Saarlooswolfhound's new additions *10/15: 13 years and it finally broke me*

Big congratulation Paige

The Eofauna Trex is a masterpiece, I love it!  The two Hornbills are nice, my favourite is the one with folded wings. Even if I own Anna's Takin, the CBIOV is still a temptation.
The dogs are really nice too.

What about the Mojo Bison ?

Where did you found those ones ?
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Kikimalou wrote:

Big congratulation Paige

The Eofauna Trex is a masterpiece, I love it!  The two Hornbills are nice, my favourite is the one with folded wings. Even if I own Anna's Takin, the CBIOV is still a temptation.
The dogs are really nice too.

What about the Mojo Bison ?

Where did you found those ones ?
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I know that sealife figures from Temu

Wonderful additions. Could it be the Takin is now a cheaper version of the CBOIV figure?

Superb additions!!!especially the dogs!!The Great Danes, Tibetan and Neopolitan Mastiffs are a joy!Do I see an Italian Cane Corso and an Anatolian Shepherd as well?

Fantastic additions! Those non brand models are looking better and better. Aren't MRZ dogs at 1:6 scale? If so, they're huge but the original sculpts are really excellent.

Sorry for the delay in replies.

@ Kiki, I love Sue, she is gorgeous. Love all the rest too but Sue as I mentioned is special to me. Those sea animals I got off aliexpress here

I am unsure of your reference to the bison... I found him at HobbyLobby locally if that's what you were asking (he is a little smaller, I plan to share a comparison photo soon)

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], the takin I have no idea of the brand but I assume its a bootleg of the CBIOV figure. It is very nicely made and painted though!

@Taylor, I knew you'd like the dogs! The Tibetan (or perhaps Chinese mastiff given the extra head floof?) mastiffs are something to behold! That is a cane corso, and the other could pass as an Anatolian shepherd- though I feel it matches the Carpathian shepherd better as it has a lighter built muzzle than the former. It's my favorite of the batch!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], I know Mr Z dogs are enormous and incredibly well detailed- I don't own any myself. I knew these models looked new to me but looking around a bit more I think several of these are scaled down copies of his or a similar artists work (that's my mistake for not researching more prior to buying). They are wonderful figures if not enormous compared to a normal brands' scale. You can see this in some of my TCC posts and will see these behemoths again!

I was going to wait a little longer for my other items to arrive but my goodness I am in love and had to share... Has anyone heard of Stasto? Apparently, they made 2 series of bettas and I couldn't resist. As a fish I enjoy keeping around in real life and enjoy watching and caring for them (despite their often all too short life spans) these are works of art in miniature. I can't wait to find more betta figures as my wallet can accomodate them!
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Very colorful fishes

I didn't know the brand but I'm impressed with the way the sculptor made them as they're flowing. That pink fish is really beautiful!

Thank you both! They are really lovely models and fairly inexpensive for a Japanese set (2 here) IMO. They are a bit bigger than the real fish, closer to a giant "King" sized betta, but they are lovely to look at. I don't really have space bit they will probably need a display so I can just enjoy looking at them.

Wow these are gorgeous! So flowy and details. I bet they would look really cool in empty jars with some decoration at the bottom. I've never heard of this brand, do they have any other animal series besides bettas?

I am still investigating the brand myself, but it seems that they make other figures but are much more novelty in spirit. Animal-food/vegetable hybrids, animals with a gemstone incorporated (i.e. an amethyst spiked hedgehog), that sort of thing. These seem to be 2024 releases and were included in Blaine's Japanese novelty topic on ATF (I believe there is one here on STS too but I can't seem to find it). So maybe this indicates they make more "normal" series like these two? If you just google Sasto animal figures it brings up images of their items.

Wonderful series, I completely understand why you couldn't resist. I hope you'll still find somewhere to display them, they're a feast for the eyes!

This bettas photo is Magic..

Congratulations Paige.

Wonderful models,congrats!!!

Thank you everyone, I am really just fascinated by these guys. They aren't as delicately sculpted as say a Kaiyodo is- they are a little "coarser" in that regard, but they are splendid to look at the colors all look lovely. I only have 2 complaints: the rod that they come with, some of them are VERY difficult to fit into the base slot for it (there is a ball joint on one end for the base, and just the cut off rod to slide into the fish figure). The only complaint I have about the models themselves is the two blue fish (top row left side, and bottom row left side) and the two red fish (top row right side, and bottom row right side) are a little too similar in color. I think (since they are the same sculpts too) either a more distinctive pattern of white or different shades of blue/red would have made these more unique. But these are truly small issues with otherwise nicely done fish that are rare in toy form.

