So we are finally getting an environment of the Grey Havens.
I've wanted one for so long... And this one is a total pass for me.
It would have been much better to have an environment of all the ancient buildings surrounding the bay, and ship still at the quay with maybe tiny figures (including a horse) standing near it.
But no, we get a variation of the Argonath with a Lego- like toy boat... *yawn*... not impressed.

I'm going to say it might be a bit premature to pass judgment on the whole piece based on one teaser photo alone that doesn't show the entire environment. I will hold off on the 'yay' or 'nay' until I see more, but for now I remain cautiously optimistic.

Honestly, I prefer the boat sailing away as it depicts a beautiful and poignant moment in the book and movie rather than the overdrawn and long farewell at the quay. At this scale, the people and horse would have zero definition other than being microscopic coloured nubs of polystone. I think they would be even smaller than the ones in the Argonath. Besides, Weta environments have never been about including characters, the aforementioned Argonath being the only exception to this rule because you really want the boats there for scale and dramatic effect. Here, the ship is enough for me.

I agree with Val, I'm really curious to see the full reveal as it does look to include part of the dock and a lot more buildings.

Hopefully it will be moderately priced as it shouldn't have anything sculpted on the back or LED's added.

N2darkness wrote: Wed Nov 29, 2023 12:46 pm
Hopefully it will be moderately priced as it shouldn't have anything sculpted on the back or LED's added.

This +1

This trend has become tiresome of late, and nowhere is it more egregious than the new Helm's Deep. Both the sculpted caves at the back and the LEDs that light them are a nice touch, but for a big piece that you will almost never see the back of, it just adds a lot of unnecessary cost to what are already very high -priced collectibles. I can't think of anywhere LEDs would be needed on this environment, and I hope they can restrain their impulse to add any.

Valkrist wrote: Wed Nov 29, 2023 2:43 pm I can't think of anywhere LEDs would be needed on this environment, and I hope they can restrain their impulse to add any.

Translucent sky in the background lit by LEDs from within to simulate the sunset?

I was more interested in this one.
https://www.wetanz.com/us/shop/classic- ... ng-aragorn

Nasnandos wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2023 4:26 am Translucent sky in the background lit by LEDs from within to simulate the sunset?

I was more interested in this one.
https://www.wetanz.com/us/shop/classic- ... ng-aragorn

Surely you kid?

As for Aragorn, he does look great but I'm not yet convinced he looks so much better than the original to warrant the expensive upgrade. Other than the addition of the flower petals on the base, the statue is almost an exact copy of the original. Mind you, there's not really any other way to depict him in that scene, and the face is a great improvement over the old one, but still...

What I am looking forward to is the Coronation Arwen. They finally got her likeness right, and this is an outstanding replacement for the old SSW one.

Valkrist wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2023 4:54 am Surely you kid?

Ha ha. Don't doubt me. I bet there are streaming LED strings in the sunset too, to make it appear the clouds are moving

Valkrist wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2023 4:54 am As for Aragorn, he does look great but I'm not yet convinced he looks so much better than the original to warrant the expensive upgrade. Other than the addition of the flower petals on the base, the statue is almost an exact copy of the original. Mind you, there's not really any other way to depict him in that scene, and the face is a great improvement over the old one, but still...

What I am looking forward to is the Coronation Arwen. They finally got her likeness right, and this is an outstanding replacement for the old SSW one.

I thought that original Sideshow statue looked horrid, so I never got it. For the time I suppose it was OK, but I thought it had bad sculpting, incorrect armor detailing, and sub par paint. The paint, armor, and face sculpting is so much better on this new one that it will be an instant purchase for me. I don't care so much for Arwen statues, but the wife will probably want that one to go side-by-side with Aragorn. It does look good.

Man, when you see these 2 side by side, it's like an old worn out VHS image compared to a UHD 4K picture.

I really like these 2 new CS statues and will probably pick them both up on an eventual sale.

The black Friday in-stock, free shipping with the additional -23% was nice and picked up a few Hobbit holes I was missing.

Ugh... well, when you do a comparison like that, it's hard to argue.

Yeah, I think sales are the only way to go moving forward. I don't even order from Weta anymore and just go with Castle Kon ever since the Weta warehouse went exclusively with UPS for shipping, making a free-shipping sale almost meaningless because of the added fees.

