Climbing to face the EYE

[Zurbaran1]

WOW, with the recent mad increase in prices I can only say I feel a bit lucky in closing my recent deal. Cave Trolls for $1900, Witch Kings for $2000 and Balrogs for $3000. :eek: :eek:

My Stone Trolls will be here tomorrow!!!
And I just received the word that my Cave Troll, Witch King, Moria Orc Archer and Moria Orc Swordsman have shipped!!! OH YEAH. They'll be here by next Wednesday. I'm closing a deal on the Watcher in the Water piece and that will leave me two pieces shy of the complete set (excluding the Medallions, Giclees and the Bronze Gandalf):

THE BALROG and ARAGORN

The EYE better watch out. I'm a coming for you!!!!!!!!!

[twisterred]

ahem...I work at the post office and I can now guarentee you that it is my collection that will grow...bahhhhhahhhhahhhhhhahhhhhaha!!!!!



okay i really don't work at the post office but i do drive by one on the way to work sometimes.


Excellent score Zurb. You must possess the skills of an Arab trader to barter so many pricey pieces at once.

[boondocksaint]

ahem...I work at the post office and I can now guarentee you that it is my collection that will grow...bahhhhhahhhhahhhhhhahhhhhaha!!!!!



okay i really don't work at the post office but i do drive by one on the way to work sometimes.


Excellent score Zurb. You must possess the skills of an Arab trader to barter so many pricey pieces at once.


you dont work for the po BUT I DO!!!!!!!!! :eplus2: those packages are mineeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[twisterred]

:banghead:

[Zurbaran1]

you dont work for the po BUT I DO!!!!!!!!! :eplus2: those packages are mineeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

You think these are being trusted with the PO. HA

[boondocksaint]

LOL......ill hijack the ups truck fool! muhahahahhahha!

[RickDTM]

The EYE better watch out. I'm a coming for you!!!!!!!!!

Congrats on all the HUGE scores Zurb!!! That's awesome hombre'.....now about the EYE....are you sure it's not YOU the EYE is coming for?

Zurb: Boxes?! What boxes!?

EYE of Wifa: :stick:

[Zurbaran1]

Congrats on all the HUGE scores Zurb!!! That's awesome hombre'.....now about the EYE....are you sure it's not YOU the EYE is coming for?

Zurb: Boxes?! What boxes!?

EYE of Wifa: :stick:

The Eye of Sauron I can deal with. The other one that's the problem. I'm home tomorrow so I can deal with the boxes. She...uh...still doesn't know about the...er....Cave Troll.. and the others. HEHE

[Zurbaran1]

LOL......ill hijack the ups truck fool! muhahahahhahha!

You work for the Post Office. I've got nothing to worry about. You'll hijack the wrong truck. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! :D

[twisterred]

whose got spyware that can zap a message back to Mrs Zurb if we don't get a cut of the booty?

[X-Men Fan]

Congrats Zurb on your recent purchases. :D

Any leads on a Balrog or Aragorn?? I am down to needing only Aragorn and the Galadhrim Archer to complete my Quest.

[RickDTM]

The Eye of Sauron I can deal with. The other one that's the problem. I'm home tomorrow so I can deal with the boxes. She...uh...still doesn't know about the...er....Cave Troll.. and the others. HEHE


Atta baby...I smell a covert op in the works.... :D

[Sniper]

Insane I Say!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Comicboy]

Zurb I bow before thee! I pay homage at your feet! http://www.coolsmilies.net/gestures/notworthy1.gif

[FengShuiStein]

Go Zurby! Go Zurby! Go Zurby! :buttrock:

-Phil

[Danno]

WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW!

I cannot believe that you are down to only needing two more pieces to have the entire line of Sideshow LOTG pieces.....that is some commitment! Many many congrats!!!!!!! When are the shelves done? I wanna see pics when everything is up and displayed.

[RickDTM]

That will be incredible....

[Sniper]

he gave up a lot to get it , congrats my friend , u still are mod scum! :tounge:

[CharlesSong]

only 2 away! wowzer! the two you are missing are tough though :bawling:

are you planning on ploppling $2500+ down for the roggy?

[RickDTM]

I say he does. Zurb's come too far to falter now.... :D

[Zurbaran1]

only 2 away! wowzer! the two you are missing are tough though :bawling:

are you planning on ploppling $2500+ down for the roggy?

