Are your Weta pieces still precious to you?

[Alice Adrenochrome]

I'm wondering, with the hype of the movies far behind us, how do you feel about your Weta statues now? Do they still have the same value for you, emotionally and financially? Do you still marvel at them, from time to time? Are you still waiting on a opportunity to buy that one Weta piece you could never lay your hands on? And how do you think these pieces will be looked at in the future, in let's say 5 to 10 years from now. Will they remain sought after high end collectibles (with a descent market value), or will hardly anybody care about them, and will we find Balrogs for $300 all around? Nearly all of my Weta pieces are still in their boxes, since I still haven't thought of a descent way to display them. That makes that I didn't see many of those pieces in person in a long time, even though they are stored away in my apartment. I'm still longing for the day to put them all on display, along with all the other collectibles I have. Which reminds me, I need a bigger house if I want to display all of that...

[Calle_Sandell]

My WETA pieces are everything to me!!!!

Their value will only increase with time.. I'm still on the hunt for several of them! Even if the market value hit rock bottom I wouldn't think less of them.

I can't imagine selling them!

[bonsey]

Their value will only increase with time.. I'm still on the hunt for several of them! Even if the market value hit rock bottom I wouldn't think less of them.


Have you looked at prices recently?I hate to say this but..If you think Weta stuff is going to increase in value I'd think again.Modern day collectibles peak at certain points then go into freefall from what I've seen seen and experienced.I have just tried to sell a load of Weta stuff(including a Cavetroll) but have now given up due to the lack of interest and the prices I was generally offered meant that they were not worth selling - I may as well keep and enjoy them myself.A few,very few pieces may stay at a stable price but even items like the Witchking are now selling for half the price they were last year.
People in general want the next big thing and get excited by new product and nothing in the world can change that.Buy stuff you like and try to enjoy it while you can but if you want to make money(not saying that you do)..take out some shares or put the money in the bank or something!! xx

[JohnnyFavourite]

I started collecting statues in 2003 because the SSW pieces.
They are beautiful work of art and Weta was the special effects team of the Lotr trilogy.(What makes them kind of special for me):rolleyes:

[WrathofSauron]

I don't know for sure but I would think that most of them will be valuable enough but not for about 10 years, I think that the current companies that are licensed to make LOTR need to stop soon and allow us to enjoy what we have because at this rate there will be overkill! I do believe that the original WETA line that came out when the movies were first released will always be special and valuable as they are the originals inpsired by the trilogy but thats years from now, as the focus is on new stuff now. Who really knows though..... ? we can all soumise till the cows come home ( weird saying that!!) :lol

[FrodoEyes]

I'm still collecting stuff! I got a few helms etc for my birthday and xmas and am nearly there. Also always going to be after the balrog and cave troll to complete my collection, but not yet, until the finances are up a bit more.

[larbob]

I don't know for sure but I would think that most of them will be valuable enough but not for about 10 years, I think that the current companies that are licensed to make LOTR need to stop soon and allow us to enjoy what we have because at this rate there will be overkill! I do believe that the original WETA line that came out when the movies were first released will always be special and valuable as they are the originals inpsired by the trilogy but thats years from now, as the focus is on new stuff now. Who really knows though..... ? we can all soumise till the cows come home ( weird saying that!!) :lol

Have to agree with this, as had been said before, the WETA line is the original LOTR collectibles and will always have that going for it. Personally all the years I put into collecting everything SS/Weta made for LOTR makes me a little bias. I like the thought that only 400 people could have my complete collection with no APs.:)
Would like to find a bronze gandalf at some point at the right price.

[Customikey]

I only have the three pieces (I guess four pieces) that came with the DVDs, plus I got a Frodo bust for free and I grabbed a Sauron helm.

I think they're very classy. They look great on display with the books and DVDs on my LOTR shelf. I like them quite a bit.

[Wetanut]

I came into collecting relatively late in my life and Sideshow/Weta LOTR was the sole reason. No, they have not diminished in value for me -- but then I display everything I have so they haven't been relagated to boxes in closets and dark corners to be emotionally devalued from lack of exposure. I never got anything I couldn't display immediately. I will keep them and pass onto my future generations. Maybe one of my great-greats will say -- "Gramma really had some strange tastes, but didn't realize she had that much passion about anything." And hopefully, they will appreciate and honor my choices.

I don't know what their market value will be later, but I didn't get them for profit-making so it bothers me none that the fickle collecting world will be salivating for the next greatest/baddest/bells-and-whistles/etc. Those who had thoughts along those lines maybe need to think about other investments like land or real estate which will be much more stable for the longer term. :monkey3

[The Josh]

They're very precious to me. They capture the movies that made a impact on me as a fan and movie goer. I do think over the years the value will go up because of the limited nature, but honestly either way I'm not gonna get all worked up over. The pieces themselves are invaluable so the monetary value of them ranks down my list of cares.

[customizerwannabe]

The problem is that the line is dead. No further pieces. That decreases interest and causes price plummets over time. The good thing is the subject matter. Lord of the Rings. Loved, collected, and sought after for decades by geeks (myself included). Don't expect to retire on them but don't expect to lose your shirt either. My 2cents.

[woodsy]

And how do you think these pieces will be looked at in the future, in let's say 5 to 10 years from now. Will they remain sought after high end collectibles (with a descent market value), or will hardly anybody care about them, and will we find Balrogs for $300 all around?

I think the older statues will always retain some of their value, though even they have dropped significantly in price in the last year. Will be ever see Balrogs, and Cave trolls selling for there issue price again?...I don't think so.