The other thing that sucks about these updates to existing statues is that the secondary market and value on the older pieces has completely crashed of late. Not only do the new statues make the old ones less desirable, there's very little money left in people's pockets these days to go around for used pieces (or new ones for that matter). That makes the prospect of trying to sell my old Aragorn and Arwen for a decent return very difficult and unappealing.

N2darkness wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2023 6:43 am Man, when you see these 2 side by side, it's like an old worn out VHS image compared to a UHD 4K picture.

Great analogy. Granted, the lighting on that Weta photo is really good and the photo of the Sideshow Aragorn was probably shot with a flash, but the difference is still night and day IMO.

Based on most the Weta pieces I received in the last few years, the paint on the actual statue is probably going to look exactly like this. The only recent statue I was disappointed with was the the Hunter of the Plains Strider, but they are hitting all the Gondor stuff out of the park.

Just as a fun exercise, which Weta main character statues have you guys replaced over the years (or even kept both)?

Here's my list (not counting rider, MC, or 1/10 pieces):

SSW Gandalf the Grey: Got the Hobbit version and kept both; did not buy Classic Series version.
SSW Gandalf the White: Still have original; did not buy Classic Series version (but might).
SSW Saruman: Got the Hobbit version and kept both; did not buy Classic Series version.
SSW Strider: Got the Amon Hen version; SSW one currently for sale; did not buy Classic Series version.
SSW Galadriel: Got the Hobbit version and kept both; did not buy Classic Series version.
SSW Elrond: Got the Hobbit version and kept both.
SSW Legolas: Got the Amon Hen version; sold the SSW one.
SSW Gimli: Got the Amon Hen version; sold the SSW one.
SSW Boromir: Kept original; did not get Amon Hen version; would buy a Classic Series one if it comes out.
SSW Frodo: May replace with Amon Hen version or keep both.
SSW Arwen: Will replace with Classic Series one.
SSW King Elessar: Still on the fence over replacing this one.
SSW Sauron: Kept original; got the new version.
SSW Bilbo: Kept original; got the new Limited version.
SSW Merry: Would replace if a Classic Series one came out.
SSW Pippin: Don't own original Gondor version; would buy Classic Series if one came out.
SSW Sam: Will not replace original; would buy Classic Series if one came out.
SSW Witchking: Will not replace original; might buy Classic Series if one came out.
Weta Lurtz: Did not replace with Classic Series version.

That last one brings up the point that I draw the line at replacing newer statues. Once the line switched from Sideshow Weta to just Weta and the quality increased quite a bit, I see little to no reason to replace any of the later statues.

Valkrist wrote: Wed Nov 29, 2023 12:40 pm I'm going to say it might be a bit premature to pass judgment on the whole piece based on one teaser photo alone that doesn't show the entire environment. I will hold off on the 'yay' or 'nay' until I see more, but for now I remain cautiously optimistic.

Honestly, I prefer the boat sailing away as it depicts a beautiful and poignant moment in the book and movie rather than the overdrawn and long farewell at the quay. At this scale, the people and horse would have zero definition other than being microscopic coloured nubs of polystone. I think they would be even smaller than the ones in the Argonath. Besides, Weta environments have never been about including characters, the aforementioned Argonath being the only exception to this rule because you really want the boats there for scale and dramatic effect. Here, the ship is enough for me.

What I really want is just an enviro of the Grey Havens sans people (nubs) horses and boats (the quay can stay).
It would be an enviro like Rivendell or Minas Tirith or Orthanc... just the building(s). But that will never happen.

Deimos wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2023 8:43 am
What I really want is just an enviro of the Grey Havens sans people (nubs) horses and boats (the quay can stay).
It would be an enviro like Rivendell or Minas Tirith or Orthanc... just the building(s). But that will never happen.

Yet I think that's exactly what we're going to get. What makes you think otherwise? The photo is a closeup teaser, not the whole thing. Or is the addition of the bay and water itself also a no for you? Not trying to be argumentative, just genuinely curious.

I personally love the addition of the ship. After all, what is Mithlond without one of Cirdan's famous Swan Ships?

Valkrist wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2023 8:48 am

Deimos wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2023 8:43 am
What I really want is just an enviro of the Grey Havens sans people (nubs) horses and boats (the quay can stay).
It would be an enviro like Rivendell or Minas Tirith or Orthanc... just the building(s). But that will never happen.

