New to Polystone

1
I always figured that with all of the weapons and other props I wanted that I would just stay away from the polystone part of LOTR collecting. My plans have changed a bit and I have decided to dip my toes in the polystone pool. I don't plan to go "all in" on poly like I have with the weapons and I don't collect the evil character stuff, so that narrows things down considerably.

I took the plunge this weekend and purchased a couple of pieces at reasonable prices. I should have King Elessar, King Theoden, and Eowyn as Dernhelm in hand within a week! Then I'll just have to find room to display them...
Last edited by Buckeye on Sun Jan 18, 2015 11:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: New to Polystone

4
All I can say is that it's a slippery slope once you go down the poly path. I started as just a 1/4 scale bust and helm collector and wound up with a lot of 1/6 statues. Its just as addicting as the props and weapons, maybe even more so. I have tappered off greatly with the Hobbit line, but with more LOTR statues on the way I'm scared.

Re: New to Polystone

5
...and so it beings...muwahahah!!!
Jokes aside, awesome news! I'm not heavy in the poly collectibles myself, but i do find they add a nice character to one's display. Most of the ones i started with were statues i thought were key to my display, or just statues i really loved...but...as N2 stated, "it's a slippery slope" lol. Especially when Ebay hunting for good deals. Please post your thoughts, i've been contemplating about Theoden and Elessar myself :)
"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum!"

Re: New to Polystone

6
Thus was Pandora's Box opened... :evil:

I also started out as "Well, I'll just get one or two iconic characters and then we'll see..." and now I'm easily 20+ 1:6 statues in, about 10 enviros, and still more that I am going to buy. Like N2, I eased off the pedal with the Hobbit line (don't have space for all 13 dwarves!) but with the LOTR line firing up again and so many characters missed the first time around, my head is going to be spinning in no time.

Enjoy your purchases, and I can guarantee that you will fall in love with them. Soon you will want more. One piece of advice on the King Elessar statue: he looks awesome next to Arwen. I had him alone on display for a year, and now that I finally got her, that pair was just meant to be displayed together. :thumbs_up
This Space for Rent

Re: New to Polystone

7
You know, there IS a 12 Step program for people like you all....

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: New to Polystone

8
Hmmm, most of the responses sound the same alarm . . . and with some alarming wording, too. ;)

[quote=""N2darkness""]All I can say is that it's a slippery slope once you go down the poly path. I started as just a 1/4 scale bust and helm collector and wound up with a lot of 1/6 statues. Its just as addicting as the props and weapons, maybe even more so.[/quote]

It sounds like my initial hope of self restraint might become an issue. Up until my weekend purchases the only poly pieces I had were the four Rohan 1/4-scale helms. Aside from possibly the Gondor helms, I have not even beem tempted by any of the other mini-helms.

[quote=""Jash""]...and so it beings...muwahahah!!!
Jokes aside, awesome news! I'm not heavy in the poly collectibles myself, but i do find they add a nice character to one's display. Most of the ones i started with were statues i thought were key to my display, or just statues i really loved...but...as N2 stated, "it's a slippery slope" lol. Especially when Ebay hunting for good deals. [/quote]

I may already be succumbing to some of that, as I have to admit I've been trolling through the Sideshow archives to see what LOTR pieces they have produced over the years. A couple of them are completely drool-worthy . . . but they are also likely wallet breakers. :D

[quote=""Valkrist""]Thus was Pandora's Box opened... :evil:

I also started out as "Well, I'll just get one or two iconic characters and then we'll see..." and now I'm easily 20+ 1:6 statues in, about 10 enviros, and still more that I am going to buy. [/quote]

Starting with two and now having 30+? Yikes. I do hope that the fever will not take me that far down the poly collecting rabbit hole!

[quote=""Valkrist""]Enjoy your purchases, and I can guarantee that you will fall in love with them. Soon you will want more. One piece of advice on the King Elessar statue: he looks awesome next to Arwen. I had him alone on display for a year, and now that I finally got her, that pair was just meant to be displayed together. :thumbs_up [/quote]

I may have to look into that. I have to admit, though, that I have my eye on some other pieces (yes, I made that word plural) first.

