Farm Animal World – A World Of Farm Animals

Once upon a time, far far away there was a stall. This stall was chock full of Farm Animals… A veritable…Farm Animal World. And these mighty steeds and loyal pups could be had for a pittance. At the hallowed Dollar Store, a bag of Farm Animals. To fill your world.

So Dollar Stores often do this. You can get a bag of plastic critters for a couple of bucks. They’re small and cheaply made. But they have their own certain charm, you know? So I’m forgoing the Wild Animals and Dinosaurs (Me!? Skip Dinosaurs!?) to look at the moo cows and woof dogs instead. Let’s begin!

CAT

Freestanding: Yes

Sculpt: Not bad. The fur is defined and so are its little paws. The tail is arced up and in general more playful than the rest of the animals. The big boon here is the face – this cat has perhaps the nicest face of the whole punch!

Paint Job: Not bad in front. Though monotone, it is broken up by different shades. The problem is the eyes – they could have been vivid to really set the character of the face off.

 

CHICKEN (HEN)

Freestanding: Yes

Sculpt: Not bad, the feathers on the hen are less detailed than some of the other birds but they are present and don’t look too bad. The hen is distinct from the rooster, as well.

Paint Job: A tougher deal to evaluate. I like the range of colour, but the paint job is not consistent. Also-wish the legs were more different from the base.

CHICKEN (ROOSTER)

Freestanding: Yes

Sculpt: Not good. The chicken was well defined, but the rooster seems sloppy. The feathers are okay, but the beak seems too blunt – the face is altogether too cartoonish. I feel the rooster could be more dramatic. My rooster also has an awful lean to it – maybe just indicative of being squeezed in a bag so long?

Paint Job: Terrible. Everything is way too red, and the wings don’t break it up enough. This is a rooster, not a fire engine.

 

COW

Freestanding: Yes

Sculpt: Not too shabby. The udder is present, so this plastic cow can give plastic milk. The neck detail and head sculpt are distinctly bovine as well. In terms of sculpting, this is one of the best of the bunch!

Paint Job: Pretty good! One eye is a little faded and I wish the udder were pink or at least a bit offset, but overall pretty solid.

DOG

 

Freestanding: Yes

Sculpt: Great. The fur is distinct and its features are all very canine. The tail looks good, the ears and pose are inquisitive and the seam is not too obvious. It seems very “predatory” in some ways, perhaps the serious face? I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a repurposed mold of a wolf or coyote from another set. Maybe we’ll see sometime.

Paint Job: Not bad. A blemish here and there but a goo range of colours and not too faded.

DUCK

Freestanding: Yes

Sculpt: Really solid, actually. The feathers are well defined, the feet are webbed, an the face has character. It’s certainly a better sculpt than either of the chickens. Definitely on of the better sculpts in the batch, but not interesting enough to really set it off.

Paint Job: Pretty bland, essentially a greywash. It needs to be broken up!

GOAT

 

Freestanding: Yes

Sculpt: Solid. Good detail on the hair an hooves. The horns are a little nobby, but they get the job done. Ears and beard lend the face character. It’s well done!

Paint Job: The eyes should not be grey but overall it’s not bad. See – this one is a grey animal once again but its broken up well enough.

GOOSE

Freestanding: Yes

Sculpt: Not bad. Facial features and neck distinguish it from the duck and make it very gooselike. The face could be a little more distinct for taxonomic purposes. Feathers are well defined, very similar to the duck here. Figure seems to have a serious lean to it. Again – perhaps from being stuffed in the bag?

Paint Job: So-so. I like the range of colours but I wish the bill and eyes were separate from the rest.

HORSE

Freestanding: No.

Sculpt: Oh dear. At least some of the musculature is well defined. The ears look too unnatural and the mane is lazy. The face is kind of dumbfounded, and the bloody thing can’t even stand up.

Paint Job: Bad. Really bad. One side wasn’t even attempted and the other side is sloppy. Easily the worst figure of the bunch.

PIG

Freestanding: Yes

Sculpt: Pretty solid. At first glance, the pig looked like a repurposed hippo with a curly tail. However, getting the angle on it – it’s undeniably porcine. Nice hooves and tail, good detail rolls, and smooth curves.

Paint Job: A plain animal but it works here, you know? It has a nice enough grade to it.

IN CONCLUSION

Of course this article is a half joke, but the kid inside me still likes this crap you know? I used to love the bargain toys with sketchy designs. Dinosaurs that never quite existed and aliens with neon colours. I think these little bargain bags still give kids something cheap and fun to occupy an afternoon. And it’s always fun to see what you get.

This set is so-so. I think the wild animal or dinosaur themed packs would be far more exciting and potentially offer a greater range of sculpts. But in terms of farm animals, this is okay! As long as you don’t count the rooster or horse.