I grew up playing with those little dinosaurs that look ridiculous with what we know now: the upright T. rex, the perfectly symmetrical humped stegosaur, etc. I was too early for the really good ones, which started appearing (to my recollections as a dino fan) in the 70s and of course exploded after Jurassic Park. To take my favorite creature, Dunkleosteus, we have toys/models (the distinction isn;t always clear) from silly monstrous-looking one to the Mojo and CollectA figures that look like they'd take off swimming in a heartbeat. The people who produce these top-quality critters use artists who really know palentology and put superb craftsmanship into them.
Mojo (L) and CollectA Dunks.
So, how do you decide what's worth buying? Source 1 is the Dinosaur Toy Blog, a wondrous corner of the Web in which you can get lost for hours looking at specimens and reading reviews. Second is Prehistoric Times magazien, which caters to both the scientist and the fan. I'm not sure what's third. There are some other blogs out thee with lesser reach than DTB, and of course there is this blog and the associated Dunkleosteus terrelli FaceBook page for reviews of Dunk models and toys.
A last note here is that even models can be used for cool photo-artwork, and not just by filmmaking geniuses. Herewith a plug for my friend Aurora Rayn, whose page showcases what she can do with good commercial
models and imagination to produce photos that look like they were taken from life. She sells prints, so check it out!
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