1/32 scale animals second part

I believe nobody is surprised polar bears are your favorite animals.
You're right about the Reizler standing bear, it doesn't look like a polar bear at all, in my opinion it looks like an American black bear with those large years and that slender body. I like the Britains family picture, someone looks so happy in that pic.

rogerpgvg wrote:

Ah, yes, this post was about crocodilians that aren't Nile or saltwater crocodiles. I think most of the vintage crocodiles are meant to be Nile crocodiles. I wrote a post on the Britains crocodiles [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] And a post on saltwater crocs [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Starlux made a gharial. I don't have it. Do you know its size?

The size of the Starlux gharial is 8 cm but it is a little curved.. :)

Thank you, Alain. That makes the Starlux just large enough for a sexually mature female. I'll put it on my wishlist.

Yes, the standing Reisler bear would probably best as a black bear, but Reisler didn't make black bears.

Today the rest of my vintage polar bears. My French polar bear collection is still incomplete:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The two Clairets on the left were first made in 1952 or 1953 and probably produced until the 1980s. They are the oldest polar bear models that I have. I find the sitting bear particularly charming. It is my smallest polar bear with a HB length of 5.6/179 cm. The walking bear is only slightly larger with a length of 5.8/186 cm. The Starlux on the right is from 1960 and was probably made until the 1990s. It is 6.3/202 cm in HB length.

Comparisons of the Clairets with the Britains:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The Starlux and early version Britains polar bear:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Probably the most realistic vintage polar bears were made by the German company Hausser Elastolin from the late 1960s until the early 1980s. The adult is especially very good. Its size is also quite impressive, with a 7.5/240 cm HB length.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Here with the much smaller Clairet and the similarly sized Reisler walking polar bear:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

And a cub comparison:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The final vintage company of which I have polar bears is Marolin. I bought them new only three years ago, so strictly speaking they aren’t vintage, but they were formerly made by VEB Plaho, an East German company, from the late 60s and 70s onwards. The adult has a 7.1/227 cm HB length.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

A comparison with Britains and Hausser Elastolin:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The Hausser Elastolin soft plastic and VEB Plaho figures often have similarities. In this case, both made two polar bear cubs:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Next time, we’ll move to the modern polar bears.

"The Starlux bear is clearly starving and trying to smell the scent of seals carried by the wind."Looking forward to see the modern representations.

The standing cub on the blue base looks so much like a person wearing a bear suit, with the knees and elbows! How funny! I just love the sitting bears, especially the one with his paws straight out in front of him. The fur detail is so good. Really interesting polar bear collection!

Very interesting comparison pictures! but are you sure this Elastolin is from from Hausser? Because it is the same as the Ougen one in France.. :)

So many polar bear cubs! I can't remember seeing these before. They are wonderful, ofcourse.
The clairets are very beautiful and I really like the sitting one too.
What an amazing collection of polar bears you have Roger, and this is just your vintage ones?

Thank you, Annette, Alain, Jill and Rogério!

Roger wrote:

The Starlux bear is clearly starving and trying to smell the scent of seals carried by the wind. Looking forward to see the modern representations.

You are right, the Clairet walking bear is indeed very thin.

Jill wrote:

The standing cub on the blue base looks so much like a person wearing a bear suit, with the knees and elbows! How funny! I just love the sitting bears, especially the one with his paws straight out in front of him. The fur detail is so good. Really interesting polar bear collection!

Other people have also pointed out that the Britains standing bear cub looks like a person in a bear suit. I've had the Britains bear cub since my early childhood and so I always assumed that this is what a standing polar bear cub looks like! Britains was quite keen on standing animals with their arms up: There is a gorilla, baboon and chimp baby with that pose too.

Caracal wrote:

Very interesting comparison pictures!      but are you sure this Elastolin is from from Hausser? Because it is the same as the Ougen one in France.. :)

It is difficult for me to distinguish between Elastolin and Ougen. I bought the polar bears in Germany, so most likely they are Hausser Elastolin. I haven't been able to find much information about the collaboration between Ougen and Elastolin, but it is clear that Elastolin designed the 54 mm animal figures (as well as toy soldiers) and then licensed Ougen to distribute them under their own name in France. According to this information, the plastic figures were made in Germany by Elastolin and then Ougen painted and sold them in France. This is the reason why the painting style of the Elastolin and Ougen figures is often different.

