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Collectors wondering if Toy Biz license means end of Toy Vault line - Lord of the Rings news - J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

June 13, 2000 at 20:07:47

Regular members of the Middle-earth Toys Message Board, an independent forum operated for collectors of Toy Vault's Middle-earth Toys action figures, are openly asking whether the recent Toy Biz master license voids Toy Vault's license to produce Tolkien-related merchandise.

One poster quotes Jon Huston, President of Toy Vault, as saying, "we are getting pressure to stop putting out figures. It's being worked out right now, I don't know what the answer will be yet." The same message cites Tony Smith, the current project manager for the Middle-earth Toys line, as saying, "The ToyBiz license gives them the right to produce figures based on the New Line Cinema movies. Our license is literary, meaning we produce figures based on the books. It's unusual to have two different toy companies making the same figures of the same characters, however it has occurred. The movie license affects Toy Vault in no way what-so-ever."

We've asked Toy Vault if they intend to issue any sort of statement on the situation.

Toy Vault has been producing the Middle-earth action figures since 1998 and they have featured background essays on their Web site for each character produced. The essays were written by Michael Martinez, owner of Xenite.Org, under contract. In February of this year, The Lord of the Nazgul action figures were released in a special deluxe edition which included liner notes by Martinez.

The Lord of the Nazgul release was plagued by production problems and customer complaints, prompting Toy Vault to renegotiate with their supplier and recall a significant percentage of the defective action figures in a free replacement campaign.

In late 1998 and early 1999 Toy Vault took the unprecedented step (for a Tolkien merchandiser) of soliciting input and feedback from online fans concerning preproduction designs for several action figures, including Elrond, Galadriel, and others. The solicitations sparked controversial debates concerning the shapes of Elven ears.

The next two action figures to be released will be Galadriel and the Barrow-wight. Toy Vault has been structuring its releases in pairs, one good character, one bad. The most popular figures to date include Frodo and Gandalf. Each character is produced in several poses and some of the toys are offered through Toy Vault's exclusive club while others may be offered in retail chains alongside specialty stores. An offering distributed through Toys'R'Us in 1999 sold out quickly.

Aragorn and Legolas may be released after Galadriel and the Barrow-wight.