"Asmus Vs. Sideshow Figures Comparison"

[wallace_trust]

It's raining here again (and I am not going to complain... I do best in cool weather) but we have had a couple of dry days recently, and I finally managed to get outside to take some more photos of these dolls!
 

Left to right:  Asmus, Sideshow, and the 7" Deluxe Poseable Frodo by Toybiz.  Sorry Sam is MIA, but hopefully this pic will help hobbit shoppers anyway  ^_^;

 

Comments

[ink_gypsy]

I like the face on the Amus Frodo better than on the Sideshow, and that the Amus figure is smaller, more compact. Do they have the same articulation?

And I like that the Amus versions have several pairs of changeable hands, while the Sideshow only has a change for one hand.

Sadly, the Amus are sold out. I suppose it's better as I'd be tempted to buy them as I did the Sideshow versions, which didn't stand up for me. After both Frodo's and Sam's arms came off, I ended up just putting them on display rather than enjoying posing them as some are able to do. In fact, the ToyBiz versions are a lot sturdier, considering how inexpensive they were.

[wallace_trust]

Yes, Asmus wins for the overall quality of the sculpt, I am certain, in addition to the very high quality clothing and fabric. The one thing I am not so fond of is Frodo's deeply pained expression. Of course, he was pained by the Ring, but I would have preferred his expression be a bit more neutral for versatility. Also, the Asmus Ring and its chain are of extremely fine quality. I may not have mentioned that before, but this chain has weight (however miniscule) and flows in the hand like fine jewelry.

The articulation is pretty similar for both Asmus and Sideshow, but the Asmus doll lacks ankle joints. I can understand why they did this, as it makes the feet look better.

A few of these dolls are still available on eBay. There is a set located in Utah up for sale here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FRODO-SAMWISE-1-6-Scale-Figures-ASMUS-TOYS-Lord-of-the-Rings-NEW-Hobbits-LE-/302262144601?

As to the Sideshow dolls coming apart, I have read about their fragility elsewhere, so I don't play much with mine. However, those wonderful 7" Toybiz figures can even stand up to my cats, and a pair of those are sitting on top of my computer right now, critically observing everything I write and paint ^_^

[ink_gypsy]

Thanks for the link, but the seller is asking even more than Amus did, and I shouldn't be spending that kind of money on them. Maybe if I was still working, but not now.

I can see from the photos that the clothing and accessories are of better quality. How about their sturdiness? So they're not as fragile as the Sideshow versions? Maybe I was just unlucky with mine because I know several people who "play" with their dolls, changing their clothes and putting them in different positions. It's amazing that the $5 action figures hold up better than something so expensive.

[wallace_trust]

I know where you're coming from ^_^ I work from home and have to hang onto every penny. Thanks to taxes, it'll be weeks now before I am able to do any 'discretionary spending' at all :P

I haven't played with the Asmus dolls due to their value, but I can say they feel fairly heavy and substantial. I don't know whether they would hold up any better than the Sideshow version, though. And it really is amazing that those inexpensive Toybiz 'action figures' are so much more durable!

[lavendertook]

I"m sorry I've been MIA in commenting--I owe you replies I will probably never get to. But I'll jump in here. I need to get the Asmus dolls when they're available. I did not know about the 7 inch ToyBiz dolls. I will have to look for that one, too. I have the 9 inch Toybiz doll.

[wallace_trust]

Hi Lavender ^_^ Don't worry about not commenting! Some people say more, some less! :)

The Asmus dolls were a very limited run of 1000 each, but there are a few sets going through eBay. One from Utah is located at this link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FRODO-SAMWISE-1-6-Scale-Figures-ASMUS-TOYS-Lord-of-the-Rings-NEW-Hobbits-LE-/302262144601?

I wasn't really aware of the 9" Toybiz dolls. Is that only Frodo, or does Sam come in that scale too?

[lavendertook]

This one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Lord-Of-The-Rings-Fellowship-of-the-Ring-Frodo-Doll-Loose-Figure-9-Toy-Biz-/252794073237?hash=item3adbb37095:g:jI4AAOSwTuJYt3Gg

Kind of cheaply made but he's happier than the others. Or he's bravely pretending, which gives him a bit of a crazed look--there's sadly no matching Sam.

[wallace_trust]

Ah! That is the one I call "Frodo of the Rooted Hair." ^_^ He is on my shopping list :) I believe he was the first larger scale Frodo, and I imagine he would be roughly comparable to the Sideshows in scale.

There is a lovely Bilbo with a red velvet jacket which may be from the same collection. His face sculpt is exquisite and he is inexpensive, so that is probably the next doll on my list ^_^

Now if only they made a Frodo & Sam salt & pepper set... :)

[claudia603]

Oooh, I like that Amus one!

[wallace_trust]

Yes, I like it too ^_^

[peripety]

Oh, it's nice to see them side by side, thank you! And I agree with your other commenters who think the Asmus figure is really nice-looking.

[wallace_trust]

You're welcome ^_^ Yes, the Asmus dolls are quite a work of art!

[suzy]

I love the Asmus Frodo doll. It's really well done.

[wallace_trust]

Yes, I love it too. :) The detail is remarkable, especially the eyes, and even the individual pores of the skin are visible. It's really an amazing doll :)