The Carnegie Triceratops Defines "Upgrade"

In 1988 the Carnegie Triceratops first appeared on the scene and helped change Dinosaur toys (sort of) forever. SRG was out of business and Invicta's Triceratops was a very odd take on the Dinosaur in question and this new sculpt by Safari, Ltd, for the Carnegie Collection is a long legged and highly active variation on the theme. Up until this release the Triceratops a had been portrayed as a slow moving and relatively static creature. The Carnegie Triceratops is presented in motion, lifting its front right foot and swinging its head in a highly active pose.

< The original release weighs in at five and five-eighth ounces (5.625 oz) and measures just about eight inches (8") in length. The new, 1999 model is both longer at nine inches (9") and a bit heavier at six and a half ounces (6.5 oz).

From 1988 to 1996 the Carnegie Triceratops was basically green. In '96 it got a blue makeover but the basic sculpt remained the same.
Then, in 1999, an entirely new and even more dynamic sculpt came out. This new Triceratops is a longer, leaner and an even more active vision of the Triceratops than the original was. It is colored in shaded grays with bright, orange markings. Even with this new figure the original, clearly popular, 1988 figure in blue remained in production. In 2007 the older figure received a second makeover into an all new, shades of brown color scheme, and the detail work, such as the toe-nails, are painted. It is much better looking than the earlier versions.

A herd of Carnegie Triceratops browses quietly on the forest edge. Because of their great size (even at ~1/40 scale) the deep forest would limit their mobility as they must be ever vigilant for predators. Some are easily fended off while others prove quite dangerous and an actual battle can ensue....

But most attackers get the point and are usually driven away in a rather dramatic fashion.

The Carnegie Triceratops has been out for over two decades and been regularly upgraded, both in the figure itself (1999)and with a series of "re-paints" which have kept it both current with paleontological knowledge and fresh for the collector and retail purchaser.

The Carnegie Triceratops is, in my opinion, an excellent toy. They are well made of rubber and are very rugged, yet bendable enough that their "sharp points" aren't sharp at all. They are very nicely detailed and realistic looking with paint jobs that are quite durable. This can be seen from the close-up pictures of the original 1988, green Carnegie Triceratops, which I have had since it came out twenty years ago. They are as at home in the sandbox and backyard as the bedroom floor and basement. Easily cleaned in a sink or with the garden hose.
Both of these Triceratops are still in production and can be purchased through Safari, Ltd. the manufacturer, or wherever fine Dinosaur Toys are sold. (That would include eBay as well as brick and mortar neighborhood toy stores.) The blue and green are out of production and their availability is questionable. Whether these will turn out to be collectibles is anybody's guess but they make fine toys. The original is priced at $9.99 and the new figure at $10.50. Because they were herd animals I suggest that you get at least two. I have seven.

If you think you would be interested in one of the Carnegie Triceratops's collection-mates or in another company's version this site is the place to come to find them.

(The herd at rest.)

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