Unfortunately, I don't know enough about it to be able to tell which figures were painted by Elastolin and which by Ougen. It would be interesting to do a good investigation, but Elastolin/Ougen figures are quite expensive for me because they have to come from abroad, so I do not collect different paint versions. Benno showed a comparison of a few Elastolin and Ougen models a while ago [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

rogerpgvg wrote:

Roger wrote:

The Starlux bear is clearly starving and trying to smell the scent of seals carried by the wind. Looking forward to see the modern representations.

You are right, the Clairet walking bear is indeed very thin.

I'm right with the wrong brand name.

Haha, I was sure you wrote Clairet. I just couldn't believe you'd ever be wrong

I completely forgot I had let a comment on that post, so, I already knew that there were Hausser 55mm models! Thank you for the link Roger!

Sometimes we know more than we know

rogerpgvg wrote:

Haha, I was sure you wrote Clairet. I just couldn't believe you'd ever be wrong

There is something in the older Britains polar bears which I find more convincing than the latest ones.

Yes, I know what you mean, but despite that, I am sure you agree that the later walking polar bear is the most attractive of them all    . I am not so sure about the early sitting bear. Its nose is a bit malformed (possibly because the mould had worn out after many years), its forelegs have slightly curious angles and its hind legs are kind of integrated into the rest of the body.

How do you feel about vintage animal figures? Do you think that you can use them for comparisons with your extinct animals or are they too different in style and material?


Now let’s have a look at the more modern polar bears. First, a Schleich knock-off (left) and a New-Ray polar bear (right):
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I consider the New-Ray wildlife series from 1992-95 a transitional series between the vintage brands and the modern brands. The series was made at a time that the vintage brands had strongly declined or even ceased to exist, while modern companies such as Safari and Schleich had just started and weren’t yet the major animal toy manufacturers that they would later become. In a way, the New-Ray series was the end of an era because, very sadly, as far as I know, it was the last 1/32 scale wildlife series. Like other 1/32 scale series (perhaps with the exception of Britains), this didn’t mean that all figures were exactly 1/32 scale; rather, large species were a bit smaller and small species a bit larger than this scale.

The animals from the New-Ray wildlife series usually make me a bit sad because I think they really show that they are the end of an era. They don’t have such a high-quality feel as the major vintage brands. Not all vintage brands made the most realistic animals but they seem to have put a lot of care into trying to make an artistic, good-looking product. The New-Ray figures give a cheaper impression to me, perhaps because they were targeted at younger children. Many of the sculpts are actually fine, but the painting generally lets them down, with very weird colour choices. The figures are often attached to a large base, which I am not so keen on, and the plastic looks cheap. Still, I am happy that New-Ray decided to have a last go at 1/32 scale wildlife.

The polar bear is probably one of the best New-Rays. It has the right colour (though they could have painted the base better) and the sculpt is quite well done. This polar bear is marked 1992 and has a HB length of about 7.0/224 cm (7.1/227 cm standing height without base). Here we have him with a Reisler and Britains:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

We saw the Schleich knock-off not too long ago in this topic. I bought it under the name Billbuff and it was originally made by Schleich between 2012 and 2018 in a larger size. It has a HB length of 5.6/179 cm, which is quite short, but it is relatively tall (3.4/109 cm at the shoulder) and fat.

It’s interesting to compare the Schleich sculpt with polar bears from vintage companies when they are the same size. The Schleich sculpt is probably more realistic than some vintage models, but I am not sure whether it surpasses the early Britains or the Hausser Elastolin. And of course, the later Britains is the most beautiful of them all .
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The Schleich knock-off is my only 1/32 scale polar bear by what we often call the major modern brands (even though it is just a knock-off). Safari may have made a few 1/32 polar bears for their TOOBs, but I don’t have any.

Let's turn to the Japanese companies. Two bears from Takara today:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The one on the left is by Ania, which is owned by Takara, and the one on the right is from Takara’s Zoozoozoo series. Well, actually it is a knock-off of the real Zoozoozoo polar bear. As I mentioned when I introduced this figure in a previous post, I bought the knock-off because the original consists of two parts and has an ugly, very visible seam over its hips. It’s a small bear, 6.2/198 cm in HB length. Here is a comparison with two other small bears:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

In contrast, the Ania is very large, with a HB length of 8.4/269 cm. Like all Ania animals, it is articulated: Its head can move up and down and turn around. We can compare it with two large vintage polar bears:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Next time, my last bunch of polar bears.

