Got a problem with size, do ya?

[B Electronic]

Just a small observation I've made after a year or so on this forum. Every time people dont seem to like a piece, it has something to do with size. The bigger, the better it seems. All thanks to SideShow for making a big Balrog and a big Cave Troll. The Fell Beast wasnt good enough for anyone, because it was small scaled, while I can assure you that the piece is stunningly detailed. Minas Tirith was too small for everyone's liking, as did its companion Minas Morgul. Orthanc has had the same complaints, as do the upcoming Weathertop and Bucklebury Ferry. And now its the Mumak who's under fire.

Now my question is: WHY??

What is wrong with having it in a smaller scale? I've seen the daddy Balrog myself and I was not at all impressed with it. Neither was I impressed by the Predator 1:1 bust. In fact, that one is far too big even though the details look great.

Anyway, I'd like to hear why people only seem to prefer big items.

....so go ahead and inform me already! :lecture

[HeraldElrond]

Bad eyesight


:hat

[cherno]

Big price should equal big piece IMO.

Remember when you spent $300 on a balrog that was huge, or a RWOS, or even recently the GOSF?

I think that is the greater part of the thorn that people have in their side.

[TheWitchKing]

:explode

[elwood49]

Big price should equal big piece IMO.

Exactly. Why do you think so many people are disappointed when they pay big bucks for a WK crown or Orthanc? Basically, the only pieces I could see myself paying a high amount for are the big ones that originally retailed for $300.

[tomandshell]

I thought Weta's Kong vs. T-Rex statue was too BIG! I only have room to display a very few extra large items, so I always appreciate the ones that are smaller or medium in size. When I saw the mumak in San Diego, it did seem a little smaller than I expected, but I liked the pose more than before. It really seems to be in motion, captured in the middle of its fall. If I put this out with the Attack Troll and Baby Balrog, it would be the main attraction in my creature display. I am also happy with the edition size. (I think that is an area where we all like it small...) I also wonder if the timing has contributed to turning people off...many are comparing this piece to the others that they now KNOW will never come, and the end of the line in July rather than December has left a bad taste in their mouth. Plus, no, he doesn't seem huge for those expecting that. I still like him, though!

[Gabberjawa]

I've seen the daddy Balrog myself and I was not at all impressed with it

Are you more impressed by the 'baby' Rog?

[CaptainCaveTroll]

Big is beautiful with the exception of the midrift!

'The best things come in small package' is something made up by small people or anyone who has just bought a cheap present.

The bigger, the better is true 99 times out of 100.

[BSHERRIS]

IMHO, size is really not the issue.

Appropriate "perceived" SCALE is the issue. Let me explain...

When you watch the LOTR movies, it is easy to comprehend and compare the relative sizes of say...a dwarf, to a human, to a beast.

When you are collecting statues, your perception of size is based upon the pieces that you are displaying on a given shelf or cabinet. In other words, it is strange to display the Mines of Moria next to a figure of Aragorn or even a Balrog. The scale is just plain funky.

Most large LOTR displays I've seen have figures in one area, environments in another area, and creatures in another area.

Sideshow had the concept of scale reasonably correct early on when they made the first Balrog, Cave Troll, and Witch King statues perceivably larger than say, Frodo, Bilbo, etc...

Where Sideshow went awry scale-wise started with the Fell Beast. This should have been the done in the same scale as the above two beasties. Instead, they appear to have cut the size by 50%, thereby making it difficult to display the Fell Beast either with the creatures or the figures. Same holds true for the second Balrog (which I have to display alongside the Fell Beast). Additionally, the upcoming Cave Troll appears also to be in the scale of the Fell Beast statue.

I don't know what the exact thinking was at Sideshow that caused them to cut the size of their "beast/creature" pieces, but it definitely screwed up people's displays, and I personally wish they had remained true to the scale of their original creature releases.

B.

[WetaWork]

BSHERRIS,

:clap - my thoughts exactly.

[jlcmsu]

I could give a @#%$ less about size really. If its big great if not great! I care about how detailed the piece looks and how cool the piece looks. I know others are different but thats just me.

[Viking28]

I don't know what the exact thinking was at Sideshow that caused them to cut the size of their "beast/creature" pieces, but it definitely screwed up people's displays, and I personally wish they had remained true to the scale of their original creature releases.

It was answered in the chat, they didnt want to many high priced items coming out at once. So they scaled back kept the price down.

[Lookin4Precious]

While I wanted a BIG Battle Troll and a BIG Mumak, but am keeping both because both look like extremely well sculpted and detailed pieces. As long as the statue looks good, I don't think the size matters. I think the $300 Mumak is warranted as it is extremely detailed and not tiny.

A statue where size IS an issue is the Fell Beast. For me, this is WAY too small and the ML looks AWFUL. I really want a Fell Beast but can't get over how disappointing this one is. And YES, i've seen it in person...

[RickDTM]

Gotta go w/ BSherris on this one...the perceived scale is the thing for me. The Cave Troll, Balrog - big in the movie, big as a statue. Fell Beast and the rest of the creatures- big in the movie, small as a statue. I will still keep what I have, but as many others would have "liked" to have had Faramir, I would have "liked" to have had larger scale creatures.

[Dark Enemy of Middle Earth]

The only problem I have with size is the enormity of my next credit card bills following SS shipments over the next few months.

