My MartinH Collection´s newcomers :)

Very nice

Thank you Andreas :)

If there's anything that gets you out of your sickness, it's definitely the first pack of 2023 and in it... Oh, as a die-hard Jurassic Park fan since childhood, I've resisted hard, but lately I've been getting weaker like spring ice. Dinosaurs by Papo are absolutely breathtaking!! Stegosaurus has always been my favorite species (ever since Journey to Prehistory) and this one is absolutely gorgeous. True, I should have bought him when his green version was readily available (according to The Lost World), but this newer coat suits him very well too. In fact, it's mainly the work of the sculptor and the details that are unsurpassed in this case... However, what the 2019 Pentacerops model shows off... that's something!! A model that can stand on its hind legs as well as on all fours is simply incredible. He doesn't have a single flaw. He is simply gorgeous and I did damn well not to resist him. From the dramatic pose to the beautiful coloring... this model is simply top notch!

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Big congrats for these 2 newcomers! I have 2 first green versions from this Papo stegosaurus!

Very interesting and diversified batch, the one before the dinosaurs. :)
I still find Papo dinosaurs very interesting artistically. They're often very attractive and expressive so it doesn't surprise me so many people collects them. They also opened the doors to many dino collectors that are now venturing into PNSO and other brands.

Caracal wrote:

Big congrats for these 2 newcomers! I have 2 first green versions from this Papo stegosaurus!

Oh, that green one is a legend :) One day I´ll find her somewhere :)

Roger wrote:

Very interesting and diversified batch, the one before the dinosaurs. :)
I still find Papo dinosaurs very interesting artistically. They're often very attractive and expressive so it doesn't surprise me so many people collects them. They also opened the doors to many dino collectors that are now venturing into PNSO and other brands.

Yeah. I´ve alwayslike Papo dinos but they were never a part of my collection... But one day... Brachiosaurus came and I was like Alan Grant. And I am a Papo dinosaurs collector since :))

The newcomers behind the glass are from Collecta this time ... they were at a very good price, so I couldn't resist. I have a St. Bernard, a Shih-tzu and a Sharpei puppy to expand my dog collection... very nice models. The new African Elephant bull is truly beautiful and has long deserved a new version. I was really impressed with the brick colored brahma cow with the texture of the fur and the octopus from Schleich with similar details. Very nice group..

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MartinH wrote:

Caracal wrote:

Big congrats for these 2 newcomers! I have 2 first green versions from this Papo stegosaurus!

Oh, that green one is a legend :) One day I´ll find her somewhere :)

if no, he is rather common on french ebay.. :)

I love this elephant!

They are home!! Two girls from Jurassic Park and a dog. I'm kicking myself a little for not starting the Papo dinosaurs sooner because I've been circling around them for years ... wanting them but not wanting to get into them... and now... some pieces are hard to get. For example, like the green version of the standing Tyrannosaurus Rex, the creation of which was inspired by the second part of "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" and was the very first dinosaur model by Papo from 2005. Well, the green one was originally ordered, but since it is already a few years out of production, I got my hands on his later brown version, which is inspired by the first Jurassic Park. Anyway, that doesn't change the fact that it's an absolutely STUNNING model. It can no longer be taken as a toy, but it is literally a collector's item. The incredible level of detail is ... unreal. From the first fold of skin, to the moving jaw... unbeliavable!! The same is true of the second T-Rex model, this time in a running position. A model that is incredibly stable and inspired by the first film (although its green version is more reminiscent of Peter Jackson's King Kong). Both "figures" are definitely very impressive members of my collection, complete with an Australian Shepherd model that is no less beautiful... if slightly overshadowed in this batch of newcomers. I highly recommend both dinosaur models to everyone, because they are really not toys anymore, but showpieces... really!

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Big congrats for these newcomers!
I got the running one on french ebay at a low cost a few time ago..

Those two Papo T-rexes were very popular at the time. I even considered to get the running version for my collection. I like the dog too. :)

Roger wrote:

Those two Papo T-rexes were very popular at the time. I even considered to get the running version for my collection. I like the dog too. :)

Well I can say green running T-rex is pure gem!

There haven't been any newcomers in a long time...yeah sure. Anyway, I finally got hold of the baby giraffe from Mojo Fun, which has been on my wish list for about a month now. And rightly so, because it's a gorgeous model. As well as a standing Red Panda, a Tasmanian devil with very sharp teeth (3+?), a female dog, a Lusitano mare and two wonderful models of the Brumby breed. The mare running and the stallion in a rearing pose are originally Southlands models, but Mojo took over their products after the brand decided to go out of business. As well as panda, devil and female models. The other three novelties are from the Schleich brand. A very old grazing sheep, a calf of Swiss cattle and the last is a beautiful brown cow from the cattle "washing line" set.

