2021 A Year in Review

Hello my friends! I hope your new year is going well so far and I hope for the best for each member!

Each year I enjoy looking at the past 12 months of new additions to my collection and considering a "theme" for it. Frivolous and just something fun to do to see how far the collection has grown and what has been achieved.

I thought this might be a fun topic for everyone to participate in if they'd like! Feel free to post any models you have acquired through the year and why they were exciting for you (rarity is a given excitement for any model but it isn't a required trait ).

I have lots of models I have enjoyed immenseley so I will post a few at a time here. And I CAN'T WAIT to see what all of you have enjoyed!



The first batch here include the Papo whale shark, Papo brahma bull, Schleich lying down holstein, K&M gray wolf, Southlands thylacoleo, and Safari crocodile.

The whale shark was my preferred model for this species and I wanted it desperately but at the time the price was prohibitive so I snagged an older Safari instead. Then a few months ago there was an ebay seller having a Papo sale (thanks jolie for the heads up!) And I finally snagged it! And it is SUCH a great model!

The Papo brahma bull was retired around the time I got truly active "collecting" and missed out on. It rarely popped up on ebay or the forum and I was settled with the fact I would probably never have one. It finally popped up on ebay in a bidding lot but I missed out. Then our dear Christophe offered it to me in exchange for helping him with an ebay purchase. I am so grateful for this unique and handsome bull!

The Schleich cow has been a childhood favorite. She truly has been my very favorite cow model for as long as I can remember, there is just something about her face I find so endearing. When I was about 10 or so her ear broke off while my niece was playing with her and I kept her anyway (you don't just toss old friends right?). Unfortunately she apparently wasn't a very popular model and was hard to track down, again let alone for a palatable price tag... until this year. :)

This wolf is special to me because A) it is a lovely wolf B) I didn't know it existed and C) it was a gift from a very dear friend, Dan. It is such a fantastic model and a very dear gift I cherish.

The Southlands model has quite a story. Of course when I heard they were finished I rushed to find the models I had dragged my feet on purchasing. I scoured the internet and had very little luck... I was able to grab some from Minizoo directly but missed my very most sought after figure! I contacted a dealer in Germany that said it was out stock and begged them to look one more time... and got the best news back. :) I had to get help from Andreas (THANK YOU!!!) to purchase them for me (seller only sold/shipped within Germany) and after a few months of waiting on the slow boat they arrived at last! And my Thylacoleo was finally at home. 

And very lastly for now, a unique find. I only know one other collector with this Safari crocodile figure (theirs is complete, mine is missing the tail). One of my sisters was out thrift shopping and she casually mentioned finding some models there and asked if I wanted her to buy them. Sight unseen, I told her sure as I figured I could keep, trade, gift to neices/nephews, or customize whatever they were. When she finally sent me pictures and brought them to me a few weeks later I could have kissed her! This is such an old model and nearly complete! It was an exciting find. My sister didn't pay much attention to my collecting before but has now found a handful of great old models including the old Safari sea otter too.

Really great additions!!

I had the old Schleich & Safari whale shark that I was quite happy with but after seeing that gorgeous whale shark by Papo with the wide open mouth I also got one and I agree with you that the model is definately a MUST have!

I feel your pain with the Papo and Southlands figures, I have only shopped online in recent years and many figures I liked were already retired. Anything that isn't Schleich is so hard to find once its retired! But it also feels so rewarding when you finally find that one figure.

That crocodile is beautiful! And what a lucky find too!

I think this is a great topic and I will have to look through all the figures I got this year and post some

This is such a wonderful idea for a topic to round up the year and celebrate all the best parts of collecting! I love the stories behind each of these models, because it really shows how passionate you are about them! The Southlands story is wonderful, and I am so glad the outcome was successful!

Thanks Jolie and Lilias! I would LOVE to hear about your fun new additions from the past year!

Another batch of fun.


These cape buffalo calves (forget the actual brand) were exciting as only one major brand calf has ever been released! I customized a domestic calf years ago, but thanks to our friend Nando my herd's reproductivity was doubled.

The Schleich pinto is a model I have an original friend for and this one is the "collector's quality" version. This was one of my favorite models growing up and I am afraid I played quite a lot with him and he has lost a lot of paint. This new one was a thrift find and in much better condition.

The ever so controversial Safari maned wolf... I am one of few proponents for this model. Its not perfect, but I struggle with the CollectA model for different but somehow also similar critiques. I quite like this one's face, I think it is the posture and some paint work that is such a turn off for many. But for my canine collection it was a welcome addition!