Aaaand the rest of my recent purchases now that they have all arrived. (Just HAD to share the bettas because they truly intoxicated me)

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Firstly, to address my post title: I have been a member of STS forum since 2011 and my young self remembers avoiding the "vintage" section because the models just didn't really appeal to me aesthetically, I never could afford nor identify half of them (let alone their history), and I was petrified of their fragility (there were many more vintage collectors and restoration projects being shared back then). I have healthily resisted... until recently. And I blame my dear friend Kikimalou/Christophe for my newest ailment. He infected me by generously gifting me a Lineol sable antelope and eland, AND striped hyena a while back. Again because of my living situation they lived in a shoebox for a few months until I got to a safer and more vintage friendly living situation where... I can see them every day. And I found myself delighting in these very different figures than what I consider my traditional collection.

So what does one do? Try to alleviate the "itch". I found 2 Elastolin Preiser wolves (one is struggling to reach me in light of the Southeastern US hurricane devastation) and some Hausser Elastolin bears; all of which I enjoy immensely. I will not go so far (yet) as to admit that I am now a vintage collector. But if I come across a few I fancy, said friend I know won't be denied.

As for the rest, these are all online purchases. The birds are (bootleg) Nayabs, a Marmit white betta (the last one I have easy access and budget for), and the newest Schleich SE reindeer (purchased brand new but second handed from an ebay seller). I finally found an alexiornis from BBC WWD the movie! Several Blip toys which means I have lots of dog breed pics to redo. Some chinamal animals. And some miscellaneous pets (safari toobs, Blip toys, Kenner, unknown, etc.). And a very large squishy bootleg chinamal wolf.

I'm very happy to be the source of your infection and even happier that you've fallen under their spell.
You always have to soothe the ‘itch’ otherwise you stay with it and it gets worse.
The Elastolin Preiser wolves are very different from the ones you collect, but I find them incredibly charming.
The 54mm series from Hausser elastolin has a lot of charm too, I particularly like the brown bear family.
I'm going to tell you a secret, all collectors are vintage collectors or else you'd have to throw away your toys as soon as they're taken off the market. Nobody does that, on the contrary, every year I see ‘non-vintage’ collectors rushing to buy the models that are going to be retired.
And I find that knowing and loving the models from days gone by gives more depth to our passion, we have more references and more flavours in our memory.
For example, putting the sable antelope or the Lineol eland next to the CollectA or the Mojo is an experience that I recommend to anyone who can, it makes you grow.

I like very much your new Tibetan fox.

There's no immunity to these Lineol. Those are such generous gifts from Christophe. Many of us took ages to find a Lineol sable, some stopped collecting even before finding their first one and probably some are still seeking for it. I was one of the collectors who thought I would never get one but we always have the luck of sharing our hobby with very generous and helpful friends.

Great newcomers again But I am still enchanted by the previous betta fishes I have never seen such a beautiful design and coloring

Wonderful selection of new models,congrats!!!

Congratulations Paige on the wonderful gifts from Christophe! That must have been a delightful surprise! It's truly a great forum when our passion for these toy animals brings such joy all across the world from truly wonderful humans
So glad they have joined you and are working their charismatic magic on you!
The wolf you have there - on the right, looks just like the style of a Britains wolf model! It is such a beauty!
I have always been captivated by the beauty of older models, yet unlike many on this forum I rarely have any 'new' models in my collection There are a few that I do love though, especially the CollectA Chiru.

I look forward to seeing your collection expand in this new 'older' area. Your betta models are beautiful too. Well done:)

Great to see more vintage models in your collection. Hausser Elastolin is one of my favourite vintage brands. Most are quite realistic for their time and I like the fact that they made many excellent young animals.

Ultimately, everything becomes vintage. The modern animal figures I had in my youth are now vintage. You are still young, but when you are older you will have the most amazing vintage collection! Even I have become vintage: Like my vintage animal models, I may look quite peculiar and old fashioned, but hopefully I haven't lost all my charm .