I just might. We'll have to see :D

[RickDTM]

I just might. We'll have to see :D


Heheheheh, you tease you....

[Sniper]

I just might. We'll have to see :D
insanity!!!!! I say!!!

[Zurbaran1]

Look who showed up today to join my merry crew:

[RickDTM]

Sweet!!!

[Zurbaran1]

And here is the Stone Troll Environment that also came home to poppa today. Man is this one sweet and big.

[Sniper]

insane !!! u are!~~~~

[Zurbaran1]

Ok, Grima Wormtongue also found his way to my house. The Quest is drawing them all home. Damn it would be nice if the Balrog just found his way over. ON HIS OWN!!! :eplus2:

I think the Grima statue is quite nice. A little shading on the face and some paintmaster magic and you've got a fine Brad Douriff. What say you Rick? :D

[Zurbaran1]

2 more of ole Grima

[Sniper]

have to go to your house to see all your stuff

[Zurbaran1]

have to go to your house to see all your stuff

Once it's on display. Right now it doesn't look all that impressive. LOTS and LOTS of boxes. Big ones, little ones, TALL ones, short ones.

[Confessor]

Hey Zurb--I am so happy for you and the near completion of your quest. That is awesome!

I have not gotten into these (yet?). The pieces with which I am impressed the most are the villians (Balrog, Trolls [all types] and SOME, but not all, of the orcs). I do have a big problem with nearly all of the heroes. As you pointed out with Grima, Zurb, the human(oid) faces...wizzards, humans, elves, hobbits, IMO...are lacking on the paint job...

...I wish these had been done better. It's one of the major things keeping me from getting into this collection. I mean, I love all the characters, but the paint jobs on the humans (and maybe the sculpting...I dunno for sure [havent seen many in person]) is very sub-par.

Rick, Danno (and other painters): (1) Do you agree with this assessment, and (2) WHY do you think this lacking with the humanoid faces occurred. I mean, we can send a man to the moon, so...

[RickDTM]

I think the Grima statue is quite nice. A little shading on the face and some paintmaster magic and you've got a fine Brad Douriff. What say you Rick? :D


I say damn....you're right again!! :D

[RickDTM]

Rick, Danno (and other painters): (1) Do you agree with this assessment, and (2) WHY do you think this lacking with the humanoid faces occurred. I mean, we can send a man to the moon, so...

Confessor - I totally agree w/ your assessment. Lately, w/ the better shots I've been seeing of the humanoid statues, the likenesses are very close to being there. Recently I've had a chance to inspect a Legolas up close, and the thing that is killing them IMHO is the total lack of shading and shadowing on the faces. The human flesh is for the most part just one color, and we all know that isn't even close to reality. Hell, even the Uruks and Orcs have SOME detail on their flesh! W/ a little tender care and some shading and detail work, the humans could look just as good.

One other thing....the hair has a lot to do w/ it too. In the films, you see most of the characters w/ long hair that billows and moves, framing their faces. The casting process really limits that, so unless the sculptor is especially talented at likenesses they are starting w/ a handicap before they even lay a tool to clay.

For the second part of your question, I lay that on the feet of the production company painting the pieces. I'll be willing to bet if you looked at the paint masters and a production pieces side by side, you would see a world of difference. I can attest from personal experience the end result from the production house rarely ever matches the paint master. There are couple of times that's been the exception, but rarely. In their defense, trying to do detail work on a run of 2-3 thousand statues gets old fast, so there's bound to be some breakdown in quality over the length of the run.

My .02. Sorry for the long winded-ness... :D

[Bullseye]

Zurb your the man. That is going to be an awesome display.

[Confessor]

Confessor - I totally agree w/ your assessment. Lately, w/ the better shots I've been seeing of the humanoid statues, the likenesses are very close to being there. Recently I've had a chance to inspect a Legolas up close, and the thing that is killing them IMHO is the total lack of shading and shadowing on the faces. The human flesh is for the most part just one color, and we all know that isn't even close to reality. Hell, even the Uruks and Orcs have SOME detail on their flesh! W/ a little tender care and some shading and detail work, the humans could look just as good.

One other thing....the hair has a lot to do w/ it too. In the films, you see most of the characters w/ long hair that billows and moves, framing their faces. The casting process really limits that, so unless the sculptor is especially talented at likenesses they are starting w/ a handicap before they even lay a tool to clay.

