Asmus Toys Lord of the Ring Gandalf Gray

[TurdFurgusonsHat]

So having gone through this figure a bit I'm still on the fence generally speaking. With some futzing it looks pretty damn good from normal viewing distance. But harsh bright light really hurts the sculpt/eyes and dark shadows make the eyes disappear thanks to the "bright" idea to add unnecessary PERS. It needs just the right amount of dim light to make the sculpt look its best. And I'm really jealous of the improvements Dave made to the eyebrows and mustache.

I certainly wouldn't want a large collection of figures that are this high maintenance, though admittedly I'm not a big supporter of rooted hair on most figures. The hair and beard look really nice on Gandalf here but it's a pain to manage. I swear a hair or two goes wild everytime my air conditioning kicks on

Also it comes with a lot of stuff that I consider unusable. The hat cannot be functionally worn. The dio base is garbage because it's too small and busy for its components, plus the components inexplicably don't fit their slots. I also prefer the look of him without his outer cloak(which should have a wired hood) so not using the travel bag either. It's also worth mentioning that the pipe doesn't function as intended with the staff I received and the fabric boots show an odd looking uneven line where the ankle joint meets the foot. There is also the matter of this Gandalf figure being about the same height as the Asmus Saruman despite Lee standing 6'5" and McKellen 5'11".

So that leaves me displaying Gandalf in his stripped down costume with his staff in his right hand and holding his hat at his side in his left hand. I put him on one of those $2 generic oval stands with Balin's Book at his feet. Despite all my complaints this configuration looks quite nice. But all these problems on a $350 figure...I don't know that I can say I'm satisfied.

 

[chrisstbh]

Tiny dremel hole will fix the staff.

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Nobody should have to take a dremel or anything of the sort to their $350 figure to get it to function properly.

 

[hb2k4life]

Got mine from bbts. Yes, pipe on the outside with no hole in the staff. I am still just shocked that bbts was the first to get their shipment in the US. And I paid $330 plus taxes and $4 shipping. Not sure if Asmus charges tax? maybe thats why they just sent bbts the incomplete staff with pipe on the outside?
Love the figure though! With some care to the beard and hair it looks great!

 

[RandomHero]

Nobody should have to take a dremel or anything of the sort to their $350 figure to get it to function properly.

Exactly. Again, this was billed as premium. We shouldn't need to be making modifications on so many things for the figure to be right.

 

[DioramaMaker]

Does anyone have a ticket out with Asmus about the staff not being capable of holding the pipe?

Does the staff still feel like it's the reinforced build that'd been talked about before?

 

[ObiGlennKenobi]

Yes.

China is attempting to claim Taiwan as it's property and has been moving naval ships and aircraft carriers closer to the island. I believe yesterday they actually penetrated what Taiwan claims is it's defense zone, which has further pushed the idea that China is going to go for a hostile takeover. Taiwan has said they will defend themselves to whatever end, so there could be some kind of conflict coming.

The American government has said it's committed to Taiwan but I believe the Biden administration has expressed concerns about being able to protect them, especially given China's close proximity to Taiwan and the possibility of a war if the west steps in. It's a dicey situation. I'm not sure anything will actually happen, but Taiwan seems much less likely to roll over the way Hong Kong did if something does.

Could be a reason Asmus hasn't announced anything lately, with the uncertainty in the area at the moment. If China does invade, they might not be putting anything out for a while.

That's what I thought.
I know Australia will get involved as we are also having issues with China since we called for an investigation into the virus outbreak.

Any possible conflict will definitely put toy production in Tawain to a halt.

 

[Rzeznikk]

Nobody should have to take a dremel or anything of the sort to their $350 figure to get it to function properly.

Exactly. Again, this was billed as premium. We shouldn't need to be making modifications on so many things for the figure to be right.

I mod and mess with 98% of all my releases so it's *really* not that big a deal to pop a small hole into a staff. [emoji2357][emoji1]

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[RandomHero]

I mod and mess with 98% of all my releases so it's *really* not that big a deal to pop a small hole into a staff. [emoji2357][emoji1]

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I'm not knocking you for tinkering with your figures, that's cool that you mess around with them and improve/mod them. But my point still stands. No one should have to mod a figure that's billed under a "crown" heading. It should come perfect, and we could make our own adjustments if need be.

Really any premium sixth scale figure from Hot Toys/Asmus/Damtoys/whoever should come like this, but especially in this case where this was advertised as going to the next level.

 

[RandomHero]

That's what I thought.
I know Australia will get involved as we are also having issues with China since we called for an investigation into the virus outbreak.

Any possible conflict will definitely put toy production in Tawain to a halt.

It would be a bad situation for more than just toy production in Taiwan, that's for sure.

The United States has always pledged to support Taiwan in military/defense endeavors, partially because Taiwan has been an ally of the US and partially because Taiwan is a democracy-based counter to China. The American government has been pushing back more and more against China lately, particularly with the tariffs under the Trump administration and now with the Biden administration trying to rally allies to boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics, which has pissed China off.

The Associated Press had an interesting article out today, quoting a few American Naval Admirals stating the threat is getting more real by the day, the Taiwanese Foreign Minister stating Taiwan would defense itself to the last day of it's existence, and the American Secretary of Defense stating how the Marine Corps is reshaping it's training away from Middle East insurgents to combating the militaries of China and Russia.

Now, this stuff ends up being a lot of hot air more often than not. I'm sure China is aware the world economy the would be upset if they launched an attack on Taiwan and their exports would take a dive if the countries they export to were at war against them. So this could be them just flexing their muscle. It also could be credible, given how much China has built up their military and shown a distaste for western criticism on their human rights records.

We'll see. Asmus, Hot Toys and any other sixth scale company based on China, Hong Kong and Taiwan would definitely be in trouble since they might not be able to export to the States and their allies in the event of war.

 

[Rzeznikk]

I'm not knocking you for tinkering with your figures, that's cool that you mess around with them and improve/mod them. But my point still stands. No one should have to mod a figure that's billed under a "crown" heading. It should come perfect, and we could make our own adjustments if need be.

Really any premium sixth scale figure from Hot Toys/Asmus/Damtoys/whoever should come like this, but especially in this case where this was advertised as going to the next level.

Some of us pay crazy amounts for Custom works and still mod and mess around with them, but I agree the issue shouldn't be an issue at all. What I'm saying is If Asmus doesn't send out a replacement staff it's an easy fix. If I had one that came like that I would have found it a mild annoyance and pop a hole with my dremel and move on.

I'd be more vocal if it was cases like the hair being glued on sideways (that is ridiculous).

And I still think the hat needs to be addressed.

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[chrisstbh]

I mod and mess with 98% of all my releases so it's *really* not that big a deal to pop a small hole into a staff. [emoji2357][emoji1]

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But we still shouldnt have to? Thats the point. A matter or principle I guess. Its safe to assume most collectors dont want to have to mod their figures that they are paying a hefty price tag for already. Its great that you enjoy tinkering with your figures, but this is an oversight on Asmus? end, not something that the customer should have to fix.

Too many issues, no matter how glaring or tiny, for such an expensive ?premium? product.

The tailoring is great, along with the hair, the sword and the book but almost everything else is holding this back from being an amazing release.

 

[RandomHero]

Some of us pay crazy amounts for Custom works and still mod and mess around with them, but I agree the issue shouldn't be an issue at all. What I'm saying is If Asmus doesn't send out a replacement staff it's an easy fix. If I had one that came like that I would have found it a mild annoyance and pop a hole with my dremel and move on.

I'd be more vocal if it was cases like the hair being glued on sideways (that is ridiculous).

And I still think the hat needs to be addressed.

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I know for many half the fun of sixth scale collecting is tinkering, modding, customizing, etc. But for everyone who enjoys that stuff, there's another collector who just wanted to open the box, pose the figure, and never touch it again. Which is why basic things like the staff being made properly make a difference, no one should *have* to mod to enjoy the hobby, you should *want* to mod. Big difference.

Probably would be looked at as a simple oversight if the hat and display base didn't have so many issues, and people weren't concerned about the flimsy body. It's just another issue that makes this feel like a failure. Again, this was billed as a premium figure. Maybe this is premium for Asmus who have their fair share of likeness issues, but let's face it, Hot Toys, Lim Toys, Damtoys, etc - other top of the line figure makers don't have this many issues with their regular figures, nevermind premium ones.

 

[davejames]

Yeah even though I obviously have no problem heavily modding figures when I need to, it still kinda rubs me the wrong way having to do that to something I paid $350 for.

For that much I at least expect the figure to come with a hat that fits properly on the head. Lol

 

[Xman1990]

I wonder when Taiwan will be able to post to the uk.
I ordered my Gandalf from asmus direct but is the bbts Gandalf using different accessories?

 

[FlyAndFight]

Exactly. Again, this was billed as premium. We shouldn't need to be making modifications on so many things for the figure to be right.

Yeah even though I obviously have no problem heavily modding figures when I need to, it still kinda rubs me the wrong way having to do that to something I paid $350 for.

For that much I at least expect the figure to come with a hat that fits properly on the head. Lol

RandomHero and davejames have nailed it with their above statements.

I will preface with the fact that I am grateful for Asmus and their commitment in offering collectors 1/6 "Lord of the Rings" figures. They were improving with each subsequent release. Unfortunately, the last two releases were backward steps and have left me with some frustration. Faramir and Crown Gandalf the Grey have much potential but come with issues that should have been easily caught and corrected before release.

So I've got my Crown Gandalf the Grey on display, on a spare LOTR stand but with his hat, cloak and special Bag End gate base stored in a box. The figure looks very good but the release, for me, hasn't been that knock-out that I was expecting, back when the initial prototype pics were being shared.

I hope the in-route Galadriel and two Elven soldiers bring the line back in the direction it was heading.

 

[RandomHero]

So I've got my Crown Gandalf the Grey on display, on a spare LOTR stand but with his hat, cloak and special Bag End gate base stored in a box. The figure looks very good but the release, for me, hasn't been that knock-out that I was expecting, back when the initial prototype pics were being shared.

I have no idea how Asmus can read this and not comment. We know they're on these boards. As a company rep, reading this would break my heart, with all the work that was put into it.

I hope the in-route Galadriel and two Elven soldiers bring the line back in the direction it was heading.

Not a lot of pictures yet but Galadriel does look really good. Hoping some pictures of the Elf soldiers start popping up soon. My two just cleared customs yesterday.

 

[Rzeznikk]

I have no idea how Asmus can read this and not comment. We know they're on these boards. As a company rep, reading this would break my heart, with all the work that was put into it.



Not a lot of pictures yet but Galadriel does look really good. Hoping some pictures of the Elf soldiers start popping up soon. My two just cleared customs yesterday.

Probably why they haven't posted. Wouldn't be surprised if they just say "**** it" and leave like other reps have done in the past.

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[Sassafras]

I have no idea how Asmus can read this and not comment. We know they're on these boards. As a company rep, reading this would break my heart, with all the work that was put into it.

Well, yes. Part of the painful learning process of having to QC your production and SSC and WETA have had shameful fails in that regard, among other companies.

The hat is a known issue but IMO ASMUS should simply exchange with proof of ownership on request. Staff too. It's not as bad as the HT Iron Man debacle or some other fig/statue disasters. I just want good hair.

With the mess things are, don't know when mine will even show up. Actually the staff in the bag thing sounds like there was a foulup during production and they had to add after the fact.

 

[hoodonit00]

Probably why they haven't posted. Wouldn't be surprised if they just say "**** it" and leave like other reps have done in the past.

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Agreed. No way in hell this figure deserves the amount of vitriol it?s getting. The hand rooted hair itself would cost 350 dollars or more from a customizer. That custom GTW that was done for like 800 bucks doesn?t look as good as this and yet people think it?s the holy grail. I will agree that the hat is a fail but that Is all.

 

[TurdFurgusonsHat]

Well, yes. Part of the painful learning process of having to QC your production and SSC and WETA have had shameful fails in that regard, among other companies.

The hat is a known issue but IMO ASMUS should simply exchange with proof of ownership on request. Staff too. It's not as bad as the HT Iron Man debacle or some other fig/statue disasters. I just want good hair.

With the mess things are, don't know when mine will even show up. Actually the staff in the bag thing sounds like there was a foulup during production and they had to add after the fact.

It's fishy that BBTS is the one who gets the pipe in a baggy with the bad staff and the direct orders have the correct goods.