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Webmaster's Blog
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Welcome to the Webmaster's "Blog" page. Here's where I get to just play with the incredible figures Conte produces. I hope you enjoy your time browsing through the ages on these pages. If you want to contact me, e-mail me at playsetaddict@charter.net . Thanks! Joe Baker
6/25/09 Hey guys! A quick HEADS UP. A bunch of painted Metal ACW sets that we thought we completely had sold out have surfaced as the boxes from Nevada have been opened and sorted. If you have been wishing you had a chance to obtain some of these sets, you have a small window of opportunity to act. For example, a few sets of the Confederate dead and the Confederate Artillery sets are available for those who move fast. Click on the picture or right here.
It's been way too long since I played with the plastic ACW guys.
6/03/09 One of the cool perks of being Conte's webmaster is that collectors often send me pictures of what they've done with Conte products. John Donato sent me some pictures of some plastic Spartans he has painted as the Spartans' Greek allies...or opponents until the Immortals show up. Aren't these amazing? I'll probably be making a whole page with pictures of the different Greeks he has painted. Stay tuned for a link to that page.
These pictures are by Joe Korpar
5/21/09 RC has put together another update which should be posted this morning. (I'm still waiting for a couple more pictures and hoping for a little more editing before I post it. ) I did update the Preview page with a whole bunch of new pictures...some of which haven't been made public before. So stay tuned... Also, I could use some help from you guys. I am now the one doing the updating of the contecostore site...something which was done out of Las Vegas previously. If you guys ever find anything in there with the old Las Vegas address or telephone number, could you let me know? The only way I seem to learn how the site is put together is when someone tells me about a problem and I have to figure out where the problem is. After the Vegas phone numbers were disconnected, nothing was going through on the store site because I didn't have a grasp of how the internal information was originally set up. I think the site is working again. If there are problems...would you please let me know? Thanks. One of the good things coming out of the move is the discovery of stock that we thought was long gone. For example, a bunch of the figures from the Scotland the Brave sets were found. Look for those to become available soon. Also, I believe some Texas Brigade sets were found.
I also was surprised to learn that most of the Immortal sets are still in stock. Last September at OTSN it seemed everyone thought they were all sold out. If you've been waiting for those, call the office and get 'em while you can. The big project coming up will be to go through the websites and remove all the sold/out gone forever sets. I am waiting for the final inventory to do that. Take care and Happy Memorial Day! Here are a couple more pictures of the Colonial Adventurers.
2/25/09 Hullo again! Did ya miss me? It looks like my days are going to get busier now. Things are beginning to solidify in Conteland. I've started messing with the Contecostore.com website. It's going to take a while to figure out everything that needs to be done to bring it up to speed, but I've started playing with the aesthetics of the homepage. I expect some new info will be showing up on that page soon. I've also started playing with some of the samples of not yet released product.
I wonder what has them spooked? Anyway, I think you can expect a trickle of News and Surprises to start flowing. You may not need to check for new info every day, but probably every week. Take care. Joe
Will they shoot? (And No, the gorilla is not an upcoming Conte release.)
I digitally enhanced their eyes in this shot.
I remember as a kid making jungle scenarios out in the back yard. Those were some great adventures...but I never had adventurers like these back then. The Gorillas are by Safari. I used digital magic to shrink them down to the right size.
This archaeological site has all kinds of dangers....
Check out these plastic Spartans painted by George Hanger from across the pond. Thanks to Len Cooksey for sending the picture. If you have some cool photos of what you've done with Conte product...send them to me. There's room for your adventures on the blog! 10/30/08 Be sure to check out the new specials on the online store homepage! 10/17/08
10/13/08 - 10/14/08 I've been waiting very impatiently to get my hands on the factory samples of the new Zulu figures. I guess RC has been too busy shipping out the Spartans to get them to me...but hopefully I'll be able to get those gorgeous figures into some action settings soon. Meanwhile, I've been revisiting World War Two. I almost hesitate to post these pics as the BOSS figures are out of stock...but a guy has to just play for the pure joy of it sometimes, right?
10/02 - 10/0308
The Plastic Spartans in Silver and Bronze have arrived in the country and should be ready to ship by about October 4. Let the Battles Begin!
The way the detail shows on these beauties is amazing.
9/28/08
One of the many fans captivated by the Plastic Spartans at OTSN. 9/05/08
I took my plastic Spartans down to the lakeshore today.
8/26/08
It's not news anymore, but "Hey! The Plastic Spartans Have Arrived and they are Astoundingly Awesome!" I loved the prototypes I had, but the production run figures are much nicer even than those. I still can't quite believe that figures that look so good can have the pose-ability and interchange-ability that these figures have. They've been compared to swoppet figures, but swoppet figures sacrificed dynamism for the interchange-ability feature. These don't. And the spears have no droop whatsoever! Conte's reached a whole new level once again!
They also paint up pretty darn nice. Scott Odden, (Fubar to those of you who spend time on the forums), painted these up as soon as he received his Spartans. Wow.
8/01/08 I'm going to be away from my computer for about a week...just when the plastic Spartans are supposed to arrive. I have been trying to get details to post before I leave, but I haven't been able to get in contact with Richard for the latest, up to the minute details. My apologies in advance for not being able to keep you informed of the Spartan's exact status. Murphy's Law. If you've pre-ordered, this lack of news shouldn't affect you. If you've been waiting...I'd recommend calling in your order soon. 7/30/08 If you haven't picked them up already, this might be a very good time to get the Bloody Omaha signature Series Sets. They still take my breath away.
7/27/08 I've been having fun making some of the Bloody Omaha photos look like vintage photographs.
7/16/08
I decided to get my early plastic Spartan samples out and play a little. I have to note that the production Spartans are in a different shade of red.
4th of July I am really really excited about the next series of figures coming out of Robert Ortiz's workshop.. Zouaves! Here's a peek at a couple of the paintmasters.
I can't believe it's been almost three months since I've posted here. My daughter 's wedding was on April 19th and the run up to the wedding and the catch up after it have kept me pretty fully occupied. Not to mention that her wedding presents are being stored in my basement making 'work' down there difficult. I hope you've been keeping current with everything by checking the front page of the Conte Store. http://contecostore.com With the warehouse move coming, Richard would rather sell the stuff than ship it, so there probably will never be another chance like this again. I hope Playset Collectors saw that the single color metal figures from the playsets are available individually right now for the first time ever. There are also some amazing deals on Pirates, Rev War and even on some Roman sets. That's beyond the really really good deals on most everything else. 3/30/08
3/14/08
3/02/08
'A Load of Trouble"
"Hot Pursuit"
"Top Gun" This guy is hard to keep in stock.
"Thunderstruck!"
"The Terminator"
2/08/08 - 2/15/08
Trouble...
There will be blood...
"Row, you Sons of Odin!"
Defiant Defenders.
The Battle is Joined!
Now the hard part....
Don't shoot her, you idiot!
"Yes...you'll make a fine Viking Queen..."
2/07/08
I recently got hold of a production model Roman ship to go with my Test Shot ship. Boy am I happy to report that the factory did a great job in making the actual production ships assemble smoothly compared to my experience with the prototype. I remember watching RC assemble the prototype ship at OTSN. He kept making notes about things that needed to be corrected. I'll be darned if the factory didn't get them all fixed. Here's to smooooth sailing!
2/03/08
The Conte navy proudly on display in my Living Room. 1/30/08
The Roman Ship is now blowing Collectors away as it arrives on their doorsteps in it's huge box. I'm still rather amazed this project succeeded, It was such a huge undertaking. I must admit I thought RC was reaching just a little too far. Even if he was able to solve all the engineering issues, I figured the cost would be prohibitive. When I heard him telling Collectors at OTSN what he expected to be able to price it at, (500 plus shipping) I was very pleasantly surprised. When I heard the Introductory price of $400.00 plus shipping, I just shook my head. This thing is an awe inspiring, museum quality collectible. Conte's slogan from the beginning has been "Setting New Standards". Clearly, that is what is being done here both in terms of quality and value. I've also heard that there has been some discussion about the "stone" tower on the ship. Historically, (I've been told), the tower was made of wood like the rest of the ship, and then often painted to look like stone. That was RC's design concept with this piece.
It's a good life (for some).
1/25/08
This is another scenario I've wanted to do for quite a while. There is a museum in Madison, Wisconsin, that has a life size diorama of the Iron Brigade coming through a cornfield. Thanks to Michigan Toy Soldier for the corn and Gary Livingston (Shiloh) for the great split rail fence...And thanks to Conte Collectibles for the best Iron Brigade figures ever!
And if I'm gonna play with Civil War guys, I just gotta get the Sons of the South into play!
1/22/08
I've always liked the figures from "The Platoon" but have always felt they had that Pacific feel to them. I finally got around to getting them into some action.Of course, the Collector's Club marine has to join them! 1/21/08
This is one of my favorite Spartan sets...and it's in stock now!
1/18/08 Things are starting to heat up at Conte Central. The Roman Ships with the unpainted crew are shipping already and the ships with the painted crews shouldn't be too far behind. The Cog is also expected soon as well as quantities of the new Ancient Greek/Persian Immortal range. Valhalla Awaits sets are also expected soon in quantity. And then the plastic Spartans. You probably already have seen the announcement of the biggest warehouse space making sale we've ever had...but if not, be sure to check out the details at http://contecostore.com. Also, next week marks the anniversary of the battle at Rorke's Drift. Perhaps an unveiling of the new Zulu: Horns of the Buffalo series would be appropriate. Stay tuned.
12/22/07
I am getting excited about the upcoming "Zulu...The Horns of the Buffalo" series. I intended to wait for the new figures to do a Zulu battle...I really did...but I'm just not that patient.
As daylight fades and the hospital burns...the battle goes on.
Don't ask what I had to do to get this shot...
The Cog is rapidly approaching our shores...Be ready!!!
I picked up this great destroyed building at OTSN. My hat is off to it's creator...Charles Moore.
I do love the plastic GIs.
Now that's how I always envisioned the "House Cleaning" series.
11/28/07
It's been a while...Lately I haven't been very motivated. One of the main reasons was my frustration with my inability to get the red color right in pictures like the ones above and below...pictures that should have been the most simple pictures to take. I had spent a whole afternoon shooting the plastic Spartans and the color came out horribly. So, after about a month of stewing, I went out and bought a cheap little Nikon camera to just use for well lit, catalog type photos...and voila! Accurate reds! Not bad for a hundred dollar camera.
This picture is from our table at the Hackensack show and was taken by our friends at Michigan Toy Soldier. These are factory samples in the actual production colors. Pretty cool, huh?
11/15/07 I know there are a number of you out there wanting the D-Day playsets with the fantastic Church and Priory buildings. They are back in stock but you better act fast...they move very quickly. Go to the Online Store to order yours now!
Playsets currently in stock are : 10/24/07 Good news for those of you in the North East. RC. will be at the Hackensack show on November 4. If you missed OTSN, be sure you don't miss this great show!. 10/09/07
The stuff of Dreams... 10/05/07
The Roman Ship is the perhaps the most stunning piece Conte Collectibles has ever produced.
Look at the detail. 9/29/07
Here's a shot of the elusive Norman Cog.
Here's another shot of the plastic Spartans. The five central figures are the same "pose". I'll have a full treatment of these guys soon. So much great stuff to show you guys...and so much real life stuff in the way. Stay tuned! I did post some pictures of the Roman Ship and crew on the Preview Page...check them out. 9/23/07
I'm back from the Chicago show. I apologize for not posting while down there, but I could not get the laptop to allow me to upload...so hopefully you got your news from other sources. We had announced the debut of Viking Raid playset #1. It was very well received. We sold every set we brought. (We were sold out before 10:00 AM today). I'm really not surprised because of the bargain it is. We were expecting to have the first six sets of metal Persian Immortals for sale and the first nine sets of the Viking raid, but DHL proved more incompetent than words can describe. The factory got the product to Los Angeles by last Monday, but through an incredible series of mistakes and incompetence and whatever the opposite of customer service is, they failed to deliver the product in time for the show. The final unbelievable goof up was that the they got the stuff to Chicago Saturday morning...but the driver who picked it up at the airport did not follow the routing instructions and took the product to the nearest delivery hub to the hotel...which was not staffed on weekends. And they refused to do anything to correct their mistakes. (The shipment going to the warehouse in Las Vegas did get through..so if you've preordered the sets they will go out as soon as the staff gets back to the office from Chicago.)
We had two other crowd pleasers that kept Collectors smiling. Our surprise playset is a beautiful Roman bireme with a full complement of slave oarsmen and some other great figures. (Yes..we were "By Thunder".) It's probably the most impressive piece Conte has made to date. There will be a version for metal collectors and and a version for plastic collectors. The ships are in production now and should be shipped soon. I brought one home from the show so I should have some nice pictures up soon.
And the real mind blower were the samples of the upcoming plastic Spartans. Not only are they fantastic figures, but Richard conceived of a way to make them have articulated arms, wrists, necks and in many cases, forearms. The end result is that you can adjust the pose in many ways...and the arms and heads and hands are interchangeable. And the figures don't look awkward at all. There is no sacrifice in realism to get these features. The potential for other ranges with this technology is staggering for people with as active imaginations as we toy soldier collectors have.
There were also many other great new products released this year. Ron Barzso outdid himself with a fantastic Robin Hood set that contained injection molded figures!. His display in the front lobby of a huge castle under attack was beyond impressive. TSSD had their mounted Civil War Cavalry available...Hobby Bunker had some great new buildings. Charles Moore, at his first OTSN, had a roomful of great stuff. Add all that to what we had to debut and it was a very good show for the collector. And Oh...did I mention the Pirate ship?
or the Norman Castle????
9/18/07 I'm getting ready to pack up for OTSN. But first...a few pictures of the painted Vikings.
A little side action...
9/15/07
With the Viking Raid Playset Series, RC wanted to create a whole Medieval World. Here you see the Saxon Church which is the centerpiece of Viking Raid Set 2 displayed with the Village buildings and Stamford Bridge. The figures are the figures from Viking Raid Playset 1, which features the Viking Ship with a tan colored resin crew.
It was a tough economy in those days.
The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
Look at the detail on the cross and tombstone.
A Warrior Priest leads the local Saxon garrison into battle.
"What else did she say to bring home?"
I wonder if he'll ever catch him?
Get the marshmallows.
Isn't that church beautiful? The saxon maid t'ain't bad neither. 9/13/07 Things are shaping up for OTSN. It looks like all our suppliers are coming through.
These guys go with the battering ram...but I needed someone to interact with the girl.
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