Unfortunately, I don't think alot of the pieces whose edition size was greater than 2000-3000 are ever going to be worth much. It appears that too many of the newer pieces were bought by speculators looking to make some money which is why we saw edition sizes hitting numbers as high as 9500. SS definitely played a role in this with their TBD edition sizes, which created an artificial market.

Once the editions [eg sauron, morgul lord,GWS] were set people obviously started cancelling their orders all over the place and now we see a market flooded with them. It's unfortunate in one respect because these are some really nice pieces and fine additions to any LOTR statue collection...but are they "high end collectibles"?
Strictly from a financial point of view, I don't think so. High end collectibles should at the very least, retain their value. Other than my PF Lurtz exclusive and 1/4 scale Predator maquette exclusive, I haven't bought anything from SS in years. Why...because I know I can get anything SS produces for significantly less money elsewhere after they release it to the public. This doesn't take away from their artistic or emotional value, but it definitely takes away from their financial value.

[Fritz]

Well the Weta items are what got me started up again with collecting and with Sideshow so they still have some meaning to me. But I sold most of them off and just kept the pieces I really liked. I had almost everything at one point. But for me, as soon as I had my first Premium Format figure, I knew that this was the format I wanted most.

In addition to keeping my favorite Weta items I also have a separate shelf I use as a tribute to Weta that has a representation of every type of item. A creature, a helm, the filmstrip collectible, a DVD EE item, a statue, a bust, a weapon set, a medallion, an environment and a plaque.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/531/wetaeb8.jpg

[Calle_Sandell]

Have you looked at prices recently?I hate to say this but..If you think Weta stuff is going to increase in value I'd think again.

Sorry if I expressed myself unclear.. I meant that even if their value hit rock bottom their emotional value to me will only increase by time!

this was the line who got me collecting and will allways have a special place in my heart!

[spaceman]

this was the line who got me collecting and will allways have a special place in my heart!

Me too - my sentiments exactly. Haven't sold a single piece that was purchased with intention to keep, and I don't plan to. I'd still love to pick up a Witchking in trueform someday. Also, maybe a Bilbo and Frodo.

[Seretur]

Hi, Spaceman! :wave

I keep track of my SS/W collection via ToyTracker, more out of curiosity than anything, and no, I haven't noticed any significant decreases in value. Sure, some items peaked a while ago, but it's not like any one of them is worthless.

What is priceless, though, is this line's direct connection to the moviemaking process, and the unparalleled artistry of the pieces. They're just more than collectibles made by a collectible company for the collectors' market. Many of them display characters, creatures and environments in the way their designers themselves envisioned them, and the love and creativity just shines through.

New lines will keep on coming along, based on comics, videogames and film hits du jour. The LOTR movies, for all their failings, are and always will be a major milestone in genre filmmaking; and the SS/W collectibles will be just as major a milestone in the history of high-end collectibles.

Over the past few years, after Weta abandoned the line for the follies of whatever it is they did afterwards, I've tried collecting other stuff. And I've discovered that neither action figures, nor Marvel pieces, and certainly not videogame pieces hold any sort of an emotional value for me; the sole exception are the Sideshow PFs of the Star Wars variety.

So I'm getting closer and closer to just selling off everything that's not SS/W and SW PF, and concentrating on getting the few remaining SS/W statues I still lack. I'm pretty certain that this course of action would bring me much greater satisfaction than any number of newer things.

[woodsy]

I haven't noticed any significant decreases in value.


I don't know Seretur, I just bought my legendary scale morgul lord and cave troll busts [both look fantastic!]for $145 and $210 respectively. If that's not a significant decrease in value , then what is?
I truly love these pieces and look forward to hopefully seeing SS produce more, but I know I would have been a bit upset had I bought them at issue price when they have obviously come down in value.

[Seretur]

The Legendary Scale busts are not a part of the Sideshow/Weta line.

Although it is sad to see them fall so low.

[woodsy]

Point Taken! But GWS, morgul lord, sauron, eowyn, battle troll, shelob and many other are...and they are all selling at well below their original issue prices. Not that many of these aren't really good pieces, both aristically and emotionally, they have simply failed to hold their value financially.

[RoboDad]

Point Taken! But GWS, morgul lord, sauron, eowyn, battle troll, shelob and many other are...and they are all selling at well below their original issue prices. Not that many of these aren't really good pieces, both aristically and emotionally, they have simply failed to hold their value financially.
None of those pieces ever sold for more than their retail value in the secondary market. Heck, none of them even sold FOR their retail value. The problem was that toward the end of the SSW line, Sideshow's popularity was on a dramatic rise, and they miscalculated the edition sizes for many of the later SSW pieces.

The earlier pieces are still holding their value pretty well. And, over time, I have no doubt that the rest of the line will increase as well. People who think that it would take more pieces continuing to be released to keep interest in these collectibles don't really understand the mindset of hardcore LOTR collectors (people who have been collecting LOTR stuff since long before Peter Jackson announced his intent to make the movies).

As a case in point, there was a mural painted for use on the paperback book covers many years ago. Eventually, the mural was released in poster form. It sold for a whopping $4 when it was first released (at least I think that's what I paid for mine). Today, that poster typically goes for $250-300 on eBay.

[Beren]

Point Taken! But GWS, morgul lord, sauron, eowyn, battle troll, shelob and many other are...and they are all selling at well below their original issue prices. Not that many of these aren't really good pieces, both artistically and emotionally, they have simply failed to hold their value financially.

But that's because the edition sizes were totally overblown. 8500 Gandalf on Shadowfaxes... if there had been 2000 pieces? And that goes for each of the statues you list above. The numbers produced are just far greater than the number of people who are interested enough in this material to buy them... When SSW items first came out, they had an edition of 750-1000. Then it went to 2000, then 3000 (I think RWoS was an exception, they knew that everyone would love that one and they set it at 5000). 4000 Haradhrims was just way too much, they go for $60 on eBay, half of retail.