For the second part of your question, I lay that on the feet of the production company painting the pieces. I'll be willing to bet if you looked at the paint masters and a production pieces side by side, you would see a world of difference. I can attest from personal experience the end result from the production house rarely ever matches the paint master. There are couple of times that's been the exception, but rarely. In their defense, trying to do detail work on a run of 2-3 thousand statues gets old fast, so there's bound to be some breakdown in quality over the length of the run.

My .02. Sorry for the long winded-ness... :D

Thanks for your assessment, Rick! It's just so frustrating. I am so detail-oriented that it'd kill me to get the humanoid faced statues and have them not be the highest quality. It seems that they do an very good job with painting of the armor and even costuming. The villians are by and large well done. But the poor human faces is a stumbling block for me...

[X-Men Fan]

Congrats Zurb on your newest additions! :D

I can't wait to see pictures of them all together.

[RickDTM]

Thanks for your assessment, Rick! It's just so frustrating. I am so detail-oriented that it'd kill me to get the humanoid faced statues and have them not be the highest quality. It seems that they do an very good job with painting of the armor and even costuming. The villians are by and large well done. But the poor human faces is a stumbling block for me...

I feel your pain Confessor! I have shied away from the humans for exactly the same reason. The only "humans" I own are Gandalf and Saruman. I've already repainted Gandalf, and Saruman will get the same treatment. I've seen the Theoden, and while the paint job is not the greatest, the likeness is definitely there. Same for Grima now that Zurb has posted better pics.

[Confessor]

I feel your pain Confessor! I have shied away from the humans for exactly the same reason. The only "humans" I own are Gandalf and Saruman. I've already repainted Gandalf, and Saruman will get the same treatment. I've seen the Theoden, and while the paint job is not the greatest, the likeness is definitely there. Same for Grima now that Zurb has posted better pics.

...yeah, you're right. Now, if only I knew someone who could fix these things if I were to buy them. Hmmm....

[RickDTM]

...yeah, you're right. Now, if only I knew someone who could fix these things if I were to buy them. Hmmm....

Uh oh.... heh.

[Zurbaran1]

...

For the second part of your question, I lay that on the feet of the production company painting the pieces. I'll be willing to bet if you looked at the paint masters and a production pieces side by side, you would see a world of difference. I can attest from personal experience the end result from the production house rarely ever matches the paint master. There are couple of times that's been the exception, but rarely. In their defense, trying to do detail work on a run of 2-3 thousand statues gets old fast, so there's bound to be some breakdown in quality over the length of the run.
... :D

When you look at it, this is the one big downside to the whole prepaint market not just Sideshow or LOTR and t's more noticeable in human sculpts. There really isn't much that can be done about it from what I see. They come off a production line and at best you can only hope for a decent paint job. Unless of course you happen to be a Paint Master or own your own. The first thing I'm gonna do when I win the Lottery is buy me my own Paint Master and take good care of him.

This also leads to a debate which, to me, makes no sense. The value/collectibility of a piece that has been repainted. Assuming the repaint job is done by a paint master and not a hack I will take a repaint over a mint from the factory piece hands down, any day. And it's definitley worth more than the original mint in box piece. You're getting something that is better than the original and has an element of originality and uniqueness to it. But there are those who would be horrified at the thought. I just don't get that.

I have spent a lot of time, effort and dollars in putting together my SS LOTR collection. Apart from the expense and time that would be involved in repainting, I would have no problem whatsoever in turning the entire collection over to the Paint Masters here to do their magic. And I'm planning on doing so to the extent possible. So, er...Rick...Danno...Phil.... get some sleep boys. :laugh:

[Bullseye]

Zurb a repaint from one of the paint masters would be priceless in my eyes.

[ickwinzs]

I have heard the same thing about my bowen repaint, even though I don not plan on reselling these busts, I think they are worth much more to me knowing that a paint matser has done the paint other thank a asembly line employee!!
Plus they are much better than the originals!!

[sith lord utinni!]

Wow, I bet your collection when set up is gonna kick all kinds of @$$. I have been following all of your posts in the sideshow forum for a while and I love to see the bickering and playfulness that you all exhibit about the statues and busts. I am a Star Wars collector but I also love the LOTR and after seeing many of you all's pics I am starting to get tempted to buy a couple or as is said " jump into the hole" :D . (warning: I may or may not pee before jumping in!) The first thing I was contemplating on buying is the gandalf on shadowfax, how is the paint job on that one? One more thiing, how much does it typically cost to have a paint master do a bust or statue?

