Post by blackdanter on Sept 30, 2010 10:52:40 GMT
I'm sure I saw a thread around here someplace for these figures but I can't seem to find it now!
I'll add pictures as and when I get time over the coming weeks.
Anyhow, in my quest to fill my house up with Japanese vinyl figures I have put together a near complete set of these unusual pre-made 1/30 vinyl models. Tsukuda are well known in the model world primarily for their vinyl sci-fi figures (Alien etc). I have a very nice Metaluna Mutant model that they produced some years back. They produced a line of stylised 1/30 vinyl dinosaurs during the 1980's and produced the final figures in the set around 1990. These figures were therefore contemporaneous with Kaiyodo's vinyl 1/35 & 1/20 figures and that was bad news for this set (although the finish is a better standard than found on Kaiyodo vinyl pre-made dinosaurs). These figures did not sell well at all, although well made and finished, they were an expensive 'luxury' import and the sculpt detail just couldn't compete with Kaiyodo. In the UK, they had limited availability via model stockists but were usually overlooked on the shelf where Airfix and Monogram dinosaurs were seen as the better option. One retailer has told me that he just couldn't shift these things at all and that other retailers ended up reducing the price to bargain bin levels. The upshot of this was that these fragile vinyl models ended up purchased as cheap toys that had a very short life in a child's toy box or sand pit!
The figures were retro even in their day. The most notable feature of them is the glass eyes. Looking at them this has the effect of making them appear cute to some people and malevolent to others. To me, they are not unlike dinosaur 'Chucky' dolls (it's probably best not to turn your back on them!). The set has a uniform sculptural style which would indicate that one artist was responsible for all of them. There has been speculation that the original sculpts may well have been done in the 1960's/70's and there has also been speculation that these may be early work by one of the more famous Japanese dino sculptors. I don't have any definite info on the artist involved.
If you like your dinosaur figures uber detailed and modern looking then you're going to hate these! If you're in any way precious about your therapods then these'll give you nightmares. I personally actually like them. The ceratopsians are quite nice, the plesiosaur is a super figure and the therapods are, well, bizarre
In terms of availability, these figures are rather rare. Generally speaking you can pick up figures DS-1 - DS-8 for between £15 - £25 each. DS-9 - DS-12 are the 'hens teeth' figures if you like and sell for whatever they sell for on the day. DS-11 seems to be the most sought after and commands silly prices whilst DS-12, the Allosaurus is anyones guess. I have never seen the Allosaurus except as a factory 'sample' kit and don't have much expectation of ever seeing it.
Incidentally, whereas with Kaiyodo's Dinoland vinyl figures the majority made were in kit form, the reverse is the case with these. Most of these were issued as pre-made models with a very limited number of un-made kits issued (I have seen maybe 2 of these).
The set comprises then of:
DS-1 - Brontosaurus
DS-2 - Triceratops
DS-3 - Tyrannosaurus
DS-4 - Stegosaurus
DS-5 - Styracosaurus
DS-6 - Ankylosaurus
DS-7 - Spinosaurus
DS-8 - Anatosaurus
DS-9 - Parasaurolophus
DS-10 - Pachycephalosaurus
DS-11 - Plesiosaurus (Elasmosaurus)
DS-12 - Allosaurus
Here are pictures of the figures I have in my collection
DS-1 - Brontosaurus
DS-2 - Triceratops
2nd view.
DS-3 - Tyrannosaurus
Surely, it's Gator Rex
2nd view.
DS-4 - Stegosaurus
DS-5 - Styracosaurus
2nd view.
DS-6 - Ankylosaurus
2nd view.
DS-7 - Spinosaurus
DS-8 - Anatosaurus
2nd view.
DS-9 - Parasaurolophus
2nd view.
DS-10 - Pachycephalosaurus
2nd view.
DS-11 - Plesiosaurus (Elasmosaurus)
2nd view.
DS-12 - Allosaurus
I'll add pictures as and when I get time over the coming weeks.
Anyhow, in my quest to fill my house up with Japanese vinyl figures I have put together a near complete set of these unusual pre-made 1/30 vinyl models. Tsukuda are well known in the model world primarily for their vinyl sci-fi figures (Alien etc). I have a very nice Metaluna Mutant model that they produced some years back. They produced a line of stylised 1/30 vinyl dinosaurs during the 1980's and produced the final figures in the set around 1990. These figures were therefore contemporaneous with Kaiyodo's vinyl 1/35 & 1/20 figures and that was bad news for this set (although the finish is a better standard than found on Kaiyodo vinyl pre-made dinosaurs). These figures did not sell well at all, although well made and finished, they were an expensive 'luxury' import and the sculpt detail just couldn't compete with Kaiyodo. In the UK, they had limited availability via model stockists but were usually overlooked on the shelf where Airfix and Monogram dinosaurs were seen as the better option. One retailer has told me that he just couldn't shift these things at all and that other retailers ended up reducing the price to bargain bin levels. The upshot of this was that these fragile vinyl models ended up purchased as cheap toys that had a very short life in a child's toy box or sand pit!
The figures were retro even in their day. The most notable feature of them is the glass eyes. Looking at them this has the effect of making them appear cute to some people and malevolent to others. To me, they are not unlike dinosaur 'Chucky' dolls (it's probably best not to turn your back on them!). The set has a uniform sculptural style which would indicate that one artist was responsible for all of them. There has been speculation that the original sculpts may well have been done in the 1960's/70's and there has also been speculation that these may be early work by one of the more famous Japanese dino sculptors. I don't have any definite info on the artist involved.
If you like your dinosaur figures uber detailed and modern looking then you're going to hate these! If you're in any way precious about your therapods then these'll give you nightmares. I personally actually like them. The ceratopsians are quite nice, the plesiosaur is a super figure and the therapods are, well, bizarre
In terms of availability, these figures are rather rare. Generally speaking you can pick up figures DS-1 - DS-8 for between £15 - £25 each. DS-9 - DS-12 are the 'hens teeth' figures if you like and sell for whatever they sell for on the day. DS-11 seems to be the most sought after and commands silly prices whilst DS-12, the Allosaurus is anyones guess. I have never seen the Allosaurus except as a factory 'sample' kit and don't have much expectation of ever seeing it.
Incidentally, whereas with Kaiyodo's Dinoland vinyl figures the majority made were in kit form, the reverse is the case with these. Most of these were issued as pre-made models with a very limited number of un-made kits issued (I have seen maybe 2 of these).
The set comprises then of:
DS-1 - Brontosaurus
DS-2 - Triceratops
DS-3 - Tyrannosaurus
DS-4 - Stegosaurus
DS-5 - Styracosaurus
DS-6 - Ankylosaurus
DS-7 - Spinosaurus
DS-8 - Anatosaurus
DS-9 - Parasaurolophus
DS-10 - Pachycephalosaurus
DS-11 - Plesiosaurus (Elasmosaurus)
DS-12 - Allosaurus
Here are pictures of the figures I have in my collection
DS-1 - Brontosaurus
DS-2 - Triceratops
2nd view.
DS-3 - Tyrannosaurus
Surely, it's Gator Rex
2nd view.
DS-4 - Stegosaurus
DS-5 - Styracosaurus
2nd view.
DS-6 - Ankylosaurus
2nd view.
DS-7 - Spinosaurus
DS-8 - Anatosaurus
2nd view.
DS-9 - Parasaurolophus
2nd view.
DS-10 - Pachycephalosaurus
2nd view.
DS-11 - Plesiosaurus (Elasmosaurus)
2nd view.
DS-12 - Allosaurus