I can't really complain though, because the majority of SSW items I bought, I paid below retail and benefitted from the overinflation of the edition sizes. :chew

Beren

[woodsy]

But that's because the edition sizes were totally overblown. 8500 Gandalf on Shadowfaxes... if there had been 2000 pieces? And that goes for each of the statues you list above. The numbers produced are just far greater than the number of people who are interested enough in this material to buy them... When SSW items first came out, they had an edition of 750-1000. Then it went to 2000, then 3000 (I think RWoS was an exception, they knew that everyone would love that one and they set it at 5000). 4000 Haradhrims was just way too much, they go for $60 on eBay, half of retail.

I can't really complain though, because the majority of SSW items I bought, I paid below retail and benefitted from the overinflation of the edition sizes. :chew

Beren

Which is exactly what I said in an earlier posting. Once SS scrapped the 2000-3000 edition and started those TBD editions they created an artifical market that wasn't based so much on demand, but rather on speculation.
I too can't complain about the over-saturation of the market, as it has saved me a boatload of money over the past several years!

[gabberjawa]

Darn right they are

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/6420/zrogdisplay1borderxx0.jpg

[Asura]

The Weta pieces are more popular than the SS pieces, and they even have way lower ES. But then again, the prices are much higher with SS LOTR pieces.

What is priceless, though, is this line's direct connection to the moviemaking process, and the unparalleled artistry of the pieces. They're just more than collectibles made by a collectible company for the collectors' market. Many of them display characters, creatures and environments in the way their designers themselves envisioned them, and the love and creativity just shines through.

Thats what made Weta and the LOTR line so special.

[choopie]

The WETA pieces are what got me out of plastic toys and into higher end pieces, like statues. I certainly have less now than I did two years ago...at one point I had over 100 pieces, but now I only have the complete medallions and 12 statues. But what I have, to me, best represents my favorite characters from all three movies.

The more new LOTR items get released, the more I enjoy my WETA collection. I don't care whether or not they rise or fall in monetary value. What matters to me is that they have sentimental value. They are a reminder of a literary work I'm passionate about and of a phenomenal series of movies. Times change, and you move on to other things. But it's nice to know that I continue to hold on to something that started this collecting madness. :D

[Beren]

Which is exactly what I said in an earlier posting. Once SS scrapped the 2000-3000 edition and started those TBD editions they created an artifical market that wasn't based so much on demand, but rather on speculation.
I too can't complain about the over-saturation of the market, as it has saved me a boatload of money over the past several years!

Saving by spending, eh? :rotfl :D

Now I usually wait for an edition size to be determined and then judge whether to get on a wait list (quickly). By now it seems, anything over 1000 pieces and I can get it on eBay for cheaper. Morgul Lord bust has edition size of 600 though (is it 800 now, or what?), retail $260, I got it for $160!

Beren

[Fubeca]

O yeah! Precious, Precious, Precious!!! http://www.overyourhead.co.uk/images/misc/gollum.jpg

[Bannister]

O yeah! Precious, Precious, Precious!!! http://www.overyourhead.co.uk/images/misc/gollum.jpg
:gollum: :gollum: :gollum: :gollum: :gollum:

[FlyAndFight]

I actually collect quite a diverse number of lines but there's only one SS/Weta "Lord of the Rings" line. I think that with the exception of the Bowen line, there has yet to be a comparable collectible line as diverse and as original.

I will go out on a limb and say that a number of LOTR collectors that have moved on have been searching for the same "thrill" or "excitement" that the SS/Weta line brought over those years and they may have yet to achieve it.

So keep dumping them and I'll keep picking them up at bargain prices... ;)

[Amanaman]

ALL collectibles will inevitably tank in value, once there aren't any people left to keep the bubble alive. If they're precious to you, this shouldn't bother you. :)

[spaceman]

Hi, Spaceman! :wave

I keep track of my SS/W collection via ToyTracker, more out of curiosity than anything, and no, I haven't noticed any significant decreases in value. Sure, some items peaked a while ago, but it's not like any one of them is worthless.


Hey Seretur :peace

Good comments in the rest of your post. I agree with almost all posted above by others (RoboDad, etc.) as well.

We have seen a decline from the absolute peak highs on some of the marquis pieces (25%-45% or so), but by no means has the bottom fallen out. The posts in this thread alone are some minor evidence of how many are in this product line for the long haul. That's good for value, and collectibility. I have no intention of selling my collection, but I do enjoy knowing that others also appreciate and enjoy the same things I do, as expressed by the price they would be willing to pay. That's the same reason the chat boards are popular I think - we get to spend a little time with fellow appreciators of the hobby. It's also good to feel like you "got a good deal", back when you got in on the ground floor, and that if you *had* to sell, you could liquidate some cash efficiently. Even beneath the level of the "big three", there are some real artistic treasures, and rareties that will never be reproduced exactly, and will surely maintain a premium. Sam and Bill, the Moria Archer and RWOS come to mind.

Of course, the later high edition products are less "valuable", but they are among the most ambitious and beautiful of the entire line as well. And they are all ending up in some collector's hands finally, at a good bargain. If a larger number of people can now afford the brilliant Sauron or Gandalf on Shadowfax, or Morgul Lord, then that's nothing but good as well. Good for the hobby overall, and good for them. My Dad's film room collection consists of the just the latter set of three hero/rider statues. It was affordable, and is simply beautiful. :)

[Bannister]

One statue that I will always love is my Ringwraith on Steed. That statue is just perfect.:nazgul :nazgul :nazgul :nazgul :nazgul

[woodsy]

The Weta pieces are more popular than the SS pieces, and they even have way lower ES. But then again, the prices are much higher with SS LOTR pieces.





