New Member - Schleich, Collecta and Eofauna collector for 20 years - Animalexche

Hi everyone!

I’m so excited to finally join this community and can’t wait to chat with all of you about our shared passion for collecting animal figures! I’ve known about this forum for a long time because of the fantastic insights and news you all share. From updates on new releases to detailed discussions about rare Schleich pieces, it’s been my go-to source for everything happening in the world of collectibles.

A little about me: I’m Alex, 30 years old, French, and I’ve been collecting Schleich figures since I was four. After a break, I got back into it in my early teens, and my collection has been growing ever since. I’ve always been picky about what I add, only choosing pieces that I feel are beautifully crafted and realistic. Schleich has always been my brand of choice, even though I know and respect other brands like Papo (though their style just never quite clicked with me!).

That said, I have to admit I’ve been disappointed with Schleich’s direction since Dirk Engehausen joined in 2015. The brand has grown hugely, and while I respect their success, I miss the focus on quality over quantity that made their figures so special. I know it sounds picky, but I think collectors like me miss the thrill we used to feel when new figures were released each year.

Out of my love for classic Schleich, I recently started an Instagram account "Animalexche":

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As a graphic designer, I photograph, edit, and create unique settings for my figures, inspired by the beautiful catalogs Schleich put out from around 1999 to 2015. I’ve even hunted down vintage props to really capture that nostalgic vibe! I’d love for you to check it out and share any feedback!

Since I’m collecting fewer of Schleich’s new releases, I’ve been drawn to other brands like Collecta and Eofauna (proboscidiens). I’m a huge fan of MegaFauna and mammals, so they fit right into my collection.

I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you and diving into some great discussions about collectibles. Let’s make this a fun adventure together!

xoxo,
Alex

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Welcome on forum, Alex!
Thanks for introducing yourself to our community and for being an active part of our small village.
Beautiful presentation and I love tthat deer photo. There are a few collectors with a similar story to yours ad CollectA seems to be a sort of good alternative for Schleich based collectors like you. Pay atention to the newer Papo releases, they are now consistently good, not as in the past were some figures were very good and many others very unappealing. I also love Eofauna, their quality standards are quite high and the figures are beautiful and affordable.

Warm welcome from Dresden / Germany

Welcome to the forum! Beautiful images. I think you'll find that most here agree with your concerns about Schleich. I still buy a few figures from them every year, but I'm not nearly as excited for releases as I once was.

Not sure if you have been looking into Papo lately, but I feel they have really grown from their older styles and have been the best company when it comes to realism and details in the past 4-5 years. CollectA of course is the king of ungulates in my opinion. I also love Safari but they are a bit more stylized.

Eofauna is an outstanding company. I have all of their releases except for Sue. I plan on picking her up soon though and I can't wait for the new 2025 proboscideans.

I'd love to see photos of your collection! I also followed your Instagram account

Welcome,welcome!

Wonderful pictures! Wecome here Animalexche!

Welcome to the forum! I'd love to see photos of your collection too

Warm welcome from Muinch. :)

Very nice pictures you shared, they remind me of the old schleich calenders from 2011.

You should make an calender

What is your favorite animal figure?