Safari Ltd. Velociraptor (1993)

Name: Velociraptor mongoliensis
Species: Velociraptor mongoliensis
First release: 1993
Retired: 2009
Model number: 2500-29 (figure); 4503-23 (display)
Size: 32 cm
Advertised scale: 1:6 (on box), 1:5 (in catalog)
Actual scale: 1:6
Sculptor: Greg Wenzel

Hot on the heels of Jurassic Park, someone at Safari realized they needed to market an authentic Velociraptor model, and fast. Clearly, the 1:40 scale Carnegie line would be a poor fit. Safari contracted with paleoartist Greg Wenzel to create a larger-scale Velociraptor in a dynamic running posture that was essentially tripodal, with its horizontal body supported in the front by a hand touching the ground. The tail, known to have been fairly rigid, was produced in a highly flexed posture (probably close to or exceeding anatomical limits), in order to fit in the box. As with Ely Kish and the Dinosaurs of China, this Velociraptor is instantly recognizable as Wenzel's style, with lots of detail texture in the hornlets and ridge of scales on the back, the claws and teeth. It was given a striking tiger-like color pattern of orange with reddish-orange stripes - both the pose and the color pattern were carried over into Wenzel's other Velociraptor, made concurrently for the second wave of Safari Authentics minis. Thanks in part to Wenzel's involvement, the claim that this replica was "museum quality" was actually an understatement. Few museums at the time had as current and up-to-date looking raptors in either models or artwork on display. Wenzel's reconstruction was definitely bleeding edge for the time, even considering the lack of feathers, and in terms of scientific accuracy it easily blows away the contemporary Jurassic Park inspired Velociraptor designs of the early 1990s. This one doesn't even have pronated hands! Wenzel's 1993 raptor is arguably even more accurate than the more clearly Jurassic Park influenced Wild Safari figure Safari Ltd. released over a decade later when this model was finally retired.

Despite being advertised as "Limited Edition" on the original box, this model proved quite popular and seems to have been in production at least through the late 1990s. It was initially available boxed, then loose with a tag. The model was given a brand new paint scheme and new packaging in 2007 for the short-lived "Dino Discoveries" series, which also included reissues of Kish's Dinosaurs of China models.

Despite coming in a beautifully produced window box, a separate and rather minimalist and modern looking display stand was available for a short time in 1993.

Though originally released in its own unique packaging in 1993, this model is sometimes mistakenly included with the Dinosaurs of China series or even listed as part of the Carnegie Collection on the secondary market.

Greg Wenzel's original sculpt for the Safari Ltd. Velociraptor. Image by The Dinosaur Studio/Dan LoRusso.

Glow in the dark version

1st Mold

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Photo and box design by Assael Associates, Inc.

Mold: 1

Version: 1
Release: 1993
Status: Original
Material: Hard pale yellow vinyl
Paint: 9 colors. Yellow (base coat); burnt orange (stripes); orange (wash); gray (claws, crests, scutes, nostrils); pink (mouth); white (teeth); yellow (eyes); red-orange (iris); black (pupil).
Stamp text: VELOCIRAPTOR / (C) 1993 SAFARI LTD / MADE IN CHINA CE
CE mark: Small, in line
TDR rating: 7/10, 9/10 (boxed)

The first version of the Safari Velociraptor came in a very stylish window box produced by Assael Associates, Inc. Creative Design. The box includes original artwork both on the back and on the interior, depicting an iconic scene of a Velociraptor fighting a Protoceratops. Both the back and front of the packaging boldly advertise this as "An authentic, museum quality dinosaur replica." The display box with its claim that the figure was "limited edition", as well as the separately available glossy plastic display stand, make it clear that this was intended as a beautiful and scientifically accurate display piece for collectors first, and a toy second. Compare the presentation here with the 2007 version to see how Safari's marketing strategy shifted during the late 1990s.

The original figure has a somewhat lighter base color than later versions, with darker orange stripes, more similar to the prototype seen in the catalog image at the top of this page. As it was the first production run, the stripe detail is much sharper than later runs. The stripes are generally thin and tapered, with little "bleeding" or fuzziness of the paint around the edges except in areas treated with an orange wash. The artwork faces right on the inside the box, and the text is on the upper right. Note that the original artwork by AAI (below) lacks tiger stripes, which may have been added late in the game.

Catalog listings from 1993 make it clear that this model was intended to capitalize on the release of the first Jurassic Park film. Notably, the Velociraptors in Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park novel are described as striped, and Kenner, which also had to rely partly on book descriptions when planning its official JP toy line, used a similar orange color pattern for its initial figure releases. Both Safari Ltd. and Kenner seem to have bet (incorrectly) that the movie raptors would follow the descriptions given in the novel.

