9472 - Attack on Weathertop

[lowillsw]

This might be a sleeper set. I have seen these in store for 3 months at the most last xmas. Unless you are hardcore LOTR, you might not know about this set.

[Alcarin]

Wrong set...

 

Yea i was still sleepy writing this did not read carefuly lol

[Bernard74]

FotR has not been seen in theatres in years.   People have short memories and need some kind of refreshers to keep their interests.  Hence I suggested a re-re-release of special ultimate version of the movie in theatres.  Or fudge the Hobbit 3 a little bit to show anything Ringwraiths

 

Well, by that reasoning 10179 Milennium Falcon should be worth squat because the movies in which it appeared were in cinemas in 1977,1980 and 1983.

 

I think Lord of the Rings still has a huge fanbase. How much this particular set appeals to them is the big question.

[Bernard74]

i disagree with this statement. If discounting is the determining factor then there will be quite a few underwater investors with almost every set and theme. If this were also the case people would be loading up on exclusives. I do agree that in the short term discounts will affect rrp cagr. It is funny how no matter what people are investing in they want immediate results. In my mind eol means i have a start date to my 2 to 4 year investment clock. I do think also that legos new policy will help exclusives in the long run as less of the hordes will be loading them up. If people were smart they would be skipping all these little sets and allocating to large exclusives, enmasse.

 

That's not really what I meant. I meant that the fact that a set which is discounted often and heavily, could be a sign that the set isn't selling that well to the general public. 

[Veegs]

It went up 12% in this most recent update, so to me, that is pretty good performance in a short time.

 

I can live with this kind of increase!

[icephoenix181]

Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug movie spoiler

I believe they mention the ringwraiths in the second hobbit movie. At least that's who I think they were takling about... So they might even be in the 3rd movie.

 

pretty sure the ghost that tries to kill Rhadaghast in the first Hobbit was a RingWraith. I mean, that is how he found the Ringwraith sword!

 

My guess is it is because it's value was much lower than msrp before it retired meaning it is just now regaining the lost value.

[lowillsw]

This set was snagged up early on in large quantities for parting out as Ringwraths were very valuable on Ebay. The horse is the very first one that can bend its hind legs as well. Not too many people knew about this set. As people start digging in to find them, this set will go.

[Darth_Raichu]

Well, by that reasoning 10179 Milennium Falcon should be worth squat because the movies in which it appeared were in cinemas in 1977,1980 and 1983.

 

I think Lord of the Rings still has a huge fanbase. How much this particular set appeals to them is the big question.

The SW movies were re-released in various formats every 6-7 years to keep them "fresh".  Not sure if you remember, but right before Disney bought Star Wars, George Lucas was in a process of remastering all 6 episodes for 3D showing in theatres.  Right before that, there were the Blu-ray remaster release.

 

Some liked the tweaks and a lot hated them, but the point was the re-releases kept the movies current, thus help the merchandising (as in sales of toys, LEGO, and other SW related stuffs)

[Bernard74]

The SW movies were re-released in various formats every 6-7 years to keep them "fresh".  Not sure if you remember, but right before Disney bought Star Wars, George Lucas was in a process of remastering all 6 episodes for 3D showing in theatres.  Right before that, there were the Blu-ray remaster release.

 

Some liked the tweaks and a lot hated them, but the point was the re-releases kept the movies current, thus help the merchandising (as in sales of toys, LEGO, and other SW related stuffs)

True, but that's also the case with Lord of the Rings. According to the Wikipedia page, each movie was released on DVD the year after it was in cinemas, so 2002-2004.

Thereafter:

2006: release of 6 disc box set with extra scenes

2010: bluray release (theatrical version)

2011: bluray release (extended version)

And of course they are still regularly on TV (in my country just last week anyway)

[Doofy McGee]

As the original poster, I just want to clarify that I am not cursing the name of this set for not appreciating faster.  The word "patience" keeps being thrown around.  I am not at all impatient about where this set is at, and I'm not losing sleep over the fact that it hasn't appreciated more.

 

Since some of the recently retired sets, particularly the Hulk 6868 have enjoyed rapid gains, I was just looking for reasons why Weathertop is seeing fairly slow growth in comparison.  The whole point of this topic was to get opinions on why it isn't appreciating quicker, not to get lectures on being patient.  I don't mean any rudeness here.  I am just trying to keep the thread on track for what it was originally intended to do.

 

Thank you to all of you who have weighed in and pointed out some of the factors that I have overlooked that are very likely contributing to this situation.

 

-Aaron-

[Bernard74]

It went up 12% in this most recent update, so to me, that is pretty good performance in a short time.

Whaddayaknow, the price guide has been updated with november sales and this set did have a good month (in the US anyway).

Pretty good month for my collection, 2.44% increase overall. Concidering About half my collection is not yet retired, pretty happy with that.

[Darth_Raichu]

True, but that's also the case with Lord of the Rings. According to the Wikipedia page, each movie was released on DVD the year after it was in cinemas, so 2002-2004.

Thereafter:

2006: release of 6 disc box set with extra scenes

2010: bluray release (theatrical version)

2011: bluray release (extended version)

And of course they are still regularly on TV (in my country just last week anyway)

Yes, but compare it with how SW made a big deal of any releases.  Again, the idea is to get people's attention to keep them talking.  IMHO, LEGO LotR sets came a few years after the movie without any tie-in to anything big in LotR franchise.  Take the Hobbit for comparison, the sets were out along with the movies, meaning people bought them while the movies were still fresh in their heads.  In general a much better tie in.

[MartinP]

I have been to a lot of stores in my area and there are some Attack on the Weathertops where ever I go. I think the set will increase after a while because there are still a lot out there.

[Bernard74]

Yes, but compare it with how SW made a big deal of any releases.  Again, the idea is to get people's attention to keep them talking.  IMHO, LEGO LotR sets came a few years after the movie without any tie-in to anything big in LotR franchise.  Take the Hobbit for comparison, the sets were out along with the movies, meaning people bought them while the movies were still fresh in their heads.  In general a much better tie in.

Fair enough, I'll immediately agree with you that releasing lotr lego sets in 2001-2003 would probably have been better for lego. Does that mean interest in the lotr is all gone by now? I think not. We'll just have two wait and see.

But speaking as a fan myself, the sets that I despatately wanted to have when I saw them, were Helm's Deep and Tower of Orthanc. And Uruk-hai Army and Orc Forge because they go well with these. Rest is okay but Was definitely lower on the priority list.

[chipbee]

Weathertop is quite useful to recreate as tunnel for trains or other vehicles. Throw in unexpected gathering for some greens on the top of the hill.

[jaisonline]

Weathertop is quite useful to recreate as tunnel for trains or other vehicles. Throw in unexpected gathering for some greens on the top of the hill.

Have pics?

[lowillsw]

Yes, but compare it with how SW made a big deal of any releases.  Again, the idea is to get people's attention to keep them talking.  IMHO, LEGO LotR sets came a few years after the movie without any tie-in to anything big in LotR franchise.  Take the Hobbit for comparison, the sets were out along with the movies, meaning people bought them while the movies were still fresh in their heads.  In general a much better tie in.

 

Not sure how anyone can compare Star Wars to Lord of the Rings.  For the guys that grew up when the Star Wars movies were around, dudes are going gaga and see Leia as a sex symbol.  Arwen is not even close to Leia.  That's why Star Wars have staying power in comparison to LOTR.  If the LOTR sets is as popular as Star Wars, Lego would pump out 9-10 sets per wave.

[Spartikis]

I have been to a lot of stores in my area and there are some Attack on the Weathertops where ever I go. I think the set will increase after a while because there are still a lot out there.

all of my weathertops were purchased for around $40 at local wal marts within the last few months, its crazy how hundreds if not thousands of people walk by those sets everyday in the store and not one person says hey maybe i could buy that super discounted set and resell it for a profit.

[spener90]

all of my weathertops were purchased for around $40 at local wal marts within the last few months, its crazy how hundreds if not thousands of people walk by those sets everyday in the store and not one person says hey maybe i could buy that super discounted set and resell it for a profit.

It takes time and money to do so.

[Achilles]

I think the bottom line on Weathertop is that it is still found on store shelves and online. One needs to wait for that to no longer be the case for the price to increase.

[chipbee]

Have pics?

Nope. Image in my mind only

 

I was about to sleep last night thinking about how to create a tunnel for my train set. Then it just occurred to me that weathertop has that greyish arches and plenty of grey pieces that can form the structure of the tunnel entrance.

 

On the other hand, unexpected gathering has lots of green pieces that can be used to form the forage on the little hill, even wth a tree on top.

 

So instead of hunting for pieces on bricklink, I can temporarily use my weathertop and unexpected gathering for my train set up. When I am bored of the tunnel then I can use back the same parts for the original designs. That's value for money

[Darth_Raichu]

Not sure how anyone can compare Star Wars to Lord of the Rings.  For the guys that grew up when the Star Wars movies were around, dudes are going gaga and see Leia as a sex symbol.  Arwen is not even close to Leia.  That's why Star Wars have staying power in comparison to LOTR.  If the LOTR sets is as popular as Star Wars, Lego would pump out 9-10 sets per wave.

Why can't anyone compare LotR with the most successful franchise ever ? The comparison was made to illustrate how tie-ins could affect sells of mechandise / LEGO.  It was easier to illustrate a point when comparing against a more successful franchise.

[jeff_14]

There is a scene in the current Hobbit movie where Gandalf goes to the jail where the wraiths are kept and finds they have escaped, however we do not actually see them in this movie. Possibly in next year's.

[icephoenix181]

Not sure how anyone can compare Star Wars to Lord of the Rings.  For the guys that grew up when the Star Wars movies were around, dudes are going gaga and see Leia as a sex symbol.  Arwen is not even close to Leia.  That's why Star Wars have staying power in comparison to LOTR.  If the LOTR sets is as popular as Star Wars, Lego would pump out 9-10 sets per wave.

 

Because Lotr is actually older than Star Wars thanks to the books and likewise has a huge fanbase. Infact, pretty sure Lotr inspired most other fantasy franchises like Dungeons and Dragons making it just as influential if not even more than Star Wars.

[stephen_rockefeller]

IMHO LOTR is nowhere close to being as influential on pop culture as Star Wars.