Statue Legolas Maquette

[Seaward]

Too True Woodsy!

I really appreciate this new alternate take that the new maquette line will be providing, and I don't feel it all diminishes what has come before.

That being said, I am eager to see the next preview and pre-order. Legolas seemed the most complete from what we have seen, and even Sideshow thought he would be offered shortly after SDCC. I guess their definition of "shortly" differs from mine though!

 

[Seaward]

Any chance we'll see a pre-order tonight? I am still keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[The Ringer]

Any chance we'll see a pre-order tonight? I am still keeping my fingers crossed!

At the most a preview, but I'm going in with low expectations as usual.

 

[furystorm]

Got excited when I saw this thread bumped. I hope we do get a preorder or preview tonight.

 

[The Josh]

Would like to see a preview of Legolas tonight. That way we can get him on order and ready to move to the next one. Would like to see a bit more pace on LOTR stuff but as long as it keeps coming I'm cool.

 

[Seaward]

Since LOTR merchandise is so few and far between, I thought I would bump up the most likely newsletter candidates and get the discussion going again! No cause for alarm!

Although I am really hoping that we see something soon. I am always amazed that Sideshow doesn't ride on the popularity of an in-stock item that is just arriving to rave reviews (such as the Gandalf PF) to preview the next item and keep the momentum going a little better!

 

[furystorm]

I'm ready for Legolas, as you can perhaps tell from my signature. I was really expecting an announcement sooner since SS alluded to that during SDCC. I really hope this line has legs (no pun intended) because it is the only line from SS that I am collecting currently.

 

[The Josh]

I think at first glance it might be easy to categorize these new maquettes as simply a rehashing of the former line, though this simplistic view is not entirely accurate. The simple truth is no single statue can capture every aspect of a character's personality [where good guys are concerned] and while every statue revealed so far is one that has been done before it appears to me SS has made every effort to show these characters in a different light. Where possible, they have used alternate costuming [Boromir, Arwen, and Legolas] to emphasis a different aspect of that character's personality and where this is not possible, such as in the instances of Aragorn and GTG, they have attempted to do this by posing the characters in a different way than has been done before. SSW portrayed Gandalf as the trusted leader of the fellowship, SS has portrayed him as the powerful wizard he is. SSW portrayed Aragorn as a fearless warrior, and SS has portrayed him moreso as the mysterious ranger we were first introduced to in the movie. To me these are not a re-tread or rehashing of old characters, they are a re-visiting of those characters. With the emphasis being not only to shine a new light on a different aspect of their personalities.....but to actually have the characters look like the actors who portrayed them.

I agree. Sideshow is giving us alternate looks at these characters from the other aspects each of these have. I love that honestly as each character does have all these things within them as you read or watch the story. I find the comments of rehashes or retreads nothing but ignorance at best.

 

[FrodoEyes]

I find the comments of rehashes or retreads nothing but ignorance at best.

And i find comments like this suck-up-erish You really think i'm ignorant after all these years of collecting and fandom? That comment you made in itself is ignorant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG36OjxQWRg

Because there are SO many ways you can sculpt a GTG statue. It's not all about poses.

 

[The Josh]

Who am I sucking up to or about? Rehashes or Retreads tend to actually be when an item is the same exact as the last thing with a minor change (think Hasbro SW items). These are totally different poses of characters therefore not what I said above.


Edit: Also just something to think about. If Weta picked up where they left off this line wouldn't last long. Considering almost everything was done earlier.

 

[FrodoEyes]

The same character in different poses is just as bad. I collect the Eaglemoss LOTR figures every fortnight and i'm sick of getting the same character in a different pose or in a different shirt. But i HAVE to keep getting them because they keep telling us that this latest lot is the last 10, then put more out!!
An Aragorn statue, a Strider statue, and an Elessar statue is fine and all that is needed. We now have that. A GTG, GTW and GTW on Shadowfax is fine, but i don't see the need to have any more than that.

As for Weta, i honestly believe there are alot more viable statues to do, and that they would sell well as they're characters not done before, and that they would come out alot quicker than these ones will and be more fan-requested. So what if they don't do loads and loads? It probably isn't needed and they also have their other LOTR lines to put out.

 

[The Josh]

Guess that depends on how you look at it. As a whole I don't think its bad. Every line out there has the same characters that come out in every line at somepoint. Its just part of collecting. Nobody is forcing you to buy any statue that comes out.

Really? I dont think so. Not first runs at least. Lets face it you can't start a line off or base it with a bunch of nameless orcs, elves, or Gondorians. It just won't go long or sell all that well outside of a few very hardcore fans.

So what if they don't do loads? Probably isn't needed?That's rather selfish don't you think? Just do the ones that you or that you don't deem it ok for others to have a chance at getting these characters.

Also I'd bet Weta had a fair chance at getting the license and probably passed on doing it.

 

[FrodoEyes]

So what if they don't do loads? Probably isn't needed?That's rather selfish don't you think? Just do the ones that you or that you don't deem it ok for others to have a chance at getting these characters.

The whole point is that Weta have already done all those characters, so wouldn't need to do them again. If people buying any new line wanted them, they're already out there to buy.

 

[Seaward]

FrodoEyes,

I understand your point that the main characters such as Gandalf et al have already been covered in the SSW line, and you would like to see that line continue with all new characters, or a new line being presented by Sideshow without Weta's involvement to pick up where SSW left off. I don't see how that would make sense for Sideshow (or any company) to provide that sort of continuity from a business stand point. I also would disagree with the idea that people can simply by the older SSW line if they want to pursue the main characters rather than buy into the new Sideshow line. From your posts it is clear that you favor the line that had Weta's involvement, but not everyone wants to purchase statues on the secondary market, or they might not prefer the sculpts or paint applications, despite the involvement of the Weta team. It really does come down to taste for what you might like to buy, but from a business standpoint, there is a reason that each lord of the rings line offers Aragorn and Gandalf (even if they have been done before) as the more casual fan would want an opportunity to purchase the main character. This is why every toy line has multiple Spiderman or Batman or Iron Man figures, but the hard core collectors like yourself would rather see the seocndary and tertiary characters. It is a really difficult balance for any company to strike, and not matter how long lived a line might be, somebody is going to be disappointed that a favorite character doesn't get made. Rather than gripe about how the SSW line is not being continued, why not show support for the new line and hope that the line lasts long enough to generate an Eomer in Armor or a Gondorian Royal Guard?

Sorry for the rant, I really do enjoy the SSW stuff and I like your point of view, but I want to focus on the positives of the situations that do exist (such as SS holding the 1:6 scale statue license at the moment) and trying to make the best of what is available.

I am not sure that Weta would want to revisit the statue line even if they were given the opportunity!

 

[woodsy]

FrodoEyes,

I understand your point that the main characters such as Gandalf et al have already been covered in the SSW line, and you would like to see that line continue with all new characters, or a new line being presented by Sideshow without Weta's involvement to pick up where SSW left off. I don't see how that would make sense for Sideshow (or any company) to provide that sort of continuity from a business stand point. I also would disagree with the idea that people can simply by the older SSW line if they want to pursue the main characters rather than buy into the new Sideshow line. From your posts it is clear that you favor the line that had Weta's involvement, but not everyone wants to purchase statues on the secondary market, or they might not prefer the sculpts or paint applications, despite the involvement of the Weta team. It really does come down to taste for what you might like to buy, but from a business standpoint, there is a reason that each lord of the rings line offers Aragorn and Gandalf (even if they have been done before) as the more casual fan would want an opportunity to purchase the main character. This is why every toy line has multiple Spiderman or Batman or Iron Man figures, but the hard core collectors like yourself would rather see the seocndary and tertiary characters. It is a really difficult balance for any company to strike, and not matter how long lived a line might be, somebody is going to be disappointed that a favorite character doesn't get made. Rather than gripe about how the SSW line is not being continued, why not show support for the new line and hope that the line lasts long enough to generate an Eomer in Armor or a Gondorian Royal Guard?

Sorry for the rant, I really do enjoy the SSW stuff and I like your point of view, but I want to focus on the positives of the situations that do exist (such as SS holding the 1:6 scale statue license at the moment) and trying to make the best of what is available.

I am not sure that Weta would want to revisit the statue line even if they were given the opportunity!

From what I was told Weta desperately wanted to revisit the 1/6 scale statue line and were devastated when it was granted to SS instead. Now I don't know if Weta's proposal simply involved taking over where they left off or if their intention was to launch a completely new line, but I have to believe it would have been the latter as I think it highly doubtful Weta would have been allowed to go back to the standard SSW bases of the previously shared SS and Weta licence.

And you are correct in stating that from a business point of view it would make no sense for SS to simply continue where Weta left off. First off, licences like this don't come cheaply and for SS to willingly pay those fee's only to be severely restricted as to character range would have been unthinkable. Secondly, from New Line's point of view, where do they profit financially the most? From a licencing agreement restricted to a handful of known characters and a bunch of generic ones...or from one that is expansive and covers all characters previously done and those that were neglected the first time around.

The stark reality here is that SS now owns the LOTR 1/6 scale statue line, and they have the right to do whatever they want with it. Just like we as collectors have the right to support this new line or ignore it. SS has done everything they can to revamp this line including superior likenesses, elaborate bases, and more complex sculpts and to those of us who value the overall quality of a sculpt over the company logo on the bottom of the base this new line is hardly a retread or rehash....it's a serious upgrade.

 

[The Josh]

FrodoEyes,

I understand your point that the main characters such as Gandalf et al have already been covered in the SSW line, and you would like to see that line continue with all new characters, or a new line being presented by Sideshow without Weta's involvement to pick up where SSW left off. I don't see how that would make sense for Sideshow (or any company) to provide that sort of continuity from a business stand point. I also would disagree with the idea that people can simply by the older SSW line if they want to pursue the main characters rather than buy into the new Sideshow line. From your posts it is clear that you favor the line that had Weta's involvement, but not everyone wants to purchase statues on the secondary market, or they might not prefer the sculpts or paint applications, despite the involvement of the Weta team. It really does come down to taste for what you might like to buy, but from a business standpoint, there is a reason that each lord of the rings line offers Aragorn and Gandalf (even if they have been done before) as the more casual fan would want an opportunity to purchase the main character. This is why every toy line has multiple Spiderman or Batman or Iron Man figures, but the hard core collectors like yourself would rather see the seocndary and tertiary characters. It is a really difficult balance for any company to strike, and not matter how long lived a line might be, somebody is going to be disappointed that a favorite character doesn't get made. Rather than gripe about how the SSW line is not being continued, why not show support for the new line and hope that the line lasts long enough to generate an Eomer in Armor or a Gondorian Royal Guard?

Sorry for the rant, I really do enjoy the SSW stuff and I like your point of view, but I want to focus on the positives of the situations that do exist (such as SS holding the 1:6 scale statue license at the moment) and trying to make the best of what is available.

I am not sure that Weta would want to revisit the statue line even if they were given the opportunity!

Seaward you said exactly what I was going to say. Thank you.

 

[theguru1]

This is why every toy line has multiple Spiderman or Batman or Iron Man figures, but the hard core collectors like yourself would rather see the seocndary and tertiary characters. It is a really difficult balance for any company to strike, and not matter how long lived a line might be, somebody is going to be disappointed that a favorite character doesn't get made. Rather than gripe about how the SSW line is not being continued, why not show support for the new line and hope that the line lasts long enough to generate an Eomer in Armor or a Gondorian Royal Guard?

Tho lets be fair, one really can't compare a 'toy' line to a 'limited' edition collectible line which by it's very nature is meant to be, well, limited. If one was to continue the 'theory', then you could picture Weta getting the license in say 10 years time and starting with Aragorn and Gandalf all over again for the very reasons already listed. Does that then mean in 20 years time, Sideshow gets the license back and starts over once more, while Eomer, etc never get made.
In other words, is there an end point for the same character, same scale, same production type and all 'limited' or does it just come down to one thing, if money can still be made, then keep making them.

On the point of showing support, hey, I'm all for it, but this is no different then say the Disney PF line, they need to make what I want. I have Gandalf, etc, etc (and lets face it, if I really wanted another, I'd get the PF, which on top of having the advantage of being different, scale, product type, it was also very well done), making it very hard to support a line that's 'repeats'.

So really, I guess that's the two opposite views for it all and as such, the survival of the line will really depend on the numbers in each camp and how SS handle it. Lets hope it's done better then the half stuff-up that is the Disney PF line so far and in the end, we all get what we are hoping for.

 

[The Josh]

Thats why you have to do a good job of mixing. I believe SS will do that. They will mix in pieces like Eomer along with Aragorn. Thus making sure folks who don't want an Aragorn can get pieces they want but folks who want one to get one.

To expect a line to not include the main characters is just not understanding how things work. Not be blunt and rude but its really that simple.

Am I missing something with the Disney PF line? The pieces I've seen done look pretty cool.

 

[theguru1]

Am I missing something with the Disney PF line? The pieces I've seen done look pretty cool.

Yes, they do look pretty cool and so far, for the most part, done well. The problem is, they are not selling. At the start there was going to be 4-5 per year, by the end of this month, all those initial lot will be on sale and at typing this, all either in stock or still on pre-order (not waitlist).

That will leave just one new one on pre-order, the Dastan PF (that no one wants) and the on-going production preview of Hook, due for pre-order at some point in time.

Mean while, as plenty keep asking for the heavy hitters (like Belle, the Beast, Jessica Rabbit, Snow White, etc) we hear nothing from SS.

So, bring it back to LOTR, yes a good job of mixing is needed, so lets hope they do just that with the LOTR statues and start to do the same with the Disney PF line before it dies.

 

[woodsy]

Thats why you have to do a good job of mixing. I believe SS will do that. They will mix in pieces like Eomer along with Aragorn. Thus making sure folks who don't want an Aragorn can get pieces they want but folks who want one to get one.

To expect a line to not include the main characters is just not understanding how things work. Not be blunt and rude but its really that simple.

Am I missing something with the Disney PF line? The pieces I've seen done look pretty cool.

I agree SS will do what they can, but let's face it....they are severely limited in what they can do seeing as most characters have been covered at least once [and a handful multiple times] in the previous SSW line. Hopefully there are enough new collectors, or veteran collectors who want to upgrade their collections out there, because these are the two groups where the vast majority of support is going to come from.