Bullyland Procynosuchus

[sbell]

I am guessing that many of us are aware of it now, and for the sake of democracy, the rest of you will be.

Many years back, Bullyland produced a Procynosuchus (Permian therapsid) for the Stuttgart Museum of Natural History (or whatever the exact name is). Anyway, it was sold only there, and looks like the figure here:


It is pretty much central in the photo--kind of dog/crocodile-like for those who don't know what to look for.

Anyway, Randy Knol revealed the existence of this figure in the recent PT (also--check out the article about Scotty, the resident T.rex at the T.rex Center, where I am the manager).

I have since started digging, and have tried to contact some old contacts, no luck.

Someone here mentioned that if neither I nor the Admin (possibly among the longest-term collectors here, and this is definitely a figure I would have jumped at) don't have it, then it must be rare. I can go a step beyond and say that, from my point of view, if neither Randy K, Joe Demarco, nor Anthony Beeson (nor aandgcollectibles, nor Ken Proffit for those who know who they are) have it, is is beyond rare--those people (plus the late Riff Smith) have things in their collection that are terrifyingly rare and/or odd. And in conversation with Randy K, he describes this particular type of scarcity as 'unique' instead of 'rare. Why? Because if you want something that is rare, enough money will do the trick (Battats, Starlux, Wax Millers, etc).

But unique figures include things like the K&M Sea Monster models (destroyed, by the way--I tried to get them as displays) or this Procynosuchus are not going to happen for any price. Some may depend solely on dumb luck. Others will likely never happen, which is too bad. I heard that someone even contacted Bully about creating a new run of them--the molds are destroyed! So most likely, these things are growing moldy in toy bins in Germany and no one knows what they have. Sort of like the WwD Ornithocheirus--one showed up once in a lot that sold for a few dollars; it will never happen again.

Sigh. But we can all continue to dream it will show up in a random lot of stuff. And no one else will see it. Because while we all try to get along here, and are gentlemen in the auctions, I do believe the rules go out the windows on this one (have I mentioned I have a good job and no debt, not even a mortgage? )

[bokisaurus]

So you all who live in Germany, Quick! Look for it, it may still be around! ;D ;D ;D
Thanks sbell, now we have more competitors trolling ebay with magnifying glasses hoping to spot the figure in a lot! ;D
So they did destroy those K&M sea monster prototypes and samples! What a terrible thing to do! They should have just sold the molds and rights to somebody else.

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

I bet a dollar that at least one or two of those prototypes/molds escaped a factory.

[webdragon]

I'm with you Boki, it's a d**ned shame K&M would rather destroy those molds and models than try and sell them to another producer. Then again, nobody has jumped on the Boston Museum molds, which I heard rumors that Battat was trying to sell the rights to...

Anyway sbell, could you repost the picture? It doesn't work and shows up as a pretty red X to me. And even without the Procyonosuchus, you've got an incredibly rare thing in a good job with no debt! I wish I could win THAT in an auction, haha.

[sbell]

Jan 29, 2009 3:11:10 GMT webdragon said:

I'm with you Boki, it's a d**ned shame K&M would rather destroy those molds and models than try and sell them to another producer. Then again, nobody has jumped on the Boston Museum molds, which I heard rumors that Battat was trying to sell the rights to...

Anyway sbell, could you repost the picture? It doesn't work and shows up as a pretty red X to me. And even without the Procyonosuchus, you've got an incredibly rare thing in a good job with no debt! I wish I could win THAT in an auction, haha.

I'll give you the link
photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8094/2150/1600/table%20odd%20animals.jpg
and then we know it will work.

My guess is that any surviving K&M figures are now sitting in a box of a sales rep's kid. And will eventually get melted or shot by BBs or something like that.

As for the Bully ones--those companies tend to be very careful about their molds--they have enough problems with bootleggers to be supplying molds out. So I am guessing that until someone commissions a new Procynosuchus, that figure is out of reach.

As for the job--it isn't always a dream, but it keeps things interesting; plus my old place of work just laid-off 6 office staff, and if I were still there, I probably would have been the seventh, so that's encouraging (sometimes I would wonder if I made the right choice).

But hey, if I see you in May, we can talk...

[webdragon]

I'll keep my fingers crossed sbell! I'm not too sure where the heck I'll be come May

That picture comes from Darrin Naish's blog, I wonder how he got a hold of his.

There are a few instances of toys being unique to single institutions (I remember a hideous line of little plastic dinos marketed by an outdoor concrete dino zoo somewhere in the American south?), but I also remember there was a figure sculpted an employee for a dinosaur museum, and produced by a small company. I think it was an Albertosaurus figure, sold by some place in Canada, and it was amazingly cost-prohibitive to do. Can anyone refresh my memory?

