2011 ? ~ Schleich Company ~ Masters of Suspense ~

Kiryuha wrote:

Uh, I like your eagerness to discuss this topic, Kiki! So, let's go on.
I agree with most of the things you say, but not with everything.

I like good discussions Kiryl

By the way, where on earth could we discuss seriously about this ?

Kiryuha wrote:

Will you be disappointed to hear that I haven't bought all the 2010 Schleich wild
animals as well? :) Or that I've even bought only a couple of them: adult
warthogs and moose buck. Lynx, tapir and moose cow are next on my buying list.
And I still haven't bought the yak cause it is painted as a domestic form...

I agree the moose family is beautiful but it is small and I was searching a moose which fit with my wolves. That's why I bought the Bullyland Deluxe one.

So you still don't buy the tapir ? Maybe I have a chance to convince you that the best 2010 tapir is the Safari. I'm not saying it is perfect but I think it is better than the two others. I can make a review on the three tapirs if it could help you, I'm not too bad with a camera.

I bought the yak because it's my contribution to the so rare "outstanding" Schleich path... And because I thought it will be fine with my black and brown yaks.

Kiryuha wrote:

In Ukraine only Schleich is widely availbale, and some stores sell ELC and Safari toobs. Papo and Bullyland wildlife are VERY rare guests here, and there's no Safari Wildlife and CollectA (although Safari was on sale about 3 years ago). And in Kiev zoo there's no Schleich, only low-end Chinese stuff.

well, it seems worse in Ukraine so...

Kiryuha wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

I'm sorry but I really think Schleich is no longer on the fresh and oustanding way, the choice of this company is maybe to become the king of the overcrowded market, not the one who find new paths.

I understand it, but try not to think about it 'cause it makes me upset. :) :)

I know, I know... But belive me Schleich is not THE ONLY company and there is always a light somewhere in the deepest night .

Kiryuha wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

Believe me, if those three companies produced three new nilgaï in 2011 or 2012, I will write a thousand time : Kiryuha is a great soothsayer !

Well, I haven't predicted that we'll see a nilgai figurine anytime soon.
But you're welcome to write a thousand times "Kiryuha is a great soothsayer" if Schleich introduces Indian rhino with a calf in 2011, or if among the new Schleich stuff there'll be more new Asian than African animals. OK?

An Indian rhino with calf ? A thousand times ? Too expensive Especially as we already know Safari will make one

More Asian than African : a hundred times is enough

A thousand times is for three nilgais or three calaos, not less

Kikimalou wrote:

So you still don't buy the tapir ? Maybe I have a chance to convince you that the best 2010 tapir is the Safari. I'm not saying it is perfect but I think it is better than the two others. I can make a review on the three tapirs if it could help you, I'm not too bad with a camera. ...

I've held Schleich tapir in my hands a couple of times, and seen a review of the 3 tapirs at the forum. And I agree that Schleich one is the best. But... I don't like this figure that much... Nevertheless, I'm gonna buy it before the end of the year.

Kiryuha wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

So you still don't buy the tapir ? Maybe I have a chance to convince you that the best 2010 tapir is the Safari. I'm not saying it is perfect but I think it is better than the two others. I can make a review on the three tapirs if it could help you, I'm not too bad with a camera. ...

I've held Schleich tapir in my hands a couple of times, and seen a review of the 3 tapirs at the forum. And I agree that Schleich one is the best. But... I don't like this figure that much... Nevertheless, I'm gonna buy it before the end of the year.

Maybe you agree but IMHO Schhleich one is not the best... Safari is the best And I have the three models in hand

Kikimalou wrote:

Wildheart wrote:

Sincerely,Safari ltd. didn't impress me too much this year.We are all hoping that Papo and Schleich will come out with something GREAT!

PS:I have a vague feeling that we will see 3 Indian rhinos next year! :)

Of course we are hoping good things from Schleich and Papo in 2011.

As far as I am concerned, I hope they will be able to reach the quality of the 2011 Safari models which already impressed me a lot

Maybe we will see three Indian rhino, and maybe, like the 2010 tapirs, Safari will win the race

Sorry to disagree with you Christophe. But for me the Safari didn't win that Tapir's race at all. Their color is is too bright and shiny for a Tapir.

And if the prediction of Minhea will come true that we'll be having three Rhinos next year, I think the Papo and the Schleich will be on the driver's seat. They already gave us the nice African Rhino in the last two years and I think these two companies has more capability to give us a better and more true to life looking Indian Rhinos.

