Toy Biz Lord of the Rings Variations Guidelines
For collectors that enjoy collecting a toy line, variations often allow a collector to expand and branch out of the regular line of figures and attempt to obtain figures that often show a visible difference when compared side by side.
Toy Biz was known to make what we have termed running changes during the line for the Lord of the Rings. These running changes can often be minor or a major change that occurs during the life of the figure, and certainly become notable when closely compared and examined.
Variations is distinctly different to packaging errors which we endeavour to cover at a later stage. While package errors are not deliberate, variations often are part of the process.
Here at the archive we aim to document these variations as they are identified and most importantly verified.
Two distinct types of variations exist, and here at the archive we have broken these down into the two primary groups. The first is figure which means the variations is specific to the figure and or the accessory that was released with the figure. Most often these variations can be identified as first release or second release. A first release is often that found in the initial case assortments when they reach retail, while second release are found with subsequent case assortments thereafter. A good example found under a figure variant is a paint application change, often found and updated early in the life of a figure. The second is package and this relates to a change observed with the packaging. The most common package variations found will often be the foreign stickers found relating to the bow firing feature. It also encompasses the transitioning of package images and box layout as well.
Here in the archive we have already identified over 60 figure variations and over a dozen package variations, however we are not yet done.
If you happen to own an item that you are certain is a variation and do not see it listed in the archive please notify us. It is likely the item is known to us, but we lack the information we require to have it listed. This is where you as a member of the community can help.
What do we need?
To be true with our verification process we need evidence of the items within their original packaging. While sourcing images of examples has already been done, the most important data point we need is the date stamp. This date stamp allows us to clearly identify if the variation happens to be a first release or subsequent second release. The archive has already identified most of these clearly identifying the date stamps of each entry where possible, while some entries will be found without a first or second release notation in the name, indicating that we still require a date stamp for these items to be able to clearly define their place.
If you aim to submit images for variations, please provide detailed images. Please use the existing images in the archive as an example of what we like to provide to the community. The date stamps are extremely important and need to be captured as clearly as possible with each submission.
What about loose examples?
There are some figure variations that we know of that cannot be clearly identified from within the package. One example is Item No. 81153 Frodo with Light-Up Sting Sword. This figure is known to have been released with three distinct colored light-up sting swords. A variation such as this can only be truly identified when the feature is operated, something that cannot be done when the figure is in the package, making these examples difficult to verify within the packaging. To confirm and verify this a loose example needs to be paired with their original packaging and making use of the date stamp can help narrow a packaged example to what color the light-up sting sword will likely be.
A further example of a variation that cannot be clearly identified from within the packaging is the Prologue Elven Warriors arrow heads, as these sit within the figures quiver and out of view when viewing the figure within the packaging. A variation exists with the style of arrow heads on this figure, however, to confirm and verify this, we would first need to see a loose example along with the original packaging and the date stamp to help with the submission.
Could some variations be country specific?
We have already confirmed country specific package variations, and one specific figure variation (Mirkwood Legolas). It is for these reasons that we rely heavily on packaged examples, and not purely on loose examples to help verify the variations that then go onto becoming entries within our database for the collecting community.
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