Warlord Tower with interior (1 Viewer)

[kogu]

Hello everybody,
I am the proud owner of a Conte Warlord Tower that actually does have interior items. The box is marked "Limited Edition Advanced Proof Set #34 of 250".
This is the only tower I ever saw with interior.
Does anybody here know how many towers actually were sold including the interior pieces?
Any info would be appreciated.

 

[Wraith]

Hi Konrad,

I'm more than willing to be corrected on this, but I didn't think any of the towers originally came with the interiors. There was a set of the interior items on ebay a month or so ago, that went for $150 ish, as I recall, but my understanding was that RC only made a few lots of the interiors to satisfy the grumbles of the most persistant and vocal tower owners.

So I suspect, you're one of the lucky few to have the complete product, as was originally intended. Nice one!

Simon

 

[kogu]

Thanks, Simon,
that sounds good to me. Guess it pays to visit a Toy Soldier Show. Caught this one during room trading before the Indianapolis Show two weeks ago .
Konrad

 

[Leadmen]

Thanks, Simon,
that sounds good to me. Guess it pays to visit a Toy Soldier Show. Caught this one during room trading before the Indianapolis Show two weeks ago .
Konrad

Darn--- Konrad. I knew I should have went Friday. John

 

[gk5717]

As Wraith stated there was the interior parts on Ebay a month or so ago.
Hobby Bunker listed it and stated they got it from a guy who complained long and hard to Richard Conte that finally RC sent him a prototype.
I know none came with the origional Warlord Tower issue as I have one. I bought it at the 1999 OTSN show right after it was taken off the truck.
There was another interior parts a few weeks ago on Ebay also, don,t know how that came into being.
Gary

 

[Wraith]

Here's RCs response a while back (taken from the Q&A section of Conte's site):

Whatever Happened To The "Interior Castle Parts" For The War Lord Tower?

Curious how this question pops up from time to time. Especially since the War Lord Tower was introduced as our first play set back in the late 90's. Apparently there are some strong (and occasionally angry ) collector feelings about this one. I'm not sure how often people really are concerned about this or whether it is largely showing up on web forums and chats due to our 'detractors' bringing this up as a failed 'promise' on our part..however it is viewed it is one of our 'failed projects'.

For those who don't remember , The War Lord is one of my favorite movies starring Charlton Heston, Richard Boone and Guy Stockwell, which is all about Normans defending a medieval tower against attacks by Frisians (Viking 'light' as one collector called them.). We made a replica of the tower* and sold this in a play set which was also bought by many fine pewter collectors to use with painted metal. (One of our collectors even turned his tower, in a very innovative twist, into a headquarters for SS plastic troops!). We 'licensed' from a movie studio the right to replicate the tower and included packaging which had photos or scenes from the movie.

We originally hoped to sell & actually had sculpts and prototypes made of a circular staircase, some interior archways, doorways, walls, etc............BUT NEVER SOLD THESE . Why?

Three reasons: 1) the movie studio did not initially approve our manufacturing and selling these, causing close to a year and 1/2 delay; (2) when they finally approved it--after a personnel change-- our license was up for 'renewal' and they wanted us to pay a huge licensing fee, upfront plus a % of all sales; (3) the cost of the licensing fee alone would have averaged over $100 to $200 per set of interior parts before ANY of our sculpting or production & sales costs. To even breakeven on the COSTS of this set we would have been forced to charge almost $200 to $300 per set of parts--which was ridiculous.....and I doubt any collector would have paid this.....

Since we only had about 50 collectors who had signed up to buy these sets out of the many hundreds of collectors who had bought the playset, it was very clear that we could not produce the sets...and unfortunately, most of the pieces were assiduously copied from structures portrayed in the film meaning we needed the licensing approval.

Compounding matters, we had already produced about 50 sets of parts in a yellow color resin (don't ask me why they weren't made in a gray stone-like color as I never received a good answer from our sales manager....or head sculptor)...these were all delivered to our sculptor in the Mid-West...and while he claims he sent them to the Las Vegas office, they were never received there and no tracking record could be found!! Approximately 10 sets which were in my possession are now perhaps among the most rare and expensive 'flops' in our history. Five or 6 of these sets were sent to various factories in an attempt to garner bids---NO ONE wanted to produce such small quantities ...... I have one set on my large work table where it sits as a painful reminder of one of those great ideas that never made it to the marketplace! I have never set it up inside my tower or played with it as I've always felt that if collectors couldn't enjoy it, that I shouldn't either.

If anyone ever sees these showing up on ebay please let me know as they are undoubtedly the missing sets........

So, very rare indeed.
Or, you're about to have the FBI kicking in your front door

Simon

 

[kogu]

Oooh maaan
there is a helicopter above our house and bunch of flashing lights outside.
Didn't think much of it, 'cause I am only smoking my saturday night cigar.
Well, now I know. Maybe I should talk to them before they kick in the door .
Seriously, I was under the impression that the first 50 or 100 sets or so were issued with the interior and thought that somebody here might have the answer how many there were actually. Apparently as of Gary, who got one of the first sets in 99 and especially of Richard Conte's response that was not the case.
O.K. I realy like the Tower as it is

 

[gk5717]

Just got done reading Wraiths posting of Contes response relative to the interior parts.
What first comes to mind is that it,s BS.
I remember a few days after returning from the 1999 OTSN I called and spoke to RC himself relative to the interior pieces. I was under belief at the time that they should have been included.
He advised that they were not but would be available in the near future.
At NO TIME was I advised to sign up for a set.
Sounds to me that this "Licensing Problem" was an easy way out of an unfullfilled promise.
In defense of RC, I will say this. My personal belief is that in the very begining he bit off more than he could chew in regards to priceing his playsets.
When you look at all you got, figures excellently done, best in the business, fantastic foam pieces, WL Tower, DDay bunkers, buildings etc. Plus the great packageing and the licenseing fees. There was no way he could make any money.
I was also told by a reliable source, that at the time there were not as many buyers of the playsets that RC origionally had anticipated.
I,m like a lot of other collectors of Conte, it,s a love hate relationship.
As stated in previous post, I'm long past the time of getting mad at an unfullfilled Conte promise.
But I guarantee one of the first rooms I check at OTSN is Contes!
Gary