Kikimalou wrote:

But I bought the yak, the three warthogs and the tapir ! They were the most outstanding of the 2010 Schleich's batch. But you can agree that a Nilgai or a gaur would be VERY outstanding. That's what I ment.

Christophe, you missed out your beautiful Zebra grazing.

I've just ordered the Schleich Tapir, just in case they bring out a couple of calves next year.

Siobhan wrote:

I've been registered in LG for at least a year but for some reason I've never been allowed to post a reply into any thread there. Well I don't give a damn now that I'm here

That's my problem before as well. I was a member for many months there and I couldn't join the forum simply because my account hasn't activated yet. Until you use the WHO YOU ARE section. By introducing yourself there, your account will be activated also.

But then, since you are already here, there is no place better than this forum for the collectors like us.

Kikimalou wrote:

An Indian rhino with calf ? A thousand times ? Too expensive Especially as we already know Safari will make one
More Asian than African : a hundred times is enough
A thousand times is for three nilgais or three calaos, not less

Accepted!
And I will write "Kikimalou is the most reasonable collector" a hundred times if none of my four 2011 predictions about Asian wildlife come true.

Well, this is an interesting discussion indeed!
I would love to see some animals from other parts of the world indeed too, but i think that Schleich became a very commercial company, same as Christophe, and that they will think about making profits first, as it seems logical for any company that wants to survive of course...

I think, the main range will be the horses(and farmlife), as so many young girls collect horses, and maybe dogs...
The African animals are most known to children, besides from tigers, so they will be the most populair too, in all the coming years.
But now and then, Schleich will make some animals from other parts of the world, to see if they are the same populair, and if they sell good too.
When yes, they will probably produce more species from those parts of the world.

My wishing-list is same long as all of your lists, but i can only hope for something spectacular or new at last.
But i am afraid, they will complete the families, and replace some of the older models in time...
So 2 up to 5 new models will be realistic i think, but i hope that i am wrong too in this case...

Kiryuha wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

An Indian rhino with calf ? A thousand times ? Too expensive Especially as we already know Safari will make one
More Asian than African : a hundred times is enough
A thousand times is for three nilgais or three calaos, not less

Accepted!
And I will write "Kikimalou is the most reasonable collector" a hundred times if none of my four 2011 predictions about Asian wildlife come true.

Ah ah, I hope you will win Kiryl

HKHollinstone wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

But I bought the yak, the three warthogs and the tapir ! They were the most outstanding of the 2010 Schleich's batch. But you can agree that a Nilgai or a gaur would be VERY outstanding. That's what I ment.

Christophe, you missed out your beautiful Zebra grazing.

I've just ordered the Schleich Tapir, just in case they bring out a couple of calves next year.

I don't missed it Harriet, I was speaking about outstanding figures... The grazing zebra is wonderful but it is "one more zebra" again. I also bought the mallard ducks, they are very great... But not outstanding.

So I will be the only one maybe to prefer the Safari tapir ? I'm a poor lonesome collector...

Lasersword1973 wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

Wildheart wrote:

Sincerely,Safari ltd. didn't impress me too much this year.We are all hoping that Papo and Schleich will come out with something GREAT!

PS:I have a vague feeling that we will see 3 Indian rhinos next year! :)

Of course we are hoping good things from Schleich and Papo in 2011.

As far as I am concerned, I hope they will be able to reach the quality of the 2011 Safari models which already impressed me a lot

Maybe we will see three Indian rhino, and maybe, like the 2010 tapirs, Safari will win the race

Sorry to disagree with you Christophe. But for me the Safari didn't win that Tapir's race at all. Their color is is too bright and shiny for a Tapir.

And if the prediction of Minhea will come true that we'll be having three Rhinos next year, I think the Papo and the Schleich will be on the driver's seat. They already gave us the nice African Rhino in the last two years and I think these two companies has more capability to give us a better and more true to life looking Indian Rhinos.

Don't be sorry to disagree with me Ron. There is no debate when peoples agree with everything.

What I like here, like all of us I guess, is we can discuss hardly without feeling hurted by each others...

I don't speak about tapirs before because I only had the Papo and the Schleich, and I thought it would be unfair to judge the safari without seeing him in real life.
As I said, none of this models are perfect. So, why I prefer Safari ?

How we can judge a model : Quality of the product and accuracy.

So : Quality of production.

