Statue Which Maquettes should be made next?

[Ballder]

The only way to see Merry and Pippin is if they are disguised as Marvel heros or Clone Troopers

 

[Geb]

This "no Middle-earth" at SDCC has been confirmed over at The Shadow and Flame.

This is rediculous...Sideshow saying they don't want us to MISS the teasers in all the SDCC hubbub? They say that they don't have the pieces FINISHED so they don't want to show anything?

Just drop us some sketch art like you did when the maquette line was spinning up...we ate that up!

I, too, am thinking this will be The Hobbit stuff...but why AFTER SDCC? I'm stumped...I don't get it...

 

[chaber]

"Since there is a lot going on during Comic-Con, and we do not have finished pieces to show just yet, we wanted to save the teases for after July so you guys wouldn't miss them." - SS

I really don't get this - isn't the whole point of a tease to tease us by not showing the finished product? It's as if they're saying LOTR is not big enough to make the cut.

Nothing to show during 12 Days of Sideshow, and now, at the biggest pop culture event of the year, nothing new to tell us. However you want to spin it, this does not augur well for the line at all. Thank God for Weta.

 

[cstojano]

Yeah I don't see how they can completely skip over Hobbit stuff this time around. I have my beefs with Weta but their business plan is really solid in regard to actually delivering product to the customers. Its unreal to me how people wait 2+ years for something to be delivered, especially when they put down a deposit.

 

[guitarmandan]

This makes me so mad I cannot tell you....

It sucks so hard to have them treat something you LOVE SO MUCH,treated like a "nothing-license" or an afterthought..

I know we have had some awesome stuff this year(I absolutely adore my DROM PF and we still have Sauron to look forward to of course)and SS have made some truly beautiful pieces for us middle-earth fans in the past...but,aaaaaahhhhh!!!!

It makes me so angry because of the attention other licenses get....SW,Marvel..I'm f'n sick of it.

Did the Avengers movie win 11 Acadamy Awards???? NO.

 

[Geb]

Did the Avengers movie win 11 Acadamy Awards???? NO.

No...you are right...but Avengers ALONE made OVER $1.5 BILLION dollars...and that is what talks...SALES.

While LOTR is a VERY special trilogy and we had some great products produced...it is no longer 'relevant' to the pop culture world. We are in a very NOW NOW NOW society...and right now, it is a lot of talk about Marvel, DC, and of course, Star Wars...

Star Wars has always been a sort of market anomoly...it has had staying power since 1976/1977 with a minor short lull in the late 80s...but that's it...collectors and fans continue to snatch up anything Star Wars related...

In my opinion, LOTR was a MUCH better trilogy in terms of sheer movie making, acting, epicness, etc...but my heart always goes back to the first love and what got me watching movies, sci-fi, and such in the first place...Star Wars! Perhaps that is what keep Star Wars in the NOW...so many fans today grew up with it and continue to enjoy the Skywalker saga.

For the LOTR fans...I guess IF Sideshow delivers some new stuff, we can get excited...but the excitement will wear off as the product will not be delivered for AT LEAST a year after announcement. We DO have Asmus Toys, ACI Toys and their 1/6th lines to be excited about...plus the TONS of Lego sets...so there is SOME STUFF.

My heart belongs in Middle-earth...but my gut says that time is running out!

 

[Gangrel]

I did not expect at all this bad play by Sideshow.

It is unfortunate and frustrating, it seems that is not announced anything for Comic Con, do not understand as they drop their heads in shame. Only care about lining their pockets with spare coins Marvel and Star Wars.

A year without news and get the Comic Con and also nothing.

I think the best thing that could happen is that the license to make statues of Lord of the Rings Weta Collectibles has.

Weta if it is a reputable company that listens for requests from collectors of Middle Earth.

Two years ago they promised that his priority was to finish the Fellowship of the Ring in the maquette line has been shown that it was not so.

I am very angry with Sideshow, we are always the last in the queue, and it is clear that they have the license to make nothing of Hobbit, seeing releases this policy.

 

[Gangrel]

The only way to see Merry and Pippin is if they are disguised as Marvel heros or Clone Troopers

Totally agree.

For them there is only that, Marvel or Star Wars.

 

[guitarmandan]

No...you are right...but Avengers ALONE made OVER $1.5 BILLION dollars...and that is what talks...SALES.

While LOTR is a VERY special trilogy and we had some great products produced...it is no longer 'relevant' to the pop culture world. We are in a very NOW NOW NOW society...and right now, it is a lot of talk about Marvel, DC, and of course, Star Wars...

Depressing but true

But having said that,didn't AUJ also make over $1 Billion??

Which would mean they can't use that excuse

 

[chaber]

A lot of people on the forum said they would be concerned for the line if nothing was shown or teased at Comic-Con. Just wondering what everyone thinks now that this has been confirmed? Will the maquette line continue? What about the PF line? And with the Hobbit line yet to even get started (if it ever will), do you think SS's time in Middle Earth is coming to an end, or will it simply be a case of a very, very, very small number of pieces being released per year? I for one will be shifting my attention to the Weta line...