[sbell]

Jan 29, 2009 4:06:06 GMT webdragon said:

I'll keep my fingers crossed sbell! I'm not too sure where the heck I'll be come May

That picture comes from Darrin Naish's blog, I wonder how he got a hold of his.

There are a few instances of toys being unique to single institutions (I remember a hideous line of little plastic dinos marketed by an outdoor concrete dino zoo somewhere in the American south?), but I also remember there was a figure sculpted an employee for a dinosaur museum, and produced by a small company. I think it was an Albertosaurus figure, sold by some place in Canada, and it was amazingly cost-prohibitive to do. Can anyone refresh my memory?

Darren got his Procynosuchus by living in Europe at the right time.

It was an Albertosaurus, produced by the Fossil Shop in Drumheller, and widely available in that town. It was originally about $25, I have seen it for as low as $8 (it is listed on their site for $12).


www.thefossilshop.com/alberto.htm\

Turns out the owner of the store decided to produce this himself--this is where I got a lot of the information I have about independently producing a figure.

[webdragon]

Thanks again sbell! Good to know they're still selling that little fella.

[Libraraptor]

I´ve got one. Bought it in Korbach, Germany, where the "Korbacher Spalte"(Korbach Canyon) reveals Permian age sediments where this animal had been locked in. They had a bucket full of these animals as tantrum tamers at the information centre and I´m convinced they still have some of them in stock. I would try to directly contact the Museum at: [e-mail]

Here it is:



Soon there will be a review on the Dino Toy Blog.

[dinonikes]

Very cool LIbraraptor- its very cool to see someone come on after all the talk of how this is like a holy grail type figure and here you go 'I've got one' and you give a possible source for them, I imagine that there have been many an email sent to the address you give. I am not a collector but can appreciate this type of hunt. Good luck Dino Toy Froum members- hope that Libraraptor's tip pans out for someone or more---

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

WOW libraraptor! Good job with that figure!


Heh, if you went back and bought all those, you could sell them all on ebay and never have to work again. ;D

[sbell]

Feb 1, 2009 13:16:21 GMT Libraraptor said:

I´ve got one. Bought it in Korbach, Germany, where the "Korbacher Spalte"(Korbach Canyon) reveals Permian age sediments where this animal had been locked in. They had a bucket full of these animals as tantrum tamers at the information centre and I´m convinced they still have some of them in stock. I would try to directly contact the Museum at: [e-mail]

Here it is:



Soon there will be a review on the Dino Toy Blog.

I have now tried to contact them--I hope they get back to me fast. I might suggest, however, that since you are probably closer than any of us, you should buy out whatever they have and resell them to the rest of us.

I myself have requested at least a couple--I figure I can make Randy Knol's day that way. But hey, if you want to become everyone's 'dealer' you might be quite popular for a while!

[sbell]

Update--email address failed. Are you sure we have the right email address? If not, I am guessing that you will be very busy! ;D

[Dinotoyforum]

Feb 1, 2009 15:55:59 GMT sbell said:

Update--email address failed. Are you sure we have the right email address? If not, I am guessing that you will be very busy! ;D

in this case I'll remove it from the blog pending confirmation...

[therizinosaurus]

Mine got sent back, too, but its the same email listed on the website, so it should be valid.
Libraraptor, have you considered going back and buying some more?

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

Didn't work for me either.

Yeah libraraptor! Go back there and get some! ;D

[bokisaurus]

;D Impressive Libraraptor! So how does it feel to be one of the very few lucky ones to have this little guy? You must have gotten tons of PM! ;D
Yah, go back and get the entire inventory and sell it to all of us!

[tomhet]

If you do buy more, reserve one for me please!

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

Awe, poor Libraraptor. Everybody in the collecting world must be bothering him ;D

But if you do go back and get some, reserve one for me too please ;D

[Libraraptor]

Wowowow! All your reactions really blow me away! I don´t want to promise too much. I will first call the museum, and if they say they have some in stock, I have to drive 90 kilometers to that museum and 90 kilometers back, maybe I will on Sunday and I WILL buy some Procynosuchus and sell them profitless on to you. Lots of work, though, especially finding out about postage...But if there´s a chance for all you mammal-like reptile hunters, I will seize the chance. I´m sorry that info... emailadress isn´t valid anymore. Try [e-mail] , perhaps this will work.
Tu put it bluntly: I will try to get some and then let you know, but this shouldn´t hinder you from trying yourself.