Art by Assael Associates, Inc.

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Version: 1A
Release: c. 1994
Status: New box style
Material: Hard vinyl
Paint: Matte.
Stamp text: ?
CE mark: ?
TDR rating: 1/10, 3/10 (boxed)

This running change to Safari Ltd.'s Velociraptor seems to have occurred sometime between 1993 and 1999. In addition to the gradual simplification and less attention to detail on the paint application which always happens to aging models as more emphasis is placed on new releases, the box style was updated. The text on the window has also been shrunk down and moved lower for a better view of the actual figure, in contrast to the original box where the text covered almost the entire window. Note: By this point, the Velociraptor was also being sold loose with a tag.

Note: I am not sure if the new box style corresponded with a change in belly stamp. The date application appears pretty much the same as version 1. It is possible this is the box for version 2, but until I get confirmation on that, I'm listing it as 1A.

International / multi-language version of the box.

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Version: 2
Release: c. 1995
Status: Minor retool
Material: Hard pale yellow vinyl
Paint: Matte.
Stamp text: VELOCIRAPTOR / (C) 1993 SAFARI LTD / MADE IN CHINA / CE
CE mark: Small, bottom left of stamp
TDR rating: 2/10

This version retains a small CE mark, but moves it to a 4th line below the text "made in China". It is cast in paler yellow plastic than previous versions.

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Version: 4A
Release: c. 1999
Status: Minor repaint, new box style
Material: Hard orange vinyl
Paint: Matte.
Stamp text:
CE mark:
TDR rating: 3/10 (boxed)

A running change to Safari Ltd.'s Velociraptor seems to have occurred around 1999. In addition to the gradual simplification and less attention to detail on the paint application which always happens to aging models as more emphasis is placed on new releases, the box style was updated. Note that the artwork in the box now faces left, with the text in the lower right corner (where it is more visible below the tail). In addition, a diamond-shaped "Ages 3+" logo has been added to the bottom right corner. This style of 3+ logo first appeared on new Carnegie figures in 1999, so this probably dates to about that time.

Note: I am not sure if the new box style corresponded with a change in belly stamp. The date application appears pretty much the same as version 4. It is possible this is the box for version 4, but until I get confirmation on that, I'm listing it as 4A.

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Version: 5
Release: c. 1997
Status: Minor repaint, minor retool
Material: Hard yellow vinyl
Paint: Matte.
Stamp text: VELOCIRAPTOR / (C) 1993 SAFARI LTD / MADE IN CHINA / CE
CE mark: Large
TDR rating: 2/10

This version retains the large CE mark (though it is actually slightly smaller than the earlier version) and original paint scheme, but has also vastly increased the size of the word "Velociraptor" on the info stamp.

Note: This version uses the same mold version with the same imprint stamp as both the glow-in-the-dark version and the brown repaint version, suggesting it was the last change made to the first mold.

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Version: 6
Release: c. 2007
Status: Major repaint, new box style
Material: Hard brown vinyl
Paint: Matte.
Stamp text: VELOCIRAPTOR / (C) 1993 SAFARI LTD / MADE IN CHINA / CE
CE mark: Large
TDR rating: 6/10

Just to drive home the fact that the Safari Velociraptor is an "honorary" member of the Carnegie Collection, it received a major repaint and re-release during the Carnegie 2007 line refresh. The old orange striped paint scheme was replaced by a more subtle brown pattern. A new, windowless box was designed that placed it as part of the Dino Discoveries line, alongside two reissued Dinosaurs of China figures. The box art is less stylish and more toy-like and kid-friendly compared to the original. In addition to the "Ages 3+" logo, a somewhat confusing double-negative "Pthalate Free" logo has been added (confusing because the phrase is crossed out, so... is it pthalate-free, or not?).

This model is not as commonly seen on the secondary market though it is still available from some retailers like DeJankins as of this writing (October 2019). It appeared in the 2008 Safari catalog but disappeared after that, so its production run may have been significantly shorter than the original version. Perhaps not coincidentally, a new 1:10 scale Velociraptor was released in the wild Safari line that year, not to mention the 2007 introduction of the repainted Carnegie collection Velociraptor, which had the exact same color scheme as this Dino Discoveries version!

Promo photos of the repaint show slightly different style brown stripes, as well as prominent orange highlights. Presumably, this was only a prototype version, but it is possible it saw limited release.