[FlyAndFight]

I posted a similar answer in another thread in another forum...

It's the perceived scale that many of us are after. In many cases, particularly with creatures, if they were impressively large in the film, we expected them to be equally impressive as a large collectible.

A troll, fellbeast and mumak were all breath-takingly large on film and to see them in a "too small" scale, particularly within a series, really is disappointing. I'm not saying to have them all in scale to each other, but to impress one in size as it's 1/1 version did on screen. The original Cave Troll set the standard which all of the rest should have followed. And as bluntly stated earlier:

Big price should equal big piece IMO.

I really like the Mumak and Battle Troll and hope to get them but honestly feel that they specifically would have benefitted and would sell better if they had been larger.

Imagine if Sauron would have been done not in 1/6th scale but in 1/12th or smaller. Yeah, still would have been nice but not as impressive.

[TURINS BANE]

I agree, with what BSHERRIS, said. :toast

[gOzum]

Put me in the BSHERRIS boat too! :ar

[VTX]

Got a problem with size
Sooooooooooo,
:rolleyes
Did she say that or you :rolleyes :rolleyes

[Heart Of Stone]

I don't know what the exact thinking was at Sideshow that caused them to cut the size of their "beast/creature" pieces, but it definitely screwed up people's displays, and I personally wish they had remained true to the scale of their original creature releases.


It was answered in the chat, they didnt want to many high priced items coming out at once. So they scaled back kept the price down.




I'm not sure I can believe Sideshows statement at a time when I have 10 statues shipping all at once !

[The Dwimmerlaik]

Prices say all the scale.

[jwWardog]

Agree 100 % HoS. I asked the question in chat and got that answer. I didn't buy it then and I'm not now.

A huge problem with this line over the years has been the months of few products and then all of a sudden everything at once. To say they did it for our cash benefit is a stretch.

I'd say its more likely they felt it would be more profitable for them to make it a mini and charge $175.

I'm getting the mini troll because that what they have but the same sculpture in same scale as CT would have been awesome (and expected to pay accordingly $500?).

I have pretty much everything but Balrog and S Trolls and the first thing anyone who sees my room comments on is the CT. Hell I've got the fell beast boxed up because everytime I looked at I got po'd.

I know some prefer the mini due to display issues but to me give me what I felt in the movie. When I saw the BT crash thru MT gate my first thought was look at huge that thing is. Imagine the terror for gondorian soldiers.

For Mumakil the reason many have a problem with it is that by the time the Mumaks were dying the wow factor was over. The pose reminds you that they actually died pretty easily. Its doesn't remind you of the fear you saw in Theoden's eyes b4 you even saw the Mumakils. Its just a quick moment but you're like what's next they were handling the orcs pretty well why are they stopping. And then you see why and its another holy #$@# moment.

[B Electronic]

Hmmm....I guess the only reason I'm not biased on big statues, is because I dont own any yet. All the creatures I own are small, all the environments I have are small and the rest of it I own isnt big either. I do have a Morgul Lord but its boxed up and I gotta say that I seem the only one who is not exactly awed by it. And as I stated earlier, I've seen the daddy rog and I wasnt impressed with that either. Somehow to me, I guess that big statues are just things that take up too much space.

[HighElven]

Now this may be taken as a smart ass comment but it is serious-

I could give a @#%$ less about size really. If its big great if not great! I care about how detailed the piece looks and how cool the piece looks. I know others are different but thats just me.
Wouldn't a large Fell Beast, or a large Battle Troll 'capture the essence' of the creatures better?
When I look at my Baby Balrog, whilst I really like it, it doesnt really remind me of the large looming darkness of the Balrog. Don't you agree, Josh?

[B Electronic]

Wouldn't a large Fell Beast, or a large Battle Troll 'capture the essence' of the creatures better?
When I look at my Baby Balrog, whilst I really like it, it doesnt really remind me of the large looming darkness of the Balrog. Don't you agree, Josh?

I'm not Josh, but I do have an answer for it. To speak with the words of Josh:
@#%$

The mini Balrog actually reminds me of an artprint from John Howe in which the Balrog is looming from behind the cold mountains, ready to attack Fingolfin. It also reminds me of the battle which Gandalf had in the book with a Balrog who was reduced in power at the top of ZirakZigil.

So basically, the mini Balrog reminds me on alot of scenes.

[Goldberry]

Somehow to me, I guess that big statues are just things that take up too much space. This may be very much a European thing. :dunno

I don't like small statues only because you can't group them properly to build a scene from the film.
The Fellbeast may look fine with busts (haven't tried that yet), but it would look absolutely stupid next to say Eowyn or even Merry (if we had a Gondorian one).
Compare that scene to the Cave Troll vs. say Gimli. That looks tons better even though they're not in scale to each other.

I'm therefore keeping the beasts separately.

[HighElven]

No answer, Josh?

[BSHERRIS]

I have pretty much everything but Balrog and S Trolls and the first thing anyone who sees my room comments on is the CT. Hell I've got the fell beast boxed up because everytime I looked at I got po'd.

Truth of the matter is that "size" provides the "AWE" factor, while scale facilites the ability to properly display related pieces in the same place (ie: the Morgul Lord and Eowyn statues).

B.

[Nessasita]

Size does not matter... it is what you can do with it ;) :p

I really do not care about the size... I look at each different statue as a wonderful piece of art... if I do not like it I do not buy it... small or big.