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There's nothing better than being a grown man and getting toys for your birthday. Yeeey... Yes. This childlike joy is always my own. Especially when you find really beautiful pieces for behind the glass. So... their first batch. But this time it's 9 pieces from Papo and Schleich. I won't even pretend I'm not a Papo dinosaur collector anymore. I am! And I'm glad for that, because their dinosaurs are top! Therizinosaurus is undoubtedly one of the strangest species to ever walk the earth. This giant theropod is one of the most amazing models that Papo has created, and it is closely followed by Quetzalcoatlus, which is a model of a giant pterosaur, probably one of the greatest flying creatures of all time. Both are incredibly elaborate and are proof that these figures can no longer be taken as toys, but as showpieces. Next is the fantastic Iguanodon and the very interesting Polacanthus, for which Papo went the bold route of purple coloring. Again, both models with wonderful details. The fifth novelty is a beautiful Spanish bull in the color brown-black-white. His dynamic pose is really amazing. Other new products are models from Schleich, which unfortunately do not even remotely match Papo's quality. New Gazelle Thompson bull (very odd in proportion and unsatisfactory in color quality), the Indian Rhino baby (which I wasn't sure was the same as the baby in the set with the groomer, but it isn't!) which is definitely the best quality of the new batch from this brand. And finally I decided on a female Moose with a baby. Here, however, Schleich really stepped on the wrong side. The female, except for a few flaws, can get away with it, but the cub is a real mess. I can't believe it's a Schleich brand. The legs are weirdly crooked, the absolute lack of detail, especially in the head area, and overall it looks very cheap. Compared to the cub from the forest cub set, this cub doesn't fare too well. Anyway, I'm very happy for these newcomers...

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27 pieces travel behind the glass. That is... if I can still find a place there. 21 pieces from Collecta (Kentrosaurus, Brontosaurus, Ampelosaurus, Northern muskox, Bull Terrier and Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Schnauzer, Dachshund, Siamese cat, Persian cat, Platypus, Chinchilla, Collared Agama, Knabstrup horse foal, Curly foal, Appaloosa gelding horse, stallion Australian Cattle Horse, baby beluga, female humpback and baby humpback whale) ... 3 pieces from Schleich (Galloway cow, Wallisian black-nosed sheep and Slender Cheetah kitten) ... 2 pieces from Papo (hermit crab and red fox) and finally... 1 bit from Safari Ltd. (Irish Cob stallion). Yes... this crazy batch is an echo of my birthday, so I have an alibi. Anyway, every piece from this pile is really cool, as you can see in the photos on my Facebook.

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Meeting with friends sometimes brings unexpected situations. So even if you vow that if you go to the next stage of collecting and start with dinosaurs ... and only stick to one brand ... it's clear that someone will steal it in no time. The newer dinosaurs from Schleich have never been much of a draw for me. I found their colors too attractive for a child consumer, and their proportions are sometimes very strange. Anyway, a Dilophosaurus (2016) with a movable jaw (in very colorful colors), a very cool Ankylosaurus (2020) with beautifully detailed skin and "armor" arrived in my collection. Very detailed is the underside of the model and all its skin movements and folds. Amazing. The same is true of Amargasaurus (2022), which is also a very detailed model. There is one thing I appreciate about Schleich... the dinosaurs, which in the end seem to be painted with a dark color that gets into every crease on the skin, then gives the model a unique look and literally optically highlights every small detail. For figures that Schleich does not do this, their appearance is not so impressive. This is the case with the Styracosaurus (2022), which is very detailed, but I can't say I like its pastel colors and glossy finish. The latest news is Gastonia. A beautifully designed model that (in my opinion) struggles a lot with its color scheme. I'm not sure to what extent Schleich's human hands do the work, anyway this model seems very sloppy in color to me. But that is the least that can be fixed. So... my one and only Schleich Stegosaurus can be pleased as 5 more pieces of this brand come to him and wander right behind the glass. That is... if I still squeeze them in there somewhere.

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Congratulations Martin for all your new figures. It is interesting to read about your opinions about them. I don't have many Schleich figures from sets, actually I only have the Moutain Animals but, seeing some others on photos, they look to be slightly better in average than those figures sold individually. Papo Dinosaurs belong to its own world, despite the huge change in terms of dino collecting these last years, I still find most of them very attractive and they display as no other series.

A lot of diversity in your newcomers batch with wild, farm, prehistoric models and many musthave like fox, fennec, musk ox, tasmanian devil, red panda, Papo iguanodon..

