1:40 scale recommendations

[simo]

Hi all!

After trawling several sites, I've ended up here at what appears the most trustworthy place to find the advice and recommendations I'm after...... (so, I'm asking for help ).

I am a primary school teacher in the UK, and I want to get a collection of GOOD 1:40 scale dinosaurs for my class, which I will be using each summer term. I do a whole Dinosaur-theme project each year; we use them for science, for literacy, for art... I have found that the more realistic and more impressive the dinosaur figure - the more impact it has on the creativity and output of the children.

To give you an idea of where I am coming from, I already have a collection of 1:40 schleich: brachiosaur, aptosaurus, saltasaurus, stegasaurus & triceratops for the class.

I was about to get the schleich allosaurus - but then found the papo one, along with its T Rex (I don't like the schleich one), and there are a couple of collecta procons which I like, and I like the carnegie diplodocus too.

The important aspects are: I need to keep them all to a semi-realistic scale to each other, for comparisons (but they don't need to be scientifically 'exact' - and I want them to be as grounded in realism as possible (proportions etc).

So - to go with the schleich I already have; what flyers, swimmers, runners, biters, and plodders should I add?

Thanks in advance!! ;D

[simo]

....just reading through the threads here, it seems that the general consensus is that shleich are not very good.
You guys know more than me.. so I'm willing to take your advice on 'replacements' as well as additions (I wouldn't actually replace any, as they all get used in class!, particularily when we create "habitats")

Thanks

[DinoLord]

Most of the older Carnegie Collection figurse and some Wild Safari figures are in 1:40 scale.

[zopteryx]

About half of CollectA's figures are close to 1:40 scale, mainly it's their Deluxe figures (only the ones that specifically say 1:40 scale) and a good portion of their standard figures (primarily the therapods, ceratopsids, ornithipods, an a few others). Bullyland is all in about 1:30 so I'd stay away from those. As Dinolord mentioned, the Carnegie Collection is the most consistently 1:40, but that has changed in some of their newer figures. Safari's collection has a fair number as well, although they tend to be more mixed then Carnegie. And finally, Papo has a few that are fairly accurate and close to 1:40, their Parasaurolophus, and two new ceratopsids come to mind.

Hope this helps! It sounds like a really cool project.

[Horridus]

Papo's Parasaurolophus isn't terribly good. Various parts of its anatomy are wrong even though, like most Papos, the sculpting detail makes it look convincing. In that case, the Schleich one is actually better! (Who would have guessed...?)

As a fellow Britisher, I'd recommend investing in the Favorite soft model collection from dinosaurtime.co.uk. The only problem is that the larger animals are generally 1:50 scale, and the sauropods smaller still. However, the Stegosaurus comes close to 1:40 scale, and is easily the best one I've seen. Ditto the "Ankylosaurus" because it's really Euoplocephalus (a smaller animal).

The best 1:40 T. rex that you can easily and cheaply get hold of is probably the Carnegie '10th anniversary' model (NOT the green one!). However, beware as it often has a 'warped' asymmetrical head due to the age of the moulds they use.

[amanda]

The Carnegie diplodocus (new one..) and Camarasaurus are very nice sauropod figures. Their Amargasaurus as well. The nice thing about that is besides showing the massive size of some sauropds to the other dinos, with the armargo, it also demonstrates that not all sauropods were lumbering behemoths.

I think Wild Safari's Nigersaurus is really nice too, but i am not too sure if it is 1/40 or 1/35?

The Carnegie Giganotosaurus is a nicely done theropod. The new spinosaurus as well. I do not know if it was ever confirmed 1/40 or 1/60. But by showing it side by side with Papo, you could demonstrate a Hollywood interpretation vs a more scientifically conceived one. (course then you could explain how much of spino itself we actually DON'T have).....

Carnegie's new Carnotaurus is bigger at 1/30, but it demonstrates the odd proportions of the animal well, and since it ties into Tera Nova, some of the kids may be interested.