Yes, the Weta pieces are much more popular, but is it a fair comparison?

Those of us who have been collecting since the beginning know there was a time when the Weta statues were not that popular. Many of my initial purchases weren't made until a year or so after the statues were released. I got my Frodo and Merry for $60 apiece, Aragorn and Moria Orc swordsman for $80 apiece and Bill and Sam for $90. and so on...
Then the market began to explode, obviously as a result of the success of the movies. People started going crazy over anything LOTR related. Weta's success came mainly when LOTR was the "flavor of the month". As we all know, this is no longer the case...most people [with the exception of the diehards] have moved on to other things. This is neither good nor bad, it's just human nature.
SS is also hindered by the fact the market became completely over-saturated during the last two years of the SS/Weta partnership,and nothing kills a market faster than over-saturation.
Let's not forget SS has barely begun producing LOTR products on their own. With only two PF and legendary busts, and one diorama available, is it really fair to compare the two companies at this time?

[RoboDad]

With only two PF and legendary busts, and one diorama available, is it really fair to compare the two companies at this time?
This is a very important point. Sideshow has produced a total of six pieces so far, and only three more have been announced.

I suspect that many of the Sideshow collectors (rather than LOTR collectors) are being more tentative with these new lines, in part because they have been so sparsely announced, but also because of the bad taste that the end of the SSW partnership left in their collective mouths. Time will tell whether this changes, or whether Sideshow ends up abandoning the LOTR collectible market altogether (which would be sadly ironic, since the SSW partnership is really what put them "on the map").

[gtb]

Me too - my sentiments exactly. Haven't sold a single piece that was purchased with intention to keep, and I don't plan to. I'd still love to pick up a Witchking in trueform someday. Also, maybe a Bilbo and Frodo.

Its quite affordable now (relative to 2 years ago... that is)

[Seretur]

I totally need to get a few more... and thankfully, those are getting more affordable. Still 2-3 times over the SRP, but bearable, yes!

[gtb]

First of all, I must that every word of yours speak so much of how I felt about my collection. For me, I am so impressed with Weta work on LOTR that I have actually spend (quite) a fortune to complete their one and only other collaboration with SS - The Muppets! [P.S. http://www.torcs.sg/forums/index.php?topic=694.msg11479#msg11479]

I believe many of us have felt that they are cartoons, but they are really good and I paid tribute to all those favourite sculptors of mine who had so painstakingly bring about the busts in movie collectibles. These are especially true of the FOTR pieces.. Dwarven Lord bust, Gandalf the Grey bust. Collectors who have these pieces in white boxes, check the paint job again.. its really unbelievable!

I'm wondering, with the hype of the movies far behind us, how do you feel about your Weta statues now? Do they still have the same value for you, emotionally and financially? Do you still marvel at them, from time to time?

Of course!!

Are you still waiting on a opportunity to buy that one Weta piece you could never lay your hands on?

There is this one piece which is far above my budget... somehow I felt that it is a like a life quest..:D


Nearly all of my Weta pieces are still in their boxes, since I still haven't thought of a descent way to display them. That makes that I didn't see many of those pieces in person in a long time, even though they are stored away in my apartment. I'm still longing for the day to put them all on display, along with all the other collectibles I have. Which reminds me, I need a bigger house if I want to display all of that...

This is also my exact sentiments and situations, though recently I have some of them displayed already. I just wonder if my children will ever appreciate them as well as I do. Should it need to be preserved, it will take at least 3 generations..

I mean, if someone in the Tolkien's family has not been interested in what he wrote, do you think the first manuscript of his FOTR will still be retained? At that time, it is just a piece of scrap paper. Now, it is history. Not that it has any real value, like gold or diamond.. but it is history

Should my descendents no wish to keep them, I will make a will to prevent them from being sold away. It will best be to be donated to a museum who wants to keep them. But with so many collectors around the world, I just wonder how "valuable" my entire collection might mean to anybody.

Its "true" value will always just remind in my heart - as well as my wife.

I believe (correct me if I am not wrong), there are but a few completists out there like myself - Alice? Frodo Eyes?

Perhaps we can share about how we want to display them one day... My idea is to dedicate an entire house to house them...and make a backdrop ... just a themed part (miniature version)...

[LOTRFan]

Since adolescence I had never really "collected" anything, until SSW and I crossed paths. My first Lord of the Rings purchase however wasn't polystone but from United Cutlery. After procuring my Limited Edition (well at the time it was) Anduril I wanted to find something to compliment the display; I just so happened upon an eBay listing for the King Elessar statue. From that moment on, I sloughed off the stigma of being a figurine collector (as if :rolleyes: ) and jumped head first into the SSW line. Now some three plus years later, I have almost the entire line of statues, and truthfully those that I was serious about; and my Weta pieces are still very significant to me. I will be the first to admit, that the newer items in some cases look MUCH better; case in point, the LS Cave Troll bust - what a marvel! But no matter what I do, or what passing whim is moving at the moment, I can't help but keep a tight grip on my Weta collection. Even with my wife, who isn't always exuberant with my newest additions, greatly protests my numerous mullings of which Weta pieces I could live without. In fact, she might just leave me dare I ever part with Sam and Bill.


I do wish however, that Sideshow wouldn't continue to cover marked ground. For my part, the lukewarm reception that many of these latest offerings have received is due to the redundancy of character choice. This may in part be a licensor decision, I can accept that. I just know that there is a good amount of collectors waiting to get our favorites heros and villains in new formats; and Gollum, Frodo, Sauron etc, seem overdone.

