Anatosaurus (Definitely Dinosaurs by Playskool)

The Definitely Dinosaurs line by Playskool was a series of dinosaur toys produced in the late 80’s and early 90’s. For those unfamiliar with them they were basically the more toddler-friendly version of Tyco’s Dino-Riders. Some of them, like the Stegosaurus, were eerily similar to their Tyco counterparts. If you were a dinosaur obsessed kid during this time period you no doubt had a few Definitely Dinosaurs in your toy box. I certainly did, but unlike the Tyco toys I don’t feel compelled to collect them now. Although they were great for their time, and still hold up well as toys today, they’re just a bit too childish for my tastes. That said, when I came across the Definitely Dinosaurs Anatosaurus for $4 at an antique store, I couldn’t pass it up, at the very least I could review it. This is my first review of a Definitely Dinosaurs toy but don’t hold your breath for more.

The Definitely Dinosaurs Anatosaurus was part of their first wave of toys back in 1987. Like other toys in the line she came with a name (Ana), a caveman (Zorg), and an accessory (green swing saddle). My newly acquired copy of the toy didn’t come with any of those. The genus name Anatosaurus is of course a synonym for Edmontosaurus annectens and no longer in use.

Ana is not a visually appealing toy, in fact she kind of gives me nightmarish flashbacks to the summer when I reviewed various toys by Jasman. I originally purchased her with the intent to trade or sell her but she’s also kind of grown on me and if she ends up staying here then that’s fine too. At the very least it’s a big old toy of an Edmontosaurus, and that’s pretty cool. Playskool tackled a lot of somewhat bizarre dinosaurs and prehistoric animals, from Moschops to Psittacosaurus, they were overall much braver than Tyco in their diversity.

Ana stands with a tripod posture and measures 8” tall to the top of her head, from nose to tail she measures roughly 13”. The head and neck swivel up and down by moving the pronated forelimbs. I guess that’s the action feature here, although it’s easier to just manually move the head itself. The legs can also rotate back and forth although not completely around and the tail can also be rotated around.

Ana’s body is primarily covered in large scales that give her a “cracked earth” appearance, ala the Jasman Parasaurolophus. Smaller square scales are present around the mouth, neck, and upper legs and the detail work is admirable for a toy of her age. Wrinkles are sculpted on the limbs and underside and a ridge of rectangular scales run down the back. Skin folds are present around the torso and neck, and I quite like their execution.

The beak is wide, smooth, flattened and quite “duck-like” in appearance. The mouth is open and smooth on the inside with no tongue or teeth, and I think that’s part of what makes the toy appear so goofy, like a Jim Henson puppet. Cheeks or a closed mouth would have been preferable. The Anatosaurus toys produced for Wendy’s are actually an improvement over this one.

Four fingers are sculpted on the hands and three toes are on each foot and the feet are badly chewed up on my copy. The eyes are painted yellow with black pupils and the Definitely Dinosaurs logo is printed on the right leg. Ana’s body is dark orange along the back and fades to pale orange on the underside.

For collectors of the line, and I know they’re out there, Ana is a must have. Although she doesn’t fit into my collecting aesthetic, I can still appreciate Ana for what she is and when she was made. The Definitely Dinosaurs line was absolutely aimed at small children, they’re well built, generally safe, and still hold up even today. If you would like to add Ana to your own collection, then it’s off to eBay where she sells for about $15. Or perhaps, if you’re lucky, you’ll unexpectedly come across her in an antique, collectable, or thrift store. I was pretty excited to find her, although the Battat Diplodocus I’m hoping to find continues to elude me.