Miniature Animal Figure Collection

[Great Argus]

Got another figure, as a Valentines Day gift of sorts. The excellent Schleich Dromedary.

 

[Kakapo]

Schleich and Papo are the most unbeatable dromedaries in the market Congrats!

 

[Kakapo]

A bit strange trade I did. This homemade sponge:

By the Yujin Chinese softshell turtle:

However, this is a rather small species of softshell turtle, with maximum carapace lenght of 33 cm. The figure is quite large for my taste regarding this species in my collection. So I customized it into a larger species of softshell turtle, the Ganges peacock softshell (Nilssonia gangetica) that can reach carapace lenghts of 90 cm.

And finished:

Here compared with my other freshwater turtles:

And also, it joins the Endangered Ganges River Aquatic Critters Club:

 

[Kakapo]

Another curious trade: this homemade sandfish (Holothuria scabra), plus possibly a still pending to do homemade brittle star, by the Papo black-browed albatross that already was sent, and probably will receive on Monday.

With company for size comparison:

With the remaining paste I did one of my favourite fishes: the old wife (Enoplosus armatus). It's my first time using a new technique: transparent plastic bits for the fins.

Raw:

Just painted a while ago:

For size comparison with other nekton:

 

[DaLilFishie]

Another curious trade: this homemade sandfish (Holothuria scabra), plus possibly a still pending to do homemade brittle star, by the Papo black-browed albatross that already was sent, and probably will receive on Monday.

With company for size comparison:

With the remaining paste I did one of my favourite fishes: the old wife (Enoplosus armatus). It's my first time using a new technique: transparent plastic bits for the fins.

Raw:

Just painted a while ago:

For size comparison with other nekton:

Oh wow, that Old Wife is fantastic! How do you make models like that?

 

[Kakapo]

It was easy, the fins are plastic pieces cropped from the wrap of a product. Radius in them was done using a pin. The body is sculpting paste. It's far from perfect, snout should be sharper, opercles are different on each side and one eye is higher than the other, and right pelvic fin is much wider than left one. But enough for display.

 

[Kakapo]

Hi miniature animal collector folks,
I received some weeks ago the Papo albatross, but I delayed a bit posting photos in the forum. I'm getting both a bit busy and a bit vague lately
@Great Argus already told me that he disliked this albatross, regarding overall the bill lenght and the caricaturesque eyebrow, as well as stabilty problems that mine, fortunately, don't have.

For me, this is the only decent sized albatross from western brands as the others are excessively big for my taste. Being a black-browered albatross, is smaller than the wandering one and perfect for my collection.





I corrected both the bill lenght (with a lime, tough only slightly) and the eyebrow paint, and also the bill colour.

Before:


After:


This albatross is in exchange from a collector friend, I did for him a brittle star and a sea cucumber (the other starfishes are part of my collection):

 

[Kakapo]

But things doesn't end here... I also received a wonderful parcel of Chinese knock-offs. All the figures for just 25€ so this compensated the outrageous custom seizures and duplicate shipping costs that I have had with other former parcels. I grabbed that because it have two retired models very hard to get. These knock-offs are almost identical to the original branded ones, only very slight less quality in paintjob and sculpt. Anyway I want to customize them all so the paintjob does not mind me a lot.

The two rare retired figures that leaded me to buy from this seller are: the dreamed Papo giant anteater. Very similar to original Papo in paintjob, just a bit more brownish.

It matches perfectly with my other anteater, a homemade silky. Of all the giant anteater figurines the retired Papo is my favourite and finally I got my hands in it, I'm very pleased

But of course I didn't want a brown anteater, so I took my brushes and paints and got this:

 

[Kakapo]

The other retired model that took inmediately my attention and made me purchase is the Schleich spotted carpet shark (or wobbegong). The figure is different to the very good Schleich promo image but very similar in paintjob with the actual Schleich figure. This shark is still in production but only as part of a set with a diver, coral, starfish, seagrass etc so much more expensive for those that only want the shark.



Matches well with my other members of the Carpet shark order: Papo whale shark and CollectA zebra shark.


But I needed a more perfect version of the carpet shark.So I cut the paired fins giving them a more adequate size and shape for the species:



The pattern is too complicated to use as base for a new paintjob, so better stat a new paintjob from zero. Here is seen how I also added the typical slits that are under the eyes (I don't know what are called or its function). I also added a fifth gill aperture as the figure have only 4 on each side. Not visible on the photo but I also added the anal fin, that is missing in the figure. I also added more realistic fringes around head.



Then added the brown blotches in geometrical pattern...


and voilá! hard work but very satisfying!!

 

[Kakapo]

But I wanted to take advantage of the purchase and buy more items from same seller for save money. So here they are...

Safari LTD - Pelagic TOOB yellowfin tuba. Safari doesn't sell the TOOB items separatedly and the yellowfin tuna is the only figure that interests me, so I was lucky!


