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Uh....I'm impressed...really, really impressed.
The Dead Marshes rivals Treebeard in it's visual impact, in evoking "the real thing".
(Although I do wish one of the "dead things" had some rusting armour on it).

If I had more space (and didn't have my typical visceral reaction to having LOTR "bad stuff" on my shelves) I'd be very much tempted to get this.
I'm thinking the price will be similar to Treebeard...I'd guess at least $2K, but I'm really thinking it will be around $2400.
Congrats (In advance) to all who get this... Idril for sure, and N2(?), Kit (?)

Val, why doesn't this fit your "Collection vision"?

"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

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Deimos wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 11:57 am Val, why doesn't this fit your "Collection vision"?
Rather than retype my thoughts, I'm going to quote myself from my post earlier today at FoU:

I wouldn't be surprised if Weta attempted a prototype filled with clear resin and decided against it due to cost and weight. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

The flip side of that is that yes, I completely agree with the comments saying that there is a lot of empty space and plenty of fragile bits just waiting to break the second you so much as look at them the wrong way.

This is an interesting piece for me in the feelings it evokes. On the one hand, I appreciate the artistry and planning that went into this, and how the elements come together perfectly to depict a scene that we know so well in a new way. Why new? Well, because in the movie we never see all of those components in the frame at the same time: Frodo, the spirits, Sam, Gollum, and the surface versus underwater environments. Truly well and beautifully done.

On the other hand, it just doesn't work for me as something that I would want in my collection. Maybe it's the aesthetic of it all, how it's presented and that duality of vertical space that makes it feel awkward, too different, and something that doesn't belong in a collection filled with more traditional statues in standard poses, be they static or more dynamic. This MC crosses over into the realm of science project diorama for me, like one of those cutaway ant colonies behind a glass case. For me, it just doesn't fit thematically with what I want in my collection, much like mini-epics or ten different scales of statues and such.

So yeah, it boils down to a dichotomy for me: I like it... just not in my collection.
This Space for Rent

Re: New Weta everywhere you look!

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Thanks for the reply....I see your point as it is quite different from the normal "display concept" orientation.
But for me (and regardless if it's evil stuff or not) the appeal is finally "Does it imaginatively transport me to [JRRT's] ME?"
Treebeard, definitley...Bilbo at Bag End, Black Orthanc, Rivendell, Argonath (these I have...Argonath on order).
Others, yes, quite few, but not enough for me to use up space and /or shell out the shekels.

"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

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I'm in the same boat as Val, it's a neat piece and very ambitious / artistic of Weta to go this route. But not for me. Space is at a super premium, especially for statues as they seem to keep getting bigger and bigger. I'm reserving space for Elendil and Gil-galad and a few choice classic peices here and there. I generally prefer props to statues anyway, but some pieces are just to cool to pass up (Sauron, Argonath, Bilbo at Bagend, etc).

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Hi all. Long time no post I know but I have excuses. I hope you are all well and enjoying summer. It has been very cold here this winter. Too much ground water makes for a cold winter.

As for this statue. I get what Val is saying. I think this piece is very different and probably needs to be displayed alone. Which is difficult in our collections. I am in the slow process of changing up (and downsizing) my collection mostly by reducing the small stuff and the statues but I am still considering this MC. For me it does evoke an atmosphere when I look at it and hopefully I won’t end up with too many statues I’m keeping so it can be ‘alone’ in a corner somewhere.

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Idril wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 5:17 pm Hi all. Long time no post I know but I have excuses. I hope you are all well and enjoying summer. It has been very cold here this winter. Too much ground water makes for a cold winter.

As for this statue. I get what Val is saying. I think this piece is very different and probably needs to be displayed alone. Which is difficult in our collections. I am in the slow process of changing up (and downsizing) my collection mostly by reducing the small stuff and the statues but I am still considering this MC. For me it does evoke an atmosphere when I look at it and hopefully I won’t end up with too many statues I’m keeping so it can be ‘alone’ in a corner somewhere.
Hi Idril, welcome back. :big_wave:

Well, at least you don't have to take a boat to get to your submerged house like the poor folks in Sydney. :'(

I only just watched the video of the MC now, and man, that thing is huge. That's going to be a nightmare to dust. You'll definitely want a glass case for sure, or at the very least, a can of compressed air to keep it clean.
This Space for Rent

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Idril wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 5:17 pm Hi all. Long time no post I know but I have excuses. I hope you are all well and enjoying summer. It has been very cold here this winter. Too much ground water makes for a cold winter. ...
Idril...are you in Brisbane? (I seem to recall you saying that a few years back).
But I guess it doesn't matter too much as your eastern coast is everywhere deluged.
Really sorry to see that...and after only 2 years where everything was burning up. How ironic :O

"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

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Same thing happened here in BC last year: wildfires devastated entire towns, followed by massive flooding in the Fall due to torrential rain fall causing rivers to overflow and levies to burst, and mudslides taking out entire roads due to soil erosion from the preceding fires. The cycle has already begun again this season, and in my home country of Portugal, they are under 40+ C degree weather every day this Summer and part the country is already engulfed in flames.

These scenarios are playing themselves out all over the world with increasing frequency and severity, yet many continue to plug their ears and deny the evidence of climate change and catastrophe.

Sorry, don't wish to start a debate or preach. Just annoyed at what I saw coming out of US political news today. :rolleye:
This Space for Rent

Re: New Weta everywhere you look!

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Yes I am in Brisbane. Sort of between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. I’m retiring from work soon and intend to move closer to the beach. Either the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast (which is north of Brisbane).

I’m afraid the severe weather is the nature of Australia. A lot of the native plant seeds only start to germinate after a fire has gone through. The gum trees have a massive tap root which is rarely killed by fire. It is still amazing to me to walk through bush trails just 6 months after intense fires to see the green shoots from ground and tree. Wombats have huge burrows (because they are the size of a baby hippo just about) and many animals escape into them. Koalas are the problem. They snuggle down in the gum trees and unfortunately they catch fire without the fire even reaching them due to the oil in the leaves. Still the weather seems more severe than it used to be and we are still heading for more rain till xmas apparently. This usually means South America will be in drought. The earth is fighting back.

Back to the topic of the thread. I really like this MC mostly because of the reasons Val doesn’t. I like that it transports me to a scene. A feeling I have when they are in the marshes. I am trying to talk myself out of it but I have so many enablers. And now with my good health news, maybe I feel like splurging.

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Idril wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 2:17 pm ... I really like this MC ... I like that it transports me to a scene. A feeling I have when they are in the marshes. I am trying to talk myself out of it but I have so many enablers. And now with my good health news, maybe I feel like splurging.
Any idea as to price? (ballpark number would do)
And I really am just curious.... Not getting it for certain even if it were $399.
(Remember those times, when enviros and statues were the low to mid 3 figures (USD)? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ...gone forever)

"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

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Honest question: why does it matter? If you like the piece, then buy it. For me, liking it (and how affordable it is), are things that come first. Edition size is a distant third.

The edition size is only important for two things: resale value, and the feeling of owning something extremely rare. Which is it for you?
This Space for Rent

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Valkrist wrote: Tue Jul 19, 2022 4:36 pm Honest question: why does it matter? If you like the piece, then buy it. For me, liking it (and how affordable it is), are things that come first. Edition size is a distant third.

The edition size is only important for two things: resale value, and the feeling of owning something extremely rare. Which is it for you?
What he said! ;)

It's not quite twice the Treebeard edition size, and about half the number of Bilbo at Bag End.
And when you compare the number of [serious] collectors out there it's still pretty limited. (How many Thrandy-in-the-Tree are there)?
I think that if someone (buying it now) decides to sell it down the road they won't lose any money at all.

Restating what I said earlier: if it's a representative scene from the canon AND in my mind's eye it takes me to ME, I give it serious consideration.
Price and accuracy are, of course also factors, and if either one is not acceptable, that will kill it for me.
With the Dead Marshes it's mainly the scene itself... rather dreary and depressing.
(Yes, I know it's supposed to be, but again, I do not need "dreary and depressing" sitting on my shelves where I can see it every day :( )

But otherwise I think it checks off all the boxes... I wouldn't even consider the price a problem because I know it's not going to exceed my limit (up to 5K).
btw... since I always miss things on "release announcements" was the price stated somewhere on the Weta page?
Or is that what the countdown is heading toward?
Last edited by Deimos on Wed Jul 20, 2022 10:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

"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

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The Ed size matters to me when I’m deciding whether to get a piece or not if I have any hesitation. If I’m totally sold on the piece - then I don’t care about it. But if there is a slight doubt, a low Ed size means that in a small country like Oz, I have a better chance of selling it - let alone not losing money on it. It is difficult and a small market to sell these big statues here.

I find it mostly a risk buying these pieces unseen. Why is it that you can really like a statue but when it arrives at your home, you just don’t love it? And for me, I can never tell you why. I have also bought pieces because I ‘liked’ them, only to find they rocket up the love charts and stay there. This happened recently with Gandalf on Cart. Now I will say it is amazing and the detail is great. Yet it pains me to say, I don’t love it. I would easily choose Isildur over it and quite a few others. People ask me why and I can’t tell you. Not even a hint of anything as to why. I just don’t love it. Dark Galadriel was the opposite. I bought it at the last minute before it sold out mostly using Weta dollars. I thought I’d sell it in a few years after enjoying it in my collection and experimenting with lighting. When it arrived and was on display, I couldn’t stop looking at it. I still find it amazing and the best Galadriel made by Weta. Of course there are exceptions - like RwoS. Gobsmacked by it when I saw it online. Still the same after 20 odd years. I will never sell it. Go figure cause I can’t and have never been able to work it out.

