I am receiving reports from various sources that Conte Collectibles has new web site. It making mention of new metal figures coming but nothing about plastic. I would take a wait and see on plastic.
Here is the web site https://contecostore.myshopify.com/
I checked the Conte website, and didn’t quite see a “new website”. What I saw was a “new announcement” of a modified website.
These “announcements” have regularly coming on an annual basis for about the past 15 years.
I wonder how long some collectors will continue to give them any credence whatsoever.
On another note, Richard Conte told Nick of TSSD (according to Nick) that he would not be doing any more plastics. This was also about 15 years ago, and represents one of the few projections of Mr. Conte over the years that I can see he’s actually adhered to.
I’m not against Conte. I’ve purchased nearly all the plastic playsets he produced — about 30 of them. Also, he loves and cares for his dogs — anyone who does that can never be all bad.
But when it comes to taking anything Mr. Conte says at face value about an imminent return to production, enough is enough. At this point, if he wants to produce something new, he should just go ahead and produce it — saving the announcements until the product is actually on the market.
Wow, I saw a website more or less, he stated he was re-stocking some things and had some stock of others. Most everything else said coming soon. I did not see any plastic in the offings.
My wow, was that I agree with Don, if he’s coming back he should just put it out there for sale and cut the theatrics and paranoid ravings. Somebody bribed the China factory to put his stuff on the back burner? Sorry, that just sounds a wee bit paranoid to me and hard to believe. Some of the other things he posted were in the same vein. Maybe it’s all true, I can’t say with 100% certainty one way or the other, but it sounds too incredible to believe. I just found those postings strange, sorry.
As I mention in my posting no pllastic was listed. Right now metal is where he is concentrating on.
I found just one ACW plastic set on new website
It is work in process his new site. Most of his plastic can be bought on the web.
After looking closely at Conte’s website, the only thing I see him “concentrating” on is another of his “coming soon” pronouncements. The figures he posts photos of have all been posted over the past 10 – 15 years, all accompanied by breathless declarations they are “coming soon”. I don’t see a single new figure. There is speculation over on Treefrog Treasures that this is just another Conte attempt to generate publicity to help him sell his remaining stock.
I notice that now Conte says he and his “small staff” are so busy “fielding inquiries” they don’t have time to respond to phone calls or anything except “serious emails”. What a joke this has become.
Hi Don
Several collectors wrote tonight to advise that you were on the warpath. I would not have believed it but…your venom is there for all to revel in or to pity you for.
You are certainly entitled to vent your frustrations with me & Conteco. I’ve been more disappointed and frustrated than you might imagine , to have been forced to step away from new figure production for several years. No one wishes, more than yours truly, that production had continued unabated but life throws you a curveball (or several) when you least expect it.
I realize that you LOVE my product but HATE me because I have failed to deliver to you the toy soldiers you so desperately need in order to feel complete & happy. I’m sorry you are so upset; I knew you thought our figures and sets were the best but I never imagined that (like an addict), the absence of a never ending continuing supply of new toys would cause such an unbridled and unfair response.
Your obvious angst gives me further reason to speed up production! Toy soldiers should be a happy and pleasant experience; I’m sorry I haven’t met your psychic & emotional needs…but then again, I’m a mere fellow collector who has tried to contribute to his favorite hobby and not your Mommy or therapist.
One might ask ‘Don, what have you done to design , produce & supply the rest of us with a single toy soldier during your entire life?’ You have created nothing for the hobby or the rest of us yet you feel entitled to unleash anger towards me, one who has tried & is now continuing to try to simply make toy soldiers for others to enjoy.
Before closing, I must comment that your claim that my new website shows only sculpts from 10 to 15 years ago is very inaccurate. To the contrary , the vast majority of the Coming Soon or the workbench sculpts which are shown were sculpted during the past 5 years, some as recently as March 2018. During my ‘hiatus’, sculpting continued at our regular pace even though I did not know if I would live to see them produced. Your misinforming people that these were done 10/15 years ago is either a lie or a gross error on your part. I have no problem with criticism; I do take issue with unfair and slanted attacks.
I understand that my lack of production has been painful to you. I wish things had worked out differently but as much as I love making toy soldiers, my family and my health are even more important. I’m well, back in action and trying to make more of the sets you love so much. It’s easy to be negative and to attack what others are trying to do. It is much harder & more difficult to actually try to do something, to create something. You should try it..
Only an idiot or someone lacking objective judgement would think that I have created hundreds of new sculpts but had no intention of producing them. Honestly, Don?
Hi Richard:
I agree with much of what you say. And you may not have seen
many of my previous posts where I effusively praised your unrivaled contribution to the toy soldier hobby. Your playsets were as good as they come, and yes, years later it can be easy to forget how extensive your production was —- from Warlord, to Zulu, to Beau Geste, to Alamo, to Omaha Beach, to Civil War & Spartans, with many others in-between. I cheerfully and gratefully acquired them all.
