeping both if you can't decide which one you like best! And those CollectAs are wonderful dogs to have on your list!

As i read your headline and with the knowledge that you are share also music- my first suggestions was:

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Haha, Andreas I think it's obvious I don't have this in my collection. If it will ever sneak in, I can trade!

Part 35: Dolphins, Sharks and other sea-life

Another work in progress, sea-life generally was the last theme I started collecting and still I'd like to keep it restrained. I'm not interested in getting every subspecies, even for sharks. dolphins or whales.  
I chose CollectA as a point of reference for most of my models, not only for their quality, but because they're also very consistent on having a size hierarchy between their sharks or dolphins. I'm glad their Black-tip Reef Shark is as small as it should be for example and everything works fine from the smallest to the largest.
There you go:

Dolphins
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L to R
Bottlenose Dolphin young (Schleich 2005)
Bottlenose Dolphin (Collecta 2006)
Pacific White Sided Dolphin (Collecta 2013)
Orca (Schleich 1996)
Orca Calf (Schleich 2006)


Sharks
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Photo 1 L to R: Tiger Shark (Collecta 2014), Great White Shark (Collecta 2015), Blacktip Reef Shark (Collecta 2015)
Photo 2 L to R: Blue Shark (Schleich 2005), Scalloped Hammerhead (Happy Kin), Basking Shark (Collecta 2021), Whale Shark (Collecta 2010), Zebra Shark (Collecta 2013)


Rays & Sailfish
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L to R
Sailfish (Happy Kin)
Manta Ray (Collecta 2006)
Bowmouth Guitarfish (Collecta 2017)


Cephalopoda & Crustacean
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L to R
Giant Octopus (Schleich 2016)
Blue-ringed Octopus (Happy kin)
Crab (Happy Kin)
Giant Squid (Safari 2005)
Lobster (Happy Kin)
Lobster (Happy Kin)


Done, song and record cover, both from the early 90's:

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You’re the circle that’s complete
You’re the dolphins and the sharks, you’re every part...

Crime And The City Solution - The Dolphins And The Sharks (1990)



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Ride - Today Forever (1991)

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CollectA improved a lot since their first sharks to the current ones like the basking shark. They have a friendly price and a fantastic quality. Your dolphins are more a Schleich army.
You're building this subject in a very consistent way, a good reference for other collectors not too much obsessed with sealife as it is my case. My sealife is a mess.
I notice that most of the songs you share have a very defined bass line, it is an important instrument for me and probably the most important to enbody a good sound to a song.

Nice sealife collection.

At last someone with the CollectA Great shark Each time I look at this one I asked myself "should he comes or should I go ?".

I would be happy to know why you chose this one

Kikimalou wrote:

I would be happy to know why you chose this one

He's big, heavy, best mouth/teeth by far, detailed, value for money and looks like the one on my record cover.
Seriously, it's the only one I was attracted to in real. Nose could be less pointy only for commercial reasons, because it actually gets like this when they fully open their mouth.

And finally, he has character, most of the other models look the same...

You are very convincing, you and your shark, I think that's exactly what I wanted to hear.

How long is it please?

20.4 cm. Costicuba's photos at TAW are very detailed though

Thank you Yes Kosta pics are very fine but sometimes a man needs words.

Roger wrote:

They have a friendly price and a fantastic quality. Your dolphins are more a Schleich army.

I don't count kids, so it's 2-1 for CollectA. Or a draw if we count the teenager.

Roger wrote:

I notice that most of the songs you share have a very defined bass line, it is an important instrument for me and probably the most important to enbody a good sound to a song.

It's not on purpose, but that post-punk/new wave era was defined by distinctive bass-lines, starting with Joy Division and The Cure. A key instrument, not just keeping the rhythm strong.

All these CollectA sharks are great!

Thank you all!