[Bullseye]

Wow, I bet your collection when set up is gonna kick all kinds of @$$. I have been following all of your posts in the sideshow forum for a while and I love to see the bickering and playfulness that you all exhibit about the statues and busts. I am a Star Wars collector but I also love the LOTR and after seeing many of you all's pics I am starting to get tempted to buy a couple or as is said " jump into the hole" :D . (warning: I may or may not pee before jumping in!) The first thing I was contemplating on buying is the gandalf on shadowfax, how is the paint job on that one? One more thiing, how much does it typically cost to have a paint master do a bust or statue?

Before you jump in have a shower. Because you'll be a long time without. :D

[Zurbaran1]

Zurb a repaint from one of the paint masters would be priceless in my eyes.

Exactly

[Zurbaran1]

I have heard the same thing about my bowen repaint, even though I don not plan on reselling these busts, I think they are worth much more to me knowing that a paint matser has done the paint other thank a asembly line employee!!
Plus they are much better than the originals!!

Clearly But not everyone see's it that way.

[Bullseye]

Theres two aspects to a great statue (comic/fanasty). One is the sculpt itself and Two is the paint job.

[Zurbaran1]

Wow, I bet your collection when set up is gonna kick all kinds of @$$. I have been following all of your posts in the sideshow forum for a while and I love to see the bickering and playfulness that you all exhibit about the statues and busts. I am a Star Wars collector but I also love the LOTR and after seeing many of you all's pics I am starting to get tempted to buy a couple or as is said " jump into the hole" :D . (warning: I may or may not pee before jumping in!) The first thing I was contemplating on buying is the gandalf on shadowfax, how is the paint job on that one? One more thiing, how much does it typically cost to have a paint master do a bust or statue?

We got us another one fellas.

sith lord, glad you are enjoying the posts. We have a lot of fun here. However, peeing is not optional, it's mandatory, so don't forget.

Gandalf on Shadowfax is an amazing piece. Doesn't matter how many pictures you have seen here, you have to see this piece in person. It will blow you away and you will dive in with us, head first. The paint job is actually decent.

As far as paint master costs you'll have to talk to them directly. These guys are pros, the best at what they do, as far as I am concerned. They are extremely busy so you really need to speak to them about their availability. RichDTM, Danno and Phil (FengShuiStein) are friends and you can't go wrong with any one of them.

[RickDTM]

I am SO looking forward to seeing GoSfax in person. From the pics Zurb has posted, and the description Danno gave me on the phone.....DAMN this is one sweet piece!!!

[Comicboy]

I can only say two words about having the masters repaint stuff for you. DO IT!!

[RickDTM]

Even if you get a fuscia Troll? :D

[Gruson]

Zub,

CONGRATS on an INCREDIBLE collection!

I agree with you about the repaints. To me, they would be worth even more and I would appreciate them a LOT more because they look so much better than standard versions.

[Gruson]

Comic, can you post some more pictures of the Wiki? How it looks displayed?

I have always LOVED that piece by Rick.

[boondocksaint]

they do look awesome some paint job but technically doesnt that decrease the value of the bust if you decide to sell it?

[Ghost]

Who would want to sell a work of art like Danno's or Rick's?!?! Madness I say! All I can say is buy doubles and sell the shoddy SS one :D

[boondocksaint]

nah im just wondering i woudlnt sell it anyway

[RickDTM]

nah im just wondering i woudlnt sell it anyway


Boonie, that has been a subject of debate both here and on other boards. Interesting logic both pro and con....

[Comicboy]

Gruson - the first shot (above) is him finished by Rick the second is what he looked like to start with. I have my LOTR stuff relagated to the basement for now so my display is not great, but heres what I have so far. I need to take more/better shots, pictures cannot do this thing enough justice. If you want to see more Rick shots check out Bulleyes thread in the "Other" section.

[RickDTM]

That was really a fun piece to do.

[The General]

I can only say two words about having the masters repaint stuff for you. DO IT!!
He should be in charge of painting everything. All the GG stuff, Bowen stuff & SS stuff. :thumbs2: You wouldn't be able to sleep Rick!! :tounge:

[RickDTM]

He should be in charge of painting everything. All the GG stuff, Bowen stuff & SS stuff. :thumbs2: You wouldn't be able to sleep Rick!! :tounge:


:laugh: Thanx man, but my hands would just fall off if that were to happen... :laugh: