RedGage

• Stuffed “Rex” from Toy Story
  Brontosaurus Skeleton Figurine
  T-Rex Skeleton Figurine
  Dinosaur Rummy Card Game
  Grow-in-water Stegosaurus
  Grow-in-water T-Rex

I used to arrange and exhibit all my toys and chatchkies as if I was a curator of a collection of priceless objects. These were not toys to be played with. I guess I would allow it, but most of them were arranged just so, with intention, or they were in their original packaging. The nerdy tween boy in me developed this set after a trip to the American Museum of Natural History and generous gifts from Alex and my mother.

Rex
item#: 001
dimensions: 12×12x20 cm
materials: synthetic fiber, plastic pellets
date acquired: 2002-3
status: taken (2.1.08)

The Toy Story stuffed animal was given to me by a guy named Alex. He was a pretty wild dude–creative, intelligent, spontaneous, and even a bike messenger in NYC for a bit. Once upon a time he came to class after a run-in with a manhole or a taxi, and showed me where part of his nipple and a section of his flesh used to be. He was at the Disney Store in Times Square and decided, as a gesture of his distaste for the company, to take Rex hostage. I’m not by any means a fan of Disney, and was a full supporter of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping since the late 1990’s; HOWEVER, I didn’t think stealing was okay. I’ve held onto his contraband all this time for many reasons I don’t want to admit. I shouldn’t have accepted it in the first place, but this piece, and the story that went with it, was a nice addition to the Dinosaur Collection.

Skeletons
materials: plastic
date acquired: 2001/2

Brontosaurus
item#: 002
dimensions: 4×5x23 cm
status: taken (2.1.08)

T-Rex
item#003
dimensions: 15×14x4
status: taken (2.1.08)

The bone figurines are from the gift shop at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. They are great for creating funny dioramas.

Dinosaur Rummy Cards
item #:004
dimensions: 11×7.5×2 cm
materials: plastic, paper
date acquired: 2001
status: taken (2.1.08)

The dinosaur rummy cards are visually stimulating, informative, and promote group interactions. My mother, a middle-school science teacher, looks for opportunities to educate or inform at every moment. There was always some kind of quiz about the clouds and the water cycle, flowers, the PH scale. These cards were one of her purchases.

Grow-in-Water Dinos
materials: superabsorbent polymers (?)
additional comments: probably best for kids over 4ish
date acquired: 2003(?)

T-Rex
item#:005
dimensions (when dry):4.5×2.5x.7 cm
status: taken (2.1.08)

Stegosaurus
item#:006
dimensions (when dry):4.5×1.7x.6 cm
status: taken (2.1.08)

Lastly, the yellow and purple mini-dinos in the picture. They look like nothing now, just little plastic whatevers. But, put them in water… AND THEY GROW! They get all slimey and big, and if you leave them out and don’t touch them, they shrink back down into mini-dinos. Apparently, I never got past the age of 6, maybe 8 at the oldest… I LOVE THESE. The novelty hasn’t worn off yet.

The Dinosaur Collection was listed on Philadelphia’s freecycle network. Freecycle, as they state on their site, is all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. I like that.