High Quality Museum Lines

A
museum line has a endorsement from a museum or educational
organisation. Most common are solid vinyl figures that are painted and
done to scale.

Batatt: briefly
produced a Museum line in conjunction with the Boston Museum of
Science.  The dramatic postures and colorful paint were off set by
an indifferent quality control.  There was a 1/40 scale series and
mini pantograph versions.  There was also a smaller Tyrannosaurus
figure produced separate from the pantograph line.  It was brought
to market in only very small numbers.  Considered among the best
Dinosaur toys ever made.  No longer tin production. The figures
are copied by Vinyl figure makers in China.

Bullyland:
of Germany a veteran figure maker from Germany that has produced many
dinosaur lines and an extensive Prehistoric Mammals line.  Not
common in the US.  There is a Museum line, via the Natural history
Museum in Stuttgart Germany with some of the best figures produced.
there also individual figures cusom done for Museums. The ownership has
changed.

CollectA:
previously Procon, an UK-Hong Kong company that partners with
educators. Anthony Beeson a regular contributor to Dinosaur Collector
provides the key technical input for the designs and figures choices.
Has begun producing individual figures for museums on request. Museum
of Lourinhã partnered with CollectA to have a model made of Lorinhanosaurus.

Invicta:
the grandfather of the Museum lines, the was a 1/45 scale series
of  unpainted Dinosaurs with British Natural History Museum..
Later most of the series was sold in painted versions. Most of the
unpainted series can still be found.  There is also a plaster cast
set of 4 figures based on Museum figures. The British Natural History
Museum has developed new museum lines none as sucessful. Out of
production.

K&M has several medium to
very small dinosaur and prehistoric animal lines. They purchased
Dinosauria, a hollow vinyl line, as their British Natural History
Museum line. K&M seems to be establishing a place in many Museum
shops selling low priced sets. The yearly release of new figures
is a mix of common submuseum and chinasaurs. 

Marolin: (VEB Plaho) an
East German company that marketed figures possibly based on old molds
dating back to the 30’s.  The figures were reputed to be done in
conjunction with the Leipzig Museum.  The Brontosaurus was
included in an electric train set.

Melbourne Museum small set of Australian dinosaurs.

Play Vision:
established a relationship with National Geographic and briefly
produced several series of Prehistoric Mammals, Dinosaurs and
Prehistoric reptiles and Amphibians. First there was the small
dinosaurs, then a Habitat Earth series the final dinosaur series was
associated with the American Natural History Museum.  The was also
a series of large prehistoric mammals and small prehistoric
mammals.  More interesting was the selection of small prehistoric
marine reptiles and another of prehistoric amphibians.  The
figures were mostly drawn from the illustrations in Simon and Schuster
Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures. Only the small dinosaur bin series is currently known to be in production others are becoming very collectible.

PNSO, Peking Natural Science-art Organization.  It is a science art research organization founded by science artist
Mr. Zhao Chuang and fairy tale writer Ms. Yang Yang in 2009.  There is a large scale and smaller

Royal Ontario Museum: (ROM )
in Canada, produced a line of Dinosaurs. Similar in style to Invicta
and Marx figures.  Knocks offs of the figures are still being
produced in China.  A Burgess Shale model series is currently
being produced.

The Safari Ltd.
Company: had the premier Carnegie Museum line with largest range of
dinosaurs figures.  Carnegie Safari representsed the industry
standard in modern dinosaur figures and established the 1/40 scale as a
standard used by many museum lines.  It is retured. They have the
ANHM Feathered Dinosaur toob and Field Museum releases.  Safari
produces several other dinosaur series

Schleich:
of Germany produced its Replicasaurus Museum line in conjunction with
the Humboldt University of Berlin.  High quality production and an
expanding line have recently made them a major company in the US
market.  They seem to be especially popular with independent toy
stores.  They released a series of mini dinosaurs “Schleich Jr”
and a line of Prehistoric Mammals. There also several less well known
sets. In 2007 changed ownership. Replicasaurus is out of production.

Toyway: in
England has marketed a variety of Dinosaur plays sets and Dinosaur
series.  They are best known for the BBC Walking with Dinosaurs
(WWD) figures that are being put out of production.  These were
extremely faithful to the documentary even to the point of replicating
the error of the Allosaurus eye horns. 
They were thought to own the old Timpo molds.  Last Toyway
released a new series with the British Natural history Museum.  In
2008 they changed ownership but BNHM figures not in production IMEX is
possible new distrubutor.

Tyco 1988 – 1992 produced
The Dino Riders series of action figures and prehistoric animal figures
in 1/24 scale.  The Dinosaurs were used later by the Smithsonian
dinosaur series and finally as the Dinosaurs and Cadillac’s
actions figures.  Some of the figures are quite good, they are the
first series of quality articulated figures, Bob Bakker was reputed to
be associated as a consultant with the figures. Highly collectable
uncommon.

GeoWorld Dino Dan series endorsed by the Drum Heller Museum in Canada.