INVICTA'S TOY DINOSAURS

[darren.naish@port.ac.uk]

On the subject of model dinosaurs, Betty C asked...

> Does anyone have a list of the London Museum's releases oh so many 
> years ago? I mean what exactly they had in the whiole series?

Betty is referring the the NHM's (then BMNH) series made by Invicta 
Plastics. The models were first released as single-colour moulded 
plastic (i.e. the red tyrannosaur was made of red plastic), while 
later a flexi-painted series was released: the same models but made 
of a soft, flexible plastic and with snazzy colour schemes. The whole 
set is (off the top of my head, so forgive me if I forget any):

Plesiosaurus 
Ichthyosaurus (with stand)
Liopleurodon
Mamenchisaurus
Brachiosaurus
Cetiosaurus
Diplodocus
Apatosaurus
Scelidosaurus
Triceratops
Stegosaurus
Stenonychosaurus (=Troodon)
Baryonyx
Tyrannosaurus
Megalosaurus
Iguanodon
Lambeosaurus
Pteranodon
Dimetrodon
Glyptodon
Mammuthus
Balaenoptera (with stand)

Note that there was no mosasaur, contra Betty.

The Stenonychosaurus was a late released, relatively limited edition 
model that was not in production for long. Liopleurodon was also a 
late release. Dimetrodon and Lambeosaurus were latecomers that were 
released just before the first batch came out in flexi-painted, but 
for an unknown reason Stenonychosaurus, Dimetrodon and Lambeosaurus 
were never released in flexi-painted (Liopleurodon was). Oh well. A 
display stand for the models is also commercially available: it is 
huge, and mine is sitting on a wardrobe at my girlfriend's mum's 
house. As is one of the Safari Marine Life display stands I have.

"Just like a dream to me"

DARREN NAISH
darren.naish@port.ac.uk