Yet I think that's exactly what we're going to get. What makes you think otherwise? The photo is a closeup teaser, not the whole thing. Or is the addition of the bay and water itself also a no for you? Not trying to be argumentative, just genuinely curious.

I personally love the addition of the ship. After all, what is Mithlond without one of Cirdan's famous Swan Ships?

...what is Mithlond without one of Cirdan's famous Swan Ships? Well, It's still Mithlond, with or without any ships or boats in the scene, altho' it is still a "harbour town" .
I like the bay, just not the boat, or maybe just not that boat (a "Lego-like" boat imo) .
I guess, too, because there is always more significance to a location in ME (or even our earth) than just one event, and the boat tends to focus the imagination on one event: the departure of Frodo et al.
I probably would have reacted the same way if the Rivendell enviro has show the arched footbridge with tiny Fellowship members traversing it, as is seen in the many pictorial presentations of it.

An awesome 40 min slideshow with tons of BTS photos of the trilogies production posted by Weta on Youtube!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tNvpZYlpN8&t=13s

Some photos I've never seen before like, unweathered Nazgul blades!

N2darkness wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2023 10:53 am An awesome 40 min slideshow with tons of BTS photos of the trilogies production posted by Weta on Youtube!

Some photos I've never seen before like, unweathered Nazgul blades!

There were quite a few photos I have never seen in that. I wish there were more of the sword and armor shop and the primary weapon props.

Nasnandos wrote: Fri Dec 01, 2023 5:51 am
There were quite a few photos I have never seen in that. I wish there were more of the sword and armor shop and the primary weapon props.

I know! I could watch another 40 min on just that alone!

I did notice either a miss labeling or potentially swapping of weapons on set with the weathertop swords, with Frodo and Sam swapped. And a pic of some Rohan stunt weapons before paint. I assume that the resin handles are cast directly over the aluminum blades and not glued on? Where as background weapons would have been completely cast in resin (blade and all) with possible support rod inside?

N2darkness wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2023 10:53 am Some photos I've never seen before like, unweathered Nazgul blades!

Thinking back on this, it does not make any sense that they would have assembled the Ringwraith swords, then etched the pits and corrosion. Most of that would have been done to the individual parts before assembly.

I think these may be clean, newer-looking versions that were made for the "9 rings gifted to the race of men" scene in the prologue. I'll have to check again, but I think a few of the sword hilts could be seen in that shot.

N2darkness wrote: Fri Dec 01, 2023 6:23 am I assume that the resin handles are cast directly over the aluminum blades and not glued on?

All the LOTR stunt props had the handles cast over the blades. That's typical in the industry. I don't think I ever had bladed prop from any of the film replicas I worked on that was glued on.

There was another photo that made me laugh when I saw it. The guy coloring in the vines on the resin High Elven War Sword hilts with a metallic gold pen. I remember doing the same thing when I painted up the test hilt castings for UC's replica.

Nasnandos wrote: Fri Dec 01, 2023 10:07 am Thinking back on this, it does not make any sense that they would have assembled the Ringwraith swords, then etched the pits and corrosion. Most of that would have been done to the individual parts before assembly.

I think these may be clean, newer-looking versions that were made for the "9 rings gifted to the race of men" scene in the prologue. I'll have to check again, but I think a few of the sword hilts could be seen in that shot.

All the LOTR stunt props had the handles cast over the blades. That's typical in the industry. I don't think I ever had bladed prop from any of the film replicas I worked on that was glued on.

There was another photo that made me laugh when I saw it. The guy coloring in the vines on the resin High Elven War Sword hilts with a metallic gold pen. I remember doing the same thing when I painted up the test hilt castings for UC's replica.

I also thought about that and does seem weird. There was also 1 photo of one of the true form Twilight kings with a gauntlet on and face prosthetic.

I went back and checked the prologue and the only swords I can see look to be the 1st sword that Gandalf carries before being captured by Saruman.

I'm sure they used that method of gold and silver paint pens on all sorts of pieces throughout production, a quick and dirty way to achieve the desired look.

So many great pictures in that slideshow! What a treasure horde.

I agree it it far to early to judge the Grey Havens we have only seen one teaser photo. I am going to assume that it's going to be pretty large and include the bay.

