Deciding Which Model to Make

Team members at Everything Dinosaur get asked quite frequently about the decision making process that takes place when manufacturers are deciding which new prehistoric animal models to make.  There are many factors to consider and the process of deciding which replicas to make can be long and drawn out.

Prehistoric Animal Models

With the Kentrosaurus model from Safari Ltd winning the prestigious “dinosaur model of the year award” from readers of Prehistoric Times magazine and that company’s newly introduced Kaprosuchus prehistoric crocodile model widely tipped to win that accolade for 2011 we decided to ask our good friends at Safari how they go about choosing which models to manufacture.

One of the Favourite Models of 2011 – Safari Wild Dinos Kaprosuchus

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view Safari’s extensive collection of prehistoric animal models including the Kaprosuchus model (whilst stocks last): Safari Ltd: Dinosaur Models, Prehistoric Crocodile Models, Pterosaurs etc.

It seems that this U.S. based company considers many factors before it goes into full scale model production.  Firstly there is supply and demand, a review of existing model sales and popularity can provide a helpful insight. Then there is the many customer requests received by the company, along with the influence of recent fossil discoveries or new theories about already well-known prehistoric animals.  With our estimate that a new dinosaur species is named and described every twenty to thirty days or so then there is always going to be plenty of new prehistoric animals to choose from.  Prehistoric creatures that appear in television documentaries or in movies can also have an influence.

The input from Everything Dinosaur and those people who contact us about model ideas and suggestions do have an important role to play.  Each enquiry we get is passed on to our contacts at the manufacturer and we know that such suggestions and feedback is greatly appreciated by the design team.