Papo wishes for 2012

Certainly true that these ( Papo/Schleich and others) brands seem copy each other.
I think Papo should make better Zebras. I agree about the Secretary bird too.
Scale is a big problem, especially for collectors who make dioramas. It's hard getting models that are in scale, in the end most get custom made models. I don't see why Schleich and Papo can't make their elephants in scale, if Safari LTD can make the Wildlife Wonders series, why can't Schleich and Papo do bigger elephants?

YES, RIO, IT'S COOL TO HAVE A HERD, GROUP ETC. OF ANIMALS THAT HERD, GROUP ETC.). I USUALLY END UP BUYING SEVERAL AND SETTING THEM UP AT TOTALLY DIFFERENT ANGLES TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE DIFFERENT FIGURES. HOWEVER IF THEY MADE A SET WITH THE SAME ANIMALS BUT IN SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT POSITIONS IT WOULD BE TERRIFIC! A SECRETARY BIRD WOULD BE AWESOME!!! I LIKE THE SLOTH BEAR, PECCARY, PRONGHORN AND PRZEWALSKI'S HORSE IDEAS! DOESN'T IT SUCK WHEN THE PROPORTIONS ARE OFF! I STILL RELISH MY BRITAINS, LOOK HOW BIG THEIR BULL ELEPHANT AND COW ELEPHANTS ARE IN PROPORTION TO THE OTHER ANIMALS...
HKH, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT SAFARI LTD CAN DO IT WITH THE WW SERIES WHY CAN'T PAPO(FOR THE MOST PART THEY ALL GO TOGETHER). I LIKE THEIR MEERKATS(GREAT SCULPTS), BUT THEY MADE THEM A LITLE TO BIG! ACTUALLY I DO WISH THAT THE WILDLIFE WONDERS SAFRI LTD'S NEW ASIAN ELEPHANT AND THEIR AFRICAN ELEPHANT WERE JUST A LITTLE BIGGER. THERE NOT REALLY PERFECT TO SCALE TO THE OTHERS. THEIR HIPPO & RHINO'S WAY TO SMALL! THEY SHOULD MAKE A LARGER BULL AFRICAN AND BULL ASIAN ELEPHANT!
WHAT PAPO SHOULD DO IS MAKE THE BIGGER ANIMALS(ELEPHANTS, RHINOS, HIPPOS, GIRAFFES ETC.) TO SCALE AND JUST CHARGE MORE. I PAID $10 EACH FOR THEIR KILLER WHALE AND WHITE SHARK. THEIR HUMPBACK IS LISTED AT AROUND $18, AND THE NILE CROC I PAID AROUND $13 FOR. I'LL PAY $14 - $20
FOR THOSE LARGER TO SCALE FIGURES ANYDAY! C'MON PAPO JUST MAKE THEM! LIKE THE FAMOUS QUOTE IN THE MOVIE FIELD OF DREAMS, "IF YOU BUILD IT HE WILL COME". I SAY TO THE GREAT SCULPTORS/DESIGNERS AT PAPO "IF YOU MAKE IT, WE WILL BUY!"

Nicely put!

baltimore zoo wrote:

YES, RIO, IT'S COOL TO HAVE A HERD, GROUP ETC. OF ANIMALS THAT HERD, GROUP ETC.). I USUALLY END UP BUYING SEVERAL AND SETTING THEM UP AT TOTALLY DIFFERENT ANGLES TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE DIFFERENT FIGURES. HOWEVER IF THEY MADE A SET WITH THE SAME ANIMALS BUT IN SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT POSITIONS IT WOULD BE TERRIFIC! A SECRETARY BIRD WOULD BE AWESOME!!! I LIKE THE SLOTH BEAR, PECCARY, PRONGHORN AND PRZEWALSKI'S HORSE IDEAS! DOESN'T IT SUCK WHEN THE PROPORTIONS ARE OFF! I STILL RELISH MY BRITAINS, LOOK HOW BIG THEIR BULL ELEPHANT AND COW ELEPHANTS ARE IN PROPORTION TO THE OTHER ANIMALS...
HKH, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT SAFARI LTD CAN DO IT WITH THE WW SERIES WHY CAN'T PAPO(FOR THE MOST PART THEY ALL GO TOGETHER). I LIKE THEIR MEERKATS(GREAT SCULPTS), BUT THEY MADE THEM A LITLE TO BIG! ACTUALLY I DO WISH THAT THE WILDLIFE WONDERS SAFRI LTD'S NEW ASIAN ELEPHANT AND THEIR AFRICAN ELEPHANT WERE JUST A LITTLE BIGGER. THERE NOT REALLY PERFECT TO SCALE TO THE OTHERS. THEIR HIPPO & RHINO'S WAY TO SMALL! THEY SHOULD MAKE A LARGER BULL AFRICAN AND BULL ASIAN ELEPHANT!
WHAT PAPO SHOULD DO IS MAKE THE BIGGER ANIMALS(ELEPHANTS, RHINOS, HIPPOS, GIRAFFES ETC.) TO SCALE AND JUST CHARGE MORE. I PAID $10 EACH FOR THEIR KILLER WHALE AND WHITE SHARK. THEIR HUMPBACK IS LISTED AT AROUND $18, AND THE NILE CROC I PAID AROUND $13 FOR. I'LL PAY $14 - $20
FOR THOSE LARGER TO SCALE FIGURES ANYDAY! C'MON PAPO JUST MAKE THEM! LIKE THE FAMOUS QUOTE IN THE MOVIE FIELD OF DREAMS, "IF YOU BUILD IT HE WILL COME". I SAY TO THE GREAT SCULPTORS/DESIGNERS AT PAPO "IF YOU MAKE IT, WE WILL BUY!"

Well said
I love Britains they were fantastic, all in scale and beautifully made and painted.

THANKS GABE! FOR ME IT'S JUST KIND OF FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE REASONING FOR SOME OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS FOR WHAT FIGURES THEY WILL MAKE(AND WHAT SCALE ETC.)! AS I SAID "IF YOU MAKE IT, WE WILL BUY IT!" OH, AND I SURELY WILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOULDN'T YOU HARDCORE COLLECTORS BUY MORE THAN 5 OR 6 AFRICAN & ASIAN ELEPHANTS(SCULPTED IN "SLIGHTLY"DIFFERENT POSITIONS) TO FORM THEIR RESPECTIVE HERDS? I DEFINITELY WOULD! I CAN ONLY HOPE THE GOOD PEOPLE AT PAPO WILL READ MY SUGGESTIONS! I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO THIS, ZOO ANIMAL FIGURE COLLECTING IS ONE OF MY PASSIONS(AS I'M SURE IT IS FOR SOME OF YOU) AND TO THE SCULPTORS/DESIGNERS IT'S JUST A JOB.
SO WE NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT TO WHAT THEY NEED TO MAKE, BECAUSE IT'S OUR PASSION!
HKH, TO ME I STILL CHERISH MY BRITAINS, HOWEVER I THINK PAPO HAS EXCEEDED THEM(SCHLEICH'S ANIMALS ARE NOT AS ARTISTIC AND REFINED LOOKING AS PAPO, THEY HAVE A BULKIER LOOK TO THEM AS WELL). BUT REMEMBER YOU HAD TO MAKE AN EDSEL, BEFORE YOU CAN CREATE A FERRARI...
BRITAINS HELPED SET THE STANDARD, AND WE JUST NEED PAPO TO KEEP MAKING THE NEW ANIMALS BETTER BY MAING THEM MORE REALISTIC AND PROPORTIONAL TO EACH OTHER!

baltimore zoo wrote:

THANKS GABE! FOR ME IT'S JUST KIND OF FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE REASONING FOR SOME OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS FOR WHAT FIGURES THEY WILL MAKE(AND WHAT SCALE ETC.)! AS I SAID "IF YOU MAKE IT, WE WILL BUY IT!" OH, AND I SURELY WILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOULDN'T YOU HARDCORE COLLECTORS BUY MORE THAN 5 OR 6 AFRICAN & ASIAN ELEPHANTS(SCULPTED IN "SLIGHTLY"DIFFERENT POSITIONS) TO FORM THEIR RESPECTIVE HERDS? I DEFINITELY WOULD! I CAN ONLY HOPE THE GOOD PEOPLE AT PAPO WILL READ MY SUGGESTIONS! I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO THIS, ZOO ANIMAL FIGURE COLLECTING IS ONE OF MY PASSIONS(AS I'M SURE IT IS FOR SOME OF YOU) AND TO THE SCULPTORS/DESIGNERS IT'S JUST A JOB.
SO WE NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT TO WHAT THEY NEED TO MAKE, BECAUSE IT'S OUR PASSION!
HKH, TO ME I STILL CHERISH MY BRITAINS, HOWEVER I THINK PAPO HAS EXCEEDED THEM(SCHLEICH'S ANIMALS ARE NOT AS ARTISTIC AND REFINED LOOKING AS PAPO, THEY HAVE A BULKIER LOOK TO THEM AS WELL). BUT REMEMBER YOU HAD TO MAKE AN EDSEL, BEFORE YOU CAN CREATE A FERRARI...
BRITAINS HELPED SET THE STANDARD, AND WE JUST NEED PAPO TO KEEP MAKING THE NEW ANIMALS BETTER BY MAING THEM MORE REALISTIC AND PROPORTIONAL TO EACH OTHER!

Well, unless they read it here, we all need to contact them, if we all did it they may do something.
Yes, of course, Papo is by far more realistic than Britains now. It's just the scale that Papo has to work on and what animals they bring out each year.

"IF YOU MAKE IT, WE WILL BUY!"...
*AFRICAN AND ASIAN ELEPHANTS (*MOST IMPORTANT MADE TO SCALE, CAN'T STAND WHEN ADULT ELEPHANTS ARE "BEARLY" BIGGER THAN THE OTHER FIGURES!)*(ALL FIGURES SHOULD BE IN SCALE TO EACH OTHER, ANYWAY!!!!!) MAKE BULL AND COW ELEPHANT FOR EACH(AFRICAN & ASIAN)
*INDIAN ONE HORNED RHINO
*AFRICAN LION(MALE)- LYING POSITION *(CAT HEAD LOOKING UP/TURNED/STRAIGHT AHEAD)
*SIBERIAN TIGER -LYING POSITION *{BIG CATS DO A LOT OF RESTING}
*JAGUAR(MALE) -LYING POSITION
*POLAR BEARS (LARGER TO SCALE THAN PREVIOUS PAPO POLARS)
*WESTERN LOWLAND GORILLA (SILVERBACK)-(A LITTLE LARGER THAN PREVIOUS "SUB-ADULT" PAPO GORILLA)
*GHARIAL -(MALE)
*NILE CROCODILE (RESTING POSTION)
*CLOUDED LEOPARD
*CHEETAH - SEATED POSITION
AND A GERENUK FOR RIO : )
THIS ASSORTMENT WOULD K.O. THE COMPETITION!

I'd like a Bengal Tiger lying too. You missed out a Bongo!

YES, A LYING BENGAL TIGER AS WELL A LYING SIBERIAN TIGER WOULD BE EXCELLENT ADDITIONS! AS YOU KNOW I'M NOT A HOOFSTOCK GUY, SO A BONGO(ALTHOUGH NOTHING AGAINST BONGOS) IS A LOW PRIORITY FIGURE.
I HAD TO GO HOOFSTOCK, I WOULD SAY GREVY ZEBRAS! I LIKE THE GREVY'S THE BEST OUT OF THE ZEBRA SPECIES(PLAIN'S AND MOUNTAIN ZEBRAS).
DID YOU KNOW THE ROMANS USED GREVY ZEBRA IN THEIR CIRCUS! PRETTY COOL!

I'll tell you why Papo don't make figures the way WE, serious collectors, want. It's all about the $#@$ money! They don't care about "minority group" like us, serious and passionate collectors, but on the huge sales come from the children and their parents who would happily embrace any figure that looks cool enough for the kids. That's the root of the "problem" - Papo and probably Schleich too create these figures not for us, grown crazy adults, but for children to "imagine..."

Gabe wrote:

I'll tell you why Papo don't make figures the way WE, serious collectors, want. It's all about the $#@$ money! They don't care about "minority group" like us, serious and passionate collectors, but on the huge sales come from the children and their parents who would happily embrace any figure that looks cool enough for the kids. That's the root of the "problem" - Papo and probably Schleich too create these figures not for us, grown crazy adults, but for children to "imagine..."

