Any love for the Toybiz line???

[bill59]

Well...see...by the fact that no one responded and that this thread remains domant MOST of the time...a true sign that interest in Toybiz stuff is pretty dead. There are a few who still take heed, but for the most part (at least on these boards)...the interest is so low that it would be hard to justify the development and re-launch of The Green Dragon...sad...but true.

Does the re-launch of TheGD depend on the interest in Toybiz stuff?????

I have no interest in Toybiz, but I would be more that happy to see TheGD back up and running again Geb.

And I don't think I am the only one.




Bill

 

[Glennfett]

especially since the Hobbit line has just gone up on BBTS...

Sounds like a good time soon to get the GD.com up and running.

I did find a toy site that still sells the toybiz figures...especially the ones that came out at the end of the line that i missed out on.
The Orc Captain from ROTK is pretty expensive!!!

 

[Maglor]

especially since the Hobbit line has just gone up on BBTS...

Wait... what?

 

[The Josh]

Yeah, The Bridge Direct will be making figures from The Hobbit. Not a lot is know but as soon as we at TORn know more we will let you know more.

 

[ebor]

I miss the GDG web-site I have almost all of the Toy Biz releases with the exception of one or two of the rarest varients. Can't wait for Hobbit and hopefuly the same scale figures from that film.

 

[Glennfett]

Seems to be 3.75 inch and 6 inch scaled figures for The Hobbit.
I just wish that certain Etailers could put pics of product up.I know they dont have any,but im sure once SDCC hits we should have some pics of figures??

The toybiz line was 6inch yea?
so these Hobbit movie figures will have to look spectacular to fit in with the ToyBiz line...

 

[Geb]

The sad thing about the 3-3/4 format is that hobbits will be like 2-1/2 inches and dwarves not much taller. Think Jawa, Yoda, Ewok for these...limited articulation and tougher to get good details.

Star Wars has come along way with their small scale lines...but can Bridge Direct even come close to Hasbro...I'm suspecting not...but waiting to be pleasantly surprised.

 

[cstojano]

I like the smaller scale for the nostalgia of the vintage Star Wars line. But then I look at ho hum offerings by these new retailers and realize how godly the old Kenner sculptors were. Maybe they had to care more. Stiff poses and all, lack of articulation, bad faces in some cases but they had something about them. So while I am glad they are doing both scales for the Hobbit I also can't help but think of all the lame <4 inch figure lines made in the last 10 years. The biggest thing for me is the plastic they now use. Neca is too stiff for my tastes and most others are too rubbery (Toy Biz included here).

Separate point but those with old TB product in storage should take care to deal with plastic off gassing and reactions. I know the worst is the GITD King of the Dead who is turning blue.

 

[Jay1138]

I LOVED collecting the Toy Biz LOTR line. I'm waiting to see how figures from The Hobbit turn out.

 

[Geb]

On a slightly positive note...I have had several folks send me e-mails asking for access to the old archives...TheGD stands on the edge of a knife...stray but a little...and the return will fail to the ruin of LOTR collectibles for all.

 

[Jester]

Loved the Toy Biz line, except for all the elves inexplicably being an inch taller than the humans (except the Easterling, for some reason), the lack of a single decent Aragorn headsculpt, the bizarre proportions on many of the figures (armoured Faramir, super-poseable Helm's Deep Aragorn) the Gondorian ranger being unmasked and unhooded and not even having a longbow, the Gondorian soldier being held back to the very end of the line and then looking like a short, fat, German butcher rather than anyone who appeared in the film...

 

[cstojano]

If that's love I'd hate to see hate

The German butcher comment made me laugh, spot on. My only real problem with the TB line is the rubbery plastic they use on toys these days (meaning ten years ago as well). Nothing worse than s-shaped spears.

 

[Maglor]

Loved the Toy Biz line, except for all the elves inexplicably being an inch taller than the humans (except the Easterling, for some reason), the lack of a single decent Aragorn headsculpt, the bizarre proportions on many of the figures (armoured Faramir, super-poseable Helm's Deep Aragorn) the Gondorian ranger being unmasked and unhooded and not even having a longbow, the Gondorian soldier being held back to the very end of the line and then looking like a short, fat, German butcher rather than anyone who appeared in the film...

Huh? Mine aren't.

If that's love I'd hate to see hate

The German butcher comment made me laugh, spot on. My only real problem with the TB line is the rubbery plastic they use on toys these days (meaning ten years ago as well). Nothing worse than s-shaped spears.

 

[Jester]

If that's love I'd hate to see hate

To be honest, I have a love-hate relationship with both the toy line and the movie, particularly anything to do with the portrayal of the Gondorians, who seem to have . I'm a bit of an armour nut and the scene in RotK where a tiny little orc short-bow puts an arrow straight through a steel cuirass makes me want to break things.

