Safari 2013 WITH PREVIEW PICS at last!

SUSANNE wrote:

One thing that surprises me is that there is only ONE new Carnegie-dino !
Not much for the selebration of theyr 25 years cooperation

In the past, they released 2 figures per year in the Carnegie Collection. They would always unveil one early in the previews and save the other for much, much later. Not sure why, but that's how they always did it. Prehaps that's what they're doing again, or we're only getting one new figure.

sphyrna18 wrote:

That Elk looks really good, too, and is such a vast improvement over their last one! Elk are a different species than Red Deer, and this figure will finally mean that I feature an Elk in my collection! Ana, the white color is accurate, not that you have to like it, but it is at least accurate:

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In general I'm very happy to see this specie, I miss it in my collection because previous version of Safari was not satisfying for me. This one looks so much better than previous, and I think it will be on my wishlist.
Yes, I know there should be white color in back but it looks for me too white. You know, like teeth color in many other figures. It just would look nicer if white shade is mixed with beige. :)

Thank you for the information and pictures! (o)):
The fennec is in my wish list, and the birds tube!

oooo! is that a new sheep?!

sphyrna18 wrote:

The North American Wildlife all looks outstanding except the Black Fox, which is missing the grizzled markings to make it accurate. The black wolf is another long overdue addition. Regardless of one's views of color variants, they are an economical way of introducing something different to the consumer. Black Wolves capture a lot of people's imaginations and seem to be the poster-wolves of the Yellowstone reintroduction program, so their inclusion in this line was only a matter of time. Roger, I don't think the Wolverine is a response to Mojo, I'm sorry. Wolverines are very popular animals, they've been featured recently in a number of commercials on tv, more zoos are starting to feature them; Marvel named a very popular superhero after them (who has another movie coming soon), and many Americans view them as a symbol of our fierce natural heritage. Plus, countless sports teams feature them as a mascot. It would be ridiculous for Safari to NOT make one. Besides, Schleich's Wolverine sucks. Mojo's is awesome, but Mojo is a young company with nowhere near the availability that Safari has, at least not here in the US. I've only seen Mojo in very small numbers at Hobby Lobby, who also carries a much more extensive selection of Safari figures, as do all the major craft supply chains. Mojo is creating new, exciting figures, many of which I own and love, but to say that Safari, Scheich, or Papo are copying them or responding to them in any way is severely premature. Not when examining all the other possible motives a company may have for making a particular figure. Just like with the Sable: in 2010, I personally requested Safari make a Sable, was told they would look into it, and lo-and-behold, one was made. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who ever suggested it to them, and at the time there were some major zoos that were acquiring new / introducing newborn sables (which is what prompted me to request one). They also take requests from zoos pretty seriously, so if a zoo requests something, it's probably going to get made. The Arabian Oryx is one such example that I know was a zoo request.

Chad, commercial responses and copies are completly diferent things. Commercial responses are the result of a competitive market, copies are lack of honesty. So nothing of pejorative in my comment.
Also, I don't think that Safari developers think in Mojo as a neglegible brand while developing their market strategy only because Safari has a stronger representation in its home market. I believe that the fact of Safari internationally being a mosquito when compared with Schleich doesn't mean that Schleich doesn't need to follow and react to Safari productions.
Honestly, I'm almost sure that the release of a wolverine in 2013 by Safari is not indeed related with Mojo or Schleich wolverines.
However about the sable I have a completely diferent opinion but I don't want to bring that discussion again and I'm happy you believe they made it under your request.
Please don't get me ironical in this comment but I enjoy the positive way that you turn some cheap repaintings, using the same mold and basic colors, in a great response to customers wishes. I think the Safari developer wouldn't be more eloquent!
I don't like repainted molds being launched as new releases and that's my opinion whatever is the brand. A competent developer doesn't need to epaint figures to support the release of less commercially successful figures, a competent developer is the one that brings new successful figures to the market being innovative.
I hope so many black painting on Safari figures could mean that they changed the way they paint the figures, no other brand on market paints black as badly as Safari does and that would represent a great improvement.
I also hope that the wolverine is not as large as the raccoon because I like a lot the catalogue picture. I'm also eager to have the fennec fox in my hands although it doesn't look nothing special.
Safari is still one of my favorites brands and I appreciate a lot the work that this brand developes, mainly when we are talking about the Safari of the Arctic wolf, giant anteater, aardvark, surely not the Safari of the white lions, black fox or black wolf!

Hold on... I beleive I am having a heart attack...

It almost seems like they have been watching our wishlists, the fennec, the wolf... and that wolverine! The elk is pretty good in my opinion, I have seen thousands in my little over decade and a half of living, there haven't been very many made anyways, all he needs now is a cow and calf!!!

ana wrote:

In general I'm very happy to see this species [the Elk], I miss it in my collection because previous version of Safari was not satisfying for me. This one looks so much better than previous, and I think it will be on my wishlist.

I agree entirely. I never acquired the old Safari Elk; it was just really unimpressive. This new one looks better.

I'm really excited about the Fennec and the Wolverine. But I have the worry that Roger expressed above--I worry that one or both of these animals will be oversized, like the Safari Raccoon (which is a nice model, but just so big). I really like the look of the wolverine and while it doesn't look nearly as impressive as the Mojo, I'm still absolutely delighted to see it.

The cheetah looks way too big. (An inch taller than the Gnu!) That's disappointing.

