Best scale for dino toys??

[kustom65]

What do you think? I've been contracted to design a new dino + megafauna toy series -- I'm going for accuracy, drama + coolness, and will definitely be concentrating on the more obscure animals...

Still at the stage where the scale can be decided. I want them all to be to scale with each other. I don't wanna do anything to big, so as to stop the collection getting out of hand space-wise. But I don't think there's any way of getting around having big sauropods!

[stoneage]

I would suggest 1/40 since thats what most of the big museum dinosaurs tend to be. It probably would help if you could give us more information about the time period or number of dinosaurs involved because that might make a difference also.

[kustom65]

Oct 6, 2008 2:45:50 GMT stoneage said:

I would suggest 1/40 since thats what most of the big museum dinosaurs tend to be. It probably would help if you could give us more information about the time period or number of dinosaurs involved because that might make a difference also.

It's going to be basically any prehistoric vertebrate that looks cool and will sell...

Let's say the first phase will be around 50 animals. My main concern is I don't want to have 2 foot tall sauropods, as in the Carnegies etc. I'd like to keep the very biggest sauros to no more than 8-10 inches long. I'm really liking the scale of the Battat miniatures -- what is that, 00 scale?

[therizinosaurus]

I too would say 1/40 to be the same as others. Battat minis are 1/80.

Any other hints on species? Please an obscure Therizinosaur!

Will they be avaliable in the US?

[kustom65]

Not sure about distribution just yet, but we'll certainly do our best to get them around the globe...

Therizinosaur is a must -- in fact, I'm taking suggestions for species so please fire away!

[sbell]

This sounds so cool.

And I am gladdened to hear that you are looking into dinos and megafauna (which I am taking to mean prehistoric mammals).

BUT, on the topic of scale, being too rigorous can be problematic. Most people are thinking of sauropods--don't want them too big (logical from a cost, shipping, packaging, and retailer point of view). But it is also necessary to look at the smaller side--an animal like DInictis was about 1 m long. At 1:40, the figure would be 2.75 cm long--about an inch. This would look silly.

And you later said vertebrates--that will make many of us salivate at the prospect of various amphibians (Crassigyrinus? Please, please, please) and fish (from all the major groups), as wel as some of the more intriguing reptiles. But many of these are small--most of the neat agnathans would fit in your hand. Same with some interesting dinosaurs and mammals (like Velociraptors and Certogaulus, respectively).

I am not suggesting disregarding scale--in fact, it is very important. But there can be issues if we are too rigorous. Perhaps labelling the scaling of each figure (I believe Invicta did that, and you could do worse than following the lead of Invicta).

Alternatively, you would be sticking with animals that would create figures of a reasonable size. Again, at 1:40, that would mean animals in the 20 foot range to produce 6" figures. This is all ball parking, but it is clear that 20' would be quite limiting--very few mammals, almost no amphibians, no agnathans, etc.

The source I am using for my numbers is here:
jimbobwan.com/scalcalc.htm

You can either tell it the original size, and get the model size, or vice versa, which can be very handy to get a rough idea in advance.

On the other hand, a very collectible set that is still very widely received are the Kaiyodo Dinotales. Wide range of taxa, no scale. It's all about the detail.

As for suggestions--I am very selfishly going to beg for a Brontothere and a Pachycrocuta (giant hyena). And a Terminonaris (AKA Teleorhinus), and a Terminonatator.
And no, those are neither related nor similar nor misspelled.

[bokisaurus]

Oh Coo :ol! I think the 1/40 scale work the best. It allows for lot of details and visibility, plus it will go well with the other collections already out. I hope lots of prehistoric mammals (no more mammoth please! More of the rhino looking creatures!). More cool looking sauropods and ceratopsians! Of course more marine reptile, too ;D
Love the custom figures BTW , I lost out and forgot to bid on a couple

[kustom65]

Some excellent thoughts and comments above...

OK, I'm very partial to the 1/80 'mini-Battat' scale, where it will be possible to amass a very sizable collection of genera and species without having to fill an entire room .... although I can also see the case for 1/40 especially as so many existing series are that size.

