6/10 - Finally, a good month for LOTR fans.

[woodsy]

Add to your list Frodo placing the ring onto the table with Elrond watching from The Council, and Sam vs Shelob and i'd be a happy chappie

I can't say I'd be too receptive to a 4th dio. featuring Frodo at the moment, but a Sam [with light-up phial....I can dream can't I ] vs Shelob would definitely be near the top of my list.

 

[The Ringer]

Praise the Gods!

 

[xerxes]

Yeah, i'm hoping for a new dio announcement for SDCC, surely they wouldn't cancel 2 lines in quick succesion? Unless they're determined to focus all their energy into pumping out the maquettes and PF's, as may be the case.... but in the Q&A's they've said a few diorama ideas are a possibility.

Anyway, thanks for the renewed LOTR love SS! Now bring on a diorama or two!

I am also hoping for a new dio announcement, but don't see it happening I think it was three months before the LSB line was canned that it is still 'viable'. From past evidence SS seem to like a structure of overlapping new dio PO's with a shipping current release. Aragorn Vs. King of the Dead has long gone with not a peep in regards to a new dio announcement.

Not to say I don't hold out hope... but if we don't get a new dio announcement a month either side of SDCC I'd say it's

If it is dead I also wouldn't expect SS to confirm for a while... they wouldn't want more poor PR around the LOTR line and perhaps try and sell through the dio stock they still have.

 

[FrodoEyes]

If it is dead at least i'm only the last 3 dio's away from being a completist And if there are no more i'll have to pick them up at some point. But still, it won't feel 'complete' without a Treebeard with Merry and Pippin, Sam vs Shelob, some Moria dio and that council of Elrond one i mentioned!

 

[Blu Falcon]

The original SSW Shelob didn't sell very well as a stand-alone statue and its used market value is a joke. Not sure if a dio featuring this character would fare any better. Realistically, I don't think Sideshow would even consider offering a dio featuring Shelob in the foreseeable future, but stranger things have happened so who knows. Quite frankly, I'm surprised they offered up a KOTD dio when they did. If the dio line is to survive SS needs to take the kiddie gloves off and come out with some of the surefire heavy hitters fans have been speculating: Treebeard w/ Merry and Pippin, Cavetroll vs. The Fellowship, Council of Elrond, Grond, Lurtz vs. Boromir, etc. And rather than trying to be clever with it (i.e. Anime Gandalf vs. Balrog, Dorky Sauron vs. a bunch of dudes, Antoine Laconte vs. the King of the Dead...), they need to make these dios AWESOME.

 

[dfchang]

I just have a big problem with Sideshow opening up yet another line when they have already buried the 12 inch line as well as apparently the LSB line.

Now there is speculation that the dioramas line may be slowing down as well.

The maquettes look like they will be hopefully better sculpted versions of the old Sideshow Weta 1/6 scales but it is very hard for me to get involved in the line when the past shows that the chances are decent it will die as well.

I'm glad there's continuing work in the PF department but even that lags far behind Marvel and Star Wars in product announcements and sneaks.

It's just very frustrating because in reality there should be no better line for PF than Lord of the Rings. The orcs, Boromir, Gimli, the Easterling. I mean come on. Flowing robes, armor, etc, Premium Format was MADE for Lord of the Rings . . . much more so than Star Wars, Marvel, or Indiana Jones.

But I think the sad truth is for all our fanatical passion and energy, Rings fandom is slowly dying. With the trilogy nearly a decade in the past and the new Hobbit stuck again in development hell, interest has waned terribly.

I can't blame Sideshow for discontinuing development on slow lines but it is frustrating all the same.

By the way, if it's any solace remember the Marvel Archives series? That's dead too so it isn't just confined to LotR.

Dennis

 

[Seaward]

Dennis,

I agree with your points that LOTR collecting is slowing down, and some of the interest is waning, but I think that the buzz on this board alone for new products that have been previewed or teased this week are signs that interest isn't gone. I think the more casual market has dropped off, and moved on to collecting new things relating to newer media or movies, but the core market for Lord of the Rings collectibles seems pretty strong. Just my .02!