Rick,
Do you also have friends in the neighborhood who are collecting or playing? Or do you know people who did in the past?
No, all the people I know are miniature-minded (not to be confused with small minded, though) They respect my hobby/obsession, but they wouldn't and will never ever get themselves into he cardboard side of LOTR. Shame, really.
BTW: I'm not an Elf. More of the Dwarfish persuasion, actually, though I do speak English, French, a bit of Russian, some German, Indonesian (heritage, don't ask) and Italian. Let's just say I come fro a line of people who liked to travel and 'move it', so to speak....