I know making these to scale models will be more expensive for parents to buy for their kids, but I'm sure the kids would love larger models to play with, so I think they'd sell well. The Wildlife Wonders elephants aren't that much money really, for how big they are. So Schleich could price them at £13.00. Their dinosaurs are big, and people pay £18-£20 for them.

baltimore zoo wrote:

AND A GERENUK FOR RIO : )

Thank you

If they were in scale, I'd pay more for them. And yes, if they made a herd of Asian Elephants in different positions, I would buy them.

Perhaps an elephant in the middle of a mock charge or a charge ? Perhaps one with it's trunk curled like it's going to strip some leaves. One with it's trunk outstretched ready to drink ?

All these ideas and no company to listen to them !

I'd like if they had a specialist collectors part of their website. Maybe pay money to become a member and then we would get emails or maybe first chance to buy new models or special collectors models. It's just an idea and I'm sure there would be lots of problems with it. That's how it works with my Rammstein community membership.

YES GABE, IT COMES DOWN TO MONEY. AS YOU SAID THE PARENTS BUY WHAT THEY THINK IS COOL AND WHAT THE KIDS WLL LIKE. I STILL SAY GIVEN THE CHANCE, FOR A SELECTION, EVEN AN IGNORANT PARENT WOULD GRAB A LION OVER A CAMEL .... I GO BACK TO MY ZOO VISITOR ANALOGY, AND IT APPLIES TO PARENTS AND KIDS GOING TO THE ZOO, THEY WANT TO SEE THE "POPULAR" ANIMALS(ELEPHANTS, TIGERS, GORILLAS, GIRAFFES ETC.), NOT THE WILDEBEEST EXHIBIT(NEXT TIME AT A ZOO LOOK AND SEE WHAT EXHIBITS GET THE MOST ATTENTION/CROWDED). EVEN THOUGH WE LOVE MANY MORE EXOTIC/RARER ANIMALS THAT THE AVERAGE ZOO VISITOR DOESN'T, AND WANT FIGURES MADE OF THEM, THE TOY COMPANIES NEED TO KNOW THAT! I GUARANTEE A DAD WILL GRAB A GHARIAL FIGURE INSTEAD OF THE ZEBU FOR HIS SON! I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW MANY SWANS THEY SELL COMPARED TO HOW MANY TIGER FIGURES THEY SELL! IT'LL TAKE A LIFE TIME TO SELL THOSE SWANS...(CAN YOU TELL I'M JUST A LITTLE UPSET THAT THEY MADE A SWAN INSTEAD OF A SECRETARY BIRD OR A CARIBBEAN FLAMINGO)!
RIO, GREAT IDEA ABOUT BEING A MEMBER AND GETTING E-MAILS ETC. I DON'T KNOW HOW BIG THE TOY ANIMAL COLLECTING WORLD IS, BUT IT WOULD BE REALLY COOL!
PAPO COLLECTOR'S CLUB(THEY COULD DO A COLLECTOR SPECIAL, THAT YOU CAN ONLY GET IF YOUR A MEMBER ETC. AS RIO SUGGESTED) IT WOULD BE AWESOME!

OK, I am going to join this response. As most of you know, I have a taxonomically-limited collection (insects and other arthropods). It would be nice if Papo started making these. The only two major companies that do not have insect lines (at least not in the last couple decades) are Papo and Schleich. Even CollectA released a new insect this year (which is very nice, by the way :).

BAM

Papo is the only one left,since Schleich had the mini insects series!

Welcome to the forum Baltimore Zoo!

Wow, there are many points here to think of i guess....

First that the companies think of making money in the first place, and that our figurines are made for children in the first place indeed!
So we collectors come after them in the second place i guess...
That those children or their parents rather would choose a lion or tiger over an antelope-species is very clear.
And that we animal-species lovers would like to see more rarely made species is clear to us all, like the antelope and gazelle-family.
Of course it would be nice to see different positions on the common species like lions and elephants and so on....
I think, Schleich got the message, and is making more families now, although no herds yet, but that is an utopia i think, this will never happen, you have to make your herds with different brands.