 

[Geb]

I think the bottom line...at least for me...is that some of the collectibles that Sideshow is releasing are EXPENSIVE. The Sauron and Mounted Steed PFs are KILLER expensive...and Sideshow has almost NOTHING else in the Middle-earth realm to supplement these collectibles.

Weta has a much more broad approach to collecting Middle-earth...buttons, magnets, t-shirts, AND some high-end items...to basically please all ranges of collector.

To be perfectly honest, I think the Middle-earth lines from Sideshow will either be DEAD before too long or VERY slow and limited and THEN DEAD. They have essentially priced themselves out of too many collectors budgets.

What if their Maquette line was priced at $150 apiece and delivered one every 3 months...and they kept the line going with new releases for say 3-5 years. At that price, MORE people would have bought into the line and likely the line would have included a COMPLETE Fellowship. But pricing them at $250, they essentially limit the marketability and reduce the number of items sold...and hence reduce the viability of the license as a whole.

I am sure there are many arguments to the contrary and that Sideshow produces HIGH-END collectibles...but at some point there is a knee-in-the-curve where pricing gets too high to continue to bring in new customers for an 'older' license. Heck...even Weta is very limited on products from the original LOTR trilogy these days with much of their focus on The Hobbit. Sideshow can't even use that as an excuse though.

 

[The Josh]

This "no Middle-earth" at SDCC has been confirmed over at The Shadow and Flame.

Technically, if they have nothing at comic-con it was confirmed to my question on Facebook.

Assuming they mean that there won't be a new item at the booth which won't be previewed until after comic-con I will be disappointed. They have in the past had items be at the booth that didn't get previewed until after comic-con was over. So all is not lost yet.

As far as price it being $250 isn't a deal breaker. The market is what it is with these statues and none of them are going to really be under that. That's from anybody making statues be it Middle-earth or GI Joe.

 

[Gangrel]

A lot of people on the forum said they would be concerned for the line if nothing was shown or teased at Comic-Con. Just wondering what everyone thinks now that this has been confirmed? Will the maquette line continue? What about the PF line? And with the Hobbit line yet to even get started (if it ever will), do you think SS's time in Middle Earth is coming to an end, or will it simply be a case of a very, very, very small number of pieces being released per year? I for one will be shifting my attention to the Weta line...

As for me starting my full attention now will focus on Weta.

Weta in your forum makes you part of their projects, conducts surveys to ask collectors who wish to object, as has happened in your line of scenarios.

Weta when they face problems there and give explanations, and much more.

Sideshow no new parts of Middle Earth now, with the wave of the premieres of the Hobbit movies, not when they will.

It is clear that we want to leave out, and no new parts present in this Comic Con is an attitude shows how little he cares about this license.

 

[Gangrel]

I must admit that I expected anything from Sideshow this contempt at Comic COn with Middle Earth.

I was hoping to see new statues maquette line in this event and after being a whole year without any news, sketch or Preorder.


I would like to be more involved with Sideshow collectors of Middle Earth as Weta in your forum does not understand much silence.

 

[DaveMac]

Keep the faith that Merry and Pip will be made

 

[bill59]

What Dave said.

 

[gagaliya]

I just want merry and pippin....

So ready to close out Lotr license after that. One of the most frustrating experience, if the quality wasn't so good I would dumped this whole set a long time ago.

 

[FrodoEyes]

So, all those items on those lists becomes...... nothing.

First Sideshow broke off the deal with Weta, then they closed down the EU warehouse, then cancelled the diorama line, then started focusing more on comic book style stuff.... slowly pushing me away since 2005.

I think pretty soon Weta will get back the 1/6 scale LOTR statue license. I think it's inevitable. They'll churn out Middle-Earth goodness for all for the rest of time and and shall be well.

 

[The Josh]

We don't know the details to why the SSW line ended. In all honestly that was 2005 and at this point it doesn't matter. They have done a lot of Marvel stuff and are getting into DC but I know you don't mean their The Lord of the Rings line. There is NOTHING comic book style about those. As far as being pushed away that's a choice a collector makes.

Weta might someday and if they do I know the products will be great. They're amazing people who do amazing work and I'll be first in line to get items if that happens.

As a fan of Middle-earth I feel very lucky to continue to get, have, or have had great products by both companies.

 

[Geb]

I think pretty soon Weta will get back the 1/6 scale LOTR statue license. I think it's inevitable. They'll churn out Middle-Earth goodness for all for the rest of time and and shall be well.

While I tend to agree with you on most points...I actually like the Sideshow 1/6th statues a bit better than the Weta ones...but as technology and artistry has changed over the past 10 years or so, Weta may be able to generate some fantastic stuff...their environments are superb!