Balrog Maquette

[woodsy]

I'm surprised no one has commented on this Q&A posted yesterday:

Sunday, July 4th, 2010
Q. Will there be another Balrog statue made?

A. Ultimately, inevitably, the answer is yes. When exactly, we can’t say for certain at this time.

I have to assume this refers to the maquette line with their emphasis on producing the "ultimate version" of each character.

I have fired off several questions to SS recently in regard to the restrictions/parameters of the maquette licencing agreement and while they haven't addressed any of them yet, it does appear they will be able to produce characters outside the 1/6 scale or 12" height parameters. Excellent news as far as I'm concerned.

 

[MrStayPuft]

Could be a dio too possibly

 

[woodsy]

Could be a dio too possibly

I thought of that, but the only character the Balrog ever interacts with is GTG. And I just don't see another Gandalf vs the Balrog dio. happening. Nor is a 1/4 scale PF ever going to happen.

 

[The Josh]

I read that and was quite excited. I will buy this for sure especially if the pose really shows off the Balrog. I would expect the price to be around $300.

 

[Blu Falcon]

One can never have too many Balrogs.

If Sideshow made a Balrog to face GTG maquette I'm sure I'd be all over it without question. It would definitely make up for the lackluster Balrog dio. I'd like to see the Balrog with fire sword drawn, posed ready to strike.

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[The Josh]

I agree. Never enough Balrogs.

 

[FrodoEyes]

So SS are looking to outdo Weta in the 'ultimate version' of the balrog are they?

I read that and was quite excited. I will buy this for sure especially if the pose really shows off the Balrog. I would expect the price to be around $300.

Wo wo wo!!! Over on the Shadow and Flame, you asked why people were expecting SSW prices for the new maquettes, saying that over time obviously the price would go up. The SSW balrog statue was $300, so why would it cost the same now as back then, but Aragorn doesn't?

 

[The Josh]

So SS are looking to outdo Weta in the 'ultimate version' of the balrog are they?

Nah, Like I've said before its not a contest. Don't think SS is trying to that at all. Trying to make the best they can yes.

Wo wo wo!!! Over on the Shadow and Flame, you asked why people were expecting SSW prices for the new maquettes, saying that over time obviously the price would go up. The SSW balrog statue was $300, so why would it cost the same now as back then, but Aragorn doesn't?

I'm saying around $300. Not that it will be $300. You want my solid guess? I'd say $350 when it gets done maybe $325. If it is $300 lets say my guess is because the size of the SSW piece is really as big as they can go with it. Similar to the Dio size.

 

[FrodoEyes]

Yeah, i guess it depends on how big it is. I'd like to see it with the sword this time. That way, it's different to the SSW piece and offers the collector something different.

hey, the sword will probably be the exclusive!!

 

[The Josh]

Of course. The bigger the piece and the more it weighs that changes things. Aragorn is 3" bigger and weighs 5lbs more than the SSW version. So its stuff like that plays into it as well.

 

[Valarauko]

I wonder how large a 1/6 Balrog would be?

 

[Seaward]

I would guess a maquette style Balrog statue to be about 2 - 21/2 feet tall to be in scale, depending on how upright the pose might be. The wings would be ridiculously huge too. It'll be nice to see a full SS Balrog sculpture, though, as the dio has a bit of a weird pose for me!

 

[The Josh]

Most likely they won't go bigger than the SSW Original Rog.

 

[woodsy]

So SS are looking to outdo Weta in the 'ultimate version' of the balrog are they?

Why not, they're 2-0 so far. Watching SS destroy Weta kinda reminds me of watching my Germans destroy England last week in the World Cup. Sure I got a perverse joy in watching England get trounced, but I actually started to feel sorry for them near the end...OK, I'm lying

Wo wo wo!!! Over on the Shadow and Flame, you asked why people were expecting SSW prices for the new maquettes, saying that over time obviously the price would go up. The SSW balrog statue was $300, so why would it cost the same now as back then, but Aragorn doesn't?

If SS's "ultimate version" of the Balrog is made the way it should be made, namely larger than a cave troll , I think we're looking at a $450 statue.

 

[Radagaster]

Such hostility against Weta . . . what's the source of your frustration woodsy?

 

[woodsy]

Such hostility against Weta . . . what's the source of your frustration woodsy?

I have a bias against inferior quality art.

 

[Radagaster]

For the record, I consider all Weta statues as maquettes. The fact that they get some of them to resemble the actors they portray is icing. Still . . . I enjoy both manufacturers.

 

[DaveMac]

Still not tempted by anything announced in this new line given these characters are all available in this format from the early days. Granted, a different pose can be a factor, but if the point of this range is to try and pick up where WETA left off, then new characters are needed and another Rog at this stage will keep me away

 

[The Josh]

Still not tempted by anything announced in this new line given these characters are all available in this format from the early days. Granted, a different pose can be a factor, but if the point of this range is to try and pick up where WETA left off, then new characters are needed and another Rog at this stage will keep me away

I don't think thats the point of the line. I think its supposed to be their take and something you can mix in with those pieces.

 

[FrodoEyes]

Why not, they're 2-0 so far. Watching SS destroy Weta kinda reminds me of watching my Germans destroy England last week in the World Cup. Sure I got a perverse joy in watching England get trounced, but I actually started to feel sorry for them near the end...OK, I'm lying



If SS's "ultimate version" of the Balrog is made the way it should be made, namely larger than a cave troll , I think we're looking at a $450 statue.

For god sake, shut up Woodsy!! Why the constant Weta-bashing? Inferior art? In that case you must despise a lot of Sideshow's offerings. We get what you think, stop beating a dead horse.

For the record, Sideshow have had more dub collectibles than Weta ever did. I don't think your continuous, unneccessary, non-related to the subject we're talking about, deregotory remarks are what we as collectors come on here to read. It's only collectibles man!! It's not the end of the world.