I mean, I love the designs, but if you're going to put your extras in what's meant to be full-body steel plate, you really should take into consideration just what that would mean in terms of combat. You can't simply have an undersized orc lightly tapping them one by one with a little mace and knocking them down like ill-balanced houses of cards.

As for Toy Biz, I'm still pissed off that they never released the Prologue Numenorea/Gondorian soldier as an action figure despite getting all the other characters (Sauron, Gil-Galad, Elrond, Elendil, Isildur, Prologue elf soldier). No, apparently it was more important to release 90% naked Lurtz or a half-dozen other orcs who appeared onscreen for less than a second, if at all.

*sigh*

On the other hand, the line was amazing in so many respects, from the sculpted detail, to the level of articulation in some of the figures to the sheer size of it, encompassing as it did everything from hobbits to horses, cave trolls, ents and Sauron, the Lord of the Rings himself. It's just so frustrating that they made as many strange mis-steps as they did along the way.

The German butcher comment made me laugh, spot on.

My only real problem with the TB line is the rubbery plastic they use on toys these days (meaning ten years ago as well). Nothing worse than s-shaped spears.

The Rohirrim housecarl or whatever that they made actually had a spear made of much sturdier, more rigid plastic, as did the Prologue elf soldier. I don't know why other figures like the Fountain Court Guard ended up with rubber safety spears. That kind of inconsistency is one of the reasons for the aforementioned love-hate relationship.

Huh? Mine aren't.

Do you mean to imply by that that all your Toy Biz LotR elf figures are exactly the same height as your human figures, or that your elves are not exactly one inch taller than your human figures?

 

[Maglor]

Do you mean to imply by that that all your Toy Biz LotR elf figures are exactly the same height as your human figures, or that your elves are not exactly one inch taller than your human figures?

Well, the elves are a taller race than man, but a whole inch? That would make them a foot taller. I do think I would have noticed that... now I'm gonna have to go and rummage around in my chest-full-o-figures.

 

[Geb]

Love seeing these discussions...and it brings to mind some many hearted chats over the years about the figures. While I whole-heartedly agree about some questionable figure choices...some were spot on amazing. I think you get that with ANY product line...some hit or miss is always part of it...

Perhaps the sadest part of the whole line was seeing it come to an end...with such potential for additional figures. I, too, was very distraught that we never got that Numenorian...would have gone a long way to completing the line!

Geb

 

[Jester]

Well, the elves are a taller race than man, but a whole inch?

Not in the movies. Besides, if you want to go by the books, Elendil shouldn't be much smaller than the Sauron figure (he measured out at something like 8 feet tall, if I recall correctly).

That would make them a foot taller. I do think I would have noticed that... now I'm gonna have to go and rummage around in my chest-full-o-figures.

You're in for a surprise, trust me.

 

[ascott86]

Well...see...by the fact that no one responded and that this thread remains domant MOST of the time...a true sign that interest in Toybiz stuff is pretty dead. There are a few who still take heed, but for the most part (at least on these boards)...the interest is so low that it would be hard to justify the development and re-launch of The Green Dragon...sad...but true.

Although the Toybiz line is extinct, I have only just started resuming my collection again. A guy named 'erygoo' posted his complete collection on youtube along with personal reviews and my mind was blown. Also, with The Hobbit toyline coming out this Oct I have a good feeling this line and the Hobbit will be re-lived and discussed again.

Cheers.

 

[ascott86]

Happy to join the forum! I love this line with all my heart.

I have approx 50 loose figures that include some personal faves like Sauron, Gondorian Swordsman, Lurtz, Morgul Witchking, king of the dead, Sharku and Warg, Easterling and Haradrim Archer to name a few.

I have also kept some gems in the package: Mordor Orc Lieutenant, Electronic Treebeard, Peter Jackson.
I've just ordered Arwen/Asfaloth blue box and a 2nd Orc lieutenant and found a great deal on the Canadian excl. Action figure carry case w/ Peter Jackson.

Just setting up some new shelving now so I look forward to posting some pics!

 

[RyanSD]

Just found this thread, it really brings back memories. I used the love the Green Dragon, they had some great photo archives, and posting all the time on lotrguide forums, good times.

I remember towards the end of the line there was one figure I really wanted but never found, it was the Orc with the skull on his head. I never did find him, or a lot of those figures from the last series. I remember seeing a bunch of them re-carded as 3-packs at TRU, but never did find the one with the Orc I needed. I also only ever saw 1 Helm's Deep Uruk Hai.

My favorites were Treebeard, Sauron and the Trolls. Sadly, I got rid of my LOTR figures a few years back, I just didn't have the space anymore and kind of grew out of LOTR.