Asmus Toys Lord of the Ring Gandalf Gray

[chrisstbh]

Mine arrived yesterday but I haven?t had a chance to open it yet.
But to each their own I guess. I?m a huge LOTR and Asmus fan and I am very excited, even in spite of all of the issues out there.
Worst case scenario for Gandalf still makes it one of the year?s best sixth scale releases, Galadriel turned out great and is on the way to me right now!
Great time to be an Asmus LOTR fan if you ask me.

I feel like these issues shouldn't exist for $350 though. It might be the best 1/6 Gandalf to date, but that doesn't excuse any of it.

 

[jal76]

I feel like these issues shouldn't exist for $350 though. It might be the best 1/6 Gandalf to date, but that doesn't excuse any of it.

Couldn?t agree more. It should be perfect for the price and the level of prestige that Asmus promised with the line.
With that said, still VERY excited and cannot wait to put this figure on display.
An imperfect Gandalf with rooted hair and beard is still ten times more exciting to me as a collector than another perfect Stormtrooper variant or the tenth perfect iteration of Iron Man or Hawkeye.

 

[matmurdock]

Did you just work with placement of the stock hat or did you make actual modifications to it?

I removed the cover to the top of the hat and squished the foam down and then pushed it further up the hat. It wasn't that rough to do at all. The magnet is still in place as well.

 

[Agentbutterman]

New shot of Gandalf today.

 

[RandomHero]

Fantastic shot. Really shows that this figure can look amazing if the time is put into it.

 

[Knightstalker]

New shot of Gandalf today.

View attachment 510206

Beautiful pic. Mine's on the way to Australia via BBTS, can't wait to get him.

 

[MrPickles]

Understanding the scale doesn't line up perfectly, has anyone ever posed this Gandalf (or the 1st version) squaring off against the Weta Balrog?

 

[ThomastheTank57]

What a letdown from asmus, so many problems with this figure.

 

[jal76]

What a letdown from asmus, so many problems with this figure.

Your personal figure?

 

[jal76]

This Gandalf figure reminds me of the Blitzway Ghostbusters.
Before release, everyone on the site was raving about them and predicting that they would change the industry.
First in hand pictures. Everyone cooled down.
People started getting them in hand and the whole thread was filled with nothing but QC issues, paint app complaints, likeness complaints, prototype to production drop off complaints. Painful to read.
Everyone claimed that they were canceling for all of the above but mostly the QC problems. Not realizing of course that the vast majority of people who got the figures don?t post here at all and had no issues whatsoever.
20 QC issues on a thread seems like a lot. In the grand scheme of the entire consumer base it?s nothing, no different than any other retail product.
Then the figures sold out, mine look beautiful on my shelf, and the same people who said they were canceling are now trying to exchange their kidneys for one of the sets and coming up short because no one who owns them parts with them because they?re really great.
It?s going to be the same thing with this Gandalf figure.

 

[Bgnyc007]

^ he is right. That is exactly what happened with the BW GB. Just keep it simple buy what you love easy as that. Though they?re could of been a better quality closer to prototype like the hat qc, but overall a great representation IMO. But Asumus if you?re listening just send collectors a replacement hat simple as that.

 

[Rzeznikk]

This Gandalf figure reminds me of the Blitzway Ghostbusters.
Before release, everyone on the site was raving about them and predicting that they would change the industry.
First in hand pictures. Everyone cooled down.
People started getting them in hand and the whole thread was filled with nothing but QC issues, paint app complaints, likeness complaints, prototype to production drop off complaints. Painful to read.
Everyone claimed that they were canceling for all of the above but mostly the QC problems. Not realizing of course that the vast majority of people who got the figures don?t post here at all and had no issues whatsoever.
20 QC issues on a thread seems like a lot. In the grand scheme of the entire consumer base it?s nothing, no different than any other retail product.
Then the figures sold out, mine look beautiful on my shelf, and the same people who said they were canceling are now trying to exchange their kidneys for one of the sets and coming up short because no one who owns them parts with them because they?re really great.
It?s going to be the same thing with this Gandalf figure.

Agreed. And now the GB sell for crazy price. Same thing will happen with Gandalf here as well. As I've mentioned before I look forward to laughing at all the "looking for Asmus Crown Gandalf at a reasonable price" posts on Facebook. Speaking of GB I just futzed around with my Venkman and removed the fatsuit. Makes a huge difference in my opinion.