Preview video of the Grey Havens... sure to send Deimos into a tailspin.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?utm_campaig ... e=youtu.be

Really like what I see, but unfortunately the lack of space, and the price which is sure to be akin to chopping a large onion one inch away from your eyes, are going to make this a sad "no" for me.

Edit: And here is the whole thing: https://www.wetanz.com/us/grey-havens

I'm right there with you on space and potential price.
I think it's a beautiful piece (and all Weta paint masters are), but it is rather flat and makes it somewhat difficult to display.
Also with the large amount of shore line it could run into the same "caulking" issue like the Argonath, which worries me.

I've been eyeing the larger Bagend piece that has been heavily discounted (over 50% on DeepDiscount) and putting it where my Smaug the Terrible lives. But was waiting to see this first.
Still may wait and pass on both as I still have to find and make a display case for Gil-Galad and the Fountain guard w/white tree which should be shipping in a few months.

It's getting easier to pass on pieces at this stage of collecting. Something has to really win you over, or be a very sought after piece to garner a spot or the trouble of dealing with the trickle down effect (shuffle,replace, sell, etc).

N2darkness wrote: Thu Jan 18, 2024 8:04 pm It's getting easier to pass on pieces at this stage of collecting. Something has to really win you over, or be a very sought after piece to garner a spot or the trouble of dealing with the trickle down effect (shuffle,replace, sell, etc).

This 100%.

Add to that the fact that the second-hand market for collectibles is about as horrible as it's ever been with the economy being so bad, and it really discourages the entire process. I've had three statues rolling around on ebay for months, when in years past they would've been snapped up pretty quickly. No one wants to lose money, myself included, so collectibles remain fairly high priced, but no one is buying older pieces now because not only are people trying to save, Weta is replacing a lot of older pieces with newer versions, and people would rather get those. When it comes to reselling, unless it's something rare and highly sought, you can kiss even just breaking even goodbye.

Edit: lol... just realized I posted almost the exact same thing a few posts up when talking about the new Aragorn and Arwen. What can I say though? It's the sad truth of collecting nowadays. The golden era is over unless you have an oil well in your backyard.

Valkrist wrote: Thu Jan 18, 2024 10:01 am Preview video of the Grey Havens... sure to send Deimos into a tailspin.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?utm_campaig ... e=youtu.be

Really like what I see, but unfortunately the lack of space, and the price which is sure to be akin to chopping a large onion one inch away from your eyes, are going to make this a sad "no" for me.

Edit: And here is the whole thing: https://www.wetanz.com/us/grey-havens

You know what?....I think I'm going to get it.
It shows more of the Havens than I first thought. I don't like the boat, but it's [literally] only a small part of it.
And the rest of the Havens is well done, even the water.

So I will ( someone get this on record) reverse myself, and order this.
What will the price be do you think? I think at least $1K.

Deimos wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2024 12:47 pm
What will the price be do you think? I think at least $1K.

It's good that's what you're predicting, just so I don't have to tell you to be sitting down in five days when the price is revealed...

Valkrist wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2024 1:48 pm

Deimos wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2024 12:47 pm
What will the price be do you think? I think at least $1K.

It's good that's what you're predicting, just so I don't have to tell you to be sitting down in five days when the price is revealed...

That's just a generic warning, right? Or do you already know the price but can't reveal it?

Deimos wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2024 12:47 pm
That's just a generic warning, right? Or do you already know the price but can't reveal it?

Let's just say that I overheard some Crebain from Dunland chattering about it... and they didn't realize I'm well-versed in the tongues of the enemy.

They could always be wrong, but I doubt it.

So Deimos, now that the price has been revealed, did you smash the pre-order button so fast and hard that you broke your steampunk keyboard?

Valkrist wrote: Thu Jan 25, 2024 3:57 pm So Deimos, now that the price has been revealed, did you smash the pre-order button so fast and hard that you broke your steampunk keyboard?

Short answer : no

Altho' my Steampunk keyboard did happen to fail the other day. The S key went totally south such that I'll have to replace the entire key.
I can't complain.... this is the first hard failure since I built it in 2018.
But the repair requires dismantling the whole thing from the steampunk framework, which means I have to pop the tops off all 104 keys.
Then because it is a Gaming keyboard and has a metal plate supporting the keys, you unsolder the key, remove it from the plate, insert the new key in the plate and resolder the leads.
Then place the keyboard into the Steampunk framework and reattach all 104 key caps .
Not difficult, just a long tedious process.

