Click on each category to sort by that stat! Bold blue text indicates the highest stat per each category. [update: New boards added!]

Compare with our last BOTB! (Aug. 2007)

Musings:
Most posts and members
[Update]: P. Wise was kind enough to provide us with the stats himself- no more question marks! In light of this, you may find it interesting that RS no longer holds the member record, which now goes to newcomer TFW2005.
——–
You’ll notice that the a couple of stats for Rebelscum are in bold blue, and you’ll notice that they are in question marks. How is this possible?

Firstly they are question marks because there are no stats to be easily found on the index. However, even using our numbers for their forum from two years ago, they’d still win in those categories. That’s why.

As always, any help in providing numbers for our ? stats is appreciated.

Growth
Clearly excelling over the others, Sideshow Freaks has experienced explosive growth at 275%. In case you’re wondering of course, “Growth” is calculated based on the increase in the number of posts since August, 2007.

Average
Average is calculated by dividing the total number of posts by the number of members, providing an indication of participation per individual. As with the 2007 BOTB, we (The Shadow and Flame) take this one with pride.

So long, farewell:
These are boards that have been removed from the table since the last BOTB, considering their inactivity.
Parenthesis indicate number of new posts in this two year time frame.
Yodas News (14696)
Wetaholics (1640)
Lordoftheringsguide (4406)

And Spawn.com’s board was removed– as the only board done by the company themselves, it just didn’t really fit.

In place of these boards, The Hunter’s Lair, Statue Marvels, Chocolate by Death, and Onesixthwarriors (OSW) were added.

Conclusion:
And there you have it folks. The economy sucks, but there are still a heck of a lot of people talking about collectibles online.

As always, here are links to all the fine boards discussed. Give them a visit!
The Shadow and Flame
SideshowFreaks
Statue Forum
Gentle Giant Collectors
Lord of the Rings Guide
Onesixthwarrior
Sandtroopers
Rebelscum
TFW2005
Statue Marvels
Spawn.com
The Hunter’s Lair
Chocolate by Death
Wetaholics
Yoda’s News

(Oh my! Rebelscum maintains lead and nears 300 votes! GGC pulls comfortably into third!)

Get your last votes in folks! Poll closes at the end of August. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Forum member Darth Rage has got the first in-hand photos of United Cutlery’s Sword of Isildur replica.

Click through for his photos!

(9 photos)

Sideshow:

• Shocker! Alien Ripley Power Loader diorama goes for pre-sale sans Sigourney Weaver likeness; rights issue cited as culprit
• Elektra comiquette goes for pre-order, exclusive sells out in a blink

Weta:

• Yet another one-of-one Raygun, the Texas Rose, exclusive to San Diego Con
• John Howe Middle Earth sculptures officially announced, will be at SDCC
• Greg Broadmore to attend Comic-Con 09 for signings of Grordbort’s fine art book

Hot Toys:

• Marcus Wright figure revised with new headsculpt, now even Sam Worthington-ier
• First Wolverine images glimpsed, debates rage on its Jackman worthiness
• Awkwardly named Terminator: Salvation T-600 ‘Weathered Rubber Skin Version’ is announced

Hollywood Collectibles Group:

• Life-size Legolas Lothlorien bow, limited to 500

Sideshow:

• Diablo 3: Overthrown diorama relaunched in earnest, already garnering ’statue of the year’ talk
• Aliens Ripley/Power Loader diorama glimpsed
• Dinosauria line building steam: Styracosaurus Maquette goes pre-order, hits low quantity alert pronto
• Life-size Iron Man bust gets battle damaged treatment
• Has Sideshow caught reboot fever? Elektra comiquette teased

Weta:

• Avatar-ish, Grordbort-ish creature shown in latest Comic-Con tease; one collector to describes: “A praying mantis with one big sac”
• More Howe, Wuest photos to analyze, John Howe collectibles line imminent?
• Forward to the past: Star Burst buyer shows in hand photos
• Reminder: Alan Lee signing at the Weta Cave in two days

Sideshow:

• New “12-inch Figure Environment”: Reactor Station Alpha
• LOTR Uruk-Hai Berserker PF production photos posted, still frightens children
• Diablo 3: Overthrown statue finally gets a coat of paint
• Next in line for Dinosauria: Styracosaurus Maquette
• Lady Deathstrike to participate in an upcoming Marvel VS Diorama

Weta:

• New Taylor/Howe/Wuest sculpture tease continues
• Unnatural Selector Blunderbuss gets miniaturized, at a price you can finally afford
• Star Burst one-off Raygun fetches $1350

Hollywood Collector’s Gallery:

• T-800 Endoskeleton Battle Damaged 1:2 Bust exclusive to Razor’s Edge Collectibles

Sideshow:

• SDCC Mort of The Dead (original character) figure pre-sells, gone within the hour
• SDCC Runaway Brain Mickey Mouse figure goes up for pre-order, sells out
• Previews Star Wars Imperial Shock Trooper figure
• Pre-orders Henry Jones Sr. figure, with exclusive grail tablet accessory
• Previews Rocketeer polystone statue (Electric Tiki)
• New “12-inch Figure Environment” debuts at $90 a piece: Temple of Anubis
• New “12-inch Figure Environment”: Shrine of Dagon

Weta:

• Guillermo Del Toro signing “The Strain” at the Cave, June 17th
• Alan Lee signs The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook and more at the Cave, June 20th
• Two new Grordbort’s Rayguns teased, including the Star Burst

Hot Toys:

• Silk Spectre II is teased; fanboys hot and bothered
• Pixar’s “UP” line announced
• Terminator: Salvation T600 ‘Martin Laing Signature Version’ figure exlusive to DCDirect in North America
• Albert Wesker figure from the video game series Resident Evil/Biohazard up for pre-order

eFx:

• Luke’s X-Wing helmet announced, price a mystery

Sideshow:

• Horn tootin’ Boromir Legendary Scale Bust pre-sells
• SDCC G.I. Joe Crimson Cobra Commander priority pre-orders, ES 1000
• SDCC LOTR Mount Doom diorama pre-orders, takes a day to sell out; handful of Non-attendee versions vanish quick
• New pro 12-inch figure body is introduced
• Emma Frost premium format pre-orders, faces “cartoony, anime” criticism; exclusive sells out anyway

Weta:

• Podcast with Richard Taylor and Shane Rangi
• Drops Comic-Con hints

Hot Toys:

• Godfather Vito Corleone figure, now with more furniture
• Terminator: Salvation Marcus Wright figure pre-orders as film opens

Forum member Oxfordian recently caught up with Peter Lyon at the Weta Exhibition in Leeds, UK. Not only did he manage to chat with the master swordsmith after his presentation, he also got Mr. Lyon’s to inscribe one of his works from the Sideshow Weta days to give away on our forum. Swell chap ain’t he!

Do check out Oxfordian’s recap of Peter Lyon’s presentation as well.

• More on Weta’s Exhibition at the Royal Armouries Museum
• Weta to produce a range of sword replicas!

Forum member Bosco shows Thor who’s daddy with pics of his newly arrived Bowen Designs Odin statue.

Click through for his pics!

(4 photos)

Forum member and renowned Star Wars buff, Darth Rage shows off the freshly arrived, minty mint efx Stormtrooper 1:1 helmet. Properly asymmetrical and everything. Click through to see the rest of his pics!

(6 photos)