The jumping spider was a recent addition from Blaine. I have never been a insect fan in real life or collecting, but I have in recent years matured and come to realize the great importance of these animals. And surprisingly, as much as I still don't really enjoy being around creepy crawlies I have accepted a few plastic ones (trying not to go wild with this category). Jumping spiders have always been fascinating for me so this model especially was welcome!

The Noah's pals golden jackals were a surprise offer by one of our old forum friends SeanieP. Much smaller than I thought but quite nice especially given their size! Being a canine enthusiast I welcome any new species to my collection so these were fun simply because they were new. :)

And lastly, the strap toothed whale. Ever since I saw the Happy Kin models there were several I felt were simply must haves. This whale for me was #1. There were some sites but I didn't feel comfortable ordering from them. Then I was offered one by 2 different forum members! I accepted both and gave one as a gift to another forum member who is ocean loving. So thank you Taylor and Kostas for your help with these!

I absolutely love those buffalo calves and strap toothed whale!

My collection mostly consists of major brands so I'm always excited to see the variety that some forum members have

Very nice topic Paige 
I'm glad The Papo Zebu is on the first batch  

The Safari Ltd Croc is a real unbelievable treasure and I add the jumping spider too, so small but so cute.

So what about the Maned wolf ? I like this model, like you, I even prefer it to the CollectA and I find the posture much more natural than anything we have been able to tell and read on our Forum. 

Lovely recaps, really nice to look back on a year and reflect on the purchases which made you most happy.

I can't really arrange group photos for recapping my 2021 arrivals, but if we're allowed to cheat and re-use old pictures, I thought I'd pick the one original finish model I was most happy to get hold of this year.



This is Galaktika (official Breyer name Rocket), and some of you might remember there's a backstory behind why he was the single most satisfying arrival in my collection. This is the horse I bought and paid for once already, only for the seller to message me a few days later saying they didn't have the model anymore. Being a rare one, especially outside the US, I thought I'd never get a second chance at buying him - I even wrote about this failed purchase in the 'Biggest regrets in your collection' topic on here, not long after I joined. So when the same model came up on Ebay earlier this year, I decided I just had to have a second try at owning him, and this time it all went perfectly!

Thanks Jolie, Kiki, and George! Its been a fun year.

@Kiki, I quite like the maned wolf and like you I prefer the Safari over the CollectA. In fact, the Nayabs are really nice too! Many collectors have just mentioned the paint work being a let down and something about the pose for this model being a detractor though I personally don't see these as an issue for my taste. :) 

@George, it is a lovely horse! So glad you were able to snag it and now get to enjoy it in hand. :) If you have any others feel free to post, old photos or no!

Beautiful horse George! I remember reading about it in the "regrets" post. I'm often regretful when I miss out on a rare/wanted figure but its always much more rewarding when you eventually do find it!

2021 was probably my best year yet collecting! I acquired many models from CollectA & Papo along with some highly anticipated figures on my search list. I received some money from friends and family from graduating high school in 2020, but most went into savings. I used up some of it this year to get some figures so I am very grateful!

I will post 5 times, showcasing my favorites from extinct models, birds, amphibians, mammals, and finally my top few of the near narrowed down

First: My extinct models I got in 2021



I really loved some of Rebor's dinosaurs but because of their price and availability, I always chose Papo instead. This June I got my first Rebor figure based on Disney's "Dinosaur" carnotaur. I really loved this movie when I was younger and the carnotaur pair was my favorite, this model is really gorgeous and looks just like the movie version! Sadly his legs have warped a bit and he has trouble standing, but it was an exciting day getting this figure in the mail  


Another dinosaur brand I was really interested in was Nanmu studios. However, they are understandably even more expensive than Rebor because of their stunning quality. I figured I would wait until the perfect model. Then out came their beautiful "Behemoth" Giganotosaurus! Gigas are my second favorite dinosaur (spinos being 1) and I loved the tiger stripe variant. So as a first year of college completed gift to myself, I got this figure. I was so excited to receive it in the mail, its massive and very heavy. My biggest dinosaur model I own   The details on the entire body are breathtaking and the teeth look real   I was worried it would not stand without purchasing the additional base but its very sturdy and has had no issues.


The Papo megaloceros took me ages to get my hands on, but I was thrilled when I finally got it this past spring. I love the paintwork and huge antlers, I can't wait to get some snowy photos with him!


Similar to Paige, I didn't know Southlands models were discontinued until many were out of stock   I was lucky to snatch most models I needed from a German site for my friend and I, but I was still missing the thylacine and Thylacoleo Carnifex. However, someone was so kind and generous to send me a thylacoleo! A really gorgeous model that I almost missed out on if it wasn't for this great forum!

     

A few years ago when I found out about Rebor, I really loved the deinonychus pack. Sadly though by the time I was ready to purchase it, they were already discontinued. After some waiting one popped up on eBay brand new as an auction. I watched it all week and was lucky enough to snag it last minute. I love how unique and small this trio is! They didn't have pupils so I added a black dot to each eye. Their arms are articulated and can pop off, so can their mouths. Their necks and tails are bendable so they are really great for outdoor photos because of their ability to pose differently.

I bid on a large eBay lot early in the year and got many older Schleich models and the Papo dodo bird that I was having trouble tracking down. I really like how chubby and stocky he is, he goes great with my Safari dodo.

    

I got many other great prehistoric models this year but these were the absolute highlights! Tomorrow I'll post amphibians

I enjoy your idea for this topic and together with the beautiful figures, we also can see how enriching is for our hobby to collect in a community like STS.
Paige, aren't the calves marked newcanna?

I think the two most exciting figures I've gotten during 2021 were the eofauna straight-tusked elephant I received as a gift from Kosta and the Lineol IV African elephant I acquired for a very affordable price with the help of Yvette.

The eofauna model is not rare, it is currently available but its quality is superb, I don't think I have that many figures at this level.



The Lineol is perhaps considered a rarity due to its antiquity and the high amounts of money we usually need to pay to get one of these.
Though, it is also a very realistic model and I think only in this decade, we are seeing major companies releasing elephant figures at a clevel.omparable



I don't think it is unpolite if I also choose which was my favorite fox of the year, I will think about it.

This review is a great topic.

Holstein schleich, maned wolf Safari, and dodo Papo are my favorites.

I love those two elephants! I got the straight-tusked elephant in 2020 and so far its my favorite of the Eofauna models

Thanks for new posts! 

Jolie, each of these models are so great! I instantly recognized the Carno, the dodo is beautiful, and congrats on a luckily snagged Thylacoleo! This forum has helped me acquire many gems and I love to hear that our giving attitude continues today!

Those elephants are beautiful Roger, anyone who can deny their simply wonderful quality has no heart. I would LOVE to see a fox or anteater from your collection!

That's a very great idea for a topic and I enjoy seeing each other's choices!!

I resume here the most favourite models of all those I acquired or did in 2021! They're roughly about half of the total figures of this year. I selected the most favourite based on accurateness, beauty and how exciting is each species for me.





I will talk roughly from left to right based in second image:

YUJIN MATAMATA TURTLE, I absolutely love the sculpt of this figure and weird appareance of the species! Received 5th April from Kikimalou.

KAIYODO CHAMBERED NAUTILUS, a perfect beauty. I love it! Part of my "Odyssey" Japanese set bouth tho Brettjn, received 13th July, sent back to sender and received again 24th December.

HOMEMADE AGAMI HERON, one of the first models I did when I received for first time air-drying paste, ended 10th January. The species is one of my favourite herons and I narrowed it good.

COLORATA ALLIGATOR GAR, from the Fossil Fish box there are three models that are my favourites and this one is one of them. The scales are sooo well done. Received 24th December from Brettjn.

SAFARI LTD SPOTTED EAGLE RAY, heavily customized with a completely new repaint, that I absolutely love how resulted! Received 5th April from Kikimalou.


SAFARI LTD CLOUDED LEOPARD, repainted, one of my favourite felines with the incredibly beautiful pattern of fur. Bought in the gift shop of Wien natural history museum, and included in my collection on 15th September.

SAFARI LTD BLUE SHARK, they really spot on the shape of this distinctive shark. Bought on the gift shop of Wien natural history museum, included in my collection on 15th September.

HOMEMADE HORNED GUAN, I absolutely love how it resulted, the head shape is fantastic! I originally misplaced the eye but I corrected it later and now is so beautiful. Hard to see in the image but I added a bit of iridescence in feathers Finished 28th January.