It matches well with Colorata members of the tuna family:


And here I customized repainting it whole and sharpening slightly the fins:

 

[Kakapo]

Another figure from my wishlist: Safari LTD's African wild dog!


Here with other dogs and allies:


And of course... I needed to repaint it. I also cutted the very noticeable seam lines around the head. The orange patches are very dark and I used a more clear tune for the repaint, being especially pale at the head as happen in real wild dogs.




And just for fun, my new African wild dog together with the miniature hunting scene of African wild dogs that I did decades ago as a kid:

 

[Kakapo]

Then comes the Colorata leopard whipray. Also part of a set so difficult to get alone. The paintjob is quite similar to the original Colorata figure.



Matching very good with my other rays!


But leopard whiprays are not so rounded, more diamond-shaped. So I caught my cutter and...


I gave it a new coat, but taking advantage of the preexistsing spots. I also sharpened the tail, and added a sharp knob in the nose as in the real animal.


Also I corrected the gill position and the narine shape.


I corrected the eye colour and I made the spiracle deeper.

 

[Chlidonias]

The other retired model that took inmediately my attention and made me purchase is the Schleich spotted carpet shark (or wobbegong). The figure is different to the very good Schleich promo image but very similar in paintjob with the actual Schleich figure. This shark is still in production but only as part of a set with a diver, coral, starfish, seagrass etc so much more expensive for those that only want the shark.

I have that Schleich wobbegong. How much are they worth individually?

It matches perfectly with my other anteater, a homemade silky. Of all the giant anteater figurines the retired Papo is my favourite and finally I got my hands in it, I'm very pleased

I haven't seen one yet, but apparently Silky Anteaters are only the size of a tennis ball, so yours looks more Tamandua-size in relation to the Giant Anteater.

I thought I had the Giant Anteater model, but mine is the 2005 Safari one which has a baby on its back and looks much nicer than the photo of the Papo one.

 

[Kakapo]

Then maybe my less impressive model, the Papo red fox, but still my favourite red fox and hence it was in my wishlist:



Having fun with my other foxes...


Also my less impressive repaint. Just retouched the eyes, muzzle, ears and tail.

 

[Kakapo]

I have that Schleich wobbegong. How much are they worth individually?



I haven't seen one yet, but apparently Silky Anteaters are only the size of a tennis ball, so yours looks more Tamandua-size in relation to the Giant Anteater.

I thought I had the Giant Anteater model, but mine is the 2005 Safari one which has a baby on its back and looks much nicer than the photo of the Papo one.

I don't remember the exact price of the knock-off, but it was cheap. About 4-5 € maybe. The Schleich set with wobbegong included usually is sold for about 15-18 €.

I've seen taxidermy specimens of silky anteaters in at least three occasions, maybe more. Took photos of two of them. They're certainly much bigger than a tennis ball. About the size of a pigeon.

 

[Kakapo]

And last but not least, the best for the end, I finished it just some hours ago and I'm very proud...

the Papo domestic goat!!!


The actual Papo domestic goat is white, but this knockoff is brown.

Maybe some of you, especially those that know me well, are thinking that I'm kidding or something. Why get so excited by a domestic goat figurine, and even not a very good finished one? Well, here comes the reason. I wanted a domestic goat long time ago for...

cut the udders and the horns (and the seam lines), add paste for filling the skeletical hind legs, make a scrotum and a penis and elaborate very large horns and a long beard....


...and here is my fantastic Cretan wild goat!!! I'm really proud of how it looks!

 

[Chlidonias]

I thought I had posted a photo on this thread of my (very small) collection, but it was actually on a different thread. But here it is below:

I don't collect them with any purpose - I just buy what I like the look of - so I don't care about scale or anything like that. I gave away a lot of my lesser ones which I didn't want any more.

 

[Kakapo]

I think I saw your collection somewhere. It's quite good and you have some rarities such as the PlayVisions civets and duiker.

 

[Chlidonias]

I think I saw your collection somewhere. It's quite good and you have some rarities such as the PlayVisions civets and duiker.

It was in this other thread: What species would you like to see figurines of?

 

[pangolin12]

And last but not least, the best for the end, I finished it just some hours ago and I'm very proud...

the Papo domestic goat!!!
View attachment 538677

The actual Papo domestic goat is white, but this knockoff is brown.

Maybe some of you, especially those that know me well, are thinking that I'm kidding or something. Why get so excited by a domestic goat figurine, and even not a very good finished one? Well, here comes the reason. I wanted a domestic goat long time ago for...

cut the udders and the horns (and the seam lines), add paste for filling the skeletical hind legs, make a scrotum and a penis and elaborate very large horns and a long beard....
View attachment 538682

...and here is my fantastic Cretan wild goat!!! I'm really proud of how it looks!
View attachment 538684

Wow! I must say you are very talented at adapting on existing figurines to make them look more realistic, it is very impressive how you can be so precise with the painting/moulding also