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[TurdFurgusonsHat]

^ he is right. That is exactly what happened with the BW GB. Just keep it simple buy what you love easy as that. Though they?re could of been a better quality closer to prototype like the hat qc, but overall a great representation IMO. But Asumus if you?re listening just send collectors a replacement hat simple as that.

I can see the comparison to the Blitzway Ghostbusters too. Both were hyped releases by 2nd tier 1/6 companies that in some ways delivered but in some ways came up short. Fans of both Blitzway and Asmus go too far with the accolades of their products. Some figures are pretty good and some leave a lot to be desired. In the case of Gandalf here we have a very high priced 1/6 figure with some shortcomings that just shouldn't exist.

I'll be digging into my Gandalf later today, I hope I'm not too disappointed. From what I can tell from pics I'm most concerned about the hat and the mustache but also the eyes and base to a lesser extent. I agree with you though, I think collectors would be mostly satisfied if Asmus would just acknowledge that they screwed up the hat and they replaced it with one that worked and looked good. This should be a minimum expectation given the $350 price of the figure.

 

[ghilbertit]

I've just received mine and I have no qc issues so far... I think that, hat aside, this is a wonderful figure. To solve the hat issue I have used the v1 one, and it fits way better... What can I use to fix the spirited eyes? I read someone suggest to dull down them, but how? Any news about replacement heads for the v1? I'd like to upgrade my v1 too with this wonderful head... Thanks

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[ImABarRoomHero]

 

[jal76]

I can see the comparison to the Blitzway Ghostbusters too. Both were hyped releases by 2nd tier 1/6 companies that in some ways delivered but in some ways came up short. Fans of both Blitzway and Asmus go too far with the accolades of their products. Some figures are pretty good and some leave a lot to be desired. In the case of Gandalf here we have a very high priced 1/6 figure with some shortcomings that just shouldn't exist.

I'll be digging into my Gandalf later today, I hope I'm not too disappointed. From what I can tell from pics I'm most concerned about the hat and the mustache but also the eyes and base to a lesser extent. I agree with you though, I think collectors would be mostly satisfied if Asmus would just acknowledge that they screwed up the hat and they replaced it with one that worked and looked good. This should be a minimum expectation given the $350 price of the figure.

Here?s how Asmus could lose all of the amazing goodwill that they have earned with collectors.
Wouldn?t it be a shame if when they start selling the head sculpts alone, they include an improved hat. So all the people who held out and waited for just the head, which will cost a lot less than $350 get a perfect hat and the people who bought the whole figure lose out or have to buy another head sculpt just to get the good hat.
Someone please reassure me that Asmus is not capable of doing something as terrible as that. They wouldn?t...would they?

 

[Sassafras]

Understanding the scale doesn't line up perfectly, has anyone ever posed this Gandalf (or the 1st version) squaring off against the Weta Balrog?

Cool idea; I have the Daddy 'rog with the sword. Will try to remember to do that at some point. My 'rog is way up on a high shelf - gotta be careful getting him down for any photo shoots.

But waiting patiently for any notice from SSC in meantime.

 

[Sassafras]

Here?s how Asmus could lose all of the amazing goodwill that they have earned with collectors.
Wouldn?t it be a shame if when they start selling the head sculpts alone, they include an improved hat. So all the people who held out and waited for just the head, which will cost a lot less than $350 get a perfect hat and the people who bought the whole figure lose out or have to buy another head sculpt just to get the good hat.
Someone please reassure me that Asmus is not capable of doing something as terrible as that. They wouldn?t...would they?

Well, then they should just send anyone who can prove they own a Crown Gandalf a new hat; the hat can't be that expensive.

I think I'll just try using the extra circle in the middle as a gusset to widen the hat, maybe. No-one will see from the back. If I use the hat at all.

 

[CrankbaitJon]

I don't think they will do that. Asmus had a free sword thing going on last year after Christmas I believe. If they do fix the hat, they'll probably offer us the new version in some way.

I'm sure the rooted hair and beard were the focus that got most of us to pay this kind of money for the figure. Asmus tried to add more value to the figure with the articulated eyes but made it worst. No way I am cancelling my order but yea, it could have been perfect if they didn't do articulated eyes. The hat can be fixed one way or another.

 

[Bucky Underbelly]

Also, the intention of offering the separate sculpt is for people who already own V1 to get the upgrade. Which means, theoretically, they already have the previous version of the hat, which works better than the new one.

That said, I would doubt they'd include an upgraded hat with the headsculpt. I could see them maaaayybe offering an improved hat by itself, but not as an accessory to the standalone head. That feels like opening a can of worms they'd rather stay far away from.