Anyway you may be wondering at my NO.
I decided that for what it is it's not worth the price and the space it will take up.
I imagine a really talented sculptor/model maker could make a killer Grey Havens, and not necessarily identical to the movie bigature (but close enough).
So I have to think my environment collection is now complete as it is.

I do wonder what is going on with it over at FoU... how many people ordered it.
I'll have to wander over there (maybe) and have a look-see....

Honestly, given that it's not that far off from what you predicted (less, actually), I figured you'd still buy it because I guess I saw $1k as your upper limit.

As for the general sentiment at FoU, I'll save you the trip: it's much along the same lines - really cool-looking, but not worth what they're asking. I think very few pieces are these days. So, about 90% of people are jumping ship ( ) off of their initial excitement to buy it, and the remaining 10% are going through with it. Of course, if past history is any indication, of those 90% that are currently screaming bloody murder at the price and fear of QC issues, 50% will still cave and order it before the 2-week window is done. It's so predicatable, you can set your watch by it.

Sorry to hear about your keyboard, I love that thing! Sounds like you've got it well in hand though.

Valkrist wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2024 6:11 am Honestly, given that it's not that far off from what you predicted (less, actually), I figured you'd still buy it because I guess I saw $1k as your upper limit.

As for the general sentiment at FoU, I'll save you the trip: it's much along the same lines - really cool-looking, but not worth what they're asking. I think very few pieces are these days. So, about 90% of people are jumping ship ( ) off of their initial excitement to buy it, and the remaining 10% are going through with it. Of course, if past history is any indication, of those 90% that are currently screaming bloody murder at the price and fear of QC issues, 50% will still cave and order it before the 2-week window is done. It's so predicatable, you can set your watch by it.

Sorry to hear about your keyboard, I love that thing! Sounds like you've got it well in hand though.

Thanks for the FoU update.... no need to mosey over there now.
Honestly, it would have to have indeed been "killer" for me to spend $1K on it. But the current offering is not worth even $599.
If it ever shows up on the secondary market for no more than $400, I'd consider it... (operative word being "consider" as it is price AND space that stopped me)
Re the keyboard... I love it too, and am greatly annoyed at not having the use of it right now.
It still garners the very gratifying oohs and ahhs by anyone who sees it.

I don't remember if any of you ordered the Salvation a Mount Doom statue, but I did and it just arrived. Wow! Pictures do not do it justice. I knew it was big, but you really don't realize how big until it's right in front of you. This has to be one of the coolest collectibles I own. It really is a stunning work of art. It's larger than the area I planned to display it at home, so this one may have to go to my office.

Here is a quick video I shot.
https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/gxXasCZvHG

There were a few issues, like Gandalf does not quite fit or lock onto Gwahir's back properly, so he will have to be glued in place to prevent an accidental fall. Weta's assembly video for the feathers turned out to be wrong, so that took some wrangling to figure out. Tip - The left wing and right wing feathers are laid out in separate rows in the foam mold. The assembly video shows they are packed in the order you assemble them. They were not, and the feather shapes in the video look slightly different than the real feathers. After trying to figure the correct order out several times, I noticed most of the feathers had numbers on them. Weta neglected to mention that in the video. 2-10 for one wing and 2-11 on the other. No number 1s for some reason, and two had no number, but at least that gave me the proper order for each wing.

Wow, it looks amazing! Congrats, Nasnandos, and thanks for the excellent photos! Thanks for the feather assembly tips and heads up on Gandalf. I'll be sure to have some museum putty handy.

FedEx finally delivered my Salvation at Mount Doom. Unfortunately, it was THREE hours *after* the 4-hour delivery window . . . and it's now too late and the natural light is fading, so no unboxing today. Grrr.

The box is huge and the external shipper has definitely seen some action. I hope it did its job protecting everything inside. Fingers crossed.

I did not order this piece as I'm quickly running out of room and definitely don't have space for something like this. But it looks beautiful and commands some respect in detail and size. Looks like Weta has pulled off another near impossible feat again.

Apparently there are a few left after some cancellations on the Weta site (probably due to the $400+ for shipping).

I do have both Gil-Galad and the White Tree w/Fountain guard on it's way this week, and really looking to both of those!

The new twilight Witchking classic series also looks amazing as I'm sure the Theoden on Snowmane will be insane as well!

