I still remember the first time I laid eyes on Conte's first set of German Infantry figures. I was at a Toy Soldier Show and a vendor had one of Conte's D-Day Playsets on display. They were the most realistic, action-filled and diverse poses that I had ever seen. I was totally in awe of these guys. I did not feel like spending several hundred dollars for the whole playset which included several terrain pieces and buildings, so I tried to buy the figures separately. After a bit of negotiation I was able to get about 80 Germans for about $2 a piece. This was several times more than what I had ever paid for a plastic soldier. I walked away with a mixture of guilt, wonder and excitement. Had I been wiser, I would have bought the whole thing together as I still ended up buying the playset a few months later. This was in the early 2000s and over the next few years Conte delivered several other Playsets and sets of WWII figures. Luckily for us, he was as excited enough about WWII and toy soldiers in general that he produced a great number of poses with great level of detail. The Conte figures are on the larger side of 54 mm, but all the other positive attributes make that a detail easy to overlook. And by now, there are enough makers of figures in 'Big 1/32' -which is what this size became known as- that it's not an issue. Perhaps even a plus for some folks.
I should point out however that Conte loved to make sets based on old Hollywood movies, like the Vikings, Beau Geste, The Alamo, etc. One of them was of course, The Longest Day, so all of Conte's WWII sets were D-Day participants (German Infantry, German Waffen SS, US Paras, British Paras, US Infantry). Unfortunately he seemed to have a rocky relationship with some of his dealers and his business took a bad turn somewhere along the way. But it was a great ride while it lasted. Conte definitely set a new standard for plastic toy soldiers which has improved the overall output of toy soldiers manufacturers in general. Conte seems to be back in business in some limited capacity so I am hopeful that someday they will resume sculpting WWII figures and maybe branch out to other theaters of operation beyond Normandy. So without further ado, let's take a look at Conte's contribution to the hobby.
Conte Collectibles German Infantry
Conte Collectibles German Infantry Set 1 - Part I
Sets 1 and 2 of German infantry are the first Conte figures I got my hands on. I really liked the grenade men, both the one throwing it who is posed really well, as well as the one pulling the cord on it, which is a very unique pose to this day. The officer also displays a certain attitude, turning slightly back to fire his side arm. The other poses are a bit more standard, but all in all, it was a very solid first set.
Conte Collectibles German Infantry Set 1 - Part II
I prefer action poses over casualty figures, but even Conte's dead guy looks pretty good. At the time I chose not to make it part of my company of painted figures which is why he is shown separately and in plain grey plastic. One thing I should point out about Conte's figures, if you are not aware of it yet, is that they introduced the larger 1/32 scale figures which some have come to refer to as Big 1/32 scale and which is closer to 1/30 in size.
Conte Collectibles German Infantry Set 2 - Part I
Set 2 had more interesting and exciting poses. I really like the two guys firing from the waist. The one with the MG could be fending off an attack single handedly, and the one leaning sideways brings a rush of adrenaline into any scene unlike any pose of German infantry that came before him. The prone grenade man is also pretty cool and it resembles a famous photograph that you may have seen. Note that Conte introduced plug-in arms which allows the creation of new poses by just exchanging the weapon/accessory. In the case above, the kneeling guy with the MG-42 is the same figure as the guy with the phone, but they really look like two different poses.
Conte Collectibles German Infantry Set 2 - Part II
Again, by using pluggable arms, I was able to create four figures out of two running bodies, each of them having a different foot planted on the ground. The arms allow you to create several different poses based on what they are carrying/holding, like an ammo box, a rifle, a mine, a hand grenade and a slung machine gun. The two other firing men are also nice, particularly the one firing the submachine gun aiming at shoulder level.
Conte Collectibles German Waffen SS
Conte released two sets of Waffen SS figures, each with 16 figures in 8 poses. They are commonly referred to as Sets 3 and 4. Sometimes you'll find them labeled as 'Germans in Action' Set 3/Set 4. Something you should know about them is that 5 figures are repeated across both sets which makes things a bit confusing. Set 4 only introduced 3 new poses. Brochures prior to their release had pictures of additional poses, but for some reason they were canceled and Set 4 repeated 5 poses from Set 3. This means that we really only have 11 unique poses across both sets. I will do my best to point them out in the pictures I have, but here is a summary:
5 shared poses: Officer, grenade man, kneeling rifleman, kneeling subMG, leaning forward w/ subMG
3 unique to Set 3: Prone MG team, squad leader looking around corner.
3 unique to Set 4: Panzerfaust, rifleman firing while standing, man firing SubMG looking back.