And you are correct — I myself have never produced any toy soldiers. I have only been a consumer and buyer of them. To that end, I have usually been a defender of the actual manufacturers of new products (who have to put in a lot of money up front and have many factors they have to take into account which we non-producers don’t have the least idea of) against what I’ve viewed as carping, nitpicking criticisms from some toy soldier collectors whenever a new product is released.
My comments on this thread, which as I look back on them may have come across as more strident and hostile than I intended, were primarily to point out that new Conte production has been billed as “coming soon” for quite a few years (think of your FFL Archealogical Dig), but so far has often seemingly failed to materialize.
But I admit I’m not knowledgeable about your personal affairs, and therefore should give you the benefit of the doubt when you state you’ve been contending with many unforeseen circumstances of which none of us on the outside could possibly be aware. I think you’ve earned that, with all the things you’ve done in the past which definitely did materialize.
So I therefore completely acknowledge how much I personally admire and appreciate the immeasurable contributions you have made to the toy soldier hobby. Even though I strongly suspect we’re never going to see any more plastic production from you, I realize that’s a business/economic decision you have to make, and I absolutely do not begrudge you for making it.
And I want you to know I personally wish Conteco.com all the success in the world in your current plans. Everything I have ever gotton from you has been beautiful, creative, and of unsurpassed quality. If I ever voice any complaints in the future, I’m going to make sure I balance any criticism with a simultaneous acknowledgement of all the contributions you have already made. And I do think I owe you an apology for the tone of my previous remarks, which I hereby tender.
Thank you Don.
and many thanks for your kind support of our products offer the years. Much appreciated.I apologize if my response was too harsh ! I’ll do my best to try and regain your trust
R
I like some of the “Coming Soon” Western poses shown. One of the Clanton Gang looks quite like the TSSD version?? I like Conte figures and have both plastic and one color metal. I hope he comes through, but like you guys, I’m not holding my breath. The way junk Chinese made figures come out quite regularly, I have to wonder why they hold up production of USA goods so long. Is it just business, or politics which is a euphemism for good old fashioned spite?? Rhetorically, just so hard to accept that quality sculptures can’t be produced in plastic in the USA – short run, long run, in between run or whatever. Must be we handful of collector old timers just don’t represent a large enough demand side to the economics 101 equation.
I know Conte originally started his plastic figures in Canada, then shifted it all to China.
Tony of Armies in Plastic told me once that even with his periodic air flights to China to discuss production, contracts, etc., that it was still so much cheaper to produce his sets there than here.
Remember, Andy, —ref. those Conte Western sculpts he’s now showing — that Conte showed the very same sculpts at the same time TSSD came out with their Earp Brothers/Clanton Gang figures. I have followed Conte closely ever since he burst on the scene with his Warlord & Zulu playsets — and I can assure everyone that of all the photos Conte has put up on website as part of his “Announcement” — not a single one represents something that wasn’t posted years ago, breathlessly proclaimed even back then as “coming soon”.
If he actually follows through this time — good for him. But I still think his credibility at this point is so shot I can’t take anything he says seriously until I see actual production — and which I am convinced will in any event all be metal.
Chinese production and else had increase much more from early 90s when Tony started.I often saw him and w years he tell .the Chinese become more smarter and demanding more higher prices else.
What kill more is they demand large amount production per set instead of 2 to 3000 standard runs. IT affect him and many using China.
China since 2010 is not same that in 90s.Yet today tecnology and file system avoid the need of trips to China every time more as samples could be 3D cp file and send on email to be scan print here.
Conte.Canada production noy only would had been more costly but the license issue s would had been a bigger cost as he made many charters figures.An error he could easily could or may had avoid if making generic faces.
My thoughts.
He should bring his tooling or molds to the U.S. and make his figures here. Wonder why he doesn’t?
A single mold have and block ship here cost a lot ,all he did will cost fortune .
AIP-Tony is been x three years now still negotiating bring some and cost fortune still in negotiation..
Mount-Molding then in US mass production machinery cost another fortune ,run then in a warehouse with today standard and laws ,much more .
Paying labor at minimum US standard to run a mold mass production that once you start machine can not stop for days generally will cost a lot payrolL.
Cleaning is need by a person with knowledge in these very costly long run machine that start over 20 000 along per machine to run steel molds .
Energy and maintenance supply is another big cost .
It is an investment way above any he had done before,that is why he went to China first place .
Same with all rest otherwise all making there would had bring then right away.
Marx since late 50s sent mold all over place to do same ,everyone went to HK right after british Italian and even Germans produce in mexico and south america for same reason,molds never went back stay the x good till now or discarded in most cases.
French and Spain producer are the less ever to use cheap labor or los cost production other countries
My tank mold is safe storage in China,if i request it back cost me along over 2500 bring here ,not counting the tax,fees system US impose on me x not reason whatsoever when i pay patent and rights here already .
