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Webmaster's Blog
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Welcome to the Webmaster's "Blog" page. The most important function of this blog is to let those interested keep up with updates and changes to the website. I'm constantly adding new pictures to various pages. This page should keep you current with what I'm doing on the website. If you want to contact me, e-mail me at playsetaddict@charter.net . Thanks! Joe Baker 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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