As I have mention before I have a quirk on Christmas. I have to get some plastic toy soldiers for Christmas! This quirk goes back to one Christmas when my parents got me just clothes. I took some of my Christmas money and bought figures. Since that Christmas, I have made sure I get plastic soldiers. This year I saw that TSSD had some of their Earp figures in early, so I decided to order them for Christmas.
The Earps represented the three Earp brothers and Doctor Holiday on the day of the Gunfight at the OK Corral. The figures are very well detail and in great action poses. The only complaint someone would have is historical accuracy. There are questions if Wyatt had a long barrel colt. No records have been found that Ned Buntline every ordered the so called Buntline special. (According to Wikipedia Wyatt did have an 8 inch barrel Smith and Wesson which had been given to him by the Mayor of Tombstone. also according to Wikipedia aa bartender had order a long barrel colt which was months before the gunfight.) Doc Holiday took his coat off before he fired the shotgun. (This figure may be based on the movie Tombstone.) Finally that Virgil had two guns, when the accounts have him with a pistol and cane. The cane he had gotten when he had traded his shotgun with Doc Holiday for Holiday’s cane.
I would not let these historical questions get in the way of owning these figures as you can use them for other scenarios as Pinkertons etc.
The other TSSD figures I got were the TSSD Custer and Crazy Horse character figures from the Custer’s Last Stand Playset. Once again the figures are well scuplted and great action poses. I especially like the Crazy Horse with the winchester at the waist. I got a second set of the figures for my very good friend Les to get his reaction as he is interested in Custer. He felt that the hat was too big for Custer he would not worn a hat that size. Also he questioned the potrayal of Custer with two pistols at first, but felt it was possible that Custer picked up a second pistol on the battlefield. If you are into western or cavalry figures these are a great addition especially as the price has been reduced on these figures.
I think the upcoming Conte Earp figures http://www.conteco.com/tombstone.html look like they have better detail than TSSD. Also find that TSSD tends to be a “bigger” 54mm – more like 60 mm. Just my personal opinion.
The Conte collectibles figures of the Earps are nice. As mention by Don Perkins the figures are going to be in metal, no mention of if they will be in plastic.
Of course, the Conte Wyatt Earp figures are not scheduled to be made in plastic; the prototypes you’ve been seeing for the past year on Conte’s website are solely for metal figures.
I also got the Earp’s yesterday, Custer and Crazy Horse I’ve had for some time. They are all nice figures and a welcome addition to my collection. I also have a Dutko conversion of the Custer without a hat and a set painted painted by Jim Clouse.
I think the Earp’s are fine and they come in plastic something I don’t think we’ll ever see from Conte again. I could be wrong, but it’s just my gut feeling.
Of course, with Conte, you never quite know what product will actually materialize, and it’s always risky to put to much stock in what Conte’s telephone answering staff tell you in response to release dates and other queries. However, about a month ago, the person who takes orders at Conte’s headquarters informed me that neither the Tombstone/Earp figures or the new photos of French Foreign Legion are scheduled to be released in plastic. The only plans are for metal (at least that’s what the Conte sales rep. told me last month). He did tell me that Conte also planned to re-release his original Beau Geste Foreign Legion fort. That was projected for “around March 2012”. But many of the “coming soon” notices on Conte’s website have been appearing for years, with no sign of actual product. That would include his projected new French Foreign Legion figures, photos of which I believe appeared on his website nearly three years ago, under the caption “Bet You Didn’t See These Coming” Likewise, Conte’s newly revamped “coming soon” Collector’s Club has been in the works more than a year. And as for plastic figures, the last time Conte did anything in plastic were his great Spartans. Wasn’t that back around 2007/2008? Since then, it’s been nothing but metal.
Hmmmmmm – that’s very disappointing!! Don’t know why, but I was assuming they’d be made in plastic. Wishful thinking I guess. Conte plastic figures are some of my favorites – especially the surgeon figure (Zulu Wars?) with the three different arm options. You’re so right about time delays with Conte. I waited so long for the third “Crater” part of the ACW that I wound up losing interest and selling my first two parts on eBay!!!!
60mm or 54?
To me it makes a difference. Seems others can let it slide.
The Conte’ Spartans and Alamo are all 60mm if not larger. No thanks.
Conte’ WW2 Germans and such were good, tho.
I love the “tire rubber” material.
Don Ducote
Each person has to decided what they want in their collection. Some people restrict their figures on periods in history or size. The Spartans and Alamo are 60mm figures. The trend seems to be going back to 60mm.
I collect both 60mm & 54mm, but find that as I get older, and my eyesite gets slightly weaker, the more I prefer a nice full-bodied 60mm plastic figure.
My all time favorite figures are the 60mm Auburn Western Cowboys. I honestly think they are as good as 54mm Marx Miners, etc.. I wish they were 54mm to better match the 54mm old Marx figures.
Andy, 60 mm is a good period for cowboys. Beside the Auburn (which are excellent) you have Marx (Chubbies,Western Townsfolk, Cavalry, Pioneers) Atlantic (great sets with goofy faces) Tim-Mee (some of the best Tim-mee figures ever) Remsea ( 40 figures to a bag from Mexico) New Ray and a bunch of no name China stuff that’s really pretty good.
I have a bunch of Allan Roberts wonderful western town buildings which really set up into a great Dodge or Tombstone and fill it with all of the above.
When I move into 54 mm I use all the various Marx cowboys and miners, Airfix, MPC, Rubinstien, and some really excellent figures from P&P products. Sometimes, I just use my regular tin litho Western street fronts and all the various different western tin cabins that I have and sometimes I use the Roberts versions. Western town furniture, a couple of wagons, a stagecoach or two (the New Ray one is really good) some corral fences, longhorns and horses fill up my town. Most of my character figures (Gunsmoke, Seth Adams, Flint, Mark and Lucas and Jim Hardie) are metal castings that have been painted to match the originals. Hey, you go with what you can afford.
Man, I love that Western stuff………..Bill
Me too, Bill. LOVE the Western stuff!!! Even made some conversions using metal heads from Shenandoah Miniatures on various 54 mm bodies – Marx recasts, etc..
The Tim-Mees you mentioned are great figures & 60 mm Marx Town and Ranch Cowboys as well as Allan’s wooden buildings. Have you seen the four Steve Weston Cattle Drive cowboys – love those, too along with Replicants, including the Long Branch Saloon set. Larry P. figures are also amoung my favorites. I just want all the 60mm in 54mm.