Thanks for the good wishes and cautions, everyone! Only time will tell how addicting this new aspect of my collecting will be for me.

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: New to Polystone

9
[quote=""Deimos""]You know, there IS a 12 Step program for people like you all....[/quote]

You can't help someone until they're ready to be helped, and from the sounds of it, I don't think any of us are at that point yet! :laugh:

I actually got into polystone because I discovered a Gil-Galad bust on eBay while I was reading The Silmarillion and I thought it would be awesome to have a "first age hero" in my collection. So, let's get some busts. Let's get all the busts. Let's get some environments. Let's get some statues......

....help me :crazy:


You're gonna have fun though, I love polystone and I love hunting for good deals on, which are easier to come by than good deals on UC products these days. That's the major reason that my focus shifted to polystone in the past three or four years. Unfortunately, I seem to have gotten most of the pieces that have good deals, so now I'm looking at the remaining things I want and wondering how I'll ever pay for them. But that's all part of the fun, isn't it!
"Remember, the force will be with you, always."

Re: New to Polystone

10
This time last year, I still owned every SSW statue plus some busts, helms and all the environments.

I decided to rationalise a bit and sell what I have never displayed (after owning some for 10 years). I have to say some are better than others and some are gobsmacking in hand.

In regards to Arwen and Galadriel. Their dresses especially are amazing. Photographs don't do them justice.

Re: New to Polystone

11
Galadriel is a highly underrated and underpriced statue. I don't regret getting her at all, even before I paired her with the sculpture of her mirror. The paint and flow of her dress makes the mediocre likeness almost irrelevant!
"Remember, the force will be with you, always."

Re: New to Polystone

12
[quote=""Idril""]I decided to rationalise a bit and sell what [SSW statues] I have never displayed (after owning some for 10 years). I have to say some are better than others and some are gobsmacking in hand.[/quote]

When I was going through the Sideshow online archive the piece that left me slack jawed is the statue of Boromir addressing the Gondorian troops . . . the one with him holding the flag. Wow.

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: New to Polystone

13
Buckeye, do be aware that generally when we speak of polystone around here, we are referring to Weta. Now, the early LOTR line was done in collaboration with Sideshow Collectibles, and those are the ones you picked up. We refer to that generation as SSW for SideshowWeta. All the newer Hobbit ones are done strictly by Weta alone. Also, for a time, Sideshow obtained the LOTR license and put out their own line of statues, one of which is the Boromir you are referring to. So, just so there is no confusion among us when we are in "statue-talk", that would be referred to as the SS Boromir, while the earlier one would be SSW Boromir or just Weta Boromir.

Apologies if you already knew all this. :)
This Space for Rent

Re: New to Polystone

14
Tha's great information, Valkrist, and I appreciate it. The poly side of collecting has its own language/shorthand. If I describe something incorrectly its completely unintentional. I just need to pick up the proper lingo.

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: New to Polystone

16
No problem at all. I took it as you intended. I'll do my best to not say cringe-worthy things while I'm getting up to speed. But if I do... please call me on it. Doing so will help my learning curve. :thumbs_up

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: New to Polystone

17
It really is like learning a new language! :P That Boromir, the SS version, was part of the Maquette line, done exclusively by Sideshow a few years ago. They kinda let it die out...because they suck. But that's a personal opinion! :laugh: They do have a new PF coming out though, that being Saruman, so one every three years isn't too shabby is it? :coolsmile
"Remember, the force will be with you, always."

Re: New to Polystone

18
[quote=""Fingolfin""]That Boromir, the SS version, was part of the Maquette line, done exclusively by Sideshow a few years ago. They kinda let it die out...because they suck. But that's a personal opinion! :laugh: [/quote]

Okay, another "I'm new to this part" question . . . what is a Maquette and how is it different from other sculptures? And if you don't mind my asking, why do you dislike them?

