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In other news, Aragorn at Amon Hen hit low stock status in less than 24 hours during the pre-pre order signup. The price is $449, which totally blows, and the incentive is one of their useless mystery boxes that I could care less about.

Of course, like an idiot, I ordered one. This is what happens when you like a statue enough, paired with the fear of missing out because the edition is so small (400). Weta is laughing all the way to the bank once more. :embarasse
This Space for Rent

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Idril wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2019 1:58 pm ... I don’t feel any regret. So I think I made the right decision.
Absolutely you made the right decision. Nothing worse than buying something mostly based on pressure rather than desire, then having to live with it. You didn't love this statue, and that's that.

Speaking of regret, I do feel a tinge over the new Ringwraith. My quest to buy the old one is turning up nothing but goose eggs, and I question whether I hated the pose on the new one too much. Nothing to be done about it now. The statue is not even out yet and speculators are gouging on Ebay already. I expect the same will happen to Aragorn. :huh:

Now I have to try and find a good deal on Boromir. Lurtz was fine alone but with Aragorn running at him from behind, it will look stupid without the object of Lurtz's attention present.
This Space for Rent

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I think I have said earlier that I’m a sucker for Black Riders and so I have the new ordered and the old. I can’t imagine the new will outshine my feelings for the old but I felt I wanted the new one anyway.

Hang tight on the RwoS. One will turn up. It is still my fav statue of all time. I have thrown out the box, telling my kids they will have to decide what to do with it when I’m gone cause I’m NEVER selling it.

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Not this cowboy.

Did not like the scene in the movie for being way over the top, and though the statue actually looks incredibly cool, I think they got the expression all wrong. She looks serene and eyes half closed as if she's giving someone the stink-eye, while in the movie her entire expression and demeanor throughout is wild and full of energy.

Not sure about the rest of the gang, but I do know Idril succumbed to the lure of the Ring. She will be missed.

Statue sold out in 1.5 hours. Weta is drunk on power now with the resounding success and record sell outside of Aragorn at Amon Hen, Treebeard, Ringwraith at the Ford, and now Dark Galadriel. I feel the good old days when we had the luxury of dawdling are over. Every statue is made to sell out immediately now or GTFO. :O
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Unless I missed the posts about (which is entirely possible if not highly probable), anyone going for the Minas Morgul Enviro?
It looks very well done.
I thought they were several people (VAL? N2? Idril?) who said they would be interested in one to replace the small one that came with whatever DVD it was that had it as a bonus.

"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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Judgment Day is upon us... and it will last 12 more, in case you missed the fact pre-ordering for Minas Morgul is open for another 12 days from today.

The price I was expecting and fearing at the same time, $699, proved to be true but I held fast and ordered it. This was only possible because I had $550 Weta Dollars to throw at it, otherwise my wife would have strung me up by the you-know-whats. xP

It's been difficult for a long time now to justify these prices, but Weta is really seeing how far they can push us before the fat lady sings. This is it for me. Bring on Elendil and Gil-galad so I can delete my Weta account once and for all. :club:
This Space for Rent

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Valkrist wrote: Thu Oct 10, 2019 10:16 am It's been difficult for a long time now to justify these prices, but Weta is really seeing how far they can push us before the fat lady sings. This is it for me. Bring on Elendil and Gil-galad so I can delete my Weta account once and for all. :club:
I'm right there with you as I only want a few more pieces from Weta and UC to try and round out the collection. I ordered, but only because of the Treebeard Weta dollars helped. Looks to be on par with the light up Balrog price. My guess is the labor to paint MM equals the extra resin for the size of the bust? I hope the edition ends up being low so it will be a long term investment. Either way I see myself getting rid of more pieces (Weta statues) than I will be buying in the future, mostly due to space and character redundancy.

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Anyone seen the latest offering in the "Masters [polystone] Collection"?
Another $3K (USD), I guess, ....but not for me.

"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 Oct 15, 2019 7:41 pm Anyone seen the latest offering in the "Masters [polystone] Collection"?
Another $3K (USD), I guess, ....but not for me.
Yeah, it was unveiled at SDCC, along with Dark Galadriel and Minas Morgul.

It's not for me either, for several reasons, only one of which is the expected high price. Weta has been chumming the waters of late with hints of a very low edition number, as well as new photos and videos of the statue. It looks great (except Frodo's face) but it's not my thing.
This Space for Rent

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I finally unboxed my Ringwraith at the Ford statue today. Yes, I know I don't collect evil character stuff, and this is only the second time I've broken that rule. MoS was the other exception . . . it seems I have a weakness for rider pieces.

It's huge, very heavy, and quite imposing. I'm happy to say it arrived undamaged and that assembly, though anxiety inducing, was easy and uneventful. With the prounounced lean of the pose, there's a lot of stress on that back leg with the pin, so I have to just trust that its structural integrity is sound and will remain so over time.

It's an amazing sculpt and a beautiful piece.

"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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So, did anyone here PO Gandalf and Frodo on Cart? After some initial hesitation, I caved and placed my order. My WD definitely helped.

I truly think I will love this piece, and I have already selected its display location. It will be higher up than I would prefer, but considering that I'm truly running out of room, it will work. I just need to figure out how to 1) provide lighting, and 2) protect it (which will be the most difficult problem to solve).

"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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Not this cowboy, as you already know from my comments elsewhere.

The price is too high for what it is, the piece doesn't speak to me at all, and I really really really dislike Frodo's dopey likeness. That's just not Elijah Wood to me, and yes, I know this is about it being Frodo, not the actor, but this is a depiction of a movie part played by that actor, so... well, you get the rest. For $2000 plus all the other expenses, it should look like a photo of Wood.
This Space for Rent

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Valkrist wrote: Tue Oct 29, 2019 1:07 pm Not this cowboy, as you already know from my comments elsewhere.

The price is too high for what it is, the piece doesn't speak to me at all, and I really really really dislike Frodo's dopey likeness. That's just not Elijah Wood to me, and yes, I know this is about it being Frodo, not the actor, but this is a depiction of a movie part played by that actor, so... well, you get the rest. For $2000 plus all the other expenses, it should look like a photo of Wood.
I echo everything you just said! Too expensive and nowhere to put it.

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Buckeye wrote: Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:12 pm Just trying to get some conversation going . . .
My apologies, Buckeye. Please don't take my comments as a criticism of your choice to buy this statue. Far from it. Like any piece of art, appreciation is subjective, and while yes, Frodo bothers me, it was the price and space more than anything else.

You're absolutely right... things are so quiet around here, it's not right to shut down a conversation with a negative attitude. :embarasse

I know Idril picked it up, but I'm curious to know if Deimos and Kit liked it or picked it up.
This Space for Rent

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lol... the existence of that sword always felt like such a copout to me on the part of the filmmakers. They needed to come up with a way that Gandalf would still have Glamdring after escaping from Orthanc, so they concocted this second blade that he apparently carried around... because? In the Hobbit movies, as soon as he finds Glamdring, that's all he uses, so why would he have a second blade that he would carry around instead of it when going to see Bilbo or Saruman? It just makes no sense. I guess it's just one of those weird things you have to accept and move on. I get him having to replace his staff, but wearing a spare sword all over the place when you have Glamdring sitting in the closet? That's like driving a Ford on the highway when you have a Ferrari in the garage collecting dust. :huh:
This Space for Rent

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Valkrist wrote: Tue Oct 29, 2019 3:41 pm
Buckeye wrote: Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:12 pm Just trying to get some conversation going . . .
My apologies, Buckeye. Please don't take my comments as a criticism of your choice to buy this statue. Far from it. Like any piece of art, appreciation is subjective, and while yes, Frodo bothers me, it was the price and space more than anything else.

You're absolutely right... things are so quiet around here, it's not right to shut down a conversation with a negative attitude. :embarasse

I know Idril picked it up, but I'm curious to know if Deimos and Kit liked it or picked it up.
I mentioned in a previous post that I wouldn't be buying it. Didn't say whether or not I like it. But I'll say it now.....I've not looked at it closely because I knew I wouldn't be getting it. So let me go scrutinize it really close up.....be right back....
.
.
.
OK, I'm back.
Yep, dopey looking Frodo. Gandalf is pretty well done tho'....
And since that scene wasn't in the book my interest was (and still is) zero.

"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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Valkrist wrote: Fri Nov 01, 2019 5:51 am You're getting your worlds mixed up, BC.

Wands-R-Us is located near Hogwarts. What you're thinking of is their parent-company, Staves-R-Us, located in that new mall in Bree. That's where Gandalf gets a lot of reward points for being a frequent customer.
Hahaha, ooops! My fantasy worlds are colliding.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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Some pretty insane deals going on there, especially Elrond for $50!!! :O

I really feel bad for the folks suckered into the 1:30 line at full price as it looks like the enviro pieces are now on a fire sale. Practically giving them away.

Not much there that interests me or that I don't already have, sadly. It's the sale last week that I'm kicking myself for hesitating on. I was going to pull the trigger on Boromir and Tauriel for $250 but I stopped when I saw that Boromir would have to ship from NZ. The shipping cost was fine, but there was no estimate on the shipping time and I don't like that. However, judging by how fast others in a similar situation are receiving their stuff, it looks like I lost out. :'(

Oh well. Definitely going to look out for the flash sales and reverse auctions.
This Space for Rent

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Managed to snag a King Llane ring from Warcraft for £45 with shipping. Would have come to £51 but I had some Weta dollars to use up. Been after it for some time, but the £192 price tag was always a bit off putting.

First time buying anything from Weta in a Black Friday Sale. Normally I don’t look as money is always tight this time of year but I’m glad I did this time and thank you Val and Buckeye who inspired me to check it out by posting about the sale here.

Hopefully everyone here will get some of their wanted items in the sale :)
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

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Yeh I’m not a massive fan of Dwalin’s axes either, but Balin’s mace is tempting.

I love the Elrond statue but I don’t have space (or money) to start buying statues haha I’ve been tempted by a few over the years but always ended up deciding against them.

I think the Elrond statue didn’t sell too well, Ronin, because of the pose. It wasn’t to everyone’s taste. I personally like it though. Hope you enjoy it if you pull the trigger.
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

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Ronin wrote: Fri Nov 22, 2019 5:15 am Those Dwalin axes at $50 is still a rip off :lol:

However I do believe I will be buying my first statue and it will be Elrond! That's just way too good of a deal. I thought the statues almost always sell out and never need to be discounted?
Yep, I'll be staying away from those axes for sure! :huh:

The days of high edition statues selling out fast are long gone. They do sell out these days, but the edition sizes are down to much smaller numbers than they used to be, and many still kick around for a bit before an eventual sell out. Elrond did suffer from the pose and Hobbit statues tend to not sell as well as LOTR ones anyway. I did eventually grab him on a really good deal on eBay (not as good as $50 though!) and don't regret it. The likeness is uncanny!
This Space for Rent

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I'm really tempted by the Elrond statue. The likeness is excellent, but he ltakes a surprising amount of horizontal display space. The only space I have available is inside a Detolf, and he won't fit. Sadly, that makes him a reluctant pass for me. I do plan to pick up some Bilbo buttons, though. :thumbs_up

"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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Lindir wrote: Fri Nov 22, 2019 5:48 am Yeh I’m not a massive fan of Dwalin’s axes either, but Balin’s mace is tempting.

I love the Elrond statue but I don’t have space (or money) to start buying statues haha I’ve been tempted by a few over the years but always ended up deciding against them.

I think the Elrond statue didn’t sell too well, Ronin, because of the pose. It wasn’t to everyone’s taste. I personally like it though. Hope you enjoy it if you pull the trigger.
Thanks. Yeah I don't really have the money & space either to collect statues lol. If it wasn't so heavily discounted, I don't think I would even consider it.

I would go for the Balin Mace if you're considering it. It's a decent replica and it's much better than the Dwalin axes. If it was full retail price I'd say skip it but at $50, it's a good value for what you're getting.

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Sigh...

Tried picking up some Black Friday $50 deals:
Lord Elrond - sold out while it was in my cart.
Balin's Mace - shipping from EU, so over $100 usd on shipping alone.
Dwalin's Axes - close to $100 shipping (oversize) as well to Canada.

Oh well, I tried lol. Hopefully others are grabbing some good deals!!
"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum!"

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I’m glad I got King Llane’s ring when I did as I saw it actually went up in price again.

I want Balin’s mace. I was close to getting Elrond - and it becoming my first and only statue - but it’s sold out. Hopefully the mace can wait until tomorrow as that’s when I get paid.
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

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Aw man, bummer. I thought you were on top of that but I read in the other forum that Weta is a bit of a new thing for you. I would really recommend signing up for their email newsletter so you don't miss out on stuff.

You're not the only one who missed Elrond; he got snapped up fast. Congrats on the Pipe Staff though, you've been after that one for some time.

For my part, I managed to find another fellow Canadian to go halfers on one of the other deals and snagged Tauriel for $125. :coolsmile
This Space for Rent

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Valkrist wrote: Tue Nov 26, 2019 6:59 pm Aw man, bummer. I thought you were on top of that but I read in the other forum that Weta is a bit of a new thing for you. I would really recommend signing up for their email newsletter so you don't miss out on stuff.

You're not the only one who missed Elrond; he got snapped up fast. Congrats on the Pipe Staff though, you've been after that one for some time.

For my part, I managed to find another fellow Canadian to go halfers on one of the other deals and snagged Tauriel for $125. :coolsmile
Thanks! Congrats on finding another half-ling to help out :cheers:

I have to be honest here, I didn't pay close attention to the dates. I assumed the sale was starting ON Friday lol. I sometimes overlook the obvious. It's okay though. I'm sure the statue I would've bought went to someone who needed it more than me. However if I see it on Ebay for quadruple the price, then I'll be annoyed :club:

Were any of you not able to check out with Paypal? It didn't give me the option this time around.

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I've never used PayPal on the Weta site but the interwebs is rife with tales of people having a ton of problems, PayPal being one of them, during times of high traffic such as these sales. It still amazes me how crappy their whole system is after all these years. Don't even get me started on their opaque and monolithic Weta Dollar system. :rolleye:
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I can't believe Gollum got as low as $539. I might've taken a shot at him but like I said in the other forum, I wasn't aware of the auctioning system they sometimes use.

I thought I was subscribed to their newsletter but I didn't receive anything. That's a good reminder, Val. I should sign up again just in case.

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Ronin wrote: Tue Nov 26, 2019 7:52 pm I can't believe Gollum got as low as $539. I might've taken a shot at him but like I said in the other forum, I wasn't aware of the auctioning system they sometimes use.

I thought I was subscribed to their newsletter but I didn't receive anything. That's a good reminder, Val. I should sign up again just in case.
I got one of the Gollums at the $539 and also paid with Paypal. The website froze up at the final confirmation screen, but finally went through. I think that is only the 2nd time I've paid that way. And yes just like Val said Weta's website is horrible and really can't hand large volumes very well.

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