I started collecting animal-toys in the 1960's, and then i had one coloured stuff, and the first Hong-Kong stuff, and later on i discovered Britains too.
For me, they were the holy grail in scale too, as i was annoyed by the scale problems too.
Between 1971-1976 i lived in Germany, where i discovered Hausser Elastolin too, and in my eyes they were even better then Britains, more detailed, and better painted to.
In that time, the 1:32 scale was quit common, and now we see the scale around 1:20, but not always to eachother as we know.
Now that is a shame, as they say, that that is for the fact that children play with them, and can stick them into their mouths.....
So they can be too small on a modern view, but did we have this problem when we were young???
The smallest Britains model is the platypus, and it is only about 1,7 cm!

But anyway, the scale is not correct in many cases in modern makers, and that is bad when we want to make displays, or a miniature-zoo, even as a child.
I was already crazy about animals when i was 5 or 6 years old, and had much knowledge for that age about them, so the toys they made should have been in the right scale to eachother, so why they don't do it like the manufacturers did before?!

Thanks for the welcome Willybacoman! So far I've really enjoyed reading different posts/responses about one of my passions, collecting animal figurines!
Like you it said, it started for me as a kid as well, collecting my Britain's and then just collecting new lines over the past years. Yes, I agree they(the toy companies) make them for kids, who play with them, chew on the them and throw them around and just don't appreciate them. Unlike us collector's who fully appreciate the figurines as "work's of art" and just want to display them so they can look their best and we can enjoy them as well!
You said, Schleich gets it and is making more "family sets", (I prefer Papo, because as I've previously mentioned that the Papo line's figures are more realistic & refined(Schleich's figures have more of a bulky look to them). Papo needs to follow Schleich and make, not necessarily families, but some of the same animals just different positions. As also mentioned before, not really a big hoof stock fan(rather have a pride of lions than a herd of impala), so for me having a herd of gazelle is not on my list(but a SIMPLE solution would be making a set of just 3 gazelle, slight different walking/standing positions and "Volia", you could buy as many as you'd want too and create your herd just by positioning them at slight different angles(one of the best tricks in the "collecting book).
I prefer displaying my figures in more of a simple setting(not in a re-recreated habitat), because I like a cleaner/simpler look, just focusing on the figures not the setting/diorama). Now, I think some of the dioramas are amazing and look awesome(such hard and tedious work), just not my style.
Also, thanks for agreeing that parents will grab a more popular animal figurine(big cat over antelope). I know, I know... there are a lot of collectors that want those hoof stock figs done(I do like zebras & giraffes : )), don't you think when you(I know I do) look at a wildebeest or a deer, you just don't see a lot going inside that brain of their's and their personality's kind of "BLAH", compared to that of a gorilla, jaguar or an elephant...
Alright, I guess I should ask, so collector's tell me about this huge infatuation with hoof stock?

Ten collectors... Ten points of view...

Even as a child I was fascinating by wild animals. Savannah, jungle was my space of freedom... My friends, in my dreams, were Daktari, Tarzan and Mowgli... Kikimalou was the fourth musketeer at that time

My favourites then were not that boring and always sleepy lions but Cape buffaloes, rhinos, elephants, antelopes, monkeys and so... I lived in France where there was no Britains but Starlux or the older Clairet so I could play with maned wolves, koalas, addax, sloths which was not too bad for the 1970's

Of course, now that I am a "little bit" older, my bad liking are worse now, so I used to prefer collecting unusual species than the standarts.

I 'm not too much on the Schleich "family" habits because the "mom, dad and child" are my everyday life and my collection is my "escape" door. That's why I don't collect zoo or farm animals but only wild or extinct animals. My collection is a world without taxes, boss, government or family problems : just a cool and hot breeze and.. freedom !

In this world, just like in real wildlife, the plains are full of herds - buffaloes, impalas, giraffes, sable, waterbucks - and ONLY a few predators. The poor beasts need to eat everyday... The jungles hosts monkeys and every strange animal I can collect.

As far as I'm concerned, I don't need more wild cats except rarely seen ones like clouded or snow leopard.

But there is enough tigers, lions and leopards IMHO.