Part 36: Horses and Donkeys

Wanting to be a synoptic collector, I tried to choose one horse breed for each category I thought it would be important for my collection. I'm still thinking of buying a couple more expanding my categories, but for the time being this is my list of Horses and relatives (except Zebras):

Riding Horse: Andalusian Stallion Grey (Collecta 2011)
Draught Horse: Shire Mare Grey (Collecta 2012)
Mini Horse: Falabella (Schleich 2004)
Domestic Pony: Shetland Black Pinto (Collecta 2007)

Wild Horse: Przewalski's Horse (Schleich 2007)
Feral Pony: Dartmoor Black (Collecta 2011)
Feral Horse: Brumby Stallion (Southlands Replicas 2018)

Fantasy Horse: Bilara's Unicorn (Schleich 2013)
Mythology Horse: Star Pegasus Mare (Schleich 2019)

Donkey (Collecta 2021)
Poitu Donkey (Schleich 2010)
African Wild Ass (Collecta 2014)

PHOTOS:
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For me, it's hard to find another horse as beautiful as the CollectA Andalusian. I think it's stunning and I love this breed. The Shire is great too, looks heavy and strong as it should. I thought of replacing my Shetland pony for the newer version, but I enjoy the character of this model, so no replacement at the moment.

The models in the 2nd photo are all wonderful and the bayala on the third are chosen by my daughter and I like them a lot for what they are. I would prefer a plain white iconic Pegasus, but who am I to dispute a 5-year old girl? And the donkeys are cool!

Music..

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Horses are heavily praised in all arts, including modern music and poetry of course. It's easy for anyone to think a good tune with Horse as its theme, so this won't be my point here. I will write a not so pleasant story, but it's good to be unpleasant sometimes.
Hhmmm...I decided to just copy the artist's saying about it:
"This song is based on a programme I saw about a female version of Amnesty, called 'Les Sentinelles'. They rescue women who are trapped in certain religious climates in the Middle East, religions that view any kind of pre-marital sexual aspersion as punishable by death – either by the hand of the eldest brother in the family, or by public stoning.
And there was this instance of a woman whose daughter had developed a tumour, and, of course, gossip abounded that she was pregnant. The doctor who removed the tumour allowed her to take it back to the village to prove that, no, it wasn't a baby – but they wouldn't believe her. The mother knew her daughter would have to be stoned to death so she poisoned her, out of kindness, to save her from a worse fate.
So the song starts, "Kinder with poison..." I also used the imagery of "He gives birth to swimming horses", from the fact that male sea horses give birth to the children, so they're the only species that have a maternal feel for the young. It was, I suppose, an abstract way of linking it all together without being sensationalist."

Siouxsie & the Banshees - Swimming Horses (1984)



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My record cover is the debut solo album from Paul Roland and I believe it's great. It's actually a black & white photo of an 1881 oil on canvas by Elizabeth Butler titled Scotland Forever!. The Royal Scots Greys, at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Paul Roland - Burnt Orchids (1985)

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Well, it's getting late here in Athens, so I thought of ending this post with a cover of a traditional lullaby for the insomniacs and the young mothers to learn.

Current 93 feat. Nick Cave - All The Pretty Little Horses (1996)





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A lovely selection, I admire your restraint in sticking to a firmly curated set of horse types!
Your andalusian is beautiful, I've only ever seen the bay one but the mould looks even more lovely in a pale colour with those dramatic dark points.
The shire is indeed a good example of the breed, I grew up next to someone who bred, showed, and judged them, he was chairman of the breed society in my country and several of his horses were national champions, and I spent a lot of time hanging out with the foals to help tame them, and hanging over the ropes of the show ring when they went competing. So I don't praise shire models lightly, if I like them you know they're good
The dartmoor in indeed one of the very best native pony models out there, love it!
Your southlands stallion is a stunner, too, I missed my chance on him so I'm always pleased to see people who did manage to catch one before they went.

I've listened both songs you posted but when it is about horses, I can't help because I always think about the Mongolian throat singing.
Many years ago, this was one of the weirdest thing I've found through my world music adventures.
Here is a nicer composition and everythin is about horses, the cadence, the percutiion, the materials of the instruments, lyrics, etc.
It is known your special love for that CollectA Andalusian horse, it is like an Iberian horse should look, it could be a Lusitano instead.
Again it is formidable the way you sort your choices to enjoy diversity with a relatively small number of pieces.
Maybe a Tinker is a good choice for a future horse acquisition but I think a Mongolian horse is desirable and it is hard to put in one of those categories.

Nice again