King Theoden Mini Crown

[Minuialwen]

Minuialwen, you are a sleuthing wizard to have figured that out. I just hope that it's not some weird and glitchy loophole that appeared since the website was changed and when it comes time to ship, Dennis Nedry from Jurassic Park pops up on your screen to say "Uh Uh Uh, you thought we wouldn't notice?"

image.png?


Did you actually and successfully put that order through, or were you just testing the system? I want to order the crown but Weta has set off so many alarm bells of late that I'm very hesitant. It's been an age or two since I last received anything direct from NZ, and though I remember it being cheaper, I think there are still taxes or customs fees to pay, or am I misremembering?

I wish I could take credit for this, but it was Levidas that first brought it up. Me I just had to check it out for myself, as it is something I have been begging Weta to do for a long long time now. No, I didn't put an order through. If the Weta website allowed things already in stock to be shipped from NZ then I would have pushed the order button in a heart beat. If I hadn't order number 18 hobbit hole, through a different company, due to a much lower cost in shipping, I would have pushed the order button on that one. Everything I have received from NZ I have never paid any tax on, that was a while ago, our government could and most likely has changed this.

Even if I had ordered number 18 hobbit hole, I still would not find out until second quarter 2023 if it really works and I get the less expensive shipping from NZ or not.

[Levidas]

I'm happy this discovery has given you so much joy, Minuialwen I do think it's a good thing that you can manually choose the warehouse from which the shipping cost is the lowest. However, I also think having an automated system doing that for you would be better (which I guess is what we had before).

Apparently, region and currency are also independent parameters. When you first change regions, it automatically updates the currency. Still, when you set it up again, it should stay like that regardless of region - which is a significant improvement, IMO. Now I can see everything in EUR for the three warehouses.

In this case, in particular, this is what I see:

crown.png

So, it's still a massive difference in ordering from different warehouses - as much as €50 in less than a €200 total.

What I find strange, as others have mentioned, is how it is much cheaper to ship from the NZ warehouse than the EU one, in my case. I guess it is due to the Customs import fees not being included. But I will take this matter to the CS and see what they have to say...

[Ithildin]

I wanted to see how it would work for me and tried this with ordering from the NZ warehouse and it was $6 cheaper for the Theoden Helm than from the US warehouse that is 800 miles away from me. NZ is 7400 miles away from me. It really is stupid.

[bishop]

I'm happy this discovery has given you so much joy, Minuialwen I do think it's a good thing that you can manually choose the warehouse from which the shipping cost is the lowest. However, I also think having an automated system doing that for you would be better (which I guess is what we had before).

Apparently, region and currency are also independent parameters. When you first change regions, it automatically updates the currency. Still, when you set it up again, it should stay like that regardless of region - which is a significant improvement, IMO. Now I can see everything in EUR for the three warehouses.

In this case, in particular, this is what I see:

crown.png

So, it's still a massive difference in ordering from different warehouses - as much as €50 in less than a €200 total.

What I find strange, as others have mentioned, is how it is much cheaper to ship from the NZ warehouse than the EU one, in my case. I guess it is due to the Customs import fees not being included. But I will take this matter to the CS and see what they have to say...

It sounds like it's cheaper outside the EU. But unfortunately, there is VAT, which increases the price.
That way, it might be cheaper to order from the EU.

[crazytrain]

I'm getting confused by all this. Shipping to the UK from New Zealand is less than from the EU. There is a 'tax' charge on both - looks like 20% of the total price of item + shipping - is that the VAT or will I get stung again when it ships??

[Celaglar]

I'm getting confused by all this. Shipping to the UK from New Zealand is less than from the EU. There is a 'tax' charge on both - looks like 20% of the total price of item + shipping - is that the VAT or will I get stung again when it ships??

If you ship from NZ to EU you will be charged with import fees as well.

[crazytrain]

If you ship from NZ to EU you will be charged with import fees as well.

Ah, okay, that makes sense - thanks. CAn't figure out why on earth it is cheaper to ship from NZ than the EU though?? Madness...

[FrodoEyes]

If you ship from NZ to EU you will be charged with import fees as well.

Though the UK isn’t in the eu, so Weta won’t charge import fees or VAT but our lovely government will, and then some.

[FlyAndFight]

I just received an email from Weta advising that these helms are coming in sooner than expected and I'll be billed for the balance on January 11th, shipping shortly thereafter.

[Valkrist]

I just received an email from Weta advising that these helms are coming in sooner than expected and I'll be billed for the balance on January 11th, shipping shortly thereafter.

Just got the same email.

Timing couldn't be worse as I'm moving next week. I haven't updated my address yet because neither of my current preorders were due to ship anytime soon. Time to email CS and play the waiting lottery.

[TMcLim]

Just got the same email.

Timing couldn't be worse as I'm moving next week. I haven't updated my address yet because neither of my current preorders were due to ship anytime soon. Time to email CS and play the waiting lottery.

Yikes haha

[FlyAndFight]

Just got the same email.

Timing couldn't be worse as I'm moving next week. I haven't updated my address yet because neither of my current preorders were due to ship anytime soon. Time to email CS and play the waiting lottery.

Is there any way that you can have it shipped to a family member or close friend? I wouldn't want to gamble with the possibility of it being lost in the mail.

[TMcLim]

Is there any way that you can have it shipped to a family member or close friend? I wouldn't want to gamble with the possibility of it being lost in the mail.

Yes ship them to me Val, they won’t get lost in my collection…

[Ithildin]

Yes ship them to me Val, they won’t get lost in my collection…

They would definitely get lost in mine.

[Valkrist]

Is there any way that you can have it shipped to a family member or close friend? I wouldn't want to gamble with the possibility of it being lost in the mail.

Well... I guess the *one* good thing about having UPS take over Weta's shipping on all orders is that they always send me an email beforehand so that I can pay their extortion fees... errr... I mean, brokerage fees... ahead of time, and I can change the delivery address with them at that stage. So, if Weta doesn't get to it in time, I think that will resolve it.

Fingers crossed.

[FlyAndFight]

Well... I guess the *one* good thing about having UPS take over Weta's shipping on all orders is that they always send me an email beforehand so that I can pay their extortion fees... errr... I mean, brokerage fees... ahead of time, and I can change the delivery address with them at that stage. So, if Weta doesn't get to it in time, I think that will resolve it.

Fingers crossed.

Ah ok. The worst would be that they never get to you.

By the way, hearing about brokerage fees, VAT and other outrageous taxes, I think some of you may want to consider moving to the free state of Florida. No state taxes, no extra postage fees and certainly no VAT charges. The only thing that you have to worry about are the occasional hurricanes possibly messing up your collections!

[Valkrist]

Trade Canada for Florida?!?

No thank you.

No amount of tax and fee breaks would ever make that a fair exchange.

In other news, CS got back to me in less than two hours -- and confirmed they've changed the address for all my pending orders.

[FlyAndFight]

I forgot to mention that yesterday I received another email from Weta stating that the Crown of King Theoden is ready to ship but that Eowyn's helm won't be ready until April. They ask that if you wish to have the crown shipped now, to pay off the balance. I'll probably just wait until both are ready and then pay it off. Not sure yet...

[FlyAndFight]

lol... is that how you justify the existence of that thing in your head?

Hint: it doesn't belong to Eowyn...

Ha! I didn't catch that mistake! "Arwen" not "Eowyn"..

By the way, I'm pretty much all in, when it comes to the helms/crowns/head gear line so I'm adding it to the collection as just another cool Rohirrim helm. I still shudder to think of what it would have been if PJ had added Arwen at Helms Deep.

[N2Darkness]

Just got Theoden's crown #254/750. It is nice and detailed, but it's getting ever increasing hard to justify $100 for these. I mean you get more pound for pound or square inch of sculpture from a small hobbit hole IMO.

Here are a few quick pics.

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