HOMEMADE EPAULETTE SHARK, it's an atonishing shark with this striking big ocelli in the flank, during years it was a very wished species to me for seeing in aquaria, that later became relatively common, but I still admire it a lot. Currently it's one of my favourite shark figurines, I love the eyes and the epaulettes, and I think I did good with the complex mouth/barbel morphology. Finished 22th January

HOMEMADE FIDDLER RAY, the pattern of this species is unveliebably beautiful, and I did minute rows of spines in the back. Finished 17th January.

HOMEMADE BLACK & WHITE HAWK EAGLE. My favourite raptor species with striking coloration. I think the facial expression is spot on, and the feet (that I had to remade completely after they has been partially eaten by insects) are very good too. Finished 19th June.

EIKOH MONKFISH. They really did a good job with this monkfish. The shiny skin is identical to a fished one, but the extended pectoral fins are only to be seen in an alive one, while tighly folded in fished ones. THey sculpted the lure filament too. I's so wonderful. Received 5th April from Kikimalou.

HOMEMADE GREAT ARGUS PHEASANT. My 100th homemade figure and the most complex I ever tried. The result is just amazing for me tough I failed a bit with the position of the wings. Finished 5th April.

COLORATA ARAPAIMA. As for others that have the Colorata Fossil Fish box, it's one of the stars of that box. The head shape is perfectly spot on and have the typical wrinkles of the species. Received 24th December from Brettjn.

SCHLEICH (EMPEROR) KING PENGUIN. Bought as an emperor, but customized as a king. I really love how it turned after customization. Bought 27th July in a stationery.

SAFARI LTD NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE. I love whales and this one is so absolutely well done. The barnacle-bearing callus are so incredible! Bought in the Wien natural history museum gift shop, added to collection on 15th September.

HOMEMADE DEATH'S HAWK MOTH. One of my tiniest figures, but very detailed for its size. I did the antennae using cuts from my nails haha. In lateral view the eyes are clearly visible. Finished 19th January.

KAIYODO GREAT BARRACUDA. Perfect in all senses. Received from Brettjn 24th December.

HOMEMADE RHETENOR BLUE MORPHO BUTTERFLY. Of all my homemade lepidopterans I think that this is maybe the best one. The blue of the wings have metallic sheen. The four legs are appropiately angled in the middle and the antennae are as thin as human hair and ended in clubs. Ended 28th February.

SAFARI LTD MEGAMOUTH SHARK. Just perfect representation of this little known species. Bought in Wien natural history museum gift shop, added to collection on 15th September.

SAFARI LTD WALRUS. For me the undoubtely best walrus figurine of all brands. The eyes, muzzle and tusks are just perfect. And the skin texture too. Bougth in the gift shop of Wien's natural history museum, added to collection in 15th September.

SCHLEICH PROBOSCIS MONKEY. Found it in a stationery near my home and since I wanted it I bought it inmediately. After that I repainted it and I love the result. Added 21th May.

HOMEMADE SCARLET IBIS. Who can't love a bird that is entirely bright red? This striking creature is one of the most beautiful sights in Amazonia. I love the shaking wings position on my figure. Finished 16th January.

COLORATA CHINESE STURGEON. I didn't know this exact species but the model as a general sturgeon is incredibly well done. One of my three favourite figures of the Colorata Fossil Fish box. Bought to Brettjn and received 24th December.

HOMEMADE EURASIAN HOOPOE. The position and shape of the wings went so realistic, you could put the figurine in a forest background and it would looks like a photo of an alive one. I'm proud of it. Finished 5th February.

HOMEMADE SPANISH MOON MOTH. For a such tiny figure the details are superb. One of my favourite animals from my country. Finished 13th February.

HOMEMADE SPECTACLED EIDER. Fabulous how it resulted and I especially love how realistic are the feet. Sadly, now that I caught it from these photos I noticed that one of the claws in the right leg was been eaten by insects, as happened with the eagle Finished 14th May.

KAIYODO JAPANESE GIANT SPIDER CRAB. I absolutely love it, it's so well done and impressive! Bought to Brettjn and received 24th December.

Gosh Isidro! What an amazing batch! I can't even pick a favorite. The pheasant, sturgeon, arapaima, they are all splendid! Congrats on a great 2021.

Next batch (two left). 

This toucan (alongside the hawk for a later post) have marked the near completion if this AAA set for me! All I need to find is the green toucan. These models are large and difficult to display because of it, but are very artistically done and I really enjoy them as a set. 

This Papo polar bear makes the list simoly because I think it is the #1 bear on the market. Everything about it is so well done and its such a handsome model. Papo outdid themselves on this one!

