The Carnegie Collection Smilodon (1988)

Prototype

Name: Smilodon
Species: Smilodon fatalis
First release: 1988
Retired: December 1997
Model number: 4016-01
Schleich number: 15416
Size: 7cm tall
Advertised scale: 1:15
Actual scale: 1:15
Sculptor: Forest Rogers

Like Australopithecus, the Carnegie Smilodon was made to a much larger scale (1:15) compared to the dinosaur figures. The original Smilodon figure resembles the first "gloss wash" sauropod Carnegies, with a soft application of greenish and yellowish paint over a mainly tan body. The paint was complexly layered and thin enough for subtle details of the sculpt, like fur texture, to shine through. The repainted and retooled version released in 1991 used much thicker and browner paint with far less yellows and tans, and had a less detailed and smoother or blockier looking sculpt.

The Carnegie Smilodon was clearly inspired by Charles R. Knight's paleoart.




Version: 1
Release: 1988
Status: Minor repaint
Variant type: Primary
Material: Soft rubber
Paint: Glossy. 6 colors. Tan (base coat); green (wash); white airbrushing (face, paws, tail); ivory (teeth); black (eyes, nose, claws, whiskers); red (mouth).
Stamp text: SMILODON / 8 FT (1.5 METERS) / (C) 1988 THE CARNEGIE / SAFARI LTD, MIAMI, FL / MADE IN CHINA
CE mark: None.
TDR rating: 8/10

The original version of the Carnegie Smilodon had a glossy brown paint scheme, with a green wash. Reportedly, a soft rubber version of the green wash model exists and, based on comparison with other contemporary Carnegie models, it was probably the oldest/first release.


Photo by @DinoCollector on Instagram

Version: 2
Release: 1988
Status: Original
Variant type: Twilight sands
Material: Hard black vinyl
Paint: Glossy. 5 colors. Tan (base); blue/gray (wash); white (face, paws); black (nose, eyes, claws, whiskers); red (mouth).
Stamp text: SMILODON / 8 FT (1.5 METERS) / (C) 1988 THE CARNEGIE / SAFARI LTD, MIAMI, FL / MADE IN CHINA
CE mark: None.
TDR rating: 10/10

The twilight version of the Carnegie Smilodon had a somewhat flat gray and pale tan/white color scheme. The desaturated, high-contrast color scheme is consistent with the 1990 "catalog version"/"twilight sands" set photographed with the original Twilight Sands diorama.




Version: 3
Release: 1989
Status: Minor repaint
Variant type: Primary / Gloss wash
Material: Hard dark gray vinyl
Paint: Matte. 6 colors. Tan (base coat); green (wash); white airbrushing (face, paws, tail); ivory (teeth); black (eyes, nose, claws, whiskers); red (mouth).
Stamp text: SMILODON / 8 FT (1.5 METERS) / (C) 1988 THE CARNEGIE / SAFARI LTD, MIAMI, FL / MADE IN CHINA
CE mark: None.
TDR rating: 8/10

The gloss wash version of the Carnegie Smilodon had a very tawny paint scheme, with a subtle green wash that gave a very painterly effect to the model, almost like it has just stepped out of a piece of artwork (the figure itself is obviously based on art by Charles R. Knight). The underlying vinyl plastic is very hard and very dark gray, almost black, characteristic of most 1989 Carnegie releases.


 


Version: 4
Release: c. 1990
Status: Minor repaint
Variant type: Gloss wash
Material: ?
Paint: Matte. 6 colors. Tan (base coat); green (wash); white airbrushing (face, paws, tail); white (eyebrows, teeth); blue (eyes); black (eyes, nose, claws, whiskers); red (mouth).
Stamp text: SMILODON / 8 FT (1.5 METERS) / (C) 1988 THE CARNEGIE / SAFARI LTD, MIAMI, FL / MADE IN CHINA
CE mark: None.
TDR rating: 8/10

This is very similar to the basic gloss wash Smilodon, but with the addition of bright white paint to the face and paws. It has very reduced green paint, similar to the model pictured in the 1991 Schleich brochure.




Version: 5
Release: c. 1990
Status: Minor repaint
Variant type: Gloss wash
Material: ?
Paint: Matte. 6 colors. Tan (base coat); green (wash); white airbrushing (face, paws, tail); white (eyebrows, teeth); blue (eyes); black (eyes, nose, claws, whiskers); red (mouth).
Stamp text: SMILODON / 8 FT (1.5 METERS) / (C) 1988 THE CARNEGIE / SAFARI LTD, MIAMI, FL / MADE IN CHINA
CE mark: None.
TDR rating: 8/10

This is very similar to the basic gloss wash Smilodon, but with the addition of bright blue paint to the eyes and the white paint restricted to the eyebrows. It has very reduced green paint, similar to the model pictured in the 1991 Schleich brochure.


Version: 6
Release: 1990
Status: Minor repaint, material variant
Variant type: Classic color
Material: Blue rubber
Paint: Glossy. 7 colors. Tan (base coat); light brown (wash); white airbrushing (face, paws, tail); ivory (teeth); black (eyes, nose, claws, whiskers); red (mouth); dark brown (wash).
Stamp text: SMILODON / 8 FT (1.5 METERS) / (C) 1988 THE CARNEGIE / SAFARI LTD, MIAMI, FL / MADE IN CHINA
CE mark: None.
TDR rating: 7/10

This appears to be the first "Classic color" variant of Smilodon, with glossy dark brown on light brown paint. Like other very early classic versions, it is made of "Smurf blue" rubber.



Version: 7
Release: 1990
Status: Material variant
Variant type: Classic color
Material: Gray vinyl
Paint: Glossy. 7 colors. Tan (base coat); light brown (wash); white airbrushing (face, paws, tail); ivory (teeth); black (eyes, nose, claws, whiskers); red (mouth); dark brown (wash).
Stamp text: SMILODON / 8 FT (1.5 METERS) / (C) 1988 THE CARNEGIE / SAFARI LTD, MIAMI, FL / MADE IN CHINA
CE mark: None.
TDR rating: 7/10

Another "Classic color" variant of Smilodon, with glossy dark brown on light brown paint. It is made of gray vinyl and retains the "Miami" imprint, so it was probably produced in 1990/91.





Version: 8
Release: c. 1991
Status: Minor repaint
Variant type: Classic color
Material: Gray vinyl
Paint: Matte. 6 colors. Tan (base coat); light brown (wash); white airbrushing (face, paws, tail); ivory (teeth); black (eyes, nose, claws, whiskers); red (mouth).
Stamp text: SMILODON / 8 FT (1.5 METERS) / (C) 1988 THE CARNEGIE / SAFARI LTD, MIAMI, FL / MADE IN CHINA
CE mark: None.
TDR rating: 7/10

This classic color version appears to continue using the unaltered original sculpt, with medium gray vinyl plastic and it retains the "Miami" imprint. The paint is matte and less complex than the initial classic color variants, without any prominent washes on top of the tan base coat of paint.


Version: 9
Release: 1992
Status: Minor repaint, minor retool
Variant type: Classic color
Material: Soft rubber
Paint: Light brown (base coat); glossy brown (wash); airbrushed white (face, paws), glossy off-white (teeth); glossy black (eyes, nose, whiskers, claws); glossy red (mouth).
Stamp text: SMILODON / 8 FT (1.5 METERS) / (C) 1988 THE CARNEGIE / SAFARI LTD
CE mark: Small.
TDR rating: 5/10

Samples that come with the newer style of glossy, full-color tag prove that the Smilodon model was still in production as late as 1996 when the new line look began rolling out. The 1998 Carnegie Collector's Guide lists the Smilodon model retired as of December 1997, so it would have shipped with a glossy tag for less than a year. This version is missing the "Miami" imprint and has added a small CE mark. Earlier releases have very thin, carefully applied black detailing. Later production runs were more sloppy with the paint applications.


  

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