I've held off commenting on this thread from the beginning when Buckeye first started it, because I am not addicted to Polystone (more on that later).
But congratulations (or condolences?) to Buckeye and Strider's Heir on taking the plunge .... there are such fantastic statues out there. May your credit card limit be ever boundless.
My initial desire for polystone grabbed me when I saw another forum member's diorama of Eowyn facing the Morgul Lord. I had seen the statues separately, but never thought how they could be paired in a display. It is such a pivotal scene (in both book and movie) that I had to have it.
I decided to selectively purchase polystone figures if they could be displayed as a diorama from a scene
in the book. For example, when Kyle made Galadriel's mirror I bought Galadriel.
If the scene were in the movie as well, so much the better.
Concerning environments: if the environment was close enough, or impressively beyond, as I imagined it in the book (which I read prior to seeing the movies) I bought it. So I have Pre-ruin Orthanc and Rivendell.
(My Holy Grail is the Argonath, which I doubt of ever seeing this side of eternity.)
There are many more figures and environments that are iconic or in pivotal scenes , but space is at a premium so I ...must ...resist .... the blessing and curse of the "Pull of Polystone".
My antidote, which is more like a vaccine because I have to get dosed regularly, about every three months is..... hypnosis
.