Reader’s Contributions Part Two Marx Cowboy Mars Box Art Odds Ends more fun stuff to enjoy. First Ed Borris shares a photo of the Marx put together cowboys. Next Andrey has send photos of the Mars Delta Force and Somalian Insurgents boxes. Erwin Sell sent some more vacuum form fortfications. I will have one or two figures from the collection.
Reader’s Contributions Part Two Marx Cowboy Mars Box Art Odds Ends Marx Cowboy
Ed Borris got these figures at the show. They are the Marx put together cowboys. Marx made them in the early 50’s. The set had two different legs mounted and foot. You could make four different figures.
Reader’s Contributions Part Two Marx Cowboy Mars Box Art Odds Ends Mars
Andrey Buslov has sent us photos of the box art for Mars Delta Force and Somalian Insurgents.
Each box has 15 figures in 8 different poses.
Mars is using photos for the front cover.
The back of the boxes give you an idea of how to paint the figures. No date when these figures will be out.
Reader’s Contributions Part Two Marx Cowboy Mars Box Art Odds Ends No Name
No Name has done two more mounted knights. Erwin got this photo from his friend Andrew of Russia.
Reader’s Contributions Part Two Marx Cowboy Mars Box Art Odds Ends Vacuum Forts
Erwin shares some vacuum form forts from Atlantic and Jean. The above photo is of the Atlantic Fort Bowie. This was the smallest 1/32 scale fort done by Atlantic.
This is the Jean Hoeffler vacuum fort. It has three towers and building.
The fort was called Fort West and you can see the headquarters building in the background.
Here is the fort populated with some non Jean figures.
Reader’s Contributions Part Two Marx Cowboy Mars Box Art Odds Ends Collection Time
Timmee U.S Army standing firing rifle, this pose was done by three companies: Marx, Lido and Timmee. Marx was the first with the pose and the other two companies copied.
We have shown this pose before of the dog travois by PZG of Poland. We have a little more to add to the story. The set of figures which this is from I got in the United States. The card that is in the bag has a $15.00 price tag. It is also a rare set to find. A French collector has asked permission to use the photos in a French collectibles magazine. I have given permission and we will see what he has to add to thie unusual set.
You had me pretty excited for a minute. I was scanning the headings and I thought I read MARS Cowboy Box. I thought we would be getting some new Western figures soon.
The Jean vacuum fort is a wonderful piece! I’ve always had a soft spot for Jean Hoefler as their snap-together Fort Apache was my first playset ever. I have the Jean Grand Canyon, but I never even heard of this Fort before. Hats off to Erwin for revealing another lost treasure.
JEAN HOEFLER did 4/5 plastic (not vacuum) configuration forts with their names.I made a photo sample work post with it ,so far the data i got from catalog,blogs and collectors is..
Fort independence (Largest Fort by Jean Hoefler) it is big with plenty towers
Fort Laramine two version ,one with horse barn building plus cabin quarter other without barn and cabin only in it
Small version Fort apache .
Some of early forts come with original swoppet Jean Hoefler western figures ,while others come with original solid western figures and last were sold or repack using cheap HK knock off TIMPO swoppet poses (I do not know when and where was these using HK version figures done but had seen in original depicted photo box and playset fort sold at ebay.)
I also notice great majority of JH forts did not use the US cavalry in most or none but only cowboys !???
I don’t know why as far i had seen in years .
The vacuum I had seen are two from two collectors and one sold not long ago in Ebay from Norway x $400.00 .I share photos with their permission .
i did not save the Ebay sale unfortunately
Markus from Germany may help on this more may be…
best.
I have a Fort Bowie.
So if those cowboys are put together and swivel arms and torso they can be the first Swoppet ever made together with GAMA from spain patented in 1953/54 !!!
Interesting!!!
Best..
They are swivel arms and heads and the torso can move, but not easily. The torso is not flat but rathers tapers into the legs, so while they swivel it leaves a space , the hat is also separate and can be removed as can the vest.
This is interesting,if they come in before swoppet from Timpo And Herald,them it tell me the idea was already well implemented in plastic toy figures here in US way before.
