LOTR 12" line not dead...

[carbo-fation]

This is very depressing.....come on Sideshow....give us something.....

 

[Darth Sheba]

*flatline*

 

[Captain Faramir]

Do not give up hope! Hold true, friends, and take courage! Go! And fear no darkness!


"A Elbereth Gilthoniel! o menel palan-diriel, le nallon sí di-nguruthos! A tiro nín, Fanuilos!"

 

[FlyAndFight]

She's not fat but she's warming up her vocal cords...

 

[Mudshark]

And she looks none too happy about it, I might add.

 

[Radagaster]

I'm curious what numbers Sideshow was getting from the release of their 12" line. I mean, all numbers indicate there's a healthy demand for it, isn't there? I mean, as much if not more than SW? If so, then I don't understand the long wait, on both this and the PF line.

 

[Anzik]

I think they're doing a new body, but I'm an optimist.

 

[Oxfordian]

The recent podcast indicated that Sideshow were having technical difficulties developing this line within the price band this format requires which were delaying it's development.

Rad, I don't think LOTR has anything like the numbers (demand) compared to Star Wars on this line. Most 12" edition sizes for LOTR are around the 3,500 mark including the exclusives whereas the SW figures are in the 7-8 thousands.

Personally though I have decided this line is not for me. A decision NOT based on the infrequency of new characters at all, it's just that I am not finding myself drawn to these once they are out of the box. Far too fiddly and not worth the effort to get them into pose. Just me I suppose but I am firmly back in the Sideshow Weta ring.

I have all 4 exclusives up for grabs if anyone wishes to make me an offer

 

[nash]

stop rationalizing.... it's dead.

 

[gtb]

selling for a few (in fact 4 only) and then its gone? and developed another line (PF).. and yet it is not released..?? and finally give us one super-expensive diaorama...

 

[crazytrain]

selling for a few (in fact 4 only) and then its gone? and developed another line (PF).. and yet it is not released..?? and finally give us one super-expensive diaorama...

Said it before, and I'll say it again, I think SS has bitten off more than they can chew trying to maintain 4 different LotR lines. As mentioned above I don't think there is the fanbase that SW has, so the numbers involved aren't as great. The bottom line is that SS is a company that wants to make money (yes I know they are very customer focused too, but anyone who's ever taken a course in marketing knows to "put the customer first" - SS do this very well, but at the end of the day its the balance sheet thats the most important). In some ways I was excited by the latest podcast (GtW in Minas Tirith pose!), whilst in other ways I was hugely disappointed and worried (basically, anything other than polystone is extremely difficult to do at a certain price point). I'm not sure why pricing is such an issue for the PFs - they are very expensive pieces already, but again, maybe the numbers just don't stack up - you can still get the regular editions of both Lurtz and Frodo (still don't know why they didn't do a light up Sting for an exclusive!), suggesting that there just isn't a large enough market, hence the relative costs of setting up are not outweighed by a large return in terms of numbers. In terms of the 12" line, again I'm not sure they researched this enough before getting into it - the SW costumes are (on the whole) much simpler. For example, I remember reading somewhere about the costume designer for LotR (Ngila somebody or other) saying that the Ringwraiths needed 9 metres of material! So even a "simple" 12" Ringwraith is going to take some making. As it happens I'm collecting these for the future for my sons (who are currently 6 and 4) and have never even seen the films (but have seen and liked lots of "daddy's statues"! ), so I can manage the line being slow, but just not too happy about it being terminally slow!

Don't know about anyone else, but I'd happily pay another $10-15 if it meant seeing a more regular flow of 12" LotR...

Oh, and as I've mentioned before I have no interest whatsoever in the large scale busts or the dioramas (unless we have a big enough version of the Fellowship cresting the hill and Balin's tomb (1/48 is just NOT big enough!!)), hence my disappointment at the latest podcast (seems like the dioramas will be taking off quite soon as they are much easier to produce (good old polystone!!)).

 

[Darklord Dave]

I was a bit put out by the podcast and the statement that we'll see a consistent stream of the dioramas just because they're easy. If SSC can make a greater profit on something that requires far less R&D, then they'll do it. Doesn't bode well for either the 12" or PF line.

 

[The Josh]

I was a bit put out by the podcast and the statement that we'll see a consistent stream of the dioramas just because they're easy. If SSC can make a greater profit on something that requires far less R&D, then they'll do it. Doesn't bode well for either the 12" or PF line.

I agree. It doesn't. If both lines are dead or soon will be lets hear it. Cause I wanna know what I can pass on and concentrate on just the dio's if that is gonna be the line.

 

[DARTHTODD]

That sucks as I am not interested in dioramas one bit. They are incredibly boring IMO.

 

[Darth Caedus]

I agree. It doesn't. If both lines are dead or soon will be lets hear it. Cause I wanna know what I can pass on and concentrate on just the dio's if that is gonna be the line.

I agree. Even if the 12" line is dead, I'll still get what's left of it, but I would rather know now rather than later.

 

[Captain Faramir]

I have to say, this wait taxes even my endless patience. I'm holding off on any doubt until after SDCC; from that point we'll see what happens.

 

[FlyAndFight]

I have to agree, CF.

SDCC will provide the final word on this line. If there is no 12" LOTR figure being shown, then sadly the Fellowship has failed, Sauron regains the ring and his victory will be so complete that none can foresee the end of it while this world lasts...

 

[pixletwin]

I don't think the line is dead. I think they are holding off on any new announcements until SDCC.

If the line is dead, so is my interest in anything LOTR/SS related. I think the dioramas (SW, LOTR, and otherwise) are boring and the PF doesn't interest me.

I think it will be clear at SDCC what the future of the line is.

 

[KitFisto]

I was a bit put out by the podcast and the statement that we'll see a consistent stream of the dioramas just because they're easy. If SSC can make a greater profit on something that requires far less R&D, then they'll do it. Doesn't bode well for either the 12" or PF line.

I never saw the Podcast, but that's a really wonderful statement to make. "We will make these because they are easy"????? I don't collect them and I sure as hell won't start because it happens to be what they feel like putting out.

The only SS LOTR stuff I collect now is the PF line and that's at as much if not more of a stand still as the 1/6 line.

Maybe it's time to just sell my Lurtz and Frodo and bail.

 

[pixletwin]

Bottom line is that SS has too many lines competing with each other.