Conte Collectibles German Waffen SS Set 3 - Part I
From L to R they belong to set: 3-3-3-S
This is one half of Set 3. The 3 men on the left are unique to Set 3. The kneeling rifleman is a shared pose (repeated across sets 3 and 4). Since these guys aren't wearing commo smocks or helmet covers and can pass as German infantry, I painted them as such. The prone machine gun team is certainly something that every squad can use. The guy cautiously holding back his men while he checks out what's around the corner is certainly an interesting and unusual pose. He could be deployed in the urban combat of Stalingrad. The kneeling rifle man is simply a solid member of the unit.
So if you are keeping score, this is the number of poses so far:
Set 3-3, Set 4-0, Shared-1
Conte Waffen SS Set 3 - Part II
Here you can see the MG team (unique to Set 3) painted in cammo pattern. The man on the left is one of the regular German infantry guys who has been conscripted into my Waffen SS unit simply because he's a great pose.
Set 3-3, Set 4-0, Shared-1
Conte Waffen SS - Set 3 and Set 4 Part I
From L to R they belong to set: S-S-4
Here you can see 2 more shared poses. First, the officer. His leather coat and medals make him a pretty cool pose. The other shared pose is the guy leaning forward with his subMG. Also a nice pose. The guy in the right, looking back is the first unique pose from Set 4. He is also one of my favorite Conte poses. I really like that it is a very dynamic pose conveying lots of action. These guys are painted in the fall cammo pattern. The commanding officer, can actually be used to command the troops in spring cammo also.
Set 3-3, Set 4-1, Shared-3
Conte Waffen SS Set 3 and Set 4 - Part II
From L to R they belong to set: S-S-4-S
This picture has 3 shared poses. Two of them are also the last 2 poses from Set 3. We are talking about the grenade man and the man firing his sub MG while kneeling on both knees. I like this pose quite a bit as well. The third shared pose in this picture is the kneeling rifleman who was featured in the first picture. Lastly, we can see the second unique pose in Set 4, the rifleman firing from the standing position.
Set 3-3, Set 4-2, Shared-5
Shared poses + Set 3 Complete!
Conte Waffen SS Set 3 and Set 4 - Part III
From L to R they belong to set: S-S-4-4-S
Here you can see 3 more shared poses (all of them already featured in pictures above), as well as 2 of the unique poses in Set 4. The shared poses are the kneeling man, the grenade man, and the man on the right with the sub MG who is leaning slightly forward. The last unique pose from Set 4 is man with the panzerfaust. The guy firing his sub MG while looking back is also unique to Set 4, but we had already seen him two pictures before. Notice also how most of these guys have helmet covers.
Set 3-3, Set 4-3, Shared-5
Both Sets Complete!
Conte Collectibles British Paratroops
The British Paras were released as two separate sets if you bought them separately from the Playsets. Each set had 8 new poses, so yes, we got 16 poses in all! That's a good thing because given their larger size, they were not easy to combine with the other British Paras which existed at the time. Since I bought them as part of the playset when I took these pictures I did not pay attention to the sets that they actually belonged to. Maybe when I have some time I will retake the pictures, but for now I will try to point them out in the pictures:
Conte Collectibles British Paratroops - Part I
From L to R they belong to set: 1-1-2-1
This picture shows 3 guys from Set 1 (charging guy on the left, and two firing guys on the right) and 1 pose from Set 2 (firing guy with beret). All 3 guys who are standing firing are all different based on the head gear or the weapon. Not sure why the charging guy and the guy on the right are a bit shorter than the other two. Were they trying to represent men of different heights, or did they change the scale slightly? All of them are nicely detailed and well sculpted in terms of body positioning.
If you are keeping score, this is the number of poses so far:
Set 1-3, Set 2-1
Conte Collectibles British Paratroops - Part II
From L to R they belong to set: 2-1-1-2
This picture shows 2 men from each set. The 2 guys in the middle belong to Set 1, and the 2 guys at each end are from Set 2. A good mixture of weapons, headgear, and poses. Not a big fan of the kneeling guy firing upwards, but I guess he could come in handy for urban combat, firing at some guy in an upper floor. The Bren gunner is very nicely done. The other two guys with fixed bayonets can be used for some nasty close quarter combat.
Set 1-5, Set 2-3
Conte Collectibles British Paratroops - Part III
From L to R they belong to set: 2-2-1-1
This shot has 2 men from Set 1 on the left and the other 2 on the right from Set 2.
The 2 guys in the middle are really good poses. The kneeling guy with the Sten gun is just perfect for a variety of situations. And the officer talking sideways while aiming his side arm conveys the intensity of the moment. I am not the biggest fan of the grenade man with his arm outstretched parallel to the ground, instead of leaning back, but otherwise he is OK. And the casualty figure is really dramatic. Since Set 1 also includes a wounded guy (see below), I don't think we needed another one in Set 2.
Set 1-7, Set 2-5
Conte Collectibles British Paratroops - Part IV
From L to R they belong to set: 2-1-2-2
In this picture we have the last guy (the standing casualty figure) from Set 1 and the last 3 guys from Set 2. The only guy that I find a bit stiff is the officer standing up firing his side arm. The kneeling officer is much better in comparison. He reminds me of Sam Elliot (Sgt. Major Basil Plumley from 'We were soldiers') when he tells his men 'gentlemen, prepare to defend yourselves!'. And the two wounded guys are really well done. I should point out that the hand and sub MG of the wounded guy who is standing came as a separate piece that has to be glued on. Not a big deal.
Set 1-8, Set 2-8
Both Sets Complete!
Conte Collectibles US Paratroops
Conte released their US paratroopers as part of their D-Day set that represented the Normandy drop and the fighting at Sainte-Mère-Église. As was the case with all his other figures, he gave us quite a treat. I like these guys even more than the Red Devils. We have a total of 16 figures, all in nice action poses. A couple of the guys have detachable arms which made their manufacturing possible without that awkward plastic filler that earlier methods would leave between the arms and the body. Since I bought them as part of the playset when I took these pictures I did not pay attention to the sets that they actually belonged to. Maybe when I have some time I will retake the pictures, but for now I will try to point them out in the pictures:
Conte Collectibles US Paratroops - Part I
From L to R they belong to set: 1-1-2-1-2
In this first pic we see 3 guys from Set 1 (wounded, firing SubMG from waist, and firing from standing position) and 2 men from Set 2 (officer and kneeling man). Out of these batch, my favorites are the guy firing sub MG from waist, and the kneeling man. The officer is good, but I think that he came out of the mold bending forward more than intended. Probably a manufacturing issue. About the wounded guy, I think you know my thoughts on them. He is OK, and considering that we have 16 poses, it's acceptable to burn a pose on him.
Set 1-3, Set 2-2
Conte Collectibles US Paratroops - Part II
From L to R they belong to set: 2-2-1-1-1
Here we see 3 guys from Set 1 on the left and 2 from Set 2 on the right. It's nice how some men are moving forward while others can lay down suppressing fire. Speaking of manufacturing issues, the material used for these guys was a bit different than before and some of the men had a hard time standing up. They required some straightening up with hot/cold water and even then a few still lean sideways. Also note the back of the second guy from the left. He seems bent backwards a bit unnaturally.
Set 1-6, Set 2-4
Conte Collectibles US Paratroops - Part III
From L to R they belong to set: 1-2-2-1-2
This pic shows 2 men from Set 1 (leftmost and BAR guy) and 3 from Set 2 (the two running guys and bazooka). Most bazooka guys depicted in the past had been kneeling, so it was nice to see these US paras come out with a standing one. The guy running with his sub MG at the ready is one of my favorite poses in the set. I like to have a few more running/charging poses as it allows to use these guys in more offensive scenarios. And I suppose that you could also use them running in the opposite way!
Set 1-8, Set 2-7
Set 1 Complete.
Dead figure from Set 2 - Need picture
Conte Collectibles US Paratroops - Part IV
Lastly, there is one more pose, a casualty, which I did not include in the pictures. Maybe we'll add it later.
Set 1-8, Set 2-8
Both Sets Complete!
Conte Collectibles US Infantry
Conte Collectibles US Infantry - Part I
This might be the best set of GIs ever released. Both in terms of the number of poses (25!), the intensity and drama that they convey with their bodies as well as their facial expressions, as well as the amount of equipment and variety of weapons represented. These first 5 guys for example, are really hustling forward, as you'd also be if you had to get off Omaha beach. I particularly like the officer who is running forward, setting an example for his men.
Conte Collectibles US Infantry - Part II
Out of these next five guys, I really like the bazooka team. It makes a really nice combo. Prior to this set, most makers would not allocate a helper to teams like these. That's because most sets have quite fewer poses. I also like the guy holding his helmet quite a bit. He adds a lot of intensity to any scene where he is featured. The casualty figure is OK. I am not the biggest fan of those poses.
Conte Collectibles US Infantry - Part III
This pic shows the prone guys along with my favorite pose in this set. I like to call him Sgt. Guts. Is this guy not one of the coolest poses ever? Biting on his cigar while firing two sub machine guns - one of them a liberated German MP40 - and covered in gear like hand grenades, slung ammo bandolier... He doesn't even bother to fasten his helmet. You can imagine him standing there impervious to the bullets flying by, his sole presence enough to get the enemy to begin to fall back as his own men rally behind him... And yes, the prone machine gun team and the firing rifle man are also nice.
Conte Collectibles US Infantry - Part IV
More solid guys. One thing that you will notice is that Conte is also the guy who began to play with bases that had texture and some bits of terrain such as rocks. And these figures were also the first ones on the larger side of 1/32, which later became known as Big 1/32 as other manufacturers followed. One criticism that I have about this set has to do with the uniforms. Particularly the pants. They feel a bit baggy to me and without enough wrinkles.
Conte Collectibles US Infantry - Part V
The last five to help you lay down some suppressing fire! My favorite one here is the guy on the right, advancing carefully while ready to fire. All in all a great set. You've got to love a manufacturer that comes out with 25 poses in one release. What was not so cool about this release was that you had to buy 9 or 10 blister packs with 10 figures each to get all the different poses. This means that I ended up with many repeated poses, but these figures are so well done that I did not mind that. And it's not hard to understand such a commercial strategy when you consider that they had plenty of sculpting costs and mold/manufacturing costs to recover.
Click here to see more German Infantry
Click here to see more US Infantry
Click here to see the Waffen SS in action
Click here to see some more Waffen SS in action
I know exactly how you feel about these figures. When I first saw them at The Hobby Bunker in Malden, which I frequented in those days about 10 years ago, I could see that this was something unique, and a vast improvement on what had hitherto been available in plastic. I bought all the German figures, and the two sets of US Airborne that were available. Plus I ransacked the spare figures box on the counter every week for additional figures (and came away, over the months, with a surprising number).
ReplyDeleteThey were a perfect complement to 21st Century's armor, which was still available then in Toys R Us and Walmart, as supplies allowed. And you say Conte had supply problems! Remember the on-again,off-again nature of the availability of 21st Century's items? One omnth Toys R Us would have them, then they would take down all the 21st Century Toys logos from the wall, then they would be back!
Before this, all I had ever seen in plastic WWII was Marx, and Matchbox's 1/72nd line. Conte's figures really were taking it to the next level.
I just wish that Conte's current obsession with the Spartans would abate, and they could get back to WWII, and release some AWI plastic, as people thought they would after The Patriot came out.
This is so amusing... back then I was also running around all the ToysRUs in the area (even calling them!) to try to catch their next delivery of 21C items. You are defintiely right. At the time, Conte figures with 21C vehicles were 'state of the art' products. What every collector had been dreaming of since childhood! About Conte, I am also hopeful that they will resume production of new plastic figures. WWII would be nice, but any period would also be OK.
ReplyDeleteEven getting the old figures back on the market would be great. The US Infantry is very hard to find, and expensive, notwithstanding the fact that it was released in the last decade in 10 sets!
ReplyDeleteThe best bet to get Conte figures these days is to buy them at a toy soldier show. They usually have bins with many loose figures and you can pick and chose the poses you want. They will charge you about a dollar or two a piece, but that's not much different from what they cost new.
ReplyDeleteFor some people collecting products and memorabilia during the war will serves as their connection to what happened in the past. It will be their link to certain events that they know played a significant role during the war. We know that stories about World War 2 will live forever, it may have different versions but still the fact of it will remain to be told from generation to generation.
ReplyDeleteVery nice paint on them, i start collecting also and painting toy soldiers 1 32 scale, i found set 1 of germans, but from set 2 and 3 i have few poses only, from ss set i have nothing,i was wondering if you can post the numbers under the 2 soldiers,set 2 part 2 on german infantry, the 2 guys standing with the rifle at eyes those 2, i have some poses but some look like the one standing from set 1.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Conte figures are certainly among the most exciting so they are good sets to collect. I will take a look at the numbers and post them when I am back home (I am traveling at the moment for a couple weeks).
DeleteLooking to purchase 2 conte collectible WW2 GIs. 1} standing w/ tommygun 2}standing, firing rifle w/both legs straight, Trade for other GIs or $.
ReplyDeleteBella Donna on Long IslandOctober 25, 2014 at 2:55 PM
ReplyDeleteLooking to purchase 2 conte collectible WW2 GIs. 1} standing w/ tommygun 2}standing, firing rifle w/both legs straight, Trade for other GIs or $. gcatoro@yahoo.com 516 242-5298
What primer and paint did you use?
ReplyDeleteThey seem to be more flexible plastic than usual (at least the US paras, that I have). So some of my first painting had scaled off after being exposed to kids.
So I assume there is a special paint needed.
Yes, the plastic is softer, which makes it easier for the paint to come off. I used a primer called Desing Master, but even that did not solve the problem. The real solution was to use something called PlastiDip to cover them. Take a look at this other post, where I describe it in more detail: http://ww2pts.blogspot.com/2011/07/painting-toy-soldiers.html
Deletewhat company makes the buildings and other things in the backround are they custom if yes how do you make them
ReplyDeleteThe white building, I built myself. The Bunkers came with a D-Day playset from Conte. These days, I have become a fan of the MiniArt 1/35 buildings. The detail is great and once they are painted they look really good! I'd like to post some pictures of them in the future.
Delete