Gandalf 2Pack

[icruise]

And what is mainstream? Appeasing to the youth of America? Come on. That's part of the reason for the decline of our society.

Realistically SideShow has nothing on DML or it's sister companies Cyber Hobby, or DiD. They make the best 1:6th scale affordable items period! Sideshow is unique here in America because it caters to the American populous. DML sculpts are years ahead. Their sculpts are so near lifelike every professional customizer uses them. Recently they've turned to using hair like material on their sculpts and will soon (within a year or two) have movable eyes. I never see SideShow being able to accomplish this. Especially if we get caught in a recession. Forget about it!

But for the record I enjoy Sideshow and appreciate their efforts wholeheartedly.

Mainstream isn't a value judgement. I'm just saying that I believe a large portion -- perhaps even a majority -- of the people who buy Sideshow figures aren't hardcore 1/6th model collectors. They don't customize their figures, and they don't want to have to deal with something like that. Hell, I customize quite a bit and I certainly wouldn't want to have to break out the hairdryer every time I wanted to change from one Gandalf to the other.

 

[Buttmunch]

Never thought of doing Gandalf as a Two-pack, but like Palpatine, it makes sense. Chances are most people for sure want GtG to complete the Fellowship. Also, chances are many people want GtW because he was in the last 2/3 of the story (1/2 if you count the Hobbit). Logically, to get the biggest bang for our bucks, the two pack is the way to go. That way we don't have the choice of only getting one. Many people would have just bought Sidious instead of Palpatine (oddly I prefer Palpatine). Same would go for Gandalf.

I say give us a two pack, but no more than the $120 price point that Palpatine has. That way we feel we are probably getting a deal since the LotR figures have been much more that $60 each.

 

[stickman]

Mainstream isn't a value judgement. I'm just saying that I believe a large portion -- perhaps even a majority -- of the people who buy Sideshow figures aren't hardcore 1/6th model collectors. They don't customize their figures, and they don't want to have to deal with something like that. Hell, I customize quite a bit and I certainly wouldn't want to have to break out the hairdryer every time I wanted to change from one Gandalf to the other.

That's cool, I can understand. I was trying to propose an idea that would complete a two pack, with two full bodies just like the Palpatine. They're going to make the two different head sculpts anyway. And your idea sounds reasonable if they do the same thing as Boush, but then you'd have to change the outfit, and that could get tedious, like you also stated, and I'm against that as well. But with Sideshow's basic figure construction (their Buck figure) which, a lot of people already don't like because it is outdated, the only thing they're really creating is a head sculpt and outfit, and box. They can save thousands $ on putting these two in one box. Less ink, less paper, less man hours, and the savings on shipping! That should be enough of an incentive. I'm not sure why people wouldn't want both but with SideShow investing as little as they have to because they already have all the material they could easily make this an affordable option. I think that that would work out very well. Just look at ANH leia, She's on a half Joe Buck female and half of a regular female body. Sideshow saved so much money on that move alone. They have countless numbers of these body parts lol) around their workshop to kitbash their ideas.

Basically I think Sideshow could save so much money by making this move and maybe pass some of that savings off to us, their loyal customers.

 

[Ultimate Weapon]

I say no two-pack and I don't think Sideshow would do it anyway. Making a two pack of Gandalf the Grey/White would be akin to making a two pack of Bespin Luke and Jedi Luke.

GTG and GTW warrant different figures in the same way that the Lukes do; they are from different points in time and in different films. The difference with Palpatine/Sidious is that they are an alter ego in much the same manner as Bruce Wayne/Batman or Clark Kent/Superman are. Same film, same time frame, same guy. I know that GTW is GTG, but they remain separated by different times and spaces. They cannot co-exist as the aforementioned alter-ego characters do, just as Bespin Luke does not exist when Jedi Luke exists.

Therefore no two-pack and besides, I don't want one anyway and it would annoy those of us looking primarily for the Fellowship.

