How to Select Mini Replica Dinosaurs

Mini replica dinosaurs are probably the most popular type of dinosaur toy on the market, and they've been so for generations. In countless households around the world you can find toy chests full of these tiny plastic toys in many different colors and sizes. Mini replica dinosaurs are most children's first introduction to the world of dinosaurs.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with Internet access to compare mini replica dinosaurs and to order them for delivery to your home

1. Identify the type of dinosaur your child is interested in. There are four-legged plant eaters like Stegosaurus and Triceratops and voracious two-legged meat eaters like Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor.

2. Select a variety pack if you're not sure which dinosaur is your child's favorite.

3. Identify the maker of the mini replica dinosaurs if your child is a collector. Identifying the manufacturer and the year of production is a crucial step in assigning value and collectibility to toy dinosaurs. Distinguishing a highly collectible dinosaur toy like a Marx from a cheap plastic copy can be done by an antique toy dealer or through an online search.

4. Check the color of your replica. Newer mini replica dinosaurs are typically painted in a factory. Older toys, those with more value, were not usually painted and are normally a solid colored plastic. Historically, scientists envisioned dinosaurs as very drab in color, but recently they've changed their opinions, believing that dinosaurs were as multi-colored as reptiles are today.

5. Select mini replica dinosaurs based on historical accuracy. Some of the more popular dinosaur toy lines in history often included human riders with saddles and weapons. The addition can be fun, but in truth the dinosaurs were long extinct by the time human beings made their first appearance on Earth.

6. Select replica dinosaurs with their accessories. Any collector can tell you that having the original accessories with a toy greatly adds to its value.

7. Pick a replica dinosaur that your kids can identify with. Most children will be familiar with Hollywood dinosaurs like those seen in movies like "Jurassic Park." This is a good way to spark children's interest in natural history.

Tips & Warnings

• Select mini replica dinosaurs based on a variety of traits. You can find very cheap sets of small plastic dinosaurs at discount stores or you can search for museum quality toys at Healthstones.com that will last a lifetime (see Resources below).
• If you're giving mini replica dinosaurs to children, make sure they are not so small that they can be swallowed.

[missotis]

on 12/18/2007 Dinosaurs are easy to sculpt. You can make your own dinosaur with all of the traits you want to give it. Go watch the sculpting videos on www.scenearama.com.