Will like to know more about it ,when first come out ,if sold individual,how many poses ,sizes or scale and else!?
Best
Don’t know when they were made, but they are like 60mm size and come in groups of 4 put together guys. He had a group of four of them together in a plastic case which he wanted to sell as a group, but he had a couple extra which I bought. I’d guess because they are 60mm they are one of their earlier items which would put them in the 50’s.
Thanks x data detail Ed.
Best….
There are articles on old Marx “Put-to-gether” English soldiers and cowboys in PFPC issues 14 and 41 if anyone has those. I sold mine years ago. Pretty sure the set of cowboys came in a famous “Polka Dot” Box with 60mm horses with separate tack.
See if this link opens for you:
http://marxwildwest.com/put%20together%20cowboys%20-%20%20all.jpg
If not, Google “Image Marx put together cowboys” & see what comes up.
Also Lido made swivel cowboys & Indians in 45mm & 3 inch in the 1950s.
Thanks Andy x link.Very interesting
I’m awere of Lido, Ajax .But aperantly years x those go x 1956/58 as far I had found.
Trying to determine how far back the swappet and swivel multipart Marx are in the 50s now.
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Erwin, I was able to find that Marx first introduced the 60mm horses with separate tack (included with these figures) in 1953. The 54mm horses with molded tack came out in 1956. Based on this, my guess would be these Put-To-Gether figures were produced between 1953 and 1956. If anyone has PFPC issues 14 and 41, the articles may clarify dates.
Thanks Andy for your information and tips .I will like also to verify more to have post proof and update it.
It now become very interesting that it was here and/ or in Spain were first swapped true figures were made.
Spaniard company GAMA patent in June 22 ,1954 officially worldwide registered for the sets of Africa,western ,romans in swappet torso poses on rubber material.There is recorded in data bank as well two books with pictures of the Patent numerical register official records.
So if MARX produced their own ,in this case with added swivel arms ,them both brands come before Herald.
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Erwin, scroll down on this page until you see info on Put-To-Gethers. They’re saying 1952:
http://marxwildwest.com/inventory7.html#Put-to-gether_Cowboys
Andy thank so much ,it indeed is great info and by those mentioned corroborate it. Will like to know why Marx abandon idea when those figures in fact are far superior in swoppet style than those later done by Herald or Timpo.Look at detail and amount of well done molded pieces .Would they be sold assembled will be great too.But i’m figuring out as MARX was always mass overproducing others this would require less amount per production line and cost more plus need to be sale high.Marx always target middle class and lower primary .Please any one could correct me in this last part as I’m not Marx expert follower at all ,but so far is my understanding. Yet would be great to know more about.
Im also looking at information regarding the names and data of Marx artist, I had read so few about it …
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Erwin, Because it’s you, I pulled out PFPC issues 14 and 41. There really is nothing helpful in either issue.
Here is a synopsis:
PFPC Issue 14 “In Her Majesty’s Service” Pages 26 and 27
A 2 page article with about a quarter of a page script. One full page is a “Put- To-Gether” English Soldiers instruction sheet. There is no date on the sheet.
The second page has pix of the box, a full set of parts and two soldiers.
The article states that “they were produced in the ’50’s.” No other date is given. The rest of the article states that there was a sister set of Cowboys that was also done.
PFPC Issue 41 RICK”S PIX Page 5
A picture of the Cowboys box about the size of a postage stamp with a caption stating that this is the sister set of the English Soldier set.
That’s it. Sorry, Erwin. Not much help.
Thank you Bill for your efforts looking at magazines. I appreciate it much…
So far Andy links w words is only data written about the matter x now.I will look at NYC Lincoln library soon to look x info in Marx database and patent data.
Wonder if anything there not touched.
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Maybe check issue 140 of Plastic Warrior
I think this would be a very popular concept for today’s toy soldier market: if someone released a set containing enough body parts, headgear and equipment to make 6-8 complete figures, and if thousands of potential combinations using the parts and equipment were possible, people would likely buy quite a few sets apiece. I can see this working for many historical periods.