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: New to Polystone

19
I had posted over on S&F about thinking of starting to collect the 1:6 Sideshow/Weta / Weta statues. Can someone please tell me which lines to stay away from. And by that I mean which lines are not the 1:6 poly's? For example, there are a few Gandalf the Grey's on eBay that just say Sideshow Weta... Is this a 1:6 statue?

Man....I feel like the new kid at school that wants to hang with all the cool kids and tries to talk to the cool kids about the cool stuff but have no clue what I'm talking about lol

Re: New to Polystone

20
Maquette means that they are designed to include a piece of terrain or building and represent a specific scene in the movie. In the case of Boromir, it is his address to the troops in the ruins of Osgiliath. Typically, the poses tend to be a bit more dynamic than the older SSW line. PF stands for premium format, and denotes a statue that has a removable/alternate part or two, like a hand or head, so you choose how it looks: a different weapon in hand or a bare head instead of a helm, for example.
This Space for Rent

Re: New to Polystone

21
[quote=""Striders_Heir""]I had posted over on S&F about thinking of starting to collect the 1:6 Sideshow/Weta / Weta statues.<snip>

Man....I feel like the new kid at school that wants to hang with all the cool kids and tries to talk to the cool kids about the cool stuff but have no clue what I'm talking about lol[/quote]

I tagged onto your S&F forum post. I hope you don't mind. And we can be the new kids on the playground together. There's lots to learn, but we can do it. :)

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: New to Polystone

22
[quote=""Valkrist""]Maquette means that they are designed to include a piece of terrain or building and represent a specific scene in the movie. In the case of Boromir, it is his address to the troops in the ruins of Osgiliath. Typically, the poses tend to be a bit more dynamic than the older SSW line. PF stands for premium format, and denotes a statue that has a removable/alternate part or two, like a hand or head, so you choose how it looks: a different weapon in hand or a bare head instead of a helm, for example.[/quote]

Your getting close, Maquette is usually a term used in the design phase and has many different aspects of the character, be is pose, costume, weapons, etc. You usually see them in pre-production for movies. The PF line was to have mixed media, polystone, fabric and metal. The switchout item became a Sideshow exclusive thing they did on both statues ans PF.

Re: New to Polystone

23
The SS PFs and Maquettes are generally held in low regard by many collectors, though many are Weta fans that just dislike Sideshow's practices in general. You can find a few threads on S&F that e xp lain this further. Further. Other than that, yeah generally when you see one of these statues for sale, they are 1:6 scale, be it SSW, SS, or W, though Weta also has a smaller line of small statues that are clearly labelled as minis.
This Space for Rent

Re: New to Polystone

24
[quote=""Valkrist""]Maquette means that they are designed to include a piece of terrain or building and represent a specific scene in the movie. In the case of Boromir, it is his address to the troops in the ruins of Osgiliath. Typically, the poses tend to be a bit more dynamic than the older SSW line. PF stands for premium format, and denotes a statue that has a removable/alternate part or two, like a hand or head, so you choose how it looks: a different weapon in hand or a bare head instead of a helm, for example.[/quote]

Thanks very much for the additional info. :)

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: New to Polystone

25
[quote=""Buckeye""]I tagged onto your S&F forum post. I hope you don't mind. And we can be the new kids on the playground together. There's lots to learn, but we can do it. :) [/quote]

Haha, not at all. I was just jealous that you picked up the first statues I was going to buy (the Theoden and Eowyn). I'm looking at some online right now... I just don't want to fall down this slippery slope of collecting..

Re: New to Polystone

26
N2's got it: Maquette typically refers to a preliminary model. They use the term to distinguish it from the old line. They're a lot more dynamic and the overall pieces is bigger. As for scale: Weta mini statues are smaller, but these only include the new "sitting down" pieces. The busts are 1/4, the PF's are 1/4. As far as I know, all other statues are 1/6, unless they'recharacters of gargantuan proportions, like the Balrog, in which case they're just made to a reasonable size because an actual 1/6 would be massive.