I like the romantic way you describe the New-Ray figures and you are right. They represent the transition between what we call vintage and modern eras. New-Ray is a Hong Kong company that appeared just as a sequence of the endless HK companies which produced plenty knock-offs of Britains and other vintage brands. Maybe these affordable kknock-offs contributed at some extent to the ruin of the "famous" vintage companies. New-Ray apparently brought a different proposal although the early cats and dogs are knock-offs of ceramic models. I wouldn't be surprised if these beautiful models with bases were also copied from pottery models. Those decorative ones. Their style reminds me a lot some figures we used to decorate our furniture. They're designed to stand perfectly what would be useless for this kind of cheap plastic New-Ray used and the basic colors poorly applied give to it a kind of toy look. We don't know, they can be original designs and they have a strong identity. I personally like them a lot and I feel they would look wonderful with a realistic painting. I have myself the pair of foxes and the giant anteater.

Quote :

How do you feel about vintage animal figures? Do you think that you can use them for comparisons with your extinct animals or are they too different in style and material?

Some of them are quite nice, but I'm afraid my limited interest in modern animal figures isn't enough to track them down when there might be modern analogues. I did consider searching for some Britains tho, mainly birds.

Quote :

I am sure you agree that the later walking polar bear is the most attractive of them all

You mean the one in the right?
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Dunno, the head shape look a bit like a sheep to me? [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] The older one has that slender head which I associate to polar bears in contrast to other bear species even if the ears of the older model look pushed a little too back? The Hausser Elastolin looks really good tho.

Roger wrote:

They're designed to stand perfectly what would be useless for this kind of cheap plastic New-Ray used.

I assumed that many needed bases because the plastic is quite soft and otherwise they would collapse under their own weight. Some of the sculpts seem to be inspired by Britains figures, such as the gnu, bison and moose. This is clearer with their farm models from around the same time, some of which are near-copies of Britains.

Leyster wrote:

Some of them are quite nice, but I'm afraid my limited interest in modern animal figures isn't enough to track them down when there might be modern analogues. I did consider searching for some Britains tho, mainly birds.

Some vintage models are easy to find on Ebay. It may be different in Italy, but I'd say that here, Britains animals are almost impossible to avoid. The flamingo, stork and vulture are good. The other birds aren't exactly 1/32 scale but you could of course use them for other scales.

Leyster wrote:

You mean the one in the right? Dunno, the head shape look a bit like a sheep to me?

You'll know the difference when you see his teeth!

The last polar bear episode, at least until I get more (hopefully!)

I’ve got five Colorata polar bears, three adults and two cubs:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The standing bear with cub is the oldest. It was part of the Wild Dogs and Bears box released in 2008. I am happy to have them because this box is no longer in production and any models from it are hard to find. These polar bears are fantastic, perhaps the best 1/32 scale polar bears. The adult is quite large, about 8.0/256 cm in HB length (depending on where you assume the tail starts). Here is a comparison with the Ania adult, a Marolin and a Hausser Elastolin cub:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The adult Colorata can be removed from its base. The cub can also be taken off the base, but because it has pegs on its feet, it would look as if it were on small stilts. The adult compared with the early Britains polar bear and the Hausser Elastolin:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Comparisons with a Lego block:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The other bear with cub is from the 2015 Wild Bears box that probably replaced the earlier Wild Dogs and Bears box. The newer box is still for sale. It’s a nice pair too, though I prefer those from the earlier box. Sorry, I’ve done the comparison with the Zoozoozoo before, but it’s one that can’t be avoided:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The HB length of the lying Colorata bear is about the same (8.0/256 cm) as that of the earlier standing bear with cub.