The Carnegie icthyosaur and tylosaur are good representations of marine life. Not sure of the tylo's scale, I know the icthyo isn't 1/40. Not sure of the new Wild Safari liopleurodon either, but it is a nicely done figure, and was done with input from the admin here.

The Papo pachyrhinosaurus is pretty cool. Not entirely correct, but close.

I don't have it, but the CollectA edmontonia looks to compare well to the Battat one, and is a fraction of the price. A nice spikey animal, that is not ankylosaurus, showing the variations and differences of ankylos and nodosaurus. Nice since Tera Nova just showed one of the most wrong and ugly ankylos I have ever seen on-screen.

The Battats, of course, are in 1/40, and awesomw, but hugely hard to find and expensive.

The new Wild Safari brachiosaurus is very nice indeed, and likely much less expensive than the upcoming Carnegie is likely to be. The kids are being exposed to those on Tera Nova as well....

[Horridus]

Dec 9, 2011 18:32:49 GMT amanda said:

The Carnegie Giganotosaurus is a nicely done theropod. The new spinosaurus as well. I do not know if it was ever confirmed 1/40 or 1/60. But by showing it side by side with Papo, you could demonstrate a Hollywood interpretation vs a more scientifically conceived one. (course then you could explain how much of spino itself we actually DON'T have).....

That's a good call actually. The Carnegie Spinosaurus is an excellent figure to get. Not only is it 1:40 (or near-as-d**nit), but it is essentially the only commonly available figure to get the head right.

[simo]

Thanks for all of your replies, lots of good suggestions - and brands I hadn't heard of, so that's great.
I get lots of stick from people saying that I'm just buying them for myself (which is only partly true ) - but I have definately found that the large and 'realistic' representations do have a tangible impact on the children. They really savour the weight, and the tactility of them.
The dinosaurs topic spans all subjects for the duration - and what has been very dramatic once I introduced the 1:40 brachiosaur & 1:40 aptosaurus last term (both schleich) was how it impacted their story-writing and poetry. I even had children putting their chins on the table and squinting at the sauropods through one eye inbetween scribbling. And this comprehension of scale transpired wonderfully in their work.

So - a very sincere 'thanks' to you all

[Horridus]

Dec 10, 2011 11:30:40 GMT simo said:

I even had children putting their chins on the table and squinting at the sauropods through one eye inbetween scribbling. And this comprehension of scale transpired wonderfully in their work.

That's marvellous! I just wish everybody could see this:



;D (Apologies for the image being a bit large!)

[totoro]

Wow, that's an impressive Brachiosaur, or whatever it is. Where is that statue Marc?

Simo, good luck on your educational collection. Nothing wrong, from where I stand, in gaining a little selfish pleasure out of your teaching materials. So much of teaching is selfless (my wife and I both taught for a time), so give yourself a little love when you can!

Looks like you're getting good suggestions here...better than I could give, save one, perhaps. Have you considered talking with Malcolm "dinonikes" about his extensive and amazing line of 1:40 models? At one point he had discussed the possibility of casting some of his models in a more durable material. They wouldn't be ready anytime soon, I'm sure, and not sure what he'd charge you, but he's usually very reasonable, and they would certainly be worth the wait.

Here's a link to his threads:

dinotoyforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=dinonikes

[stoneage]

Dec 10, 2011 14:11:47 GMT Horridus said:

Dec 10, 2011 11:30:40 GMT simo said:

I even had children putting their chins on the table and squinting at the sauropods through one eye inbetween scribbling. And this comprehension of scale transpired wonderfully in their work.

That's marvellous! I just wish everybody could see this:



;D (Apologies for the image being a bit large!)

Where was this picture taken? She really doesn't look that big to me!

[Horridus]

Haha, well, she's only about 5'2" or so. It was taken in a zoo in the Netherlands (more photos here chasmosaurs.blogspot.com/2011/12/welkom-in-het-dinobos.html)