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10-28-2017, 01:45 AM
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#11
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Right Hand of Doom
Adamantium Plus Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 35,567
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As is the case with any statue company our experiences can differ dramatically I suppose. You seem to collect a lot more Weta product than I do.
Outside of the Elven Warrior, which I happen to love, I don’t own any of the pieces you’ve mentioned with issues. Everything I’ve purchased in the last few years I’ve been very pleased with. The Balrog, Smaug, Thorin Oakenshield, Yazneg, Faramir, to name but a few, have all been great.
I’ve only purchased one piece since the price hike, The Mouth of Sauron. Maybe it’s just the character design itself but the craftsmanship and detail are a step above what I’m used to. Other pieces at the new price point like Thorin on throne and the Orc Soldier seem to look better too though. Mind you I don’t have any of these and my observations are being made off pics from other collectors.
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10-28-2017, 02:16 PM
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#12
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U talkin' to me?
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 522
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hellboy
As is the case with any statue company our experiences can differ dramatically I suppose. You seem to collect a lot more Weta product than I do.
Outside of the Elven Warrior, which I happen to love, I don’t own any of the pieces you’ve mentioned with issues. Everything I’ve purchased in the last few years I’ve been very pleased with. The Balrog, Smaug, Thorin Oakenshield, Yazneg, Faramir, to name but a few, have all been great.
I’ve only purchased one piece since the price hike, The Mouth of Sauron. Maybe it’s just the character design itself but the craftsmanship and detail are a step above what I’m used to. Other pieces at the new price point like Thorin on throne and the Orc Soldier seem to look better too though. Mind you I don’t have any of these and my observations are being made off pics from other collectors.
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You won't get any argument from me on the list of statues you mentioned. I too own them all and have nothing but praise for them. And aside from a few QC glitches along the way, I can say that about almost all the Weta statues I've bought in previous years prior to this one.
And sure, I can look at a lot of those QC issues I've had lately and put them down as isolated incidents, but everyone received a greenish-dressed Eowyn, everyone received a poorly painted Dain, and from what I've seen, everyone received a Galadriel with varying degrees of a gap between the arm and body due to poorly designed/fitting parts.
Now I'm only speculating, but the only rationale I can come up with concerning the recent drop in Weta's QC is perhaps they've changed factories. I say that with 0% certainly, but it's the only thing that makes sense to me at the moment. What doesn't make sense is Weta increasing their prices more than any other collectible company on the face of the earth at the same time their overall QC seems to be dropping. It's a recipe for disaster, and as a huge fan of Weta and their LOTR/Hobbit lines it's the last thing I want to see.
And again, you'll get no argument from me concerning the increased intricacy/complexity of their most recent statues. I own most of those as well [and hope to add a few more during the upcoming Black Friday event], but to me that still doesn't justify the skyrocketing price increases that some have estimated in the 40+% range in the last year alone. My only hope now is that Prime 1's acquisition of a 1/4 scale LOTR licence will result in some much needed competition within the realm of middle earth collectibles. Perhaps when Weta is no longer the 'only game in town' some of this pricing madness will end.
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10-28-2017, 03:18 PM
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#13
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Right Hand of Doom
Adamantium Plus Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 35,567
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I literally just made a post on another message board in the past hour concerning the price increase issue as complaints rolled in. QC issues aside, which I believe every company has to a certain extent, this was my post explaining my thoughts...
Prices have gone up across the board from all statue companies as production costs have increased at a dramatic rate. By comparison 1:4 scale pieces from companies like Sideshow, Iron Studios, XM have all doubled in price in the last few years ranging in price from $600 to well north of 1k.
The Hobbit/LOTR is not exactly in the spotlight anymore either and in order for Weta to keep producing M.E. pieces as interest declines prices MUST go up and edition sizes MUST go down. Statues that had 1000-1500 pieces available only a year ago are now being cut in half to 500-750. Nobody should be surprised by this as a lot of those 1000-1500 ES pieces have still yet to sell out after being available for over a year.
Whether we like it or not the hobby has changed and you can either adjust with it or get out. Unless you've got an insane amount of disposable income you're simply not going to be able to collect like we used to. As I've mentioned before in another thread the alternative is Weta stops producing product altogether the same as we experienced when when the Sideshow partnership dissolved after the LOTR trilogy faded from memory. I for one am glad they've found a way to continue doing business this time even if it forces me to be more selective.
