What would you want SAFARI Ltd. to do?

[tomhet]

I know this has no relevance at the moment, but several members (me included) would buy a Burgess Shale toob, why don't we suggest that to Safari?

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

Sept 13, 2009 23:59:55 GMT @tomhet said:

I know this has no relevance at the moment, but several members (me included) would buy a Burgess Shale toob, why don't we suggest that to Safari?

Maybe a list for inverts/bugs will be wished for after this list is all decided? That's all I can think of...

[stoneage]

Sept 13, 2009 23:00:16 GMT kuni said:

Sept 13, 2009 21:24:45 GMT Griffin said:

I like the line up now. I still think there should be a Diplocaulus though. Kaiyodo isn't exactly that easy for a lot of people to get their hands on. I'm now feeling a little iffy about the sphenacodon and its slight resemblance to gorgonops. :/ I dunno if you read my suggestion for it or not but I'm very glad you included the estemmenosuchus and platyhystrix.

Yeah, the Spheno-Gorgo thing is iffy - both are mammal-like reptiles with a roughly similar build (at a 2-3 inch scale, anyways) I left Spheno on there as more of a nostalgia thing due to Marx, but a Gerrothorax could compete for the spot, definitely. Possibly Diplocaulus too, but the Kaiyodo Diplo is WAY easier to get than the Playvisions Gerrothorax.

I don't see why these look the same to you people. The Sphenocodon has a low sprawlng look with a long tail and ridge on back, while the Gorgonopsid has long legs underneath it, short tail and a big long head with fangs.

[crankydinosaur]

Not to be argumentative but I don't see where he said that. He himself suggested entelodont and brontothere. Maybe I just missed it in the 12 pages of posts. (Shrug)

personally I think mammals would be marketable.

[stoneage]

Sept 12, 2009 18:38:43 GMT sbell said:

ANOTHER RESURRECTION OF A THREAD!

But for a good reason.

So I have been talking with the good folks at Safari (have I mentioned I am a big supporter of what they are doing?). I suggested that, while large replicas of amphibians, early fish, etc. might be tough sells, a toob of early fish, sharks and amphians might be easier to pull off, perhaps followed with an early reptile one.

So now Ramona has asked for my suggestion of species for the toobs.

For the fish/amph one (I know, easy to do both, but to be fair, more marketable together) I have considered:

Amphibians:
Diplocaulus
Crassigyrinus*
Tiktaalik*
Eryops
Ichthyostega/Acanthostega


Fish (including placoderms and other extinct ones):
Coelacanth (it wouldn't be the first time a miniature was made of a larger figure--I was surprised there wasn't one in this year's toob)
Xiphactinus*
Alligator gar (a good modern tie-in, similar to the marine life toob modern element)
Dunkleosteus or another placoderm (there are lots to pick from)
Armoured agnathans (again, lots of different ones)
Climatius (an acanthodiian)
Hyneria/Eusthenopteron*


Shark:
Xenacanthus*
Hybodus
Helicoprion*
Stethacanthus

I did not suggest any reptiles.

So here's the deal--I will get back to her on Monday with my lists--can people please enter suggestions (other than the above) for sharks, fish, amphibians and reptiles (non-dinos, no pterosaurs, no marine reptiles).

List as many as you like, but please try to keep it reasonable--I don't think a list of 100 placoderms is really helpful. Also, try not to list animals that are already listed by someone else (although mentioning support for one is probably helpful).

Thanks.

Here you go its on page 9. After Monday we can discuss mammals etc.

[stoneage]

Sept 14, 2009 0:18:38 GMT crankydinosaur said:

Not to be argumentative but I don't see where he said that. He himself suggested entelodont and brontothere. Maybe I just missed it in the 12 pages of posts. (Shrug)

personally I think mammals would be marketable.

We are talking about toobs. Safari already has a toob with prehistoric mammals. Chances are their not going to be making another one soon.

[crankydinosaur]

Ok, again I wasn't trying to cause trouble.

