My first Conte sets (1 Viewer)

[Digger]

I just ordered my first pieces from Conte. The 2 sets were the retired ACW Union and Confederate 5 pc. "dead" casualties. My wife said they were morbid but I told her that the diorama just had to have some casualties to be a realistic battle scene. She said these sets ranked up there with the bucket of amputated hands and feet in the Forward March hospital sets. I haven't ever seen Conte pieces in person but in the ad photo they looked very satisfactory and detailed.

 

[nam vet]

I just ordered my first pieces from Conte. The 2 sets were the retired ACW Union and Confederate 5 pc. "dead" casualties. My wife said they were morbid but I told her that the diorama just had to have some casualties to be a realistic battle scene. She said these sets ranked up there with the bucket of amputated hands and feet in the Forward March hospital sets. I haven't ever seen Conte pieces in person but in the ad photo they looked very satisfactory and detailed.

my first conte set was the beau geste set loved the dead still doing their duty then got his 2nd legion set adventures

wish he came out with some more figures with his present sculpters

 

[damian]

Conte is a pain because his marketing and his delivery are out of sync. If he says next month that could be anytime in the next six moths. However you have to give him full marks for innovation and creativity. I think his figures get better and better. I mean who would have thought of a model of a dead airborne soldier on D Day. It really is evocative and if you think about it a necessary additon if you are going to do a D Day diorama. The new Bloody Omaha stuff are fantastic. The Ranger being scalped was also a masterpiece. His new Viking son his website are really unique. He produced a whole Viking long boat at a reasonable price last year. You won't hear him being prainsed much on this forum but I feel he is a bit of an unsung hero

 

[Shiloh]

Hey Digger I have both of those sets.The sculpting is excellent but on my set the flesh color is a little off. A little to orangey most dead or wounded people I have seen are actually quite pale from shock and loss of blood. They kind of remind me of the Hulk Hogan look but the sculpting is awesome and they appear to be the only company to bring out casualties on a regular bases. If you want morbid look at the SOS sets. I can't wait to get the Command set and cannister sets. I just have to scrape up the money. I waited and waited for them to come out and finally decided to buy a bunch of new Britains retiring sets and wouldn't you know it Conte comes thru. My timing is just plain awful. You will like the sets.

 

[modwalls]

I don't do metal, but if I did the Contes might not be the best painted, but there poses or sculpting beats most metals I've seen. I agree with damian, Conte does get a bad rap just as a matter of habit. These new GI poses, blow away anything I've seen. Again I'm not up on the metal, but the K&C are very well painted, but pose wise, I'll take the Conte. Mike.

 

[Shiloh]

Modwalls I agree with you, I am half tempted to take a paint brush to some of my Conte metal faces but this would ruin the resale value if i ever decided to sale. I collect metal and plastics because of the poses. If I had my choice it would be plastics all the way but new ones in ACW are few and far between where as metal is a constant stream of new product.

 

[kilted vampire]

Modwalls I agree with you, I am half tempted to take a paint brush to some of my Conte metal faces but this would ruin the resale value if i ever decided to sale. I collect metal and plastics because of the poses. If I had my choice it would be plastics all the way but new ones in ACW are few and far between where as metal is a constant stream of new product.

Shiloh I don't believe that Conte has any resalr value, so paint away. But then I also repaint K&C too

 

[modwalls]

Wow, I did not know you could repaint the metals. That should silence all the negitive Conte babble. Some of the talent in this hobby are incredable with a paint brush. I thought they put some kind of sealer coat on them. I have repainted the Conte plastic Civil War figs I have. Even those were not up to par for me. I can't enjoy my soldiers now, unless they are painted. Saying that, I have 200 plus GI's and TSSD to paint up. I guess you now know what I'll be doing in the next month or so. I will post these when they are finished. Lets get over this neg talk about Conte. I think RC has explained the process to boredom. I'm glad he took the time to release these GI's, the results speak for themselves. Hobby On, Mike.

 

[kilted vampire]

PAINT THEM AND ENJOY THEM

They are your soldiers anyways

 

[Fubar]

The only Conte Metals I have repainted were some ACW Rebz, duplicate figures just to change uniforms, hats, blanket rolls and such to add more variety to the battlelines.
Overall I see very little to moan about when it comes to conte painted metal sets.The Sack and Frockcoats for the Union are a little on the light side as they were a very dark blue, same with Britians but I think that was a desicion made to keep all the Yankee {Black equipment] from being lost on the coat color. A blue black blob effect avoided.I think they are well done and my Britians figures seem painted in about the same style and match up well for big ACW displays and wargames.

Same for the Dark ages and Ancients Conte has produced.Overall very good.
My 2 bits
and yes paint them , paint them all !
fub

 

[Shiloh]

I just wonder if my casulaties sets face color is defective. Maybe the painter got the mix off or something. Other Conte sets I have the flesh color is fine and I have no problem with the uniforms or equipment at all. As for resale value of Conte I believe there will be. Their plastics hook you and when you can't get another fix you move up to the metal. That's how I got into it this deep and the more plastic sets they sell the more collectors they make who will try and get the old stuff to round out their collection. Is there such a thing as Toy Soldier rehab? I can't go cold turkey maybe they make a patch to take the edge off or something.

 

[modwalls]

Shiloh, if there was, it would be overflowed with us. No matter how many different makers or scales they come up with, we will buy. Mike.

 

[kilted vampire]

Welcome to TSA. Repeat after me I am powerless over toy soldiers and my life is unmanageable.


Or I'm a man . I can change, if I have to . I quess.

 

[Shiloh]

Welcome to TSA. Repeat after me I am powerless over toy soldiers and my life is unmanageable.


Or I'm a man . I can change, if I have to . I quess.

This isn't the cast your own soldiers workshop. I must be in the wrong place does it meet on Tuesday or Thursday? Denial what denial I don't have any Egyptian soldiers but now that you mention it I can get some and a diorama of the Nile would be cool.

 

[kilted vampire]

I choose to deny your reality and substitute it with one of my own.

M-m-must ppppaint them all

 

[modwalls]

Painting my soldiers is not nessary, it's now mandatory. Help me, I see a green man and I want to paint it black. Wrong song, Mike.

 

[kilted vampire]

Painting my soldiers is not nessary, it's now mandatory. Help me, I see a green man and I want to paint it black. Wrong song, Mike.

May the feeling never pass

 

[Fubar]

Painting my soldiers is not nessary, it's now mandatory. Help me, I see a green man and I want to paint it black. Wrong song, Mike.

I prime everything black!
Lately, I dont paint much. Lots of black primered guys though!

Speaking of conte plastics, whatdya suppose is next? I hear Ancients.
Fubar

 

[Wraith]

Speaking of conte plastics, whatdya suppose is next? I hear Ancients.
Fubar

I think I recently read that RC was intending to release the Spartan series in plastic. On HB's forum, he also suggested that the BOSS figures will be released in plastic as well. Now those, I am looking forward to.

Simon

 

[modwalls]

I read that also. Those Boss set poses look nice. I wish he had done that stand up shooting thompson in plastic already. I hope he does all twenty in plastic. I can never have enough wounded or casulties. If he does the Spartans in plastic, he is going to have to do the Persians. I still would love to see his Marines and Japs, and more Germans. I hope for all you Nap. collectors, he takes up that War. I can just imagine what his version of Custer's Last Stand would look like. His sculpter is A#1 in my book. Oh to dream of all the sets I can not afford. Dream On, Mike.