Seaward
Super Freak
Looking more closely, it could totally be another Elektra for one of the Marvel lines. Is she really that popular?!?!
Statue Legolas Maquette
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Seaward
Super Freak
Much like my earlier handwringing about how Sideshow seems to be lumping releases together at these marquee events lately, they also slide an awful lot of product that they distribute in during these times...I go to the Sideshow site for SIDESHOW products. I know where to go to find Bowen stuff, Medicom Toys, Funko plushes, etc..., and I wish they would put the spotlight back on their own produced product. The tentpole events like Spook or SDCC seem less special when a big chunk of their announcements are relegated to stuff they distribute. I'll still hold out hope that my poor vision has me seeing Legolas instead of Elektra though!
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The Craw
Super Freak
you guys still think this line is gonna thrive, huh? interesting. i'd say all the signs point to a dead line already, but that's just my opinion. i'm glad i didn't fall for this one.
FrodoEyes
Super Freak
I'd say it's still early days, but no way do i think it's gonna be extensive. The Hobbit coming out may help it, if they still have the line going by the time the movie's out! Still not good that the 2 regular edition maquettes are still not sold out though.
furystorm
Super Freak
From a thread in ask sideshow started by woodsy:
So, I probably won't have another order for the rest of 2010 since this is supposed to be the only line I am collecting for the foreseeable future. Self restriction and all that. Although I did cave on two orders during Spook, I let the excitement get the best of me. I do not regret Gollum, and I know if I change my mind on Vampirella, she will resell easily enough.
Looking forward, warily, to what Sideshow has to say about the "future" of this maquette line...
As far as I can find out, Legolas should debut in January or so, with more info on the future of the statues to be answered soon. Have no fear, their future is secure - it's just that the best intentions (releases once per quarter, etc) can sometimes be waylaid by various factors
So, I probably won't have another order for the rest of 2010 since this is supposed to be the only line I am collecting for the foreseeable future. Self restriction and all that. Although I did cave on two orders during Spook, I let the excitement get the best of me. I do not regret Gollum, and I know if I change my mind on Vampirella, she will resell easily enough.
Looking forward, warily, to what Sideshow has to say about the "future" of this maquette line...
woodsy
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No, it's not good, but it is an economic reality. As if the waning popularity of LOTR over the years isn't enough for SS and Weta to contend with, they now have to deal with global economies on the verge of collapse. So while I'm sure SS would prefer to have both the excl. and reg. editions of Aragorn and Gandalf sold out by now, at least the excl's are. Seeing as very few of Weta's LOTR products have sold out since they re-introduced their own LOTR lines makes it very apparent that the problems associated with selling non-essential or luxury items in a poor economy are not limited to any one company.
One maquette every 3 months doesn't exactly make me happy, but I could live that. But we're talking about a minimum 6 month stretch between the July 5th GTG pre-order and a Jan. 2011 Legolas pre-order. I may not have a marketing degree, but if you've just launched a brand new line and are trying to generate excitement and momentum it seems to me producing nothing over a six month period isn't going to help you acheive that goal.
Agree... what will tell the real story of this line is the (currently Sold Out) Ex's of the two currently solicited maquette's. Should one or both come back into stock at shipping time, well that would not bode well for the long term future of this line.
furystorm
Super Freak
But they will. We all know they will. But with a NRD on Legolas, his exclusive will not.
Seaward
Super Freak
I guess the characters and stories we all love so much might not translate into a viable collectibles line for Sideshow (or other manufacturers) and that would be truly disappointing. I'll be looking forward to the pre-order in January then, and hopefully the paint job can match the level of detail we've seen in the sculpt.
I too often wonder about the level of business sense Sideshow has, given the way that they pursue and market the licenses they have. It feels a little like comic books back in the early-mid 1990s. Just a huge push for a new line (or a new number one) and then just watch the line fade into obscurity because of the lack of follow through.
Maybe I am being reactionary though, as I would love to see at least one line come to fruition with a complete representation of the fellowship. Even Weta disappointed me with this one!
I too often wonder about the level of business sense Sideshow has, given the way that they pursue and market the licenses they have. It feels a little like comic books back in the early-mid 1990s. Just a huge push for a new line (or a new number one) and then just watch the line fade into obscurity because of the lack of follow through.
Maybe I am being reactionary though, as I would love to see at least one line come to fruition with a complete representation of the fellowship. Even Weta disappointed me with this one!
Matner77
Super Freak
Getting worried about all these negative comments about this line. I have the ex Aragorn on pre order & I was hoping this line would last mush the same as the 2000's weta line. It doesn 't look promising. To be honest I was hoping to have who I consider to be main characters from the line (all 5 hobbits & fellowship, Theoden, Eomer, Eowyn, Elrond, Galadriel, Wormtongue, Saurman, Gollum, Faramir & Denathor)as I wasn't going to collect orcs & creatures again. Now I'm thinking of just buying the premium format Gandalf as a centre piece for my general collectibles
Seaward
Super Freak
Matner, I think we are all hoping that the line still has the legs you describe, and I would love to see that range of characters you described!!
Even if Leggy preorders in January, we would still be on track for a quarterly release schedule, so it isn't the end of the world. I think some of us really do read the Sideshow Q&As and Chats to the letter, and were hoping for Legolas sooner (as well as a sneak peek at other sculpts). When a change like this occurs in their production schedule, and Sideshow doesn't address it directly, it can lead to some chicken little behavior on message boards...I know I am guilty of it. I am glad that Dusty clarified the new schedule for Legolas, and I hope we can see more communication from Sideshow when possible. I think it would help improve their image amongst the hardcore fans that haunt the boards.
Even if Leggy preorders in January, we would still be on track for a quarterly release schedule, so it isn't the end of the world. I think some of us really do read the Sideshow Q&As and Chats to the letter, and were hoping for Legolas sooner (as well as a sneak peek at other sculpts). When a change like this occurs in their production schedule, and Sideshow doesn't address it directly, it can lead to some chicken little behavior on message boards...I know I am guilty of it. I am glad that Dusty clarified the new schedule for Legolas, and I hope we can see more communication from Sideshow when possible. I think it would help improve their image amongst the hardcore fans that haunt the boards.
woodsy
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If thats an indictor as to the long term well being of a collectible line [LOTR or otherwise] I guess SS might as well close their doors then since this has been happening to every item, from every line and licence for years now.
I'm certainly not buying into all the doom and gloom forecasts being thrown around here.....it's no different than the doom and gloom forecasts we've been hearing concerning the PF line for years now.
And I think the fact that SS has gone from being a producer of bobbleheads and other assorted trinkets, to the largest and most successful pop art collectible company in the world over a 10 year period is a remarkable testament to their drive, determination, and business vision. But where I find them totally lacking is their ability or willingness to promote and generate excitement of their products outside of Marvel and SW.
They started this line with a huge announcement during this years ToyFair in Feb., replete with conceptual art of the 1st six maquettes of the new line:
https://www.sideshowtoy.com/videos.php?videoID=541&utm_source=tf2010
They followed that up with a sneak peek of the Gimli maquette in March and
production videos of Aragorn and Legolas in May and June respectively :
https://www.sideshowtoy.com/?p=11743&utm_source=wp_news
https://www.sideshowtoy.com/videos.php?videoID=627
https://www.sideshowtoy.com/?p=15811
June [17th] was also the month we finally got our 1st pre-order Aragorn, followed quickly by Gandalf three weeks later on July 5th.
And finally, we got the 2010 LOTR Comic Con Panel video on July 22nd featuring a very brief glimpse of the "in progress" Gilmi maquette and upgraded versions of the conceptual art which highlighted some of the excl's we will be seeing with the maquettes.
https://www.sideshowtoy.com/videos.php?videoID=735
Now I don't think anyone [in their right mind] would say that was a bad start to this new line. However, since then we've received virtually nothing from SS in regard to news, and absolutely nothing in regard to new products. Like I said earlier, how exactly does 4+ month's of nothing from SS help to promote this line or build excitement or anticipation within the ranks of LOTR collectors?
I don't know if this marketing strategy [and I use that term loosely] is the result of the majority of SS's focus being on Marvel and SW, the fact they have simply grown too large and can no longer manage all their licences properly, or a combination of the two......but I'm afraid if they don't start doing a better job of promoting their non-Marvel and SW licences and doing a better job of communicating with collectors outside of those two licences, they will end up with alot of disgruntled, and/or former collectors.
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One maquette every 3 months doesn't exactly make me happy, but I could live that. But we're talking about a minimum 6 month stretch between the July 5th GTG pre-order and a Jan. 2011 Legolas pre-order. I may not have a marketing degree, but if you've just launched a brand new line and are trying to generate excitement and momentum it seems to me producing nothing over a six month period isn't going to help you achieve that goal.
I personally wouldn't want more than 2 announced anyways. I'm not gonna buy them all but at the same time I collect other things and if SSS spaces it out that works. Well, it works for me anyways and I'm sure other LOTR fans who collect other things. The six month wait isn't the route I would go personally.
They wouldn't be as big as they are now nor get the licenses they do if they didn't know how to run a business. Now, they have some mistakes I think with some lines but as a whole they've handled their business quite well. Thing is they put ads in magazines, regulars in comic shops, stuff in tv/movies so they're marketing their stuff pretty well.
Honestly, there is only so much they can do to push the products. Pacing has been a problem more than anything but there are factors in some of that I'm sure we don't know about.
What I would have liked to have seen them do with this line is go ahead and preview the 4-5 they showed the drawings of at the same time. It might have calmed some of the folks who tend to worry a chill pill. It might also have allowed them to spread it out to 1-2 a quarter at least early on. I also would have dumped the Ex/Reg on these pieces. Why? Because lets face it there is a much smaller portion of LOTR fans outs there now. Not to mention a portion of the fanbase won't buy these because they have that character or it doesn't say Weta on the base. Not to mention the ES need to be really no more than 500-750 at the very most.
Lets face it LOTR isn't a quick seller. Patience is a virtue I think with everyone involved. Maybe as time heats things up as The Hobbit gets closer but right now its just not something that is gonna be a quick seller.
Yeah, but you drop everything shortly after it starts.
Plus I think its a bit early to call it a day on this line just yet.FrodoEyes
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woodsy
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That doesn't exactly line up with what SS was telling us 4 months ago:
Monday, July 5th, 2010
Q. Thank you for the fantastic Lord of the Rings lines that you are producing. I was really thrilled when you posted that there is going to be a 1/6 scale statue line…what I would like to know is; how will they be released? Will it be like the Dioramas…1 or 2 every now and then, or will you release some maquettes all at once?
A. They’ll definitely be spaced out, starting with Aragorn and Gandalf. We’re likely to follow with a new announcement every other month or so.
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