[The Josh]

Good Stuff Matt! I agree these took me from collecting one way to another. However, I don't want SS in their PF and 1:6 line to wait or not do Frodo, Aragorn, etc. just because they've been done before.

[LOTRFan]

Good Stuff Matt! I agree these took me from collecting one way to another. However, I don't want SS in their PF and 1:6 line to wait or not do Frodo, Aragorn, etc. just because they've been done before.

Well I didn't say anything about :gandalf or :aragorn

[The Josh]

Well I didn't say anything about :gandalf or :aragorn

:lol I know. Just using them as an example. :)

[sanpedromanrique]

I absolutely love the pieces I have and I´m n to thinking about selling them so I don´t care about if their prices are going up or down. However the natural thing is that they increase over time.

[Seretur]

I'm a completist, only not of the Statue line. I have all the minibeasts, all the environments except the Trolls, and all the helms except the priciest two.

Statues -- and I do have a few -- tend to run into actor likeness issues, and that was probably Weta's weakest point. I like them for the insight into the character design they offer, much like the busts (and I have quite a bit of those).

Let's not forget the crossover into fine art that the medallions and plaques offered. Nobody seems to be doing that anymore, and it was a very valiant thing to do!

Also, my ToyTracker total value increased for around $40 since yesterday. Neat! :D

[gtb]

I'm a completist, only not of the Statue line. I have all the minibeasts, all the environments except the Trolls, and all the helms except the priciest two.

Statues -- and I do have a few -- tend to run into actor likeness issues, and that was probably Weta's weakest point. I like them for the insight into the character design they offer, much like the busts (and I have quite a bit of those).

Let's not forget the crossover into fine art that the medallions and plaques offered. Nobody seems to be doing that anymore, and it was a very valiant thing to do!

Also, my ToyTracker total value increased for around $40 since yesterday. Neat! :D


Yes.... the fine art pieces are goo.... seemed like only Weta are doing these in the market....

some of the medallions are very pricey now..

[Seretur]

Yep, so pricey that I think I'll be satisfied with just a few, in the end.

[gtb]

Yep, so pricey that I think I'll be satisfied with just a few, in the end.


Tell me about it, I started late too.. in fact just those time, when the prices reach sky high.... i think i could saved about 4-5k if i were to start now.... but will be missing pieces like MOS, MOA, UHSS etc...

[kierbaudy]

Fritz, your tribute shelf looks great, everything fits together in terms of arrangement and color, really like it and it is immediately recognizable as a LOTR shelf.

Is it disappointing that a loved hobby isn't worth more than it is, yup! But, it is a special feeling to remember how hard it is to get those pieces, both financially and going through ebay. It's hard to tell whether the collection will keep its value down the road because at no time are more and more companies making so many statues. I'm getting tired and have cut down a lot and have become very picky. Everything looks good these days. The older stuff with very limited editions will likely keep some value, probably not as much as the speculative hey day. That's true in any speculative situation. Anyway, looking for the slow climb, that is the mark of a true collectible. Quiet value.

[scriff]

I still love all my weta pieces!

Rock on weta!

Scriff

[FlyAndFight]

The SS/Weta pieces have history. That is what adds to their value, for me, anyway.

I got into the line rather late as well but have managed to pick up most of the pieces that I wanted. Sure, there are pieces that have sailed to the "Unbuying Lands" but I'm ok with that.

But for me, it only takes popping in the Gollum DVD to see the special connection that these pieces have with the films, the actors and the artists. No other LOTR line can ever accomplish that again.

My Toytracker says that I'm over $1200 or so in the black. That's just gravy for me.

[Seretur]

Mine has jumped $5 since last night, so I'm at around $1600 in the black. :cool:

[The Josh]

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/9379/untitledcf9.png (http://imageshack.us)

[woodsy]

I'm up about $6000 on my 35 statues and busts. Not taking into consideration all the extra cave trolls, witch-kings, orthanc's, etc... I bought and later sold.
Are my Weta pieces still precious...absolutely, 1]. emotionally, 2]. as valued pieces of art, 3]. financially

[goliath]

My Weta pieces are still precious to me, more than ever! :)

I recently decided I wanted to complete my collection with all the statues there are and have almost achieved this goal with only 5 pieces left in transit and the last one waiting to be picked up in March. :chew


Looking at the new pieces from Sideshow and GG, I must admit that some of them look better than the Weta stuff (Lurtz PF, GG Strider bust fro example), but they will never mean the same to me.

They were made by people not involved in the making of the movies and (in GG's case) the likeness is only better through the use of digital scanning technology rather than artistic skills of sculptors (of course, the sculptors did their job as well).

First and foremost, I am a fan of LOTR and not a collector of anything.

When I started my collection, I was more interested in them as a financial investment (which they were to a lot of people at that time, it seems) than in their art and emotional value.

Over time, as I got deeper into the world of Middle-Earth and the stories of JRR Tolkien, they became more and more valuable to me as a representation of Middle-Earth and its inhabitants, and as a tribute to the fantastic movie trilogy.

That is the reason, I guess, that now I started to buy back all the pieces that I sold earlier because their emotional value was less than their financial value at the time.


(now the only problem I have will be the one finding room for everything to display... :o )

[carbo-fation]

All of my weta pieces are very precious to me! Of all my collection, those will be the last things I'd ever sell. I am still missing few pieces but for the most part, all the ones I have are carefully chosen and very dear to me.

[Zoomaround]

I love all of my WETA pieces. Fortunately, I have them all displayed and marvel at them daily. Unfortunately, the line did not continue so we didn't get our fellowship. Hence, I'm now collecting the 12" fellowship. This will be the end of the LOTR collection for me.... I'm now collecting SW PF & 12" figures.

[DonnamiraTook]

Yes, Yes, Yes.

I don't pay much attention to what the market is. I have all of my pieces on display and just love them. I did not buy them for resale, I bought them to look at and appreciate. I don't have room to store boxes and I don't even have mine anymore so its certain that I didn't buy mine for resale.

I still want the original WETA Aragorn. I'd love to see that one drop in price so I could afford it. Its pretty rare even to find one for sale anymore.

Although I like the new pieces coming out and am ordering them, the WETA pieces have the most meaning because of their connection with the films. They are special!!

[goliath]

Unfortunately, the line did not continue so we didn't get our fellowship.

Can you point me to the missing member of the Fellowship? :confused:

http://www.goliath.li/forums/Felloship_02_06.jpg

[woodsy]

Looking at the new pieces from Sideshow and GG, I must admit that some of them look better than the Weta stuff (Lurtz PF, GG Strider bust fro example), but they will never mean the same to me.

They were made by people not involved in the making of the movies and (in GG's case) the likeness is only better through the use of digital scanning technology rather than artistic skills of sculptors (of course, the sculptors did their job as well).



I can't really say I care one way or another as to who made what. It is nice that Weta was involved with the original line of statues, and we certainly saw some spectacular statues from them, but I will take quality and originality over a particular company's involvement every time. If that means the using of digital scanning technology as in the case of GG, then so be it. I want my statue's and bust to look just like the characters in the movies, not sorta or kinda, but as close as possible.

[Gunner73]

My love for my weta collection seems to be as strong now as when I first got them all. I was considering selling a few pieces recently to finance some pre-orders I have (selling my cave troll would cover everything!) but I just cant bring myself to do it, they are just magical and the fact they were sculpted by the people that made the films is the icing on the cake for me, theres not many collectibles you can say that about.

[Zoomaround]

[QUOTE=goliath]Can you point me to the missing member of the Fellowship? :confused:

Opps! Bad choice of words on my part. I was referring to "we" as in my family and I didn't get a chance to purchase the entire fellowship (@ a reasonable price, that is) since we came in late in the game. I had hoped for the continuation of WETA polystone line.

[goliath]

I was referring to "we" as in my family and I didn't get a chance to purchase the entire fellowship (@ a reasonable price, that is) since we came in late in the game. I had hoped for the continuation of WETA polystone line.

Ah, now I understand...;-)

Well, to put you at ease, I wasn't able to get it a reasonable price either - I didn't start my collection until early 2005, when the prices were at their max...:o

[Boba Fett]

I will never part with my SS/Weta pieces, especially the "horse" series. They are all precious to me:

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/9127/collectioncm1.jpg

I just wish I had Ringwraith on Steed to finally complete it. :monkey2

[FlyAndFight]

Beautiful display, Boba Fett!

Even Leia looks good next to the Dark Lord.

[Seretur]

She looks like she's taken up a life of crime.

[Boba Fett]

Yep, she couldn't resist cuddling up to the Dark Lord. :lol

[NASEDO]

The Weta line is a great line, and its becoming harder to find mint statues complete with box. It would be great to see it come back.

[gtb]

The Weta line is a great line, and its becoming harder to find mint statues complete with box. It would be great to see it come back.

You mean there are statues now that are sold without boxes nowadays?

[GrueSam]

There's no way I could part with my collection. I only own pieces that are precious to me...



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/gruesam/LOTR/BestBusts.jpg

[Deadly Dagger]

Never will I part with my lovelys. :monkey1

[Lynxje]

I still care about the pieces like the day I got them (some more then others, because of personal reasons), the fact that the hype seems to have died means nothing to me. If you like a piece, what does it matter that less people seem to care about it, or that it's value is going down?

[woodsy]

I still care about the pieces like the day I got them (some more then others, because of personal reasons), the fact that the hype seems to have died means nothing to me. If you like a piece, what does it matter that less people seem to care about it, or that it's value is going down?

You are right of course. Still, I will admit I like the fact that most are worth more than I paid for them. Very little of what we own, other than real estate, ever actually goes up in value...so it is nice.

[LOTRFan]

At last glance I am about $2000 in the black, that's nice no doubt. :D

[El Roranous]

At last glance I am about $2000 in the black, that's nice no doubt. :D
Forgive my ignorance but does in the black mean in the hole? Like losing money or something else?

[goliath]

Forgive my ignorance but does in the black mean in the hole? Like losing money or something else?

I would assume that:

red = negative (i.e. money/value lost)
black = positive (i.e. money/value gained)

[El Roranous]

I would assume that:

red = negative (i.e. money/value lost)
black = positive (i.e. money/value gained)
Thank you, I have never heard black being used before just red. :o

[Jen]

I don't think I could ever give up my LOTR SS Weta pieces. They are precious to me. I am such a big fan of the books and the movies. I've seen all three movies atleast 100 times and watch it on a regular basis. I never get tired of them and am constantly amazed at how wonderful they are. The same goes for my LOTR pieces. The detail is so superb, that everytime I take one down off it's shelf to admire it, I'm always blown away by their beauty. Their worth could drop down to zero, and it wouldn't change how attached I am to them. Someday my dream is to build my own little hobbit home (I am in love with all the round doors/windows/arched hallways, etc...)and in that home I will have a library will beautiful built in display cabinets where all my pieces will feel right at home. It will be perfect! Now I just need to win that darn lottery! :rotfl

[LOTRFan]

I would assume that:

red = negative (i.e. money/value lost)
black = positive (i.e. money/value gained)

Indeed.

Actually that $2k is only statues, for my whole Weta collection I stand at: +$4.5 :cool:

[Jen]

Gruesam - very nice display! I love the pieces you have.

[woodsy]

Someday my dream is to build my own little hobbit home (I am in love with all the round doors/windows/arched hallways, etc...)and in that home I will have a library will beautiful built in display cabinets where all my pieces will feel right at home. It will be perfect! Now I just need to win that darn lottery! :rotfl

Glad you mentioned the lottery...sounds like you're gonna need to win it!

[The Dwimmerlaik]

My precious forever!!!, this statues, busts, etc de me feel the movie closer to me

[Mudshark]

Hi folks! This is my first post on the Freaks board. I've been a fan of Tolkien's works since the early 70's and got hooked on SSW statues in 2003. I've got a fairly large collection now, including some nice pieces that I would never part with. I basically got them because I love 'em, and they most certainly ARE still precious to me! If they appreciate in value over the years, that wouldn't be a bad thing, but like some others who've posted before me, I just hope to have enough space someday to display and enjoy them all before it's MY turn to sail into the West! I'd take it all with me if I could, but since that's not really an option, I just want to enjoy it as long as I possibly can, and then maybe find another good home for it all before that last ship sails.

[Alice Adrenochrome]

Welcome to the board Mudshark! Didn't you win a price from SSC recently?

[woodsy]

Welcome to the board Mudshark! Didn't you win a price from SSC recently?

I think it was the King of the Dead statue during the ToyFair Mordor Monday contest...if my memory serves me correctly.

[Oxfordian]

My collection is precious to me. I have plenty to be going on with.......

All but 2 of the Helms (if anyone has a legion helm........?)

around 30 of the busts

about 11 statues

8 weapon plaques

3 mini beasts

and one or two other goodies.

I will not sell them.

The PF line is too large, I have Lurtz excl. but will get no more.

The LS busts are too large. Will not get them.

I have the 4 12"ers in exclusive format but find it hard to have any care of them but will continue in this line a little further.

I guess really that the SSW pieces are the only one's that give me the feeling of the books and the films. The helms are small and easily collectible due to their relative low prices. The busts I think will continue to be popular as they are perhaps the best format for display being larger in scale than the stats which are rather large but with smaller detail.

I can see the Helms appreciating most in the long term followed by the busts and the stats will, I think, fall further with a small number of exceptions.

[gtb]

My collection is precious to me. I have plenty to be going on with.......

All but 2 of the Helms (if anyone has a legion helm........?)

around 30 of the busts

about 11 statues

8 weapon plaques

3 mini beasts

and one or two other goodies.

I will not sell them.

The PF line is too large, I have Lurtz excl. but will get no more.

The LS busts are too large. Will not get them.

I have the 4 12"ers in exclusive format but find it hard to have any care of them but will continue in this line a little further.

I guess really that the SSW pieces are the only one's that give me the feeling of the books and the films. The helms are small and easily collectible due to their relative low prices. The busts I think will continue to be popular as they are perhaps the best format for display being larger in scale than the stats which are rather large but with smaller detail.

I can see the Helms appreciating most in the long term followed by the busts and the stats will, I think, fall further with a small number of exceptions.

Some of the medallions are also appreciating much...

[Mudshark]

Welcome to the board Mudshark! Didn't you win a price from SSC recently?

Thanks! As a matter of fact I was the first 'Mouth Off and Win' contest winner of 2007, much to my surprise! The prize was the CSA 1st Virginia Cavalry Trooper exclusive, which was a welcome 14th addition to my Civil War 12" collection. Before now I've been mostly haunting SSC's message boards from time to time.

[naria]

I used to have four, but due to lack of space (and new items), have had to drop down to two. Which may soon be down to one:monkey2

[Mudshark]

I didn't have a computer some years ago, and by the time I discovered SSC's website, there was already a lot going on. I wanted everything, but like many others, I had to make a lot of hard choices and let some things go. Anyway, the current tally of my SSC LOTR collection is this (IF anyone is interested):

* Polystone statues: 28 (Sauron and Ringwraith on Steed probably my favorites)
* Polystone busts: 25 (started late but managed to find many elsewhere)
* Weapon Sets: 10 (my only COMPLETE collection so far!)
* Miniature Helms: 24 (I really wish I had started collecting them SOONER!)
* Premium Format: 2 (got Lurtz exclusive from Wait List!!!)
* DVD statues: 7 (missed out on Minas Morgul & King Elessar's Crown!!!!!)
* 12" Exclusives: 4 (also have some regular editions for customizing purposes)
* Environments: 1
* Wall Plaques: 1
* Bookend Set: 1
* L.S. busts: 1 (Sauron preordered)
* Dioramas: 1 (Frodo/Gollum preordered)

I also collect other LOTR stuff, but that's my basic SSC collection so far. In the words of Isildur, "... it is precious to me." Almost all of it was directly from Sideshow. I've never bought anything off ebay (yet), but as interest cools and the prices of some of these things drop, (and they hopefully become more available), I'll probably start hunting for some of the pieces I really wanted (except for that first Balrog, of course!)

I'd mainly like to have some of the miniature helm's I missed, especially King Elessar's Crown! (Anybody got one they might part with by any chance? Pleeeease???)

[gtb]

I didn't have a computer some years ago, and by the time I discovered SSC's website, there was already a lot going on. I wanted everything, but like many others, I had to make a lot of hard choices and let some things go. Anyway, the current tally of my SSC LOTR collection is this (IF anyone is interested):

* Polystone statues: 28 (Sauron and Ringwraith on Steed probably my favorites)
* Polystone busts: 25 (started late but managed to find many elsewhere)
* Weapon Sets: 10 (my only COMPLETE collection so far!)
* Miniature Helms: 24 (I really wish I had started collecting them SOONER!)
* Premium Format: 2 (got Lurtz exclusive from Wait List!!!)
* DVD statues: 7 (missed out on Minas Morgul & King Elessar's Crown!!!!!)
* 12" Exclusives: 4 (also have some regular editions for customizing purposes)
* Environments: 1
* Wall Plaques: 1
* Bookend Set: 1
* L.S. busts: 1 (Sauron preordered)
* Dioramas: 1 (Frodo/Gollum preordered)

I also collect other LOTR stuff, but that's my basic SSC collection so far. In the words of Isildur, "... it is precious to me." Almost all of it was directly from Sideshow. I've never bought anything off ebay (yet), but as interest cools and the prices of some of these things drop, (and they hopefully become more available), I'll probably start hunting for some of the pieces I really wanted (except for that first Balrog, of course!)