And of course, please Mrs and Mr PAPO, I absolutely need Red river hogs Even a family

I loved Daktair(I even had the Corgi Daktari toy set)!
Interesting philosophy on your collecting relating to your life(escape door).
Yes, I would like a snow and clouded leopard(just can't get into the herding animals, sorry to say, but you seen one wildebeest you've seen them all, plus they're not the brightest).
But seeing a clouded leopard is breathtaking!
Also would love an American Lion, Columbian Mammoth and a Saber Tooth Cat of some kind (Smilodon Fatalis). The Pleistocene era is the coolest! You could have your buffalos, pronghorns, and camels being stalked by an American lion! Or how about a Short Faced Bear squaring off with a Grizzly!

baltimore zoo wrote:

I loved Daktair(I even had the Corgi Daktari toy set)!
Interesting philosophy on your collecting relating to your life(escape door).
Yes, I would like a snow and clouded leopard(just can't get into the herding animals, sorry to say, but you seen one wildebeest you've seen them all, plus they're not the brightest).
But seeing a clouded leopard is breathtaking!
Also would love an American Lion, Columbian Mammoth and a Saber Tooth Cat of some kind (Smilodon Fatalis). The Pleistocene era is the coolest! You could have your buffalos, pronghorns, and camels being stalked by an American lion! Or how about a Short Faced Bear squaring off with a Grizzly!

Ok, I understand one may think gnus are boring but hoofed animals are so different from each other : Bored with wildebeest... Try a bongo, a sable or a derby eland... Why not a waterbuck, a forest buffalo or a duikker...
Even if I think only about wildebeest, I can collect 10 or 20 different ones and, when I watch the whole batch, I can see a herd... Something natural indeed.
But I'm sorry when I see five or ten or 20 lions, I think about a circus but not savannah ! Of course it is even worse with tigers

Real truth, when I look at my collection I still think I've got too much wild cats... And I already sold or trade some like the Hausser-Elastolin, the Lineol, Starlux.

Again a clouded leopard is on my Papo wishlist because Papo is the king for the wild cats but what is a snow leopard without Thar, markhor or takin ?

Well, I guess that's what makes the great "toy animal collector" world go round, you love bongos, duikers, elands, sables and I love the big cats, pachyderms(elephants, rhinos & hippos), great apes, polars and komodos....
I hope for your sake Papo makes lots of antelopes for your herd diorama as I hope they make some proportional large sized African and Asian elephants for me!

baltimore zoo wrote:

Well, I guess that's what makes the great "toy animal collector" world go round, you love bongos, duikers, elands, sables and I love the big cats, pachyderms(elephants, rhinos & hippos), great apes, polars and komodos....
I hope for your sake Papo makes lots of antelopes for your herd diorama as I hope they make some proportional large sized African and Asian elephants for me!

I hope they make to scale elephants too and some more big cats! But I also hope they make more hooved animals As I love them just as much.

I hear yah, brother!

baltimore zoo wrote:

Well, I guess that's what makes the great "toy animal collector" world go round, you love bongos, duikers, elands, sables and I love the big cats, pachyderms(elephants, rhinos & hippos), great apes, polars and komodos....
I hope for your sake Papo makes lots of antelopes for your herd diorama as I hope they make some proportional large sized African and Asian elephants for me!

Well Balti (is balti alright ? Baltimorezoo is a little bit long I guess ), the most important thing is Papo will make good models, better than the new zebras and 2009 camel.

Even small, I love the Papo elephants and they are perfect at the 1/32 scale.

I don't know if papo will make bigger ones but ypou can still be happy with this one : [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Or those one : [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Kikimalou, I definitely want figures to scale of African and Asian elephants!
And HK,"bongo, a sable or a derby eland... Why not a waterbuck, a forest buffalo or a duikker...", sorry man, but with all due respect, they just don't turn me on, like a big cat!
You said it reminds you of a circus(when you see lots of lions, well they do live in prides on the savannah). How about a tiger set with a tiger figure lying on an a temple ruin/statue head? I agree with you 100% that Papo makes the best cats, so how about a snow leopard with some tahr femurs?
O.K. a Sichuan takin would be cool, because they're very prehistoric looking.