[Griffin]

Sept 13, 2009 23:57:39 GMT [][][]cordylus[][][] said:

Yes. Everybody is. I can't think of one single person who isn't tired of all the trexes, triceratops, and velociraptors out there.

You'd be surprised at how many kids buy things off ebay-- Ever kid my age and younger has bought something off ebay. But that's not really the point... Just thought I'd share...

God. The point is, why have a diplcaulus when there are other more interesting things to take it's place. But, since you seem to have an emotional attachment to this amphibian, I'm not going to argue any further.

I don't know how true it is to say that lots of kids your age and younger, I'm assuming middleschoolish early highschool years, buy things off of ebay.

I do not have an emotional attachment to the critter any more than I do to most of these other things. I admit this diplo thing is getting a little too far. But still I just think that you are utterly failing at thinking like a typical buyer, you are stuck thinking like a super hardcore dinosaur collector, someone who already has 2 other diplocaulus, something that's not remotely common amongst most people who have any kind of a remotely casual dinosaur figure collection. "Interesting" is an opinion word. What you may not find interesting others may highly disagree with. You are suggesting things that you don't have in your much larger than average collection, not things that the general population of people who like dinosaurs may not have in theirs.

The reality is that most people, as hard as it may be to believe, do not go to ebay when they want to buy dinosaur figures. Especially if they don't know what exactly it is they want to buy with regards to species as in when they are parents/relatives looking for a gift for a kid (hint hint, as in the #1 kind of buyer for a toy store, as in where these things will be sold mostly). So most of the people who would be seeing this safari toob, probably wouldn't know about the other versions out there.

It really doesn't matter THAT much to me. But I feel I need to put my reasons out there.

[stoneage]

Sept 14, 2009 1:01:41 GMT crankydinosaur said:

Ok, again I wasn't trying to cause trouble.

No problem, like I said it probably should have been set up as a seperate thread. Theres no trouble.

[tomhet]

Stoneage, do you have a bigger version of that Sphenacodon pic? I'd love to see it

[stoneage]

Sept 14, 2009 2:21:47 GMT @tomhet said:

Stoneage, do you have a bigger version of that Sphenacodon pic? I'd love to see it

How do you make them bigger?

[tomhet]

Thanks stoneage

Sept 14, 2009 0:18:38 GMT crankydinosaur said:

Not to be argumentative but I don't see where he said that. He himself suggested entelodont and brontothere. Maybe I just missed it in the 12 pages of posts. (Shrug)

personally I think mammals would be marketable.

sbell said at some point that the WS prehistoric mammals had not sold well at all

[sbell]

Sept 14, 2009 2:41:44 GMT @tomhet said:

Thanks stoneage

Sept 14, 2009 0:18:38 GMT crankydinosaur said:

Not to be argumentative but I don't see where he said that. He himself suggested entelodont and brontothere. Maybe I just missed it in the 12 pages of posts. (Shrug)

personally I think mammals would be marketable.

sbell said at some point that the WS prehistoric mammals had not sold well at all

They didn't. As far as Ramona said when I talked to her, there wouldn't be any more mammals (although I can still pester about a brontothere). A second toob would be more likely than large scale figures anyway.

As for the list--it is very long. Here is the list as it exists:

Sharks:
*Xenacanthus/Orthacanthus
*Hybodus
*Helicoprion
*Stethacanthus

Bony Fish (ray-fins and lobe-fins):
*Coelacanth
*Xiphactinus
*Alligator Gar
*Hyneria/Eusthenopteron
African Lungfish
Leedsichthys
Mimia
Panderichthys

Other fish (jawless, armoured, other extinct groups):
*Dunkleosteus
*Climatius
Cephalaspis
Bothriolepis
Nostolepis
Saccambaspis
Anglaspis
Doryaspis
Drepanaspis