That piece looks so good. I also am out of usable space, but may consider this in the future if a second chance sale comes up. Congrats on getting it.

That looks amazing, Kit. Congrats!

Sadly, no space for it or cash to spare.

WW. Really incredible!

Congratulations on your purchase!, and thanks for the close-up photographs.

The level of detail in the sculpture is amazing.

It's even better at night.


I moved it to a permanent location, which is high on a wall.


Of course, after getting the monster base up there and re-assembling it, I noticed the underside was all scratched up. Looking at it from table level it's not that apparent, but it is from below! It was packed perfectly, so this must have happened at the factory before packing.

I'm sorry to hear about the damage to the base of your piece.

N2, have you not yet received your Gil-galad and/or White Tree and Fountain Guard?

I'm starting to see pics of these pop up in the hands of collectors so I'm curious to hear your thoughts on yours when you receive them. Mine are coming through Castle Kon so I expect that to take a little longer than direct from Weta's warehouse.

I received Gil-Galad yesterday.
Very detailed piece and painted beautifully.
Few very minor nit picks. The piece is extremely light, most of it is made of some sort of plastic and not polystone. Mostly to cut down on breakage of all the cloth elements. Even the base feels hollow cast. Aeglos also has a slight bow.

Quick video
https://youtube.com/shorts/Sv0aWsq7ivE? ... 4wgahUjVg-

And this would have also been a very cool pose as well, with the shield in front to defend against Sauron. Wish they would have considered variable arm options. And also the protective tip on the shield is a removable piece and can be displayed either way.

Valkrist wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:45 am N2, have you not yet received your Gil-galad and/or White Tree and Fountain Guard?

I'm starting to see pics of these pop up in the hands of collectors so I'm curious to hear your thoughts on yours when you receive them. Mine are coming through Castle Kon so I expect that to take a little longer than direct from Weta's warehouse.

Just posted about Gil-Galad and the WT&FG are due in today and will update after opening.

Thank you!

Yes, that's always been my major nitpick with this statue: the pose they went with.

On its own, it's very cool, but for the fact that the wonderful detail on the face of the shield gets lost on the opposite side of the character as he's standing.

But mainly, if you are facing against Sauron, and the statue is ostensibly meant to be displayed as a companion piece to Elendil and the new Sauron, why oh why would you be standing there with shield off to the side, and the spear raised rather than pointed toward your opponent? I'll concede the latter point given display space considerations, but the positioning of the shield as is seems utterly baffling.

Also disappointing to hear that these statues continue to trend towards lighter and less material in their construction. Hard to understand their constant excuses in raising prices when they're cutting production corners like this. These are increasingly expensive collectors' statues, and I dislike them feeling like plastic toys.

Valkrist wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 9:05 am Thank you!

Yes, that's always been my major nitpick with this statue: the pose they went with.

On its own, it's very cool, but for the fact that the wonderful detail on the face of the shield gets lost on the opposite side of the character as he's standing.

But mainly, if you are facing against Sauron, and the statue is ostensibly meant to be displayed as a companion piece to Elendil and the new Sauron, why oh why would you be standing there with shield off to the side, and the spear raised rather than pointed toward your opponent? I'll concede the latter point given display space considerations, but the positioning of the shield as is seems utterly baffling.

Also disappointing to hear that these statues continue to trend towards lighter and less material in their construction. Hard to understand their constant excuses in raising prices when they're cutting production corners like this. These are increasingly expensive collectors' statues, and I dislike them feeling like plastic toys.

I agree with 100% on both points, the pose and changes in materials used. I went looking on the Weta listing and couldn't find any details explaining special materials.

I did get the White Tree and Fountain Guard today, and WOW! Everything I was hoping for from the original announcement and the official Weta photos. This one is very sturdy and solid polystone, especially the Fountain Guard. The tree has many numbered magnetic tree branches for easy assembly. It is very nice from all sides including the water effect on the base, but depending how you have it displayed it could be completely unnoticeable.

Here is a quick video and will get some better pics tomorrow.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JyAgIO-s-s0

There are different grades of poly that go from very flexible, to extremely brittle. The eagle had some softer, lighter parts as well. All the separate feather parts were like that, but I'm kind of happy they are, as those are so thin they would be very easy to break if they were the typical polyresin hardness.

I received the Fountain Guard a few days ago and it's perfect.

Nasnandos wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 2:19 am There are different grades of poly that go from very flexible, to extremely brittle. The eagle had some softer, lighter parts as well. All the separate feather parts were like that, but I'm kind of happy they are, as those are so thin they would be very easy to break if they were the typical polyresin hardness.

That's fine, and I would fully expect that Weta would do that. The MC line is fully advertised as using different materials. It's the same as all the leaf branches on Treebeard. Those would be a nightmare if done in polyresin, though in that case, they are very much plastic, not the lighter resin you speak of. Still, and even accounting for making the flowing bits of GG's clothing out of this lighter stuff, it still doesn't explain why they would hollow out the base, or as is suspected in the case of the CS Galadriel, the statue itself. They've successfully cast many all-hard resin statues in the past before that had flowing cloaks and trailing bits of cloth before, and it was well done and without issue on those pieces. I just find this new trend worrisome because it lends a feeling of 'cheapness' to what are now incredibly expensive pieces of supposed art. Not only that, they owe it to the consumer to advertise this ahead of time as using several composite materials so as to preempt complaints.

At the end of the day though, I know I'm just expecting too much, and this is part of why I'm less and less willing to give Weta my money these days. Pound for pound (literally in this case), the value is simply no longer there.

Valkrist wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 5:03 am That's fine, and I would fully expect that Weta would do that. The MC line is fully advertised as using different materials. It's the same as all the leaf branches on Treebeard. Those would be a nightmare if done in polyresin, though in that case, they are very much plastic, not the lighter resin you speak of. Still, and even accounting for making the flowing bits of GG's clothing out of this lighter stuff, it still doesn't explain why they would hollow out the base, or as is suspected in the case of the CS Galadriel, the statue itself. They've successfully cast many all-hard resin statues in the past before that had flowing cloaks and trailing bits of cloth before, and it was well done and without issue on those pieces. I just find this new trend worrisome because it lends a feeling of 'cheapness' to what are now incredibly expensive pieces of supposed art. Not only that, they owe it to the consumer to advertise this ahead of time as using several composite materials so as to preempt complaints.

At the end of the day though, I know I'm just expecting too much, and this is part of why I'm less and less willing to give Weta my money these days. Pound for pound (literally in this case), the value is simply no longer there.

Pieces have been roto-cast by Weta for very long time, even back to the SSW days as I've had a few broken and could see the insides. Just feels like they use even less material nowadays.

Perceived quality and value for your money is always going to vary from collector to collector. Once you factor in all the shipping costs associated with these statues it becomes almost not worth it. But Weta has been delivering some extremely sought after pieces we've been wanting for nearly 20 years now and executing them very well in detail and paint apps. Very hard to resist!

I definitely can't have them all due to space, but the White Tree and Fountain guard is piece that screams "Middle-Earth" and feels like a must have.

These two are huge, Gil-Galad with Aeglos stands 22" tall and the tallest branch on the White tree is just over 24"

What you say makes sense, and I do recall seeing pics of broken Weta statues that show hollow bits. Like you though, I have the feeling that outer polyresin shell has grown considerably thinner over the years. No argument on the quality of the paint and sculpting over the older pieces, that's for sure, though facial likeness still leaves a bit to be desired from time to time, but that's a very subjective topic.

As for the perceived worth, when you mention shipping and it almost not being it worth it for you, consider that I am in Canada and... well, I won't bore you with another one of my rants about that subject.

What it does mean though, is that I've been way past that line ago, and it's only because, as you say, that they are finally giving us some long-awaited niche pieces that I'm willing to cross back over the expense line once again. The next temptation will be Theoden being revealed in a couple of weeks. I have no space or the funds for what I suspect they will ask, but I also suspect it will be a very hard statue to resist. What are your thoughts on that one?

Oh, I know all too well your costs and issues with shipping and it's carriers. I'd have way less pieces in my collection if I had to go through the same thing. I've even had hard time trying to ship things international with changes in rules and regulations, let alone the costs.

As for Theoden, I'm in the exact same boat. I have absolutely no room for such a large piece, but the temptation and early peaks have been pulling my interest even closer. I'm a sucker for amour and Theoden's has so much detail and this maybe impossible to pass up. I do have quite a bit of Weta dollars from these last 2 purchases, but will depend on what the price may end up being. I'm guessing close to $1K if not more.