Then there's 'no scale' Dintotales concept ... not bad, and the figures are fantastic.... but theirsizes are contrained solely by the need to each fit into the same small containers, and nothing goes together for display purposes.

How about different subsets having different scales? For instance, there could be Liaoning Province dino/birds at a larger scale than the major dinos. And the megafauna could have their own optimum scale too. All worth considering.

As for genera, NO mammoths but I WILL have a Mastodon. And giant rhino-types....

There will be Aussie megafauna too, which has been only (poorly) represented only by the Yowie premiums at to this point.

[Dinotoyforum]

Oct 6, 2008 9:14:08 GMT kustom65 said:

How about different subsets having different scales? For instance, there could be Liaoning Province dino/birds at a larger scale than the major dinos. And the megafauna could have their own optimum scale too. All worth considering.

I think this is the way forward.

Are the details of the project top-secret, or may we probe you for information? ;D

Whatever the case, it sounds very exciting!

BTW, forget Sbell's Terminonatator (generic elasmosaurs already abound ), if you are going to pick a plesiosaur for the line, choose Rhomaleosaurus

[sbell]

I'll admit, I considered throwing in a note about different sets at different scales, but I had written enough by then! That really does seem like it would work the best.

And I will admit, trying to get the very last existing genus of elasmosaur made is for selfish purposes (I think I already said that). It's a Saskatchewan species, so I could get them in our gift shop (admittedly, any elasmosaur would do).

A Dolichorhycnhops would also be great (stupid Wild Republic).

[therizinosaurus]

Please use a scale(s). Dinotales are great, but I would love some compatibility with other lines.

Doesn't Bullyland do different scales? Dinosaurs are between 1/60-1/30, reptiles are 1/20, and mammals are 1/24. I would love different faunas to be the same scale.

As for dinosaurs, I would love:
Gigantoraptor
Segnosaurus (any therizinosaur that hasn't been made)
Deinochierus

Mammals:
Teleoceras
Gigantopithecus
Epicyon

Just so you know, I will try to buy the entire series when the come out!

[kustom65]

Thanks for the obscure marine reptile suggestions.... There will actually be more chance of a creature joining the line-up if it hasn't been done to death for this new series, or range of series.

I can't reveal many details just yet as this is the planning stage. But I can say that there will be no slavish copies of other people's paleoart concepts or CGI images. No Gregory S Paul clone-art here!

Each figure will be original and distinctive, in pose, detail and paint scheme ... even if we do a Triceratops, it won't look like anyone else's.

In terms of marketing, we want mass museum distribution, affordability and collectability. It's gonna rock.

[tomhet]

Even if I like the idea of 1/80, I like medium figures best (Safari-like) so a variable scale would be for me the best option. The 1/80 scale would only permit you to do big animals, since the small ones would be TOO small.

I'm with sbell on this one, we need more primitive fish (I'd love to see a cephalaspid), primitive amphibians and cool prehistoric mammals. Perhaps you should do a Basilosaurus?

As for regular dinos, theropods are more succesful, I'd suggest an Acrocanthosaurus

Other stuff I'd like to see done: another Shonisaurus, a Sphenacodon, a Cotylorhynchus, a Platyhystrix, a Gerrothorax, a Prionosuchus, a rauisuchid, a pliosaur and/or a mosasaur.

I'm sorry to say this, but I wouldn't buy the feathered dinos ;D

[Libraraptor]

I can feel my eagerness grow if I think of that new line you are working with. And I am really honored you ask us - the "professional collectors" ;D
If I only had one animal to choose, I´d take a gorgonopsid like Lycaenops. This would rock. And I´d really appreciate a well done Andrewsarchus. I´d suggest a 1/30 scale for these two.
And you know what really, I mean really would rock was a prehistoric whale. How about an Ambulocetus?
Well, uhm, sorry, this is a dino toy forum. So I also propose a Therizinosaurus (making it look like a giant turkey just as Louis V. Rey did would make it really credible, I´m alluding to arm and hands posture - fold them!). And my last wish is a great Euparkeria.
Thanks for your attention!

[stoneage]

Kintos sauropods were 1/80 which I think is a little bit small. I think as long as animals from similiar enviornments are done in the same scale like Kinto or Favorite that would be good. Your general large mammals could be done in 1/24 or 1/20 like some that have already been done. I also vote for Platyhysterix. The scale chart that Bell provided might be a good place to figure it out when you know exactly which figures you want. Good luck and let us know something more when you can. ;D

[bolesey]

If you have a list of the species you have in mind you should figure out what size you'd end up with. 1/40 scale is handy, because it will fit in with the figures most of us already have. I love the idea of keeping everything to scale, and I hope you can make it work.

But here's the problem with something like 1/40th scale -

Take dinosaurs of the late Jurassic:

Supersaurus 34 metres long /40 = 85cm
Othnielia 1.5m long / 40 =3.75cm

One verges on being too big to sell, the other too small. I have found that Carnegie(for example) don't really do anything much smaller than 6cm.

1/40th is still a great scale, because it works for many species. But there's lots of interesting medium sized dinosaurs that will wind up looking rather small. And popular dinosaurs like Velociraptor will get a raw deal(5cm or less).

Another thing I've found is that some of these lines aren't particularly strict with their scale(cough ... Schleich... cough). Without being blatantly dishonest, what you can do is work within the range of scale, so if estimates range from 27 - 35 metres, go for the conservative estimate. If estimates range from 1.5m - 2.5m, go for 2.5m.

I'd love to have various small ornithopods, pterosaurs, dromeosaurs etc to scale with everything else, but I understand why it doesn't happen. Too easy for kids to steal/ choke on. It might be a good idea to do smaller figures in packs rather than individually. It shouldn't be too difficult to take one sculpt and mold it into different poses, to come up with a flock a leaellynasaura or pack of velociraptors or something.

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

I don't really want to overwhealm you with dinosaurs, so here are the couple things I want:
Irittator
Xenacanthus
Helicoprion
Orthacanthus
epidendrosaurus
any pliosaur will do as long as it's good!
Spinosaurus

That is it.

[therizinosaurus]

To be honest, my favorite Carnegies are the tiny 1/40 ones (Proto, Deinony, and Dimetrodon). I would also love for the mammals to be 1/24 to be the same as Bullyland.

[kustom65]

Oct 7, 2008 1:45:20 GMT therizinosaurus said:

\I would also love for the mammals to be 1/24 to be the same as Bullyland.

The trouble there, is then we get a mammoth (ahem) Indricotherium....!

[kustom65]

Oct 6, 2008 23:10:54 GMT bolesey said:

But here's the problem with something like 1/40th scale -

Take dinosaurs of the late Jurassic:

Supersaurus 34 metres long /40 = 85cm
Othnielia 1.5m long / 40 =3.75cm

One verges on being too big to sell, the other too small. I have found that Carnegie(for example) don't really do anything much smaller than 6cm.

1/40th is still a great scale, because it works for many species. But there's lots of interesting medium sized dinosaurs that will wind up looking rather small. And popular dinosaurs like Velociraptor will get a raw deal(5cm or less).

Another thing I've found is that some of these lines aren't particularly strict with their scale(cough ... Schleich... cough). Without being blatantly dishonest, what you can do is work within the range of scale, so if estimates range from 27 - 35 metres, go for the conservative estimate. If estimates range from 1.5m - 2.5m, go for 2.5m.

I'd love to have various small ornithopods, pterosaurs, dromeosaurs etc to scale with everything else, but I understand why it doesn't happen. Too easy for kids to steal/ choke on. It might be a good idea to do smaller figures in packs rather than individually. It shouldn't be too difficult to take one sculpt and mold it into different poses, to come up with a flock a leaellynasaura or pack of velociraptors or something.

This is tricky... I'm very much leaning towards the 1/80 (Battat miniature) scale, just to keep the collection to a manageable size. Because We are wanting this to be open-ended, and to create as many figures as we can if the first batch proves viable in sales.

I do share everyone's concerns about a small scale resulting in ridiculously tiny raptors, therapsids, et al. I really think those guys will have to be of a larger scale, in a subset.