The quality only differ on the painting, The Schleich is less shiny than the Papo and the Safari. So I agree the Schleich is the best made but the two others are still very good models too


Then Accuracy

First : The colors. I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen but a Malayan tapir is a black and white animal, as black and white as a zebra. The Papo tapir is very black and white, the Safari is black and white and the Schleich tapir is grey and white.
As a zebra, the colors of a real tapir are not very blurring. The Papo has absolutely straight colors, the Safari has straight colors and the Schleich is absolutely blurring. What would you think of a zebra model with such blurry paintings : You will say it is a scandal ! On this point, The Papo is the best and the Schleich the worse so far.
Let's talk about the feet now : Sometimes a malayan tapir has got a white foot, just like some horses... But Four ! The Safari is black with a fine white line around the nails and the Papo has got brown nails. Some tapirs are like the Safri and other have grey or brown nails like the Papo.

And now, last but not least : The head !

When you look at a real tapir, it is like a small rhino, you just hope it will not charge you. It is a hughe and bulky animal, not a nice cow.

The Papo head is ok, the Safari is better with his small eyes, look at him it is a serious guy !

And now look at the head of the quiet and paisible Schleich tapir : So nice, so sweet. Where did I see this guy before Eureka I saw him in the "Ice age" movies the small and funny tapir Do you remember . I'm sorry but the only dangerous thing that this guy seems able to do is to wiggle his ears .

For all these reasons I think the Safari is the most accurate because it looks like a wild animal and not like a farm one and because the colors, despite they are more glossy, are more accurate.

I thank you all to have read my post until now and I invite you to look at your models once again.

Gruss, Cheers

Your friendly crazy French macaque

I must see where i can find those Safri and Schleuich animals, they must be great next to Papo, Safari and Schleich!

Christophe! How nice was to read your tapirs comparison!
As you know I'm a "soft collector" and started to buy figurines only this year. When I registered in this forum was to learn with you. Surely I have my own oppinions but I'm very pleased to read yours.
When sometimes ask about the best figurine of a species I have the sensation that most part is telling me the one that is more cude, like people do when choosing a pet! As I said before Schleich figurines are nice but very sweet, for children. Everybody knows that a caricatural animal, with big eyes and ears is more friendly for children.
That's the reason why I'm always asking which is the more realistic and is nice to see an argumentative choice.
I'd like to see treads comparing an animal of different brands compared with the real animal and not with the Schleich animal!!!

Roger wrote:

Christophe! How nice was to read your tapirs comparison!
As you know I'm a "soft collector" and started to buy figurines only this year. When I registered in this forum was to learn with you. Surely I have my own oppinions but I'm very pleased to read yours.
When sometimes ask about the best figurine of a species I have the sensation that most part is telling me the one that is more cude, like people do when choosing a pet! As I said before Schleich figurines are nice but very sweet, for children. Everybody knows that a caricatural animal, with big eyes and ears is more friendly for children.
That's the reason why I'm always asking which is the more realistic and is nice to see an argumentative choice.
I'd like to see treads comparing an animal of different brands compared with the real animal and not with the Schleich animal!!!

Thank you Roger ! You are welcome .

I think the same, SChleich animals are often more appealling and sweet than the others, but it doesn't mean they are the most accurate. I don't blame them for that ! Not only Schleich but all the companies are producing toys for children. But I think the main difference between the European companies and the others is :
Schleich and also Papo are trying to make appealling models for children and The American Safari or the Japanese companies are more on the educational side.

One very clear example is the dinosaurs line : For a lot of children and collectors, the Papos are the best ever, they are incredibly fine and detailed. So fine and detailed that Schleich changed his line to compete. Fine but absolutely false and inaccurate, they are very Jurassic Park inspired and have nothing to do with scientific models. On the last three years, Safari changed his line too, their new models are very fine AND the most accurate. I know nobody have ever seen a dino but Safari tried to match to the last discoveries and also product really astounding and unusual models. I opened a thread last night about the last Safari apatosaurus which is very different from the Schleich one. The Schleich is a big and very fine model to play prehistoric scenes... And the Safari is a very fine and accurate model to play prehistoric scenes.

I don't mean here that Safari is making the most accurate animals and Schleich the most appealling every time... But it is a tendency.
It's really hard indeed to be the most appealing and the most accurate for a model. It's hard but not impossible.
The Schleich zebras are very appealing and accurate.
So are the Papo's lionness or the Safari oryx or arctic wolf.
So there is hope

Nevertheless, for me, a "best model ever" is not a synonym of a "most appealing ever"

WILLYBACOMAN wrote:

I must see where i can find those Safri and Schleuich animals, they must be great next to Papo, Safari and Schleich!