I'd mainly like to have some of the miniature helm's I missed, especially King Elessar's Crown! (Anybody got one they might part with by any chance? Pleeeease???)

Wow, from the way you are writing this... you are soon to get offers to sell you items soon... :cool:

[Gondor59]

They are most definitely precious to me.

[Azog]

What weta pieces I still have are most def. precious to me....

[DannieDarKo]

I gather my WETA pieces around the dinner table and we all say grace.....TOGETHER! :monkey1

[HeraldElrond]

I make sweet sweet love to my weta pieces, down by the fire, while I listen to some Barry White. I then smack my cave troll on the ass and say "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn"

[DannieDarKo]

I make sweet sweet love to my weta pieces, down by the fire, while I listen to some Barry White. I then smack my cave troll on the ass and say "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn"



"Your damn riiiiiiiiiiight!"

http://www.born-today.com/Today/pix/white_barry.jpg

[Vince]

hilarious stuff ..... :rotfl :rotfl :rotfl

[FlyAndFight]

I've been on a little buying splurge recently, picking up a few SS/Weta pieces that I had passed on before. Now with pricing at pretty much it's lowest, I'm taking the plunge on several pieces.

I detail that I really appreciate is the standardization used with the bases. I find the black "column" bases on the busts and helms very classy looking and the simple black bases with the etched map of Middle Earth looks fantastic with the statues.

[Fritz]

...I detail that I really appreciate is the standardization used with the bases. I find the black "column" bases on the busts and helms very classy looking and the simple black bases with the etched map of Middle Earth looks fantastic with the statues.

:rock :rock :rock

[Alice Adrenochrome]

I still fancy a Balrog. But I'd never pay the prices they go by. Not anymore, anyway. I'm not that 'hungry" for it anymore. So, no Balrog for me I guess! Unless the general interest drops over the next few years, and the item becomes less expencive.

[blue_rogue]

I only own a few pieces; Gandalf the Grey, Gandalf on Shadowfax, and Sauron. Unfortunately they're in storage right now, but they are all keepers for me.

I just wish that I could have known that I would end up enjoying LOTR as much as I do, and could have gotten into this stuff sooner. I'd love to have Saruman, Ringwraith on steed and, of course, the Balrog.

[amonhen]

:D My Weta pieces will always be special to me, as they most closely relate to the wonderful story put on to the big screen by PJ.
I have been collecting them for 4 years now, and have only recently been able to display them properly in cabinets in a room totally dedicated to LOTR.
I was lucky enough to move into a house with a spare room...............And then the quest for cabinets, shelves etc started. It's been a long project, still not quite completed, but it has kept me happily busy for many years.
I did collect the pieces for my own enjoyment, and they never fail to thrill me. A lot of my friends enjoy them as well.
I will not part with them ever. It's been hard enough to gather all the pieces I have thus far, and my quest will be ongoing still.:rotfl

[FlyAndFight]

amonhen, we needs the photos of your LOTR Room. Yes.

[carbo-fation]

amonhen, we needs the photos of your LOTR Room. Yes.
I second that! :D

[Alice Adrenochrome]

Just read the Shelob review posted on the SSC site, and asked myself, why I have bought that piece. The most important reason surely is because Frodo's passage through the pass of Cirith Ungol, and his meeting with Shelob is one of my favorite moments in the book. I don't like the base of the piece to much, but the spider itself is very well made. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the item in person for years, since it's somewhere between all the other boxes, waiting for a descent cabinet in a nice space in my place. Wish I had an extra room, just like amonhen!

Let's see some pix, amonhen!!

[The Josh]

I was just messing around with my camera and took this pic of my Cave Troll.

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/8519/img0294ah0.th.jpg (http://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0294ah0.jpg)

[amonhen]

Hi again fellow freaks,
I need some pics too of the collection. I am not quite sure how to go about it, as I have no digicamera, scanner or other necessary tools to do this.
I have never put a pic on the pc fullstop.
Probably will have to call in the help of some friends who have the required equipment and knowhow.
But definitely will try to get this happening asap.
Thanks for your interest.
I myself always like to check out the show your shelves section.
It's great to see how everyone displays their precioussssss.
:D

[Fritz]

I was just messing around with my camera and took this pic of my Cave Troll...

You suck! :moon

Of all the pieces I had to get rid of, this is truly the only one I miss. In reality I miss all of them but I feel empty without Cavey.

[LOTRFan]

You suck! :moon

Of all the pieces I had to get rid of, this is truly the only one I miss. In reality I miss all of them but I feel empty without Cavey.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y270/LOTRFan0324/CaveTroll010.jpg

[Fritz]

I guess you're not aware that posting pics of your johnson is a bannable offense. :nono

[The Josh]

You suck! :moon

Of all the pieces I had to get rid of, this is truly the only one I miss. In reality I miss all of them but I feel empty without Cavey.

Sorry Fritz. :o

I will tell my Cavey tonight that you miss his brother from another mother. :rotfl

[LOTRFan]

I guess you're not aware that posting pics of your johnson is a bannable offense. :nono

Sowwwy. :o