Original production run (left) vs. 2007, showing noticeable mold fatigue and tweaks.

Prototype / promo photos:

2nd Mold

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Mold: 2

Version: 1

Release: c. 1994

Status: Secondary mold

Material: Pale orange vinyl

Paint: Matte. 9 colors. Yellow-orange (wash); orange (wash); burnt orange (stripes); gray (claws, crests, scutes, nostrils); pink (mouth); white (teeth); yellow (eyes); red-orange (iris); black (pupil).

Stamp text: 2 / VELOCIRAPTOR / (C) 1993 SAFARI LTD / MADE IN CHINA / CE

CE mark: Small

TDR rating: 5/10

This appears to be the "original" model in the second mold group of figures, which utilize a secondary mold (indicated by the number 2 on the imprint stamp) created as a copy of the first to increase production capacity. Note that the small CE mark is in line with the text on the third line of the imprint stamp, but the "2" is large and positioned to the left of the imprint. The in-line CE mark is characteristic of the original version of mold 1. This fact, combined with the relatively sharp and detailed paint application in this model, which uses both a yellow and orange wash over a pale orange vinyl base, indicated this is probably the first production run of mold 2, which might have been produced in 1993 or 1994.

 

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Mold: 2

Version: 2
Release: c. 1995
Status: Minor repaint, retool
Material: Hard light orange vinyl
Paint: Matte. 9 colors. Yellow-orange (wash); orange (wash); burnt orange (stripes); dark gray (claws, crests, scutes, nostrils); pink (mouth); white (teeth); yellow (eyes); red-orange (iris); black (pupil).
Stamp text: VELOCIRAPTOR / (C) 1993 SAFARI LTD / MADE IN CHINA / CE 2
CE mark: Small, bottom left of stamp
TDR rating: 2/10

This version has a more blended orange appearance thanks to an airbrushed wash over the orange stripes. The claws and crests are a darker gray than other versions. The sculpt appears to have been retooled, but retains a small CE mark. There is a number 2 after the CE mark on the 4th line of the belly stamp, indicating that it was made using a secondary mold created to increase production capacity.

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Mold: 2

Version: 3
Release: c. 2000
Status: Minor repaint, retool
Material: Yellow vinyl
Paint: Matte. 8 colors. Orange (wash); burnt orange (stripes); dark gray (claws, crests, scutes, nostrils); pink (mouth); white (teeth); yellow (eyes); red-orange (iris); black (pupil).
Stamp text: VELOCIRAPTOR / (C) 1993 SAFARI LTD / MADE IN CHINA CE / 2
CE mark: Small, bottom left of stamp
TDR rating: 2/10

This version of the second mold has removed the small CE mark (but note the "2" remains in the same spot. A large CE mark has been added. Unlike the first mold, which kept the large CE mark under the imprint stamp, mold 2 manages to squeeze the large CE mark between the imprint and the inner thigh.

Note that the paint applications on this version are very sloppy. The stripes are blurry and ill-defined, as in the previous version, but the gray paint on the crest is spotty and uneven. The eye paint used here is very light pale yellow, making the eyes almost appear as if they're glowing.

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Mold: 2?

Version: 4
Release: c. 2005
Status: Minor retool
Material: Hard orange vinyl
Paint: Matte.
Stamp text: VELOCIRAPTOR / (C) 1993 SAFARI LTD / MADE IN CHINA / CE
CE mark: Large
TDR rating: 2/10

This version has a retooled info stamp with a large CE mark placed under the imprint stamp. Note that there is a lot of obvious retooling visible around the imprint, with very little of the original sculpt remaining, suggesting this was a relatively late release after many changes had been made. Though there is no number 2 visible in these images, this variant does not seem to fit into the timeline of mold 1, so it is probably mold 2. It's possible the "2" is located somewhere else, e.g. the inner thigh, as in some later Carnegie releases.

Special releases

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Glow-in-the-dark version
First release: c. 1997
Retired: ?
Model number: 2503-29
Status: Minor repaint, minor retool
Material: Hard glow in the dark clear plastic
Paint: 2 colors: Matte day-glo orange (back); black (eyes)
Stamp text:
CE mark: Large
TDR rating: 8/10
At some point in the mid-1990s, Safari used their classic Velociraptor mold to produce this glow-in-the-dark version. The plastic is translucent and appears very pale yellow in daylight, but glows a greenish color in the dark after being exposed to light. As you can see in the images below, despite the limited use of a very light, bright orange wash of paint, very little of the glow shows through on the top half of the model.

As advertised in the 1998 Safari Ltd. catalog.