Buckeye, I dislike SS because they have stopped listening to their fanbase, they don't communicate well at all, and they single hanbdedly drove the market price for items we collect up to very high prices when they found out that people will pay $550 for a "premium format" of a sitting down Emporer on Throne from Star Wars, or $1000 for Darth Vader. They also refuse to ackowledge their future plans for lines, and aren't very good in the customer service department in general. Weta is just so much more dependable that it's hard to see SS in a positive light lately.
"Remember, the force will be with you, always."

Re: New to Polystone

27
[quote=""Striders_Heir""]Haha, not at all. I was just jealous that you picked up the first statues I was going to buy (the Theoden and Eowyn). I'm looking at some online right now... I just don't want to fall down this slippery slope of collecting..[/quote]

I'd say you have good taste in statues. :) It was a no-brainer for me. My favorite Middle Earth culture is Rohan. Hands down. Theoden and Eowyn simply had to be my first purchases. It kind of ticks me off, though, that they never made an Eomer figure. What were they thinking?!? <harumph>

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: New to Polystone

28
[quote=""Buckeye""]I'd say you have good taste in statues. :) It was a no-brainer for me. My favorite Middle Earth culture is Rohan. Hands down. Theoden and Eowyn simply had to be my first purchases. It kind of ticks me off, though, that they never made an Eomer figure. What were they thinking?!? <harumph>[/quote]

I agree. The Rohirrim were always my favorite "people" from Middle-Earth. I'm sure I'll eventually pull the trigger.

And seriously?? Why does Eomer never get any love??

Re: New to Polystone

29
[quote=""Fingolfin""]Buckeye, I dislike SS because they have stopped listening to their fanbase, they don't communicate well at all, and they single hanbdedly drove the market price for items we collect up to very high prices when they found out that people will pay $550 for a "premium format" of a sitting down Emporer on Throne from Star Wars, or $1000 for Darth Vader. They also refuse to ackowledge their future plans for lines, and aren't very good in the customer service department in general. Weta is just so much more dependable that it's hard to see SS in a positive light lately.[/quote]

Those are all very good reasons to dislike Sideshow. Having pretty much ignored the poly part of collecting up until now, I was completely unaware of all of that. It's good to know.

I've never dealt with Sideshow, but I have first-hand e xp erience (because of my badly damaged Thranduil staff) with Weta's impeccable customer service. Stellar.

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: New to Polystone

30
I think Weta will produce an Eomer soonish. There was a poll Weta asked S&F to do about a year ago when they bought the 1/6th LoTR licence back. What do you want us to make first? Faramir topped the poll and will be out on pre-order soon. But the prologue elf from FotR and Eomer were tied for second. This however did lead to a further discussion of whether the fans would prefer Eomer on Firefoot or not? I believe it was decided 'Yes'

Re: New to Polystone

32
[quote=""Idril""]I think Weta will produce an Eomer soonish. There was a poll Weta asked S&F to do about a year ago when they bought the 1/6th LoTR licence back. What do you want us to make first? Faramir topped the poll and will be out on pre-order soon. But the prologue elf from FotR and Eomer were tied for second. This however did lead to a further discussion of whether the fans would prefer Eomer on Firefoot or not? I believe it was decided 'Yes'[/quote]

That information just made my day! I somehow missed that poll. I'll go check it out tonight.

As for Eomer on Firefoot or not... YES! :D When either is up for pre-order I'll place my order as fast as I can give them my credit card number!

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: New to Polystone

35
What Idril said: Eomer is on the way, sooner or later. :)

Also, thanks N2 and Fin for futher clariification on the Maquettes.

Fin, the new Mini Ringwraith is not a sitting pose, so they are not *all* the same.

SH and Buckeye, another huge factor determining price in the older SSW line is whether it was a Limited Edition or an Open Edition. Easiest way to tell what you have is to look at the bottom of your statue for a # of #, just like with UC LEs. Also, some of the OEs from the early years didn't actually get produced for very long, so they are as rare and pricey as some of the LEs.
This Space for Rent

Re: New to Polystone

38
The mini RIngwraith is OE. The RWoS (RIngwraith on steed is LE 5000). It is the best statue in my opinion. Absolutely perfect. Be wary of artist proof selling out of California especially. They are recasts from China.