Roger wrote:

Congratulations Martin for all your new figures. It is interesting to read about your opinions about them. I don't have many Schleich figures from sets, actually I only have the Moutain Animals but, seeing some others on photos, they look to be slightly better in average than those figures sold individually. Papo Dinosaurs belong to its own world, despite the huge change in terms of dino collecting these last years, I still find most of them very attractive and they display as no other series.

Thank you Roger :) I have to be honest... these are newcomers from begining of this year but I couldn´t keep up:) About Papo dinosaurs it is exactly like that. They have their own world. And even though their production has been overstepped in recent years, they still have a strong position... at least in the collection. The animals from the Schleich sets really look better in some cases... well, except for some cases (baby moose). For example, the calf of Indian rhinoceros, which is slightly different from the separate baby that was put into production shortly after the release of the set.

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Caracal wrote:

A lot of diversity in your newcomers batch with wild, farm, prehistoric models and many musthave like fox, fennec, musk ox, tasmanian devil, red panda, Papo iguanodon..

Thank you Caracal:)

Recently, horses of this brand have not appealed to me much, but sometimes it happens that I have the opportunity to get some pieces at a significantly lower price and it depends on my choice. So I took it upon myself to include these in my collection. A "family" of the Selle Français breed, a Norick stallion and a Hafling mare with a foal. This suggests that Schleich returns to the detail, because her legs are very pleasantly processed. Unfortunately, the horses are still very inaccurate in proportion, but there is some improvement to be seen.

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I love sales... Stores get rid of lagers or older models that can literally be a collector's treasure... And these seven pieces from Bullyland are just the case. And so a grizzly bear with a cub, a polar bear cub, a Knabstrupper foal, a domestic pig, an American shorthair cat and a European shorthair cat are traveling right behind the glass. I'll have to focus a bit on sorting out the cats at Bullyland. Anyway... Bullyland is finally expanding my collection after a while, which is great :)

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A couple of new Schleichs have expanded my collection a little more... This brand goes down remarkably with their attention to detail (the case of the adult Caracal). By the way, the rest of the group looks very good. Forest Harpies is clearly a very original work from this brand that is not seen that often. Red fox, which is of very high quality. Like the European beaver. Caracal and baby caracal are both quite controversial in my opinion. The adult and its columnar legs are... just horrible... and the kitten is slightly reminiscent of a character from a Disney movie due to its cuteness. But it's a kitten and they're cute, so in the end not much happens.

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No, I don't collect dogs... Really. There are a lot of them and it's not exactly my focus. Yeah, sure... I like to lie in my pockets. Because as soon as I start collecting something, I'm determined to stand up for myself. So 10 COLLECTA dogs arrived and I'm amazed at myself for holding back for so long. The variety of breeds and their attributes took my breath away. CollectA has an amazing talent for working out even the smallest detail, and this can be seen most in dogs (especially small breeds). They are simply perfect in terms of proportions and painting, and together with the dogs from Papo, they are at the top of the list. Old English Sheepdog Bobtail, Irish Setter, English Cocker Spaniel, West Highland White Terrier, Doberman, Yorkshire Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chow Chow, Sharpei and a German Shepherd puppy make up the dog section. Another two wonderful pieces from this brand that travel behind glass are the Norwegian Forest Cat and the Hungarian Mangalica pig. Both models are actually very well made with all the details ... CollectA is really one of the best quality brands on the market today.

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Nice newcomers

MartinH wrote:

Thank you Roger :) I have to be honest... these are newcomers from begining of this year but I couldn´t keep up:) About Papo dinosaurs it is exactly like that. They have their own world. And even though their production has been overstepped in recent years, they still have a strong position... at least in the collection. The animals from the Schleich sets really look better in some cases... well, except for some cases (baby moose). For example, the calf of Indian rhinoceros, which is slightly different from the separate baby that was put into production shortly after the release of the set.

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Thank you, I never noticed that Martin

MartinH wrote:

A couple of new Schleichs have expanded my collection a little more... This brand goes down remarkably with their attention to detail (the case of the adult Caracal). By the way, the rest of the group looks very good. Forest Harpies is clearly a very original work from this brand that is not seen that often. Red fox, which is of very high quality. Like the European beaver. Caracal and baby caracal are both quite controversial in my opinion. The adult and its columnar legs are... just horrible... and the kitten is slightly reminiscent of a character from a Disney movie due to its cuteness. But it's a kitten and they're cute, so in the end not much happens.

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I agree for Red fox and, unfortunately, I agree also for both Caracals

Big congratulation Martin, even if I really don't collect Dogs