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10-28-2017, 04:03 PM
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#14
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U talkin' to me?
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 522
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hellboy
I literally just made a post on another message board in the past hour concerning the price increase issue as complaints rolled in. QC issues aside, which I believe every company has to a certain extent, this was my post explaining my thoughts...
Prices have gone up across the board from all statue companies as production costs have increased at a dramatic rate. By comparison 1:4 scale pieces from companies like Sideshow, Iron Studios, XM have all doubled in price in the last few years ranging in price from $600 to well north of 1k.
The Hobbit/LOTR is not exactly in the spotlight anymore either and in order for Weta to keep producing M.E. pieces as interest declines prices MUST go up and edition sizes MUST go down. Statues that had 1000-1500 pieces available only a year ago are now being cut in half to 500-750. Nobody should be surprised by this as a lot of those 1000-1500 ES pieces have still yet to sell out after being available for over a year.
Whether we like it or not the hobby has changed and you can either adjust with it or get out. Unless you've got an insane amount of disposable income you're simply not going to be able to collect like we used to. As I've mentioned before in another thread the alternative is Weta stops producing product altogether the same as we experienced when when the Sideshow partnership dissolved after the LOTR trilogy faded from memory. I for one am glad they've found a way to continue doing business this time even if it forces me to be more selective.
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Very true, and I think a lot of us have adjusted quite nicely. It's not always possible to wait, due to the popularity of certain characters/statues, but for the most part a lot of us are willing to wait for these lower ES statues [that Weta still can't sell because they're so overpriced] to go on sale during Weta's Black Friday and Chritmas events. I'm not quite sure how Weta having to sell 95% of their remaining stock of this Ringwraith statue at 50% off is ultimately going to help their bottom line, but they are going to make a lot of us happy all the same.
And for the record, the dissolving of the Sideshow Weta partnership had nothing to do with the popularity of LOTR fading into the sunset. As a matter of fact, the last year of the Sideshow Weta LOTR licence saw the highest ES's and fastest sell out rates during the entire run of that licence. Weta's artists, having spent 6-7 years working on nothing outside of LOTR-related collectibles, simply wanted to move on to other challenges. And as a result, when it came time to renew the LOTR licence, Weta opted out.
Now I cant say I'll be pleased if Weta does choose to price themselves out of existence, but Weta did walk away from the LOTR licence once, and the sun still rose the next day. And I'm sure should that happen again, there will be a Sideshow, a Prime 1, etc.....to come along and pick up the slack, just like the last time.
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10-10-2018, 04:49 PM
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#15
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Doh!
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 9
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Hi guys !
There is no more news about Forod, but I'm still waiting for the BF to buy it. Someone here have already bought it? Could you share photos / videos?
I really like the Ringwraiths of the Hobbit. My first statue was the Witch king at Dol Guldur, and I'm proud of it! It surprises me even that it is not more popular :/
Well, good for me! :P
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10-10-2018, 10:26 PM
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#16
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Right Hand of Doom
Adamantium Plus Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 35,567
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Welcome to the forum.
I’m still waiting for BF as well. In fact, I’m pretty much done paying retail for anything from Weta at this point. Will hold out for sales going forward and if I miss out... so be it!
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02-04-2019, 06:31 PM
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#17
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Hydra
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 980
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Does anyone know if they plan on doing all Nine Ringwraiths from this battle?
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02-04-2019, 07:15 PM
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#18
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Ultimates
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: High Hrothgar
Posts: 9,719
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandman585
Does anyone know if they plan on doing all Nine Ringwraiths from this battle?
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I’d be interested in that info as well. I’m a huge Tolkien fan but don’t have any statues or busts. I have a good amount of credit at BBTS so I may apply it to the Soldier of Rohan statue. It’s the same statue as the Gamling one just with a helmet and spear instead of the flag. Wish they would’ve made Gamling into a COH so you could display both ways.
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02-04-2019, 07:16 PM
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#19
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Luke Cage
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 1,736
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandman585
Does anyone know if they plan on doing all Nine Ringwraiths from this battle?
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don't think so. here's something to cheer you up.
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02-04-2019, 07:34 PM
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#20
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Ultimates
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: High Hrothgar
Posts: 9,719
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tamaboy311
don't think so. here's something to cheer you up.
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That’s really nice. Can’t believe it’s $700 though.
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