Statue Weta Workshop Smaug the Terrible Statue

[SurlyJ]

Why not make more middle earth with Glorfindel and the Balrog.
There's so much more to tell....

I think there would be a huge market for Silmarillion statues but without a movie weta will never make them. And nailing down the designs would be hard too. Without a movie, ppl will bicker over what a character should look like. Still, lots of potential there.

 

[theguru1]

I received today an e-mail from Weta requesting me to update my Card payment details. It means Smaug is coming soon! Although my excitement was cut abruptly when I saw the current Aussie $ exchange rate against the US$! It's a huge AU$200 difference!

yup, 20% drop in past 6 months or so, things are getting more and more expensive.

 

[SurlyJ]

I need to start buying things from australia!

 

[Gurthang]

I received today an e-mail from Weta requesting me to update my Card payment details. It means Smaug is coming soon! Although my excitement was cut abruptly when I saw the current Aussie $ exchange rate against the US$! It's a huge AU$200 difference!

uwot m8
In Weta you pay in NZD, not USD

 

[Adolfo]

Let this piece Sellout first before Grail talk...Its got a looonnngg way to go like maybe 2016 before SOLDOUT ..hmm

 

[VincentVegaFFF]

I think there would be a huge market for Silmarillion statues but without a movie weta will never make them. And nailing down the designs would be hard too. Without a movie, ppl will bicker over what a character should look like. Still, lots of potential there.

Doesn't the Tolkien estate control all of the rights to the Silmarillion? If they do we won't see anything from it anytime soon.

 

[The Josh]

Let this piece Sellout first before Grail talk...Its got a looonnngg way to go like maybe 2016 before SOLDOUT ..hmm

Maybe among the bandwagon type collectors. I have no problem upon seeing it in person before saying Middle-earth collectibles wise this is a grail piece. This is one over time people will be making an effort to get into their collections.

 

[SurlyJ]

Doesn't the Tolkien estate control all of the rights to the Silmarillion? If they do we won't see anything from it anytime soon.

No idea. I know there have been changes to copyright law recently that can make rights last much longer, but hopefully it becomes public domain at some point.

 

[The Josh]

No idea. I know there have been changes to copyright law recently that can make rights last much longer, but hopefully it becomes public domain at some point.

They do and it's gonna be a long long time before they hit public domain. Needless to say they will have to sell the rights if anything is to happen.

 

[Riggo44]

yup, 20% drop in past 6 months or so, things are getting more and more expensive.

Haven't been down under in a long time. Maybe it's time to go back!!

 

[Pork Chop Express]

Let this piece Sellout first before Grail talk...Its got a looonnngg way to go like maybe 2016 before SOLDOUT ..hmm

Your probably right on the date for a sellout but I think this one has potential over time to become something sought after.
Of course I don't have this in hand yet but Weta has never proven me wrong so far.

 

[theguru1]

uwot m8
In Weta you pay in NZD, not USD

Yes, but the current exchange rate at the time of charging gets applied, even if one ordered in USD or NZD. I've tried both and every time the actual amount I get charged, changes from the amount at the time of pre-order to the amount on the final invoice when its about to ship.

In case your wondering, the AUD has been dropping against the NZD as well, tho not as much.

Haven't been down under in a long time. Maybe it's time to go back!!

Yup, please being your money down under, over the past 2 years it's gone from 1.05 to 0.77, so you now have a mass more buying power, for your same US Dollar

 

[SurlyJ]

Would anyone be interested in going in on a commission for a Rankin-Bass style Smaug in the same scale as this one? Idea I've been toying with lately. I am having a great guy do a custom dragon for me from "Flight of Dragons" and if it goes well, I think the cat- dragon Smaug from 1977 Hobbit will be next up, since the odds of us getting an official one is basically zero.

 

[DEADDACK_33]

Smaug is paid for and ready to ship! Can't wait to feast my eyes on this beast!

 

[cstojano]

Would anyone be interested in going in on a commission for a Rankin-Bass style Smaug in the same scale as this one? Idea I've been toying with lately. I am having a great guy do a custom dragon for me from "Flight of Dragons" and if it goes well, I think the cat- dragon Smaug from 1977 Hobbit will be next up, since the odds of us getting an official one is basically zero.

I would be interested.

 

[cstojano]

So this exchange rate issue, I too see at checkout a conversion from NZD to USD but all the prices I see on the order page are USD. I don't see why the buyer assumes the currency risk here. For example, I currently owe Weta 5000 USD when a custom order bronze is ready to ship. I placed this order in September and delivery is expected in March. The NZD has tanked since September. I doubt they will adjust the USD amount owed down because off this (I wish). To the contrary if they send me a bill for more than 5000 in March I will protest loudly. All discussions have been in USD thus far.

 

[Legionpichon]

So this exchange rate issue, I too see at checkout a conversion from NZD to USD but all the prices I see on the order page are USD. I don't see why the buyer assumes the currency risk here. For example, I currently owe Weta 5000 USD when a custom order bronze is ready to ship. I placed this order in September and delivery is expected in March. The NZD has tanked since September. I doubt they will adjust the USD amount owed down because off this (I wish). To the contrary if they send me a bill for more than 5000 in March I will protest loudly. All discussions have been in USD thus far.

For smaug I always saw a conversion between NZD a USD during checkout and during the ordering process, but the charges were always made in NZD. So I got the exchange rate that my credit card offers, so you should be safe. I had it the other way around, my currency (mexican peso) lost like 20% against the dollar in the last 6 months and it's killing me...but with WETA I had no problem because the charge was in NZD. I believe that the conversion is just to give customers an "estimate".

EDIT: Was somewhat wrong, they do charge you in NZD but the amount is based on the agreed USD price, so I did lost to currency conversion lol.

 

[cstojano]

Yeah so for custom orders they just send a paypal invoice in USD. I guess what I don't understands is how the website can show prices in USD at all. I think you agreeing to a price when you order a piece and currency fluctuations shouldn't change that price. Weta sees it all in NZD I assume but I don't hear stories about them under charging US customers because the dollar has strengthened. No, you still owe 500 dollars, which is now worth more in NZD so great for Weta. But if your local currency has declined against the NZD then why do you owe more. Are prices shown in AUD or CAD to customers in Australia and Canada? I assume they must say somewhere in their terms that are prices are really in NZD.

 

[The Josh]

My Smaug is ready to ship and I've been charged.

Man, I've got a backlog of reviews to do.

 

[Gurthang]

Weta is always in NZD, the USD and EUR numbers are estimates so you can get a feeling just like Legionpichon said.

Custom order? No clue