Mark
I think Conte start a plain idea with arms separated .Now EXPEDITIONARY FORCES is doing more multipose arms and heads sets that could be considered swapped/swopped if like as well in certain way .
Appleause Lord of the Ring 1.32 line and Game of throne both come in same principal but not quite to be swap in between ,so not that exactly.
I believe it definitely increase cost and force increase price at the end .TIMPO and Herald swapped were always more expensive than most because of that .Britain after Deetail line try bring the swivel army line sets and not good sale either.
It add too the 70s /80s where they toy soldier era died and big action figure plus lego/playmobil enter the field and fury of toys for the children market plus SF and fantasy overran the comics and cartoons erasing most historical histoires with the anti war vietnam era time.
Even Elastolin venture for few years in swoppet and cut loose soon after because seem TIMPO and Plasty had already almost gone there was not market x so expensive production.
By today so exclusive adult hobby collectors groups is not profitable x those making .The multi color parts figures had still not been the best for american market and would only touch better the European most …so it will definitely limit even more the sales for any making it.
Just my thoughts.
best.
Airfix tried this years ago with their “MultiPose” line. So did Helmet and Historex
both of whom had plenty of multi part figures.
These were in hard plastic
Britains, Timpo, Transogram and even Men of ’76 all used multi part figures. There are several others. HTF makes swopett figures currently.
It’s been tried before without a lot of success.
I agree.Not cost effective versus profitable. Specially at today hobby amount buyers way less than children.
Best
I had some of the Lido cowboys when I was little; I remember them – I guess I was about four? I also bought a plastic snap-together Jean Fort for my younger brothers when I was in Germany (trying to remember the name of the thing now). I was impressed with the fort, there were two five-pieced “log” lookout towers, the four sides fit together and the floor of the tower slid down from above; there was a log cabin headquarters building and stable. I’ve seen some similar copies for sale here in the States since, with Hong Kong Airfix knockoffs.
As I said, I was impressed with the fort, less so with the Jean figures and I bought a whole bunch of Atlantic 7th Cavalry and Indians sets to go with the fort. The boys loved it. I may have some pics somewhere; I’ll try to find them.
The fort copies of Jean Hoefler if same scale are those sold by Sears using either HK airfix copies or HK swoppet Indians cowboys.I bough one and resold it after.
Star Toys HK brand made a nice fort too .Not copy of JH .
is only I kept .
Still I’m intrugued as to why every JH fort was without cavalry.
Best
I’ve been wanting to make a kind of stockade wall or log cabin building system, sort of a cross between Lincoln logs and Lego blocks. The pieces would be soft plastic ‘logs’ in various lengths with holes and pegs in the cut outs. They would assemble like the familiar Lincoln logs but ‘snap’ together to make a semi-permanent structure. Has anyone ever seen a construction toy like this?
The russian made fort but x medieval times sold in 90s was as that .I happen to see one at show ,open and inspect. But did not buy it.I regret now as is gone and mo one carry it.
It was huge made by Zevsda I think.
Exin castle resemble same idea construction as well.
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Thanks Erwin, I’ve never seen the medieval fort or castle you mention. The concept I have in mind would be just basic logs made in plastic, fit together like the Lincoln log toy but designed and scaled to work with 1/32 scale figures. The more logs you collect, the larger the building or fort you could build. I guess it would have more appeal to Lego builders and collectors than to toy soldier figure collectors.
Yes I like more the lincoln log system .They also gives more realistic apperance as to be use to for early American settlers and french indians wars fort w horizontal lig walls as well.
Lego and playmobil are still to clean surface and vertical logs.
Best.
I had at least one of the Zvezda stone castle models. (I have always been big on forts.) It was a bit fiddly to build and they expected you to cut out the windows and a few side doors – not the gates. The castle was built in modular sections that you put together. They could be connected together with small white plastic pegs. I can’t remember if the holes were predrilled or if you had to drill them yourself. I just stood the wall sections together and declared victory. The nice thing about the Zvezda castles – if you had the patience to build them – is that they really were nicely scaled to 1/72 troops and were much larger than the Airfix castle.
The one i was referring is the wood ancient/medieval era Rus-russian fortress made x the 1.32 scale ,only one model was made and very limited distributed.I remember see sold by HB and Stengels at shows they carry only two at the time.
I open and saw it ,was very heavy sturdy made plastic and well build realistic.now they are gone and very hard to find.The walls were very high and realistic made ,it was a big fortress.
So far seen two on ebay go x insane price.
I do not know abou HO scale as i don’t collect it .
hope one day find one.
best..
is this one http://www.angelfire.com/pe/ATSTOYSOLDIERS/RussianMade132.html
here…
TDB, did you ever see this fort?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1960S-HALSAM-PROD-CO-FORT-AMERICA-log-model-toy-set-with-box-Set-850/332398081051?hash=item4d6478341b%3Ag%3AId8AAOSwCCVZqbtg
Looked around eBay & internet for PLASTIC building logs & found none. After all these years, they still make Lincoln style logs out of wood. Plastic roof parts, but logs are wood. You’d think hollow plastic logs would be a lot cheaper, lighter weight, and safer re: kids chewing on the wood??
Andy in my personal observation ,not saying you are not right…
Plastic logs and junction will require many more steel mold that will need to be a huge investment x all parts plus mold machines to run.I think these makers are not looking to invest more now.
These are wood cheap mass produced using recycling safe materials and others
Plus all saftey things in plastic else.
Lincoln log just keep the tradition on by making classic old style as well..
Wood soft toys are still considered in many cases more safe than plastic by Toy standards.I went to 2014 NYC fare and was surprise amount toy makers still using and actually re -establishing new made toys of wood compressed materials.
Many pre-K educational toys are made of woods.If go to school or preschool toy supply stores the carry many brands and even imported wood toys made in Germany today.
Germany ,Poland and Russians are still mass producing wood toys and not reducing it even with the huge competition of plastic.
Still idea could be made of course but i think there a lot to be though before make it by investors and makers…
My thoughts. ..
Best
Something to think about. It makes sense but doesn’t explain why they make roofs, windows and some other pieces in plastic. Roofs used to be the simplest parts – flat green slats & red triangular blocks. Too bad we really don’t know. e.g.: http://www.ebay.com/itm/607-Lincoln-Logs-Assorted-Sizes-Styles-Roofs-Windows-Figures-Booklets-/292247471616?hash=item440b4e8600:g:L8wAAOSwPHNZjH76
Andy ,yes .
Halsam in fact do not use wood most time.
They were pioneers of plastic toys introducing Bakelite production here in US with others,so they will work more into plastic parts,if look well most plastic parts they do are one part hollow side mold cavity ,not double cavity as will require a “cilindrica” log if made in plastic,so obvious they do in purpose to save money.
Lincoln log in the other side originated after comping Real Japanese toys made of wood style and uses more wood.Their classical Log toys mean wood in other way i will think ,so they stick to it as classical way.Yet they may venture if like to do it .May be in future.Who knows.
best..
forgot mention ,several brands had made in the lego style forts and western buildings ,Boley,Simba,SOMA.
here one small sample..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Unopened-BOLEY-Western-Play-Set-50-pc-sealed-discontinued-Playskool-Wild-West/352170563661?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649
The fort is the one I got with LIDO copies i mention before ,it is nice and huge,but not quite wood ,it is made of compressed soft wood material and light cardboard put together,you can mark bend it easy with your nails .
Still very nice fort in my opinion.The tall towers remain me of early indian /french wars forts era more than later indian/US wars.
DDR-EAST germany fort are the largest and nicer ever done in Western scenes in my opinion,they were huge and well done ,but in light wood as well.(I was give one as children x christmas by a priest friend of my family who travel);it was not less 3 f square with 8 towers and 4 buildings inside ,nice stands all around with stairs all over and ramparts x cannon .The only negative were the connectors as only to be presented with inside support holding support,but i manage with my dad help to attach all walls
The arrange of houses they did among all brands who builded is huge.Today these building are become actually very priced by former western german collectors and others with price increasing every year.I brