Anyone else concerned...??

[crazytrain]

Is it just me, or is the SS LotR "line" in danger of sinking without a trace??

PF GtW total ES is 1000 so its pretty obvious the regular edition has not sold well. Frodo and Lurtz still not sold out either.

The Balrog LS bust is getting decidedly mixed responses (justifiably so, IMHO, as there is something not quite right about it and for $400 its should be perfect). A very easy pass for me (and it appears several other die hard fans who I thought would snap this up).

Not much happening in the 12" line, apart from the, no doubt, interminable wait for Sam and Frodo.

Don't wish to come across as all doom and gloom but I'm distinctly worried that there might not be much more to come.

Discuss......

 

[creature4000]

obviously you missed the "Is the LOTR Line Dead" thread!

This is wht they need to finish the 12" Fellowship first!!!!
bring on Merry Pippin Gimli and Gandalf the Grey!!!

The Balrog is awesome... I think it's just too expensive for most people which in turn puts a bad taste in your mouth when reviewing it. If it were $100 cheaper I'd be all over this thing!!! :chew:chew

 

[hoodonit00]

Honestly? I hate to say it but I think its about done. I think we'll maybe see the fellowship but not much more. Way to long between announcements, way to long between shipment of new figs, I dont even look forward to reading the newsletter anymore.

I know people from SST keep saying it's not done, but I remember the same things being said by 21st Century Toys. I was reading some of the archived Ministry Of Information. One guy asked about making Hoth figures from Star Wars, and the SST representative said they would definately be designing figs from there. On a separate question someone asked about the hobbit bodies and making Gimli, and this is what was posted. "Gimli is a particularly challenging figure, but one that our design team is looking into. The creative team is really determined to get the entire Fellowship represented." Doesnt quite seem like a completely positive statement to me. I hope I am wrong, I really do.

 

[pixletwin]

Meh. We'll get a hobbit soon enough and the cash cow will rouse.

I have no worries. :cool

 

[Darth Caedus]

This is wht they need to finish the 12" Fellowship first!!!!
bring on Merry Pippin Gimli and Gandalf the Grey!!!

 

[galactiboy]

They don't sell as well as SW, but they still do okay.

But even at this point the SW figures are getting smaller edition sizes. Leia and Old Ben are only 5000 regular whereas Han was 8000.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

They don't sell as well as SW, but they still do okay.

But even at this point the SW figures are getting smaller edition sizes. Leia and Old Ben are only 5000 regular whereas Han was 8000.

They probably would sell as well as Star Wars if there weren't so many missteps. Aragon's dramatic loss of quality from proto to production, making the elven cloaks exclusive (huge mistake that assured the regular versions would linger at retailers), crappy paint on Faramir.

 

[superdoug]

How do the edition sizes compare with the sizes of other 12" lines besides Star Wars?

 

[Adoptedscot]

Yeah, this is what happened when the SSW pieces were drying out and eventually stopped.Then they parted ways and people thought this may be the end of the line for LOTR Collectables forever.
Sideshow then continued through various lines, PF's,12", LSB's and Diorama's. Although that seems like a lot, its not really considering the time its taking for these pieces to be announced, then eventually released.

There is so much wasted potential with all these formats in place.I dunno, maybe they are winding down. I'm only really interested in the Dio line anyway but it will be a shame if they stop producing LOTR completely.

Hopefully as Pix mentioned there will be renewed interest in this line once the Hobbit is made. Fingers crossed anyway
x

 

[Shai]

Nope,not concerned.

 

[Adoptedscot]

Nope,not concerned.

Spoken as only the Great Worm could
x

 

[woodsy]

The LS busts have been terrific in quality, and seem to be doing very well. The diorama's have great potential, esp. with the eagle vs fell beast on the horizon, so I don't see these lines in trouble at all.

There seems to be alot of QC complaints concerning the 12" line [which I don't collect, and never will] and the PF line has been going downhill ever since Lurtz [which is stunning]. I can see these two lines being in big trouble in the not so distant future if SS doesn't turn things around. Especially when it seems like these two lines are probably the costliest to produce [in relation to profit].

LOTR is no longer the 'top dog", not even close so perhaps it is time for SS to rethink their position. I for one would much prefer SS to concentrate on two or three lines and scrap one or two altoghter. This would simply be a case of choosing quality over quantity, as I believe SS is currently spreading itself too thin where LOTR is concerned.

Some seem to think perhaps "The Hobbit" will revive some of the interest LOTR has lost, but keep in mind we aren't going to see this movie for at least 3-4 years [and that's a best case scenario] and even when it does come, there will be a whole new line of SS [and dare I say Weta] products to focus our attention on, so it may help a bit, but as to how much that's anyone's guess.
The real question is....How long can SS sustain interest in four LOTR lines? I don't think there's any way all four will still be around, if and when we ever see "The Hobbit".

