Boxes

Above: Page from the 1994 Safari Ltd. catalogue highlighting the new packaging. Note that the old T. rex sculpt was still available in these boxes despite having been replaced in the main line.

Beginning in 1994, most Carnegie Collection models were sold both loose with a tag, and, at select retailers, also in boxes. The boxed editions seem to have always been relatively uncommon at retain compared to the tagged editions, and were mostly found in higher-end boutique retail stores and gift shops. Many were also available from catalogues.

Individual figures came boxed, and it seems that all figures available from the early 1990s until about 1995 were sold this way. Themed boxed sets of multiple figures were also available well into the early 2000s. The 1990s era boxes were all similar in style, with a textured reddish brown rock-like graphic printed on glossy cardboard with clear windows revealing the figure at the front and top of the box. The back of the box featured a photo of the entire collection with a number key to identify the different models.

Keep scrolling to see images of some of the boxed Carnegie figures and multi-packs!

Individual Boxes

Japanese release (c. 1990)

The earliest boxed release seems to be this style of box released in Japan. I am not sure how many Carnegie dinosaurs were released in this packaging, as I have only ever seen the Brachiosaurus, Pteranodon, and Mosasaurus; presumably, all of the figures at least up through 1990 shipped in boxes of this general type. The large Brachiosaurus box features a drawing of the dinosaur along with the scale and the Carnegie Collection logo. The Carnegie Museum logo is on the top. There does not appear to be any manufacturing or distribution company logos (no mention of either Safari Ltd. or Schleich, so I am not sure what company distributed the line in Japan). I suspect this is a very early release due to the use of the first mold of Brachiosaurus (though in 1990s colors) and the parchment paper tag, which was replaced by plain card paper in the US by 1990. This must therefore be a 1990 release, possibly using 1989 leftover tags.

Smaller Carnegie figures released in Japan during the early '90s came in beige boxes very similar to the Japanese Tsukuda Hobby dinosaur series, with a window to view the figure and a blue cardboard background. Note that despite the fact that these are 1990 era models, they continued to ship with parchment paper tags, even later released like Mosasaurus.

Wood Grain Packaging (1994)

Small figures were sold in 2-packs like this. Note that the bottom of the packaging lists (C)1987. It is unclear why the date would be listed as a year before any models actually debuted, although 1987 is the year Carnegie signed their contract with Safari Ltd. This particular packaging style could not have been produced before around 1994, when the Dilophosaurus pair featured in the photography was released.

Note that Plateosaurus, which was the first model introduced after the photo was taken, is not featured on the collection photo on the back of the box not listed in the text. Plateosaurus would have been among the smallest single-boxed figures.

The "wood grain" box style also included larger gift sets, usually themed around vaguely contemporary species. 

Above: Jurassic and Cretaceous gift sets (4492-01 and 4493-01) featured in a 1997 advertisement in "Dinosaur", a dinosaur movie magazine. Image credit: therizinosaurus.

Desert Boxes - 1998

In the late '90s, gift sets geared around specific time periods were still sold, but with updated packaging featuring a sandy, desert scene. These, oddly, seem to have sometimes included old molds. For example, the 1998 catalog photo below is from the 1998 Safari Ltd. catalog. It has mid-1990s style branding (note the 3+ logo in a red and yellow circle, sand dune packaging). However, it includes several older models, like the pre-1996 version of Parasaurolophus, and even the Euoplocephalus (noted as having already been retired elsewhere on the same page!). The models all seem to be pre-color vinyl versions as well. It may be that Safari included these older models in gift sets because they were fully painted and therefore felt more premium... or maybe they just wanted to get rid of old stock. In contrast, the 1997 advertisement photo shows the same gift set with an earlier packaging style, the newer Parasaurolophus, and the older Pachycephalosaurus.

Above: Cretaceous gift box set (4493-01) with updated packaging and different model variants pictured in a 1998 Safari Ltd. catalog.

Green Boxes - 2003

Gift sets persisted into the 2000s era, with significantly updated packaging style. The example below is part of a series of sets from the early 2000s with green packaging and featuring the blue exclamation point Carnegie logo. It is labelled simply "Safari Ltd." and "Carnegie Dinosaurs 1".

Some boxed sets came with special informational brochures, like the one pictured above.

Galileo Boxes

Sometime around the mid-1990s, some Carnegie figures were released in boxes featuring the Galileo Educational Solutions Llc. logo. This seems to have been the same Galileo Educational company that was based in Miami, FL. They therefore would have been operating in close proximity to Safari's HQ which might help explain the partnership. The Galileo boxes featured the same sand dune layout as the later Safari boxes, but with different branding and text/layout design.

The style of the "Ages 3+" logo, combined with the desert style packaging, would seem to place these as late-1990s releases, probably around 1998. Interestingly, as with the desert style gift sets, some featured old or otherwise retired models, like the old pre-1995 Allosaurus mold pictured below.

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Ancient Adversaries 2-packs

Around the 1999, Safari issued smaller gift sets of Carnegie dinosaurs in a newer, blue box style. These were the platform-style boxes more similar to the Dino Discoveries line, lacking a top or clear plastic window. Sets included a collector's guide.