If you don't want the horse. The original SSW Witchking is fantastic. LE but 9,500 of them. Also the twilight Witchking is fantastic but e xp ensive. Mostly because after owing it, you won't sell it

Re: New to Polystone

39
RoS from SSW is LE only and it is very e xp ensive nowadays. Unfortunately, it is the most faked statue of them all. Yes, amazing that someone would go so far as faking a polystone collectible. SSW did not put out any other Nazgul statues except for a bust and 1:6 of the Witch-king in both armour and twilight form. Any other Ringwraith statues you see will be from the later SS line. One good way to tell SSW apart from SS is to look at the base. SSW has a plain black base, whereas the SS line is more raised and includes sculpted terrain.
This Space for Rent

Re: New to Polystone

42
Pretty small, probably around half the size of 1:6. Here you see it next to the Wiki, which is 1:6, but the photo doesn't show all of the larger statue and the Wiki is taller than the normal 1:6 statues by a couple of inches because he was a tall character.

Image
This Space for Rent

Re: New to Polystone

44
[quote=""Buckeye""]I'd say you have good taste in statues. :) It was a no-brainer for me. My favorite Middle Earth culture is Rohan. Hands down. Theoden and Eowyn simply had to be my first purchases. It kind of ticks me off, though, that they never made an Eomer figure. What were they thinking?!? <harumph>[/quote]

Yeah, it won't be long now before you get Eomer! While Weta has been really doing their own thing with The Hobbit line, they have stuck pretty closely to the Shadow and Flame polls when it comes to Lord of the Rings stuff. Back when They started with The Argonath, the polls asked for Rivendell, then Bag End, then Barad-Dur. All were delivered. The polls said please bring back the 1/6 statues and start with Faramir, and we got exactly that. They also asked for the Fellowship in mini form and that got made too. So, with things going the way they have and sales being as good as they are, I'd anticipate Eomer being at least talked about this year, if not seeing him at SDCC. Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he's the next Lord of the Rings reveal, especially if (when!) Faramir sells out.

[quote=""Valkrist""]
Fin, the new Mini Ringwraith is not a sitting pose, so they are not *all* the same.[/quote]

This is true, and Gollum is crouching on an outcrop of sorts. If I remember, their first license only allowed them to go up to six inches in height, so that's the reason they're all in similar poses, either sitting or crouched or leaning. :coolsmile
"Remember, the force will be with you, always."

Re: New to Polystone

47
Its mainly space and $$ issues. I am having a hard enough time keeping up with the weapons replicas. I only on one enviro - Pre-Ruin Orthanc. I like the barrel riders, they'd go well with the one I got from the DOS EE box set.. I might limit myself to specific characters and not try and become a completist on those.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Re: New to Polystone

49
[quote=""Jash""]...as N2 stated, "it's a slippery slope" lol. Especially when Ebay hunting for good deals. Please post your thoughts, i've been contemplating about Theoden and Elessar myself.[/quote]

Okay, I have officially begun slipping down the polystone slope. :D

Theoden and Eowyn arrived today and I just unboxed them. WOW. They are both really nice. I especially like the Theoden statue, which is positively terrific. I absolutely do not regret these purchases. King Elessar and another piece (which I'm purposely not revealing yet ;) ) arrive on Tuesday. Then I'm set for a bit, as these were the top four on my list.

I'm now counting the days until I can pre-order the Eomer piece!

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: New to Polystone

50
Nice! Very happy that you like them, Buckeye. I'd hate to endorse something so enthusiatically only to have you be disappointed when you finally received them. :)

I have Theoden and love his statue, but I don't have Eowyn. She goes for fairly cheap though so it would be an easy matter to pick her up, just saving space for other characters I want more.

As for your mystery statue, shall we take wagers? ;)

My three guesses are: Galadriel, Arwen, or Strider. :coolsmile
Last edited by Valkrist on Thu Jan 22, 2015 2:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
This Space for Rent
Post Reply

Return to “Sideshow Collectibles”