Amphibians:
*Diplocaulus
*Crassigyrinus
*Tiktaalik
*Eryops
*Ichthyostega/Acanthostega
Platyhystrix
Mastodonsaurus/Paracyclotosaurus
Gerrothorax
Diadectes
Peltobatrachus
Elpistostege
Greererpeton
Cacops
Triadobatrachus
Koolasuchus
Rhinesuchus
Prionosuchus
Eogyrinus

Early Reptiles:
Arizonasurus
Lotosaurus
Desmatosuchus
Postosuchus
Placerias/Lystrosaurus/Diictodon
Lycaenops/Gorgonops/Inostrancevia
Sphenacodon
Estemmenosuchus
Scutosaurus/Pareiasaurus
Edaphosaurus
Euparkeria
Anteosaurus
Moschops
Procynosuchus
Elginia
Bradysaurus
Cynognathus
Lagosuchus
Erythrosuchus
Longisquama
Rutiodon
Ornithosuchus
Cotylorhynchus
Psephoderma
Gracilosuchus


It is very long, and of course they won't make every one here (they may not make any for all we know). I may edit the list a bit to pair up similar suggestions (like large amphibians or gorgonopsids, as above) because if the list gets too unwieldy, it is more likely to get tossed completely. I also left off Dimetrodon because it is the Permian Tyrannosaurus or Velociraptor or Triceratops (as in, done to death, why say it again). I also added a couple (Eogyrinus, Bradysaurus) because I thought of them later.

If I had to guess, the best we can hope for would be a fish/shark/amphibian toob and a reptile toob; or a fish/shark and amphibian/reptile toob. Given that toobs generally have 12 figures (plus maybe a rock or plant) obviously we can expect a lot of culling from the list.

So cross your fingers, who knows what could happen.

[john2xtheman]

Sept 14, 2009 17:21:21 GMT sbell said:

Sept 14, 2009 2:41:44 GMT @tomhet said:

Thanks stoneage



sbell said at some point that the WS prehistoric mammals had not sold well at all

They didn't. As far as Ramona said when I talked to her, there wouldn't be any more mammals (although I can still pester about a brontothere). A second toob would be more likely than large scale figures anyway.

As for the list--it is very long. Here is the list as it exists:

Sharks:
*Xenacanthus/Orthacanthus
*Hybodus
*Helicoprion
*Stethacanthus

Bony Fish (ray-fins and lobe-fins):
*Coelacanth
*Xiphactinus
*Alligator Gar
*Hyneria/Eusthenopteron
African Lungfish
Leedsichthys
Mimia
Panderichthys

Other fish (jawless, armoured, other extinct groups):
*Dunkleosteus
*Climatius
Cephalaspis
Bothriolepis
Nostolepis
Saccambaspis
Anglaspis
Doryaspis
Drepanaspis

Amphibians:
*Diplocaulus
*Crassigyrinus
*Tiktaalik
*Eryops
*Ichthyostega/Acanthostega
Platyhystrix
Mastodonsaurus/Paracyclotosaurus
Gerrothorax
Diadectes
Peltobatrachus
Elpistostege
Greererpeton
Cacops
Triadobatrachus
Koolasuchus
Rhinesuchus
Prionosuchus
Eogyrinus

Early Reptiles:
Arizonasurus
Lotosaurus
Desmatosuchus
Postosuchus
Placerias/Lystrosaurus/Diictodon
Lycaenops/Gorgonops/Inostrancevia
Sphenacodon
Estemmenosuchus
Scutosaurus/Pareiasaurus
Edaphosaurus
Euparkeria
Anteosaurus
Moschops
Procynosuchus
Elginia
Bradysaurus
Cynognathus
Lagosuchus
Erythrosuchus
Longisquama
Rutiodon
Ornithosuchus
Cotylorhynchus
Psephoderma
Gracilosuchus


It is very long, and of course they won't make every one here (they may not make any for all we know). I may edit the list a bit to pair up similar suggestions (like large amphibians or gorgonopsids, as above) because if the list gets too unwieldy, it is more likely to get tossed completely. I also left off Dimetrodon because it is the Permian Tyrannosaurus or Velociraptor or Triceratops (as in, done to death, why say it again). I also added a couple (Eogyrinus, Bradysaurus) because I thought of them later.