Is a very hard hobby to invest .
Chinese machinery is made in Germany ,holland by most parts and top line technology with operator fully trained in europe .Unless you use a cheap crap chinese factory.
I do not blame CONTE for what happen wherever w complain ,he give us a lot more that we can dream off in 90s when no one made figures that quality .
My thoughts.
Even if Mr. Conte doesn’t produce new plastic figures, I hope that he keeps at least some of his plastic sets in production. I think that there ought to be a continuing market for his medievals, Alamo, Civil War, and WWII – periods and topics that are perennial favorites.
I would love to see re-issues of about all of his items – particularly the Omaha GIs. But I think it would greatly depress the value of those items appearing on ebay so I am not holding my breath…
Wayne.
by reading direct Conte blog link below i just attached looks like any reissues wont come at any low price but high as well ,so as you i’m not holding my breath either.
Best
Good old Richard taking the high road again I see.
I’ve posted a plastic update and current thoughts on our blog at ConteCoStore.myshopify.com. Hopefully it will give up to date answers so no one has to rely upon rumors , gossip our intentionally false information. We should have all in stock plastic sets listed by the end of the week; in the meanwhile the blog post tells what items are in stock as of today
More exactly direct link as about what R Conte says about his possible plastic production and actual stock left is here from his new updated site blog.
GHope admin and R Conte do not mind me posting direct link .if please remove it and i apologize in advance.
https://contecostore.myshopify.com/blogs/news/plastic-figures-plastic-playsets-to-be-or-not-to-be-that-is-the-question
Any chance of Russian style short run plastic production done here in the USA? Seems to be working for the Russian makers? The only downside is it lessons the value of the metal figures. Maybe some of the older metals that were not made in plastic?
It should be the best bet x today market and I will like encourage short run versus any long run.
Prices will be high as typical this run production.
But is up to maker and his money.
Not easy task.been me my self a maker.
Will take it w a lot cautious.
My thoughts .
Besy
I have an idea to make some ‘short run’ molds from cast zinc. These would be small molds probably just a single figure cavity and small enough to fit in the bench top plastic injection molder I have. Just a home shop type project, no big factories involved. If I have any success with it I will send photos of the process to Stad for posting here.
That sounds awesome.I hope u can do it soon TD.
Wish you good luck and patience as first time may come not right.
Till u get u desired results.
Looking forwards x it.
Best
if they turn out anywhere as good as replicants figures i will buy some castings off you perhaps if you offer something new and in my time period for sure i think that figures are like this are going underground there simply is just not enough demand i dunno tho i kind of like replicants home made appeal to them they remind me allot of Britans knights which are highly nostalgic for me
I agree that what Conte’ has already produced is worth recasting. Time has not made them less desirable, but rather quite the opposite. The idea of possible re-castings in different colors, like so many Marx recasts. Federals in any other color than that Marx sky-blue, for example. Just me pondering though, I don’t want to get caught up in the fray here.
that’s a fantastic idea i would love recasts i would like to see less mold lines this time and a new material i like contes figures but the mold lines always bothered me i would like to see it be more or less close to what tssd uses or the classic glossy green plastic that tim mee and marx used to make their U.S. G.I.’s out of
I ordered two, single- colored pewter Vikings.
This availability of Conte items
should reduce EBay prices.
If plastic are reissues it should reduce the general market price.
If old sets are not reissue it may actually increase it and create inflation. We will have to see I guess.
If plastic are reissues it should reduce the general market price.
If old sets are not reissue it may actually increase it and create inflation. We will have to see I guess.
i really like contes figures its too bad plastic figures are fading out of existence i understand the shift to metal figures i just can’t get behind the price
After all is said and done, my Conte figures, esp. the one armed CSA general with flag, the falling down CSA crew and damaged cannon, and the multi-armed surgeon are right at the top of my collection. I hope he is able to do more soon. Some story on his site about the guy caught stealing prototype figures at the toy show. YOY!!
I’m really hoping that Conte returns. Conte are my favorite figures of the last 20 years and I would love to see more plastic sets. Especially those Magnificent Seven sculpts of Vin and Chris. More power to Mr. Conte and I for one have no ill feelings toward him. He’s done a whole lot for the hobby for which I am grateful. He’s kind of like the proportionately scaled Louis Marx of the early 20th Century as far as the impact he had on the existing market for toy soldiers.
21st century I meant, of course.
I was looking forward to the Conte plastic Persian figures that were supposed to come out a few years ago, I don’t suppose there’s any chance of those coming on the horizon?
Horizon is suppose to be infinite ,so i guess we have to wait and hold without dreaming …
So far metal is in the post ,plastic nothing has been update or post .
best
Yeah I gave up on those coming out a long time ago, But as you say Erwin a guy can dream.