For me a collector who displays the art box (I don't, the boxes go back into a shipper if I have a shipper) I can see the disappointment.
Tho TBH since the talked-about Thranduil on Throne might be expensive, I was one of the ones pushing to dump a fancy box in favor of getting something as amazing as a throne display. The same would be true of a Bag End. There's a lot that goes into packaging and just getting the art to print right $$$$$
For a small production run IMO a fancy box is the first thing to let go, in favor of a plain box and biodegradable packing material. Then maybe a small card print with art could be included. HT a lot of the time doesn't even bother with any kind of display, they give you a printed card or something.
I can compare the 2 companies, and for the price point continue to have a favorable opinion of ASMUS (the care they took with the scale and fabric on Galadriel's dress is one reason I bought her, among others). Her paint is beautiful. And not much is gonna dislodge that opinion, since they made the effort to come out with dwarf bodies, and fantastic diecast weapons - just look at all the accessories Thorin, Bilbo, the hobbits, Gimli come with. If I have a *thing* it's not the boxes, it's all these details I could never match on my own. Every single axe of Gimli's is different. Swords have little tiny runes. We get little tiny pipes and books.
HT can be unbeatable, true, when they are at their best. With a price to reflect that. But, I've spent plenty of time re-gluing HT costumes, and lately for the price they seem to be way too fond of using plastic; often less accessories. Even the new Armorer just comes with a card backdrop, no forge, which for me is a disappointment. Mysterio has a seam running around the helmet that drives me crazy. And so on. HT rarely interacts with customers, either, I'm surprised they even did anything about the Tony portrait thing, except for the huge outcry.
There's been some foul-ups with ASMUS, including the Frodo eye thing, and I own a Thranduil with the face of an Elven soldier.
Not sure how that one even happened. But Arwen looks like a beautiful fig, with some great accessories.