12" lotr line on hold

[thenammagazine]

The thing that leaves me scratching my head saying WTF is do they honestly think those Dinosauria dioramas will sell better than LOTR's 12" line? Any way I look at it, I can't believe that they would.

 

[tomandshell]

Painted solid dioramas could have a better profit margin than costumed 12" figures.

 

[thenammagazine]

Painted solid dioramas could have a better profit margin than costumed 12" figures.

That's IF they even sell enough to justify the Dino line.

 

[The Ween]

That's IF they even sell enough to justify the Dino line.

I don't have any interest in it at all. I'm still debating on getting the Jurassic Park PF, but that's because I loved the movies so much. I don't care for just dinos.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Painted solid dioramas could have a better profit margin than costumed 12" figures.

They definitely have a higher profit margin on non-mixed media items. Almost all the sculptors at Sideshow are freelance - so no overhead carried on fully sculpted items. No R&D except for the art direction. And with Dinosauria, no licensing fees.

 

[Darth Cruel]

Have you been reading this thread at all?

The line needed villains. Instead we got Faramir. Also villains are visually more interesting. A Wraith would have gone a long way in making people want Hobbits.

Price-wise, while I agree the price was justified considering how intricate the costumes designs were, I think the $10-15 price difference between this and other lines (at the time) was a bit too much for most collectors to swallow. Also $140 for two Hobbits I think was the point were many collectors dropped off and abandoned the line.

I did read these posts. But those are opinions. And seemingly the opinions of a very few (albiet vocal) individuals. I am not convinced that these suppositions are the true causes.

 

[The Josh]

Bad guys would have helped but getting Faramir was not the main cause for this line going out the way it did. Placing the blame on Faramir as the reason is so off base its not funny. Pacing was a major reason as it never could get anything going. As far as the price for the detail in the costumes and all I think they where ok. The hobbits had brand new bodies on top of the detailed outfits so it was what it was. People can pay $160 for Iron man which is one figure but two figures for $20 less is too much? I mean come on.

 

[The Craw]

the only baddie i wanted right now was saruman. personally i never expected any orcs cuz SS only had the buck body and i didnt think they would design a special orc body. the hobbits with their new bodies actually surprised me. i was just expecting the entire fellowship first cuz if you remember back when the line was announced they promised to do the fellowship before any other character. id rather have more human characters like arwen and elrond and eomer and theoden. i didnt want them to start putting orc after orc out like they are doing with the PF line. they are already doing it to SW now with trooper after trooper.

 

[IrishJedi]

I don't think the Faramir figure was the main reason behind the line losing steam, but it was somewhat of a factor. For instance, it was the only figure in the entire line that I had no interest in and did not order. I'm sure I'm not alone.

The biggest factors were:

1) Pacing (this is killing the INDY line as well, and G.I. JOE may be next)

2) The 3 best figures (Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam) being released at a time when Sideshow has raised their 1:6 prices considerably while the economy was on an economic down-turn.

3) Lack of villains

People can pay $160 for Iron man which is one figure but two figures for $20 less is too much? I mean come on.

Whoa. I think you need to see and hold the 1:6 Hot Toys IRON MAN again to remember why it's easily worth its asking price. It might just be the most amazing 1:6 figure (from any company) yet. Not really a good comparison anyway, since that figure has a lot more going on with it than the hobbits ever could. But I do agree that Sam and Frodo are great figures. I'm happy to have them in my collection.

 

[thenammagazine]

Whoa. I think you need to see and hold the 1:6 Hot Toys IRON MAN again to remember why it's easily worth its asking price. It might just be the most amazing 1:6 figure (from any company) yet. Not really a good comparison anyway, since that figure has a lot more going on with it than the hobbits ever could. But I do agree that Sam and Frodo are great figures. I'm happy to have them in my collection.

I don't think Josh was putting down HotToys' Iron Man figure or using it as a comparison. I think he was using it as an example of how people have no problems forking out a fair amount of cash for collectibles they love. At least, that's what I read from his post...

