Who: Darrell Maddox, 52, of West Chester Township, a loan officer for a mortgage bank by day and paleontologist by night (and in his spare time).

        What: More than 1,000 dinosaur toy and model figures.

        Where: Mostly on display in the “dinosaur room” of the home he shares with wife Susan; their three children, Kyle, 21, Audrey, 17, Grant, 15; and two parakeets.

        Mr. Maddox's fascination with dinosaurs began as a kid in the 1950s.

        “I used to collect Marx dinosaurs,” he says. “They were very small and made of gray, green or brown plastic. You could paint them yourself, but I didn't.”

        Renewed interest: “I didn't think about them for a long time, then in the mid-'80s I started to buy dinosaur books and came across dinosaurs made by a Japanese company called Tsukuda.”

        Dig sites: Since then, he has added to his collection by visiting garage sales, antiques stores, flea markets and the Internet. A favorite haunt is the Earth Collectible Toy Mall on Montgomery Road. (www.theearthtoymall.com). His collection now includes a dinosaur hand-carved from granite that was formed at the same time dinosaurs existed.

        Dino-pals: Mr. Maddox has also found

        like-minded individuals through The Prehistoric Times magazine. “It's a real subculture,” he says. “The magazine comes out every two months and has 50-60 pages.”

        Dad's hobby: None of the other members of the Maddox family has caught the dinosaur “bug.”

        “When the kids were little,” he recalls, “they thought it was pretty cool and would bring people over. I am the only quote/unquote, collector.”

        Quick definition: So, what exactly is a dinosaur?

        “Dinosaurs are two groups of animals distinguished by their hipbones,” Mr. Maddox replies. “You could pretty well say if it flew it wasn't a dinosaur and if it was in the water it wasn't a dinosaur. Dinosaurs were mostly land-based. The other animals that lived at the same time were big reptiles.

        “Most people don't know that,” he says with a grin.

        Share prize posessions with Marsie Hall Newbold by mail c/o The Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202; e-mail marsoleteaol.com. Include a daytime phone number.

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