 

[Ultimate Weapon]

They can save thousands $ on putting these two in one box. Less ink, less paper, less man hours, and the savings on shipping! That should be enough of an incentive.

Basically I think Sideshow could save so much money by making this move and maybe pass some of that savings off to us, their loyal customers.

That's well and good from an environmental, less waste, cradle to grave standpoint, and sure in that way I agree. Less waste is always better.

HOWEVER:

The flaw in that argument is that while Sideshow could save money packing the two together in the way you describe, they could make much more money by selling us two different figures at two different points in time. And honestly both versions of Gandalf are about as guaranteed sellers as they could hope. (Though I only want GTG)

 

[carbo-fation]

I for one think that Gandalf should NOT be 2-Pack. Both GtG and GtW are two unique characters with completely different outfits. Both should come separately with different exclusives for each that are unique to each character.

 

[The Josh]

I for one think that Gandalf should NOT be 2-Pack. Both GtG and GtW are two unique characters with completely different outfits. Both should come separately with different exclusives for each that are unique to each character.

Palpatine and Sidious had completely different outfits. That didn't stop them from doing them as a 2 pack and a damn good one from the looks of things.

 

[Darth Caedus]

Palpatine and Sidious had completely different outfits. That didn't stop them from doing them as a 2 pack and a damn good one from the looks of things.

True, but the outfits from GTW and GTG would, IMO, be too detailed and defined to justify 2 figures for $120. If you look at the 2-pack, the outpits are pretty plain looking

compared to Gandalfs

If they were going to cheapen both Gandalf figures to get them under a certain price range, I would rather not have the 2 pack and get two seperate figures if that means that they are going to be a much better figure

 

[carbo-fation]

Palpatine and Sidious had completely different outfits. That didn't stop them from doing them as a 2 pack and a damn good one from the looks of things.

True, but the outfit for Palpatine and Sidious aren't as extravagant as for GtG and GtW. For the SW figures, they pretty much just covered them with either a black robe or a red robe that covered their entire body. It'll be much more complicated for the LOTR figures since they have much more detailed constumes and a lot more accessories associated with each character.

Edit: Looks like Darth Caedus just said what I said, only faster.

 

[The Josh]

I don't think you guys have looked at the Palps/Sidious 2 pack close enough then. The outfits have some very small but fine detailing in them. GTW outfit is very detailed especially looking at the PF but GTG isn't that detailed at all at least from the film stills we see. You could do both in a two pack for like $130-$140.

 

[Ultimate Weapon]

Regardless of the outfits, I think the reason that Sideshow decided to do a two-pack for Sidious/Palpatine in the first place is because they are alter egos of the same person from the same film - they belong together. And let's face it, this was the best chance to get a decent selling Chancellor Palpatine figure. Yeah, the hardcore fans would have been all over him, but for the most part he would have sat there for quite some time if sold on his own.

I think a two-pack of Palpatine/Sidious just makes more sense than a two-pack of GTG and GTW. Just like Merry/Pippin makes sense as a two-pack, though I don't care if they come together or separate like Sam and Frodo.

To the two-pack, I say nay!

 

[The Josh]

Actually there was such a demand for both figures that they couldn't just choose one over the other. They decided to make everyone happy and put both out at the same time.

 

[The Craw]

Actually there was such a demand for both figures that they couldn't just choose one over the other. They decided to make everyone happy and put both out at the same time.

if they want to make everyone happy then they should have released a fellowship 9 pack ages ago.

 

[Ultimate Weapon]

Actually there was such a demand for both figures that they couldn't just choose one over the other. They decided to make everyone happy and put both out at the same time.

No kidding? Well played Sideshow, well played.


I still say no to the idea of a GTG/GTW two pack though.

 

[The Josh]

if they want to make everyone happy then they should have released a fellowship 9 pack ages ago.

I'd have taken that.

