Quality Control

As the owner of a collectibles shop, I am sometimes asked why certain product lines are currently unavailable in the shop, or why previously supported lines are no longer available. This can happen for many reasons, of course. However, the sad truth is that many manufacturers simply fall short of the quality standards I consider acceptable for Dan's Dinosaurs. This can occur in their personal manner of conduct, or in their basic level of product quality.

Every product can have a "defect rate", but they are expected to promptly take care of any issues that may arise. Over the years, I have noticed an increase in troubling incidents, in which the manufacturer refuses to offer any replacement or compensation for defective products. Sadly, if this occurs, the manufacturer will no longer be welcome in Dan's Dinosaurs. One example might be the company calling itself "Chronicle Collectibles", a sizeable manufacturer which dealt with major licenses. On multiple occasions, this company refused to provide compensation for defective products. A quick online search reveals myriad complaints with respect to production quality, suggesting the incidents I witnessed were merely the tip of the iceberg.

Companies relying on licenses to attract buyers can often skimp on production quality to increase their profits. Below one can find an image of the Chronicle Collectibles "Rotunda Rex" statue. This piece was released in 2019, stands 24 inches tall, and had an original retail price tag of approximately $1000. This is the condition it arrived at a buyer's home.

It is easy to understand how disappointing this sight would be for an eager collector. I would like to draw special attention to the interior of the broken limb shown here. It's clear this piece is brittle, and we can see the use of an internal metal support peg that was intended to compensate for the almost entirely hollow interior of the statue. Hollowing to such an extreme degree has never been acceptable in any resin kit that I have encountered. Nevertheless, a large company like Chronicle Collectibles seems to consider this within the acceptable range of product quality.

It's true that there are no guarantees in any purchasing experience. However, it's important to consider whether you will be taken care of whenever misfortune occurs. I feel that accountability is generally greater in smaller companies, and that's one reason people feel they can trust this very small shop that I call Dan's Dinosaurs.