It's true, we collectors are a critical and demanding bunch. We expect the people who make our collectibles to be just as passionate, just as dedicated and just as obsessive about these movies and characters as we are. And yes, that may be an unrealistic expectation to heap on a company, but I feel like Asmus really does care a lot about this property. It's just that, for me, the inconsistency has been really frustrating.
I'm still all-in on anything Middle Earth. And I will keep buying. But I am frustrated.
I've long been a big cheerleader for this line and for Asmus in general. And I'm pretty quick to forgive minor stuff. But it's hard sometimes because we've seen them really knock some figures out of the park ... Saruman, Gandalf the Grey, Bard, Grishnak, Mouth of Sauron, etc. ... and just when you think they're getting rolling, they release a figure or two with flaws that should have been fixed early in the process.
It almost seems like they've got different art directors and teams working on different figures ... and those art directors and teams aren't working with the same set of quality standards.
As nothing more than an end user I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of the collectibles business. I don't know anything about production schedules or budgets or the realities of what it takes to bring a figure to market. But those sculpts should have been flagged early. I know Asmus is working very hard to keep the prices down ... but I, for one, would gladly pay a few dollars more if it would mean we would get consistently higher quality portraits.
Accessories are nice, but the cornerstone ... the foundation ... the most important element of any figure ... is the sculpt. Then the paint job. Nail those two and I'll be a very happy collector.
Like I said, I'm still buying these guys. But I just wish Asmus could get on a roll.