 

[matt82]

this does worry me a little with respect to the value of the items i already have, it would be ashame for these lines to become less and less popular because there are some fantastic items being produced and already produced....so let hope they are around for a long long time

 

[JSA]

I'm not concerned, but I do think that a baddie or beasty is needed at this
point to inject some much-needed spark into the line. GtW didn't do anything
for me personally, because it is just a bit off in likeness. Lurtz is still the best,
and another Orc or Uruk or bad guy is what will get my interest up again.

JS

 

[Adoptedscot]

I'm not concerned, but I do think that a baddie or beasty is needed at this
point to inject some much-needed spark into the line. GtW didn't do anything
for me personally, because it is just a bit off in likeness. Lurtz is still the best,
and another Orc or Uruk or bad guy is what will get my interest up again.

JS

Totally agree, and I dont even collect bad guys/beasties but Lurtz is by far the best in the PF line so far imo. Everyone was so looking forward to that one coming out, the look and quality seemend flawless.
They need that spark back, then maybe people will buy again
x

 

[carbo-fation]

I am not concerned. Once sideshow announces another main character for each line such GtG or Saruman, people will start buying more. And for now, the LSB and dioramas are doing pretty well so far.

 

[The Josh]

Nope,not concerned.

Yeah, me either.

 

[Rook]

Nope,not concerned.

Word.

Seriously, though, the only thing to be concerned about is the Premium Format line. In all fairness, though, it's tough to follow up a homerun like Lurtz. Frodo was admirable, but suffered from the typical hasty paint applications on eyebrows and (as I recall) lips. I don't know what happened with that Gandalf the White, though. With that huge beard and goofy tai chi pose, he's almost like a cartoonish caricature of the character.

I'm not sure what goes into the decision-making process at a company like Sideshow, but some serious thought needs to go into what poses are selected. This is evident in the GtW PF. Choosing this "action" pose is a direct contradiction to the character. Having just watched ROTK last night, I can attest that he has some wicked moves in a fight. But he spent most of these films in a state of reflection, thoughtful and vigilant. Choosing a fluid pose over one of static composure has taken something away from the piece. It's too late to do anything about this one, but I hope they are more careful in their choices in the future.

As for the 12" line ...

I'll be the first to tell Sideshow, "Light a fire under some factory foreman's butt." The paint application on too many 12" figures has suffered too many hiccups. The only way to change a situation like this is to pull the plug. Don't reward bad behavior with a continuing contract. Sideshow should get out from their deal with the offending factory and go somewhere else. The world doesn't lack for quality artisans. Need proof? Look to their competitors at Weta Collectibles. There has not been a single piece from their collectibles line to suffer from bad paint. Hunt down Weta's people and give them the business.

And in regards to the future of the 12" line...

There are so many possibilities. So many. And I'm talking well beyond the Fellowship. Collectors of the SS/W line never got a helmed version of Theoden, or any version of Eomer to speak of. The costumes of Eowyn and Galadriel and Arwen beg Sideshow's costume department to prove what they can do.

The Armies of Star Wars line has proven to be a success out of the gate with the Rebel Commandos trio. The same strategy would work with LOTR. How about a 3-pack of Gondorians: Soldier, Citadel Guard, and Fountain Guard, to match the GHC? The Army of the Rohirrim is rife with a variety of armor styles. Let's see a trio of them. Or how about a Allies of Sauron grouping: One each of Haradrim, Easterling, and Corsair? Keep 'em coming!

Certain pieces we haven't seen yet, such as any orc whatsoever, might be delayed by research. We already know that Sideshow's working with Hot Toys to develop a 9-inch body. Why can't they develop a similar body to be used for orcs, so that the unsightly joints might be hidden? The ankle joints on Frodo and Sam were enough to give me the shivers. Isn't it possible that Sideshow's trying to develop a means of doing away with this drawback?

The possible reasons for announcement delays are plentiful, and even the least of them, to me, is more acceptable then rushing to release a figure that is half-arsed in appearance. The "Chicken Littles" on this board would do well to remember that before prematurely announcing, "My line has ended!"

 

[superdoug]

Well spoken on the 12" line. I really agree with you on the fact that there are just so many possibilities for figures with this line. Even if they put off orcs for a long time there are still so many figures out there that can use the existing body for.

 

[NASEDO]

I have no interest any of the new SS LOTR stuff, I jumped to GG and collect their animated line, and their bust line, a nice add-on to the Weta line, but SSW is the way to go.