The most recent Colorata polar bear is the smallest at 6.7/214 cm. It is from the Palearctic and Nearctic regions box released in 2019. The quality of the Colorata figures seems to have gone down slowly over the years, and the polar bears are a good example of that. The most recent polar bear isn’t bad, but it lacks a furry texture and therefore looks a bit bland. Here is a comparison with the Marolin, Britains later version and Starlux:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Kaiyodo made several polar bears, but as far as I know, only the bear from the 2019 Wild Rush 3 Sub Arctic set is 1/32 scale; the others are too small. If you are looking for a beautiful 1/32 scale polar bear, this is the one I’d recommend. It is relatively easy to find on Japanese websites and has a good, average size (6.4/205 cm HB length, 3.8/122 cm shoulder height).
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Here is a comparison with the other top polar bear, the Wild Dogs and Bears Colorata:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

And a comparison with the Ania and Reisler:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

With the Hausser Elastolin and the early Britains:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I find it hard to say which is better. I think I prefer the Colorata, but perhaps I just like it better because I am so happy I found it.

Finally, finally, let’s have a look at the polar bear that was the reason for my polar bear review. The Takara polar bear from the Three-Dimensional Capsule Antarctic and Arctic Science Encyclopedia set, made in 2012. Sorry to keep you waiting for it for so long, Leyster. Just take it as a revenge for saying the Britains polar bear looks like a sheep .
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The Takara is a very large polar bear, perhaps too large for 1/32 scale. I measure it as about 9.0/288 in HB length. Only polar bears of up to 285 cm in total length are accepted in the 1/32 reserve. However, it is difficult to measure because its head isn’t in a straight line with the rest of its body. The Takara bear claims that I didn’t do my measurement correctly, so it keeps breaking into the reserve. In any case, it seems to have quite short legs relative to the position of its tail and its total height of 9.3/297 cm is probably not too high. I haven’t found scientific data on this, but this website says that polar bears standing on their hind legs are 180-300 cm tall, and several other websites say 300 cm. Amstrup (2003) says that the very tallest bears may reach nearly 4 m when standing on their hind legs.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Like many Japanese gashapon figures, the Takara polar bear consists of several parts so that it fits into the capsule in which it was sold. Unfortunately, the gap between the head and the body part is quite wide and visible. I don’t think it is just my polar bear; I’ve seen other Takara polar bears that had the same issue.

Let’s compare the Takara with my other polar bears on two legs and with the Clairet sitting polar bear:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

A comparison with a few other Japanese polar bears:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

And finally, all my polar bears together:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Still some space left!

I've said it before but it bears repeating (oh, see what I did there, 'bears' repeating - that wasn't intentional), I love seeing these comparisons of animal models in the same scale, even if they are items I wouldn't collect myself.

rogerpgvg wrote:

And finally, all my polar bears together:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Still some space left!

it's been so interesting to see all these polar bear comparisons Roger, especially the last photo! I was hoping to see every single one of them together and here they all are!

I only have a few polar bears compared to these ones here. And now I can see what is available out there!

Have you got any China or Hong Kong ones that have nice shapes and proportions that can fit in?

Wow, I have to say that the old Colorata looks really impressive!

And I do agree that, compared to the others, perhaps the Yujin is a tad too big.

PS: I still think the Britains looks like a sheep

Hello Polar Bear Friends,

I have some interesting polar bears marked with SIMBA and with the letter ANIMAL WORLD sold by TEDI.
Benno
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

bmathison1972 wrote:

I've said it before but it bears repeating (oh, see what I did there, 'bears' repeating - that wasn't intentional), I love seeing these comparisons of animal models in the same scale, even if they are items I wouldn't collect myself.

I am sure you have large swarms of insects and herds, packs, troops (what do you call them?) of spiders in the same scale. Do you never put them together?

sunny wrote:

Have you got any China or Hong Kong ones that have nice shapes and proportions that can fit in?

No, I don't have any except for the Billbuff Schleich copy. The Britains polar bears were often copied but I don't collect them.

Leyster wrote:

And I do agree that, compared to the others, perhaps the Yujin is a tad too big.

I think its height is OK. If a polar bear can be 285 cm in HB length, then 297 cm in height isn't excessive. It useful to see its back side:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Its tail is rather low, making it look as if it has a very long body.

Thank you, Benno for showing your polar bears. The Animal World bear looks like a Schleich copy, like my Billbuff but larger. Perhaps a bit too large for 1/32 scale because Mr. Thomson has to stand on a Lego block. Do you have smaller Hong Kong or China polar bears?