The black wolf and fox just irritate me. I really don't like buy the same model in a different color. I did it once with the schleich white tiger and with the papo jaguars and leopards, but I won't do it again.

One last complaint: I was hoping for a good dog or two. I wasn't much moved by the German Shepherd. It's too bad.

The one nice thing about new releases by Safari: I'll actually be able to get them. There are 2012 releases by CollectA, Mojo and Papo that I still cannot get my hands on. The anticipation of collecting is important, of course; but this is getting a little ridiculous.

Thanks so much for sharing the Safari 2013' link! After viewing them, looks like the Wildlife Wonders Cheetah will be my only purchase of the 2013' assortment. I don't collect Dragons, but the Twilight dragon is nice.
The Incredible Creatures baby veiled chameleon looks good as well as the Gastornis from their Prehistoric line(But won't purchase). White lions, and black wolf repaints stink... I'm just thankful they did at LEAST ONE Wildlife Wonders.

The toob "Sue and her friends" is a re-launch

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scot(t) wrote:

The cheetah looks way too big. (An inch taller than the Gnu!) That's disappointing.

Not for Wildlife Wonders series fans

skysthelimit wrote:

scot(t) wrote:

The cheetah looks way too big. (An inch taller than the Gnu!) That's disappointing.

Not for Wildlife Wonders series fans

I MUST have the cheetah

Anyway, perhaps these large models will be expensive collector`s items in 10 years or so.
Just look at the Vanishing Wild

SUSANNE wrote:

I MUST have the cheetah

Same here, that's the most complete cheetah on the market, if only it's made for regular series

I really like the new Panda and sunfish. The stand is a good idea too. However the humpback whale looks terrible. I was hoping for new sea life, as it seems this area has been neglected over the last few years, hopefully the sunfish shows there is hope for the coming years, does anyone have a copy of the bowhead whale as I didn't get a chance to see it before it was taken down.

Ow, I love the pegasus and the horses :3

Loy'z wrote:

Ow, I love the pegasus and the horses :3

Welcome here!!

Thanks

Only the gnu look interesting to me!

Wolverine, Elk & Fennec fox needs to be seen in real.

Elk- I found the legs are two thick.

skysthelimit wrote:

scot(t) wrote:

The cheetah looks way too big. (An inch taller than the Gnu!) That's disappointing.

Not for Wildlife Wonders series fans

Robert, I'm glad you pointed this out because--and I'm very embarrassed to admit this--I did not notice that the cheetah was part of the Wildlife Wonders series (despite the fact that it says 'Wildlife Wonders' in gigantic green letters on that page). With the exception of the African Elephant, I haven't been collecting the WW series (partly because of the large size). But of course those figures are meant to be larger and it is a great series.

Now the cheetah seems almost a bit small.

I am not a collector of the Wildlife Wonders but that cheetah looks fantastic! I also like the fennec fox and the blue wildebeest. I am suprised that Safari specified the model...and it does look like a blue wildebeest vs Schleich brown, white beared gnu. I thought there would be a littel more new models in the wildlife collection.

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Again, I'm thankful they did at least one new Wildlife Wonders "Cheetah", but I feel they are missing the boat with not doing a few more figures a year for this wonderful line! As I mentioned before(And some fellow collectors agreed on the forum) a Wildlife Wonders version of their Wildlife series Indian rhino would have been a stunning creation!

So what are the odds that, (of course without seeing their new catlogue) that Papo made a 2013' Wolverine?

I must comment it again to say that although I always expect some more from this great brand and sometimes I look some disappointed, the fact is that I appreciate the educational focus that this brand introduce in their range. Animal series are pure Science and not fantasy!
if collector life was not so hard sometimes I would feel tempted of collecting the IC figures in 1:1 scale. It would be very nice to have a little collection of small animals in their real sizes!
Also the life cycles and hatchling figures are clearly educational figures and a fantastic way to children learn with their toys. Chickens are not from supermarkets, isn't it?
Also among not animal figures it is interesting to see some important monuments in little scale and even the solar system is interesting.
... and thanks Safari for launching a species of the top of my wish list... the Fennec fox!

baltimore zoo wrote:

So what are the odds that, (of course without seeing their new catlogue) that Papo made a 2013' Wolverine?

As I love wolverines, it wouldn't be a problem seeing Papo releasing one. Indeed, wolverines and honey badgers are creatures with a warrior style, so they fit with Papo.
I would love not a warrior but a walking one but with this much more legant pose.

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But, as squirrel and fox are getting old and probably one of them will be descontinued, my suggestion for a small mammal would be an European marbled polecate
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I love the pegasus with this evil wings. The fennec is very cool, too. But i don't like their horses, they look like statues.

I thought maybe they're only revealing one Carnegie for now, and then maybe in a few months, we'll get a few more? At least that's what I'm hoping for... And that Concavenator isn't great... It looks like they took the Cryolophosaurus and Giganotosaurus and just combined the two, and added the 'lump' on the back.

It looks like I'll have a lot to get. I probably want the Gastornis/Diatryma the most, even though it's not as impressive as it should be. I'll likely get the Diabloceratops too... Even the Halloween & Christmas Toobs will probably find their way into my collection. The Dimorphodon looks like it needs a repaint... They should have done the snout up like a puffin or something. I was also hoping for a sequel to the dino skulls Toob The Fennec Fox is on my list - though I'm noticing a trend here - great choices in species, but the sculpts/paints aren't that great.