As for the marshes, I am starting to wonder about the wraith movement. I always think of the dead marshes as still and silent. The movement of the wraiths is a bit jarring. I know that it adds to the piece to show the difference between under the water and above……. Hmmm. Still considering.

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That makes sense Idril, for me edition size doesn't mean a thing to me. They made thousands of the original rwos and Sauron yet twenty years later they are worth far more than what they retailed for. If I like a piece, I buy it or plan to buy it, regardless of how many they made. If I'm being honest as someone who entered the collecting hobby 20 years late the more accessible a collectible is the better in my books. Like Val said, the only people who really care about edition size is resellers, scalpers, and collectors who like to have a sense of superiority by owning a very limited piece.
Image

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It is a stunning piece but I've never been a big Weta collector. Don't get me wrong, their stuff is gorgeous but these recent years the price tags and sizes of these pieces are overwhelming. the only Weta piece I ever got was the Pre-Ruined Orthanc, which I love but that was back in the day when things cost $250 USD :P
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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Some excellent items revealed by Weta yesterday. The Dead Marshes MC is stunning, very complex, and delicate, and will need a thoughtful display method/location. Elendil is absolutely perfect. It will be an instant preorder for me and be displayed with Sauron (yes, I now have some evil pieces in my collection). The Bag End key is cool (I love props and keys) and it will also be mine. I plan to display it with Bag End on the Hill and Bilbo at his desk.

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

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

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omg.... I thought I could easily pass on any statue of Elendil....but that thing is amazing.
Will have to wait for the price but, WOW, just amazing, so well done. :O

Addendum: pretty sure I'll cave on this and get it, even though I don't have the Sauron statue that pairs with it.
If the GG statute looks as good I'll get that too.
This one just standing alone screams Second Age Lore. Can't really pass it up.

"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

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So, if Weta also makes an Isidlur statue that would fit with this (all but officially announced and advertised as such) diorama how do you think Isildur would be posed?
The current Isildur statue is contemplating the Ring which obviously is after Sauron's defeat.

(And if anyone here is wondering why I'm not involved in the discussion over at FoU its because I'm introverted.
Even a virtual community of dozens of participants is enough to make me withdraw, tune out, and have to go for a solitary walk.)

"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

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Very excited about Elendil and will be a day 1 order. I hope it's a timed window release just like Sauron so everyone who wants one gets one.

As for another Isildur piece, I highly doubt they will make another. I mean it only took 20 years to Elendil and the eventual Gil-Galad. There is another 4 or 5 Gandalfs and Aragorns to make first!

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N2darkness wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 12:11 pm Very excited about Elendil and will be a day 1 order. I hope it's a timed window release just like Sauron so everyone who wants one gets one.

As for another Isildur piece, I highly doubt they will make another. I mean it only took 20 years to Elendil and the eventual Gil-Galad. There is another 4 or 5 Gandalfs and Aragorns to make first!
HAHA... too funny about the 5 more Gandalfs and Aragorns to make.

The reason I ask about a new Isildur statue is because of some of the comments made about the possibility of it (or maybe those folks were just engaged in wishful thinking).
I didn't follow the postings about it very closely but I got an impression that Weta was open to considering it, (or was already hinting at it).
Doesn't matter to me at the moment because I have the "contemplative Isildur" which I do like a lot.

"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

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Deimos wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 12:29 pm Doesn't matter to me at the moment because I have the "contemplative Isildur" which I do like a lot.
Wow. That is an understatement for my opinion of the Isildur statue. It is top 5 for me. I just love love love it.

Personally don’t see Weta making another Isildur statue within the next 5 years or so. The people bringing it up are the ones desperately seeking the one we have. I imagine that will increase once we have Sauron in our hands. I know someone who has seen it in person and said it is amazing and the armour is the best yet.

By the comments Elendil is getting it seems he will be very popular. Good news for them bringing out Gil Galad. Not sure why the prologue statues are never seen as high priority for Weta. Maybe they will finally get the message after the expected popularity of the 4th statue.

I like the new Gimli statue but wouldn’t consider getting it in PVC. The new GtW is nice too. The texture and details of the robes is amazing.

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Idril wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 1:32 pm
Deimos wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 12:29 pm Doesn't matter to me at the moment because I have the "contemplative Isildur" which I do like a lot.
Wow. That is an understatement for my opinion of the Isildur statue. It is top 5 for me. I just love love love it....
Well, it is in my top four because....I only have four statues!** :laugh: And it's in 4th place.
First place goes to Treebeard; ...'nuff said.
The second and third places go to the old SS statues of Dernhelm/Eowyn facing off with the Morgul Lord; two separate statues designed to be a diorama.

Just rating them separately on their own merits (or demerits in the case of the M-L) I would put Isildur ahead of the M-L, then Eowyn after the M-L.
I don't like putting the M-L ahead of Eowyn (putting evil ahead of good) but the Eowyn statue is not a very good likeness of her. If she were in a stand-alone pose I wouldn't have bought it.

**I am not including Bilbo at Bag End in this because there is too much "environment" that is mixed in with Bilbo.
Indeed all that surrounding scenery/paraphernalia/clutter is a big part of the appeal of that display.

"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

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Deimos wrote: Tue Jul 26, 2022 10:08 pm IS there a Pre-order "countdown" page up yet for Elendil?
If so, can someone post the link to it?
Thanks
There isn't one because he wasn't officially announced yet. Yeah, I know it's stupid since his pictures are all over the internet, but that's how it goes.

Also, a countdown is only used when a piece is limited and there's no word yet on whether Elendil will be limited or an open edition.
This Space for Rent

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Funny you should mention the time lag between order and delivery.
I just went to the Weta site a few hours ago (before seeing your post) to check the status of the Argonath.
I had a horrifying thought that (for whatever reason) Weta had canceled my order and never told me.
However, that is, happily, not the case. It is still pending/awaiting stock, whatever.
But I did note that I had ordered it Oct 2021---I tend to forget when I order things that have a long lead time--- So that is 10 months ago.
(At my age these time lags could become a problem :lol: )

"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

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I paid for mine yesterday and should be getting a shipping notice anytime now.

Really looking forward to the release of Elendil and Gil-Galad to go with this. Will make for an epic scene!
Elendil_1_6_Scale_Subject-to-licensor-approval-scaled.jpg
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Taking in all the details of the statue... we know the armour and gear is pretty accurate, not just with respect to the movie but also in real life.
PJ took not a few pains to ensure he had knowledgeable consultants.
So just the weight of all that maille (knee length!) and armour that a medieaval warrior had to wear!
I read that is could be as much as 70lb /32kg. Good heavens! :O
A man would have to be in really good shape (not necessarily tall) to wear it for probably several hours at a time.
(The average medieval man was a little taller than I --65 inches / 165cm.)
And yes, the god-like Numenorean Elendil was probably pushing 7 feet, but still that's a lot of metal to carry.
And even tho' it's not in the display or movie (probably because by that time he had lost it), he was probably carrying a shield as well (10 lb /3.2 kg).
So about 80 lb/35kg of gear. Wow. Pretty impressive.

"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

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This figure is impressive, I don't collect figures due to lack of space (I would only have space to display only one or two at most in my office... and which one to choose) but above all, because the money gives me just enough to buy the UC replicas and go broke between one release and another :P ...but this is the first figure that makes me really regret not collecting them.

Image


Seeing the figure I just realized that the Narsil scabbard had the plate with the inscription, I thought that before being reforged it did not have that plaque in the center of the scabbard. Maybe I was confused because I saw some collector who had taken it away, I do not know. I don't remember if in the movie you get to see that detail of the scabbard, this afternoon I will see the prologue again... any excuse is good to see the prologue. :D

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XerachCruz wrote: Fri Sep 09, 2022 3:15 am Seeing the figure I just realized that the Narsil scabbard had the plate with the inscription, I thought that before being reforged it did not have that plaque in the center of the scabbard.
The prologue scabbard prop does not have the inscription. It does not even have that metal plate in the middle. I'm surprised that slipped by the Weta folks.
KRDS

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Nasnandos wrote: Fri Sep 09, 2022 7:11 am The prologue scabbard prop does not have the inscription. It does not even have that metal plate in the middle. I'm surprised that slipped by the Weta folks.
Yes, you're right, last night I saw the prologue and yes you can see the scabbard in several shots and it doesn't have a plaque, I thought I was confused. What a mistake they have had in Weta.

I don't know how it will go, but maybe for the launch they will correct it if someone tells them, I guess this will be the prototype and they haven't started mass production yet... but as I say, I don't know how the process will be at Weta .

Despite that mistake, the figure is still just as amazing and that's just a detail. I can't believe how realistic the sculpting is, I love the pose, and the design of Elendil's armor and costume has always seemed to me impressive.

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Nasnandos wrote: Sun Sep 11, 2022 8:55 am They are in the FOTR Blu Ray/DVD extras. Here's one.
Image
I assume that New line/Warner Bros sent you all the DVD appendices photos in full resolution for reference and promotional use as part of the licensing process?

It would be wonderful if those were all released someday for fans and prop makers to have access to. I've asked Daniel Falconer at Weta about a book with all the high-res props and armor a couple of times. But nothing is in the works.

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