The Bullyland blue gnu was a reservation from our dear Yvette just before the pandemic. With the fallout of that event we weren't able to complete the sale until well over a year later, but so kindly she held onto these items for me! And boy was it worth it. A simple looking figure it stands out in small detail and that unique color. Another model I didn't know if I would ever have in hand.

The Funrise pronghorn was another model I didn't realize existed until it was offered to me by mitsukuni. Not the most detailed model and for some reason it has a short mane down its neck, but with this species being so uncommon in toy form I had to have one. Thanks!

The frilled shark was hunted down in the two Discovery toy sets. Again, not the best out there but while it is my favorite shark species and the only one that was larger in scale I needed to have him. May be a repaint option someday, who knows.

The Arapaima by Safari is another favorite species. Done so well for how small it is, it is also a companion for my Replica Toy Fish model. Arguably the best item in this toob for me.

Lastly, a joy city bamboo lemur from teardrop/Maria. Another gift and a very special one for sure! Such a cute little fuzzy thing, and another model I didn't think I would ever own.

So many great figures @Pardofelis !

I LOVE the epaulette shark and scarlet ibis customs!!

@Saarlooswolfhound

Really great figures! I agree, the Papo polar bear is definitely the best.

The gnu is really great too!

Here are my favorite amphibians of 2021 that I got!



I decided to get the Schleich flash cards set because I wanted the exclusive European tree frog and I immediately loved the model! A very simple sculpt but painted well and I love the shade of green!

I really love Safari's Tennessee Aquarium salamanders set and I was able to purchase my favorite of the set from WhiteLightning Wolf in the spring! I absolutely love this model   It's painted perfectly and so detailed!

I didn't know that Safari had an ornate horned frog until a few years ago, and I really hoped I would be able to find it. One popped up on eBay and it was irresistible! My favorite frog ever and he sits on my desk next to my computer. I named him Pudge  

   

I love red-eyed tree frogs for their bright coloration (and beautiful shade of lime green!) and I think this is the best one from a major brand. Gorgeous colors and so detailed, most of my favorite figures come from Safari  

I was pleasantly surprised to add a new frog species to my collection with CollectA's Darwin frog! A lovely, detailed and adorable model. I think amphibians are very underrated in the toy line so I'm always so happy when I see beautiful models such as these. Japanese brand amphibians are STUNNING but often hard to find or expensive, so I'll get a little at a time  

 

I think that horned frog and newt are some of the best out there. Safari had some real gems in their day. Congrats on these!

Splendid amphibians, and all of them in scale with each other!

Those are really fantastic additions! Amphibians are not really underrated when you talk about frogs, every brand releases them, they're popular as toys and they are also a common subject in tubes, bulks or similar sets.
Salamanders are much rarer, from the major brands, only Safari and Bullyland released them, all other brands ignore them, especially when we think that CollectA has a series where they could easily introduce one.
Well, when it is about caecilians, it is really incredible how these creatures are completely ignored.

My favorite birds I acquired in 2021!



I wanted to get the Colorata raptors set for a long time, and this year I finally did! With harpy eagles being my favorite bird, this figure was the star of the set. I just absolutely love the pose that its in and the fact that it can stand without its base is great!

My friend repainted some old Schleich ostriches I had into a greater rhea pair! She did a great job painting them and I love them in my collection.

I purchased the Colorata penguins from Loon some months back and I loved each and every penguin. The African & Humboldt penguin stole the show for me though! I love these little guys and I was able to get one of my favorite photos of the year with them on the beach with a rock arch background  

       

Birds are one of my favorite to collect and Papo did amazing this year! The grey heron is probably my favorite 2021 release (robin close 2nd). In my old home we had a familiar great blue heron that would catch fish on our dock. This model reminds me of him

The little robin is so detailed for its size and I loved it so much when I got it!

I'm a huge baby animal lover and I just adore ostrich/rhea/emu/cassowary chicks. I was very excited to get a new chick species this year!

I never thought I would be so excited for a Canada goose, but this model is stunning! The paintwork is perfect and I am very happy to have this goose.

     

Wow, it's amazing to see all these beautiful highlights!

Really wonderful lot of birds, I believe this year will be equally fantastic once many great bird figures are being released. I am really excited to see the new models on forum.
Because of one of your birds, guess which, I listened one of the songs I loved during 1990's. It was Jesus Christ Pose by Soundgarden.