If I had to guess, the best we can hope for would be a fish/shark/amphibian toob and a reptile toob; or a fish/shark and amphibian/reptile toob. Given that toobs generally have 12 figures (plus maybe a rock or plant) obviously we can expect a lot of culling from the list.

So cross your fingers, who knows what could happen.

That list looks good to me.

[kuni]

sbell, maybe you could include links to pictures so the Safari folks don't have to play "find-the-critter"?

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

Sept 14, 2009 1:05:14 GMT Griffin said:

Sept 13, 2009 23:57:39 GMT [][][]cordylus[][][] said:

Yes. Everybody is. I can't think of one single person who isn't tired of all the trexes, triceratops, and velociraptors out there.

You'd be surprised at how many kids buy things off ebay-- Ever kid my age and younger has bought something off ebay. But that's not really the point... Just thought I'd share...

God. The point is, why have a diplcaulus when there are other more interesting things to take it's place. But, since you seem to have an emotional attachment to this amphibian, I'm not going to argue any further.

I don't know how true it is to say that lots of kids your age and younger, I'm assuming middleschoolish early highschool years, buy things off of ebay.

I do not have an emotional attachment to the critter any more than I do to most of these other things. I admit this diplo thing is getting a little too far. But still I just think that you are utterly failing at thinking like a typical buyer, you are stuck thinking like a super hardcore dinosaur collector, someone who already has 2 other diplocaulus, something that's not remotely common amongst most people who have any kind of a remotely casual dinosaur figure collection. "Interesting" is an opinion word. What you may not find interesting others may highly disagree with. You are suggesting things that you don't have in your much larger than average collection, not things that the general population of people who like dinosaurs may not have in theirs.

The reality is that most people, as hard as it may be to believe, do not go to ebay when they want to buy dinosaur figures. Especially if they don't know what exactly it is they want to buy with regards to species as in when they are parents/relatives looking for a gift for a kid (hint hint, as in the #1 kind of buyer for a toy store, as in where these things will be sold mostly). So most of the people who would be seeing this safari toob, probably wouldn't know about the other versions out there.

It really doesn't matter THAT much to me. But I feel I need to put my reasons out there.

Yessss, I get that. Happy now?

Nice list sbell! Do you need pictures?

[Megaraptor]

Hooray! People actually put my suggestions up for suggestion(Mimia, Panderichthys, Nostolepis, Elginia). I am glad to have an input into what Safari does. Thanks to someone(can't be bothered looking back at page one to see who started this thread) for starting this thread.

[crankydinosaur]

Please do pester about a brontothere!

Can we add a straight shelled nautiloid and a sea scorpion to the list ( are they on it already?)

[kuni]

CD this wasn't an invert suggestion list! Maybe sbell or dan will get an email from safari and we can do one of those in the future but This Ain't It.

[sbell]

Sept 15, 2009 0:24:25 GMT kuni said:

CD this wasn't an invert suggestion list! Maybe sbell or dan will get an email from safari and we can do one of those in the future but This Ain't It.

Well, my list was posted above (I did some rearranging, condensing and combining though). I presented the list as first sent to them (its on page 9); I then gave the list as we came up with it, suggesting the sharks/fish and amphibians/reptiles as a good pair (and positing that those two, along with the current dino & preh. mammal ones, plus the upcoming sea monster one, would make a good history of life set--especially if they also made a flying monster one eventually).

To that end, I also mentioned the Burgess Shale or invert toob suggestion, but did not mention any critters by name.

So I will see what happens when/if they give me any feedback--it isn't like I don't have anything else to do, you know!

And yes, I threw in my brontothere suggestion again--I'm going to keep doing that until someone makes a good one.