I'm srry Wlly, I was vry tird yeterrday eveunig

Kikimalou wrote:

WILLYBACOMAN wrote:

I must see where i can find those Safri and Schleuich animals, they must be great next to Papo, Safari and Schleich!

I'm srry Wlly, I was vry tird yeterrday eveunig

Prosit

Kikimalou wrote:

HKHollinstone wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

But I bought the yak, the three warthogs and the tapir ! They were the most outstanding of the 2010 Schleich's batch. But you can agree that a Nilgai or a gaur would be VERY outstanding. That's what I ment.

Christophe, you missed out your beautiful Zebra grazing.

I've just ordered the Schleich Tapir, just in case they bring out a couple of calves next year.

I don't missed it Harriet, I was speaking about outstanding figures... The grazing zebra is wonderful but it is "one more zebra" again. I also bought the mallard ducks, they are very great... But not outstanding.

So I will be the only one maybe to prefer the Safari tapir ? I'm a poor lonesome collector...

Ah I see now Christophe.
I really like the Safari Tapir too; I didn't say that Schleich was my favourite. Mind you, I've never had all three tapirs in hand so I wouldn't know which was the best myself. I know I've seen pictures of them all together, but it's still hard to make a choice.
I have another three new additions coming in too, one of which I'm really excited about!

Kikimalou wrote:

I don't mean here that Safari is making the most accurate animals and Schleich the most appealling every time... But it is a tendency.

Hm, I must think about this statement, but it seems very disputable.

Kikimalou wrote:

The Schleich zebras are very appealing and accurate.

Agree. I'd also add Schleich wild boars, jaguar and gazelle to the top-list.

Kikimalou wrote:

So are ... the Safari oryx or arctic wolf.

Safari oryx??? I've seen it only on photos, and it's painting looks simply low-end. Isn't it?

HKHollinstone wrote:

Ah I see now Christophe.
I really like the Safari Tapir too; I didn't say that Schleich was my favourite. Mind you, I've never had all three tapirs in hand so I wouldn't know which was the best myself. I know I've seen pictures of them all together, but it's still hard to make a choice.
I have another three new additions coming in too, one of which I'm really excited about!

Don't worry about this Harriet . Sometimes I'm a bit hot when I need to explain my point and English is not my native language. I also have the Schleich tapir and you will be very happy with it

Kiryuha wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

I don't mean here that Safari is making the most accurate animals and Schleich the most appealling every time... But it is a tendency.

Hm, I must think about this statement, but it seems very disputable.

You welcome Kiryl, I like very much to dispute with you . It's always very interresting

Kiryuha wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

The Schleich zebras are very appealing and accurate.

Agree. I'd also add Schleich wild boars, jaguar and gazelle to the top-list.

I agree the wild boars and jaguar are on the top.
For the gazelle, I will wait the male to pronounce myself because it need to be a masterpiece or a failure.

Kiryuha wrote:

Safari oryx??? I've seen it only on photos, and it's painting looks simply low-end. Isn't it?

So you are ok the sculpting is very fine and accurate ?

Let's talk about the painting. I'm not an artist and maybe Ana, Ralf or Harriet would explain it better than me but I think painting a figurine with details like fur is not an easy thing, especially when it needs to be a bit unexpensive. We are not talking about painting on unique models for Museum or for Danny but toys...
There is two ways to do it, one is to have straight split between colors and the other is to make it blur. Schleich often use the blur way because I guess it's more easy to have an appealing figurine with this method. It is like that for the tapir and you know what I think about it.
The Safari oryx used the other method : Straight splits between colors, it is less appealing because it is more uneasy to hide failures. but again, the colors of a real Arabian oryx are not really bluring.

Look at the mighty Schleich zebras, the German company is unable to use the bluring method and you easily understand why. Look carefuly at your models, the zebras painting are not so fine because it is uneasy to do it quickly, they have the same problem than Safari because they can't avoid it !

Now let's come back to the sculpting. I read several posts about how it is so hard to make thin horns for a toy and that's why Schleich doesn't makes blabla blablabla...
Really ? The Safari oryx horns are fine and thin like the old Lineol and they are made in PVC. For all these reasons I think this model is a hit.

One more item for my wish list! (or who knows, maybe I'll come up with new wishes all the way until we finally get to know the TRUTH about next year ) Now that Schleich finally realised that it's possible to make a pony riding set and child figurines, they could make some more of them! For instance, a blue pony riding set with a boy rider would be cute :)