 

[Darklord Dave]

I don't think character choice had anything to do with it. Most of us commit to a line and will buy any character released. There just weren't enough collectors like that to support the line.

I don't think that if they'd released Saruman instead of Faramir it would have made one iota of difference in the sustainability of the line.

 

[icruise]

I don't think character choice had anything to do with it. Most of us commit to a line and will buy any character released. There just weren't enough collectors like that to support the line.

Although you might get a different impression from hanging around here, I don't think the majority of collectors are "buy the entire line" type of collectors. But beyond that, you have to think about what makes people want to collect a particular line in the first place. Sure, there are some people who would be convinced merely by the fact that it's a 1/6 scale LOTR line by Sideshow, but I think most people have to see characters they like produced -- and done well before they will buy into a line.

Imagine for a moment that Gandalf and the hobbits were the first figures released in the line, and that subsequent releases were of comparable quality. Also imagine that they included some orcs/Uruk Hai in the mix early on. That would have gone a long way to attracting people to the line. Just look how interested people are in the recent announcements in the LOTR PF line. People like bad guys, and they give you more "play" and display options than just a bunch of guys standing around looking at each other.

 

[IrishJedi]

I don't think character choice had anything to do with it. Most of us commit to a line and will buy any character released. There just weren't enough collectors like that to support the line.

I don't think that if they'd released Saruman instead of Faramir it would have made one iota of difference in the sustainability of the line.

I respectfully disagree, as Saruman would surely have been a more popular figure and generated more interest/buzz in the line (when the Faramir figure stunted it by also turning out so poorly). And let's put it this way: had they released Saruman instead of Faramir I (and no doubt others) would have made one more purchase in the line than I have, because I've never had any interest in the Faramir figure whatsoever.

I don't think Josh was putting down HotToys' Iron Man figure or using it as a comparison. I think he was using it as an example of how people have no problems forking out a fair amount of cash for collectibles they love. At least, that's what I read from his post...

Well, sure... and I can agree with that. I was just pointing out that the Hot Toys Iron Man is on a whole other level than just about any 1:6 figure out there.

 

[Grimlock]

I ust be in the total minority. I actually like Faramir. The weakest figure in the line is Legolas by a huge margin...or that is how I see it anyway. I prefer Faramir over the Hobbits and Legolas, but I know most don't agree with me.

 

[FlyAndFight]

This was the only line that I had considered being a "completist" on. I picked up every figure released and would have continued doing so, regardless.

The death knell to the LOTR 12" line, in my opinion, was the ridiculously slow pace. It simply allowed many collectors to re-examine their collections and head in other directions, where those lines showed more promise. I can't begin to count the number of posts made throughout the last couple of years where people had said that they were dropping the stagnant LOTR line in order to collect a different one.

Finally, couple the fact that this line doesn't even have a complete "set" of figures, such as the basic Fellowship Nine, and that in itself is a discouragement for many to get in at this time.

I would love to see Hot Toys pick up the license and release some Orcs, Uruks, and armored figures as well.

 

[Indiana Fett]

...I would love to see Hot Toys pick up the license and release some Orcs, Uruks, and armored figures as well.

That was EXACTLY what I was thinking. HT would KILL on the armored figures. That would be a dream come true there!

 

[abake]

I didn't even get Faramir... but then again, I'm not a completist.

 

[minivader]

w/ LOTR, I am definitly more interested in the bad guys than the good guys. The orcs just look so much cooler than the tiny hobbits (though it is cool that SSC developed a smaller body, I hope they get more use outta it). Not to mention the ring wraiths and witch king and such.

 

[Reinhardt]

would love 12" baddies so much - but i also want the fellowship finished.

 

[pixletwin]

I gotta disagree with Dave too. Its a pretty common thing for a collector to get in on a line simply because they are impressed with figure but not fans of the franchise. You see it time and time again here.