No kidding? Well played Sideshow, well played.


I still say no to the idea of a GTG/GTW two pack though.

Yup, that's the deal on the 2 Pack. Which is why I think a Gandalf 2 Pack is a good idea.

 

[Ultimate Weapon]

Yup, that's the deal on the 2 Pack. Which is why I think a Gandalf 2 Pack is a good idea.

Well given that certain point of view it is a good idea.

But I don't want GTW only GTG [said in the same tone as, "But I was going into Tosche station to pick up some power converters"].

From my point of view, which is what I want, I still say no to the two-pack.

But I can concede to see where those of you who want the two-pack are coming from.

 

[The Josh]

I can understand that. You could always work it out with someone who just wants GTW and split the cost. People are doing that with the SW 2 Pack.

 

[The Craw]

well i want both versions and right now. so 2 pack or releasing them at the same time like frodo and sam would be sweet.

 

[stickman]

I say no two-pack and I don't think Sideshow would do it anyway. Making a two pack of Gandalf the Grey/White would be akin to making a two pack of Bespin Luke and Jedi Luke.

GTG and GTW warrant different figures in the same way that the Lukes do; they are from different points in time and in different films. The difference with Palpatine/Sidious is that they are an alter ego in much the same manner as Bruce Wayne/Batman or Clark Kent/Superman are. Same film, same time frame, same guy. I know that GTW is GTG, but they remain separated by different times and spaces. They cannot co-exist as the aforementioned alter-ego characters do, just as Bespin Luke does not exist when Jedi Luke exists.

Therefore no two-pack and besides, I don't want one anyway and it would annoy those of us looking primarily for the Fellowship.

Ultimate Weapon I understand your points and it is evident that fans don't want a 2pack of this character, which is fine. That's what this discussion is about. But you neglect to observe the mere fact that we're going to get 3 different Lukes from ANH for the Star Warts line. Same time line, same film, same actor. His character's appearance doesn't change, doesn't age, he just changes outfits. Yet we'll get three very different sculpts for Farmboy, Yavin, and X-wing fighter Luke. Yavin was a huge disappointment sculpt wise and will spend the last of its days on the store shelves. The outfit is the only thing that makes this character.

I appreciate your concerns for the environment and cost of waste, but there comes a time for recognition on what is not only responsible but cost efficient. Who cares about the appearance, that can so easily be changed with two different sculpts GTG/GTW and different outfits. That's the only difference you will be getting outside of the Box art. Sideshow is not going to change the body, it's going to be their Art Buck figure. Gandalf's character is the same actor, whom in the LOTR transcends to a higher plane, leaving GTG in the past. Like a padawan transcending to the higher plane of Jedi. So, I find your point nullified, that these two characters are SO different that SideShow couldn't and shouldn't produce this character as a 2pack.

Heck, this idea was trying to save YOU - the loyal consumer of SideShow, and LOTR products a little cash for your hooby buying fun. I'm glad you wish to spend more money for different box art, sculpt and costume. The US economy wants you for life, but in the end, That's all you'll be getting. A costume, head sculpt, and box art for $60.

There's so much more to this story than just the core fellowship characters. It's the outside characters that drive the core characters in the story, so they're just as important.

 

[The Josh]

Ultimate Weapon I understand your points and it is evident that fans don't want a 2pack of this character, which is fine. That's what this discussion is about. But you neglect to observe the mere fact that we're going to get 3 different Lukes from ANH for the Star Wars line. Same time line, same film, same actor. His character's appearance doesn't change, doesn't age, he just changes outfits. Yet we'll get three very different sculpts for Farmboy, Yavin, and X-wing fighter Luke. Yavin was a huge disappointment sculpt wise and will spend the last of its days on the store shelves. The outfit is the only thing that makes this character.

Luke's look (facial) changes a ton from ANH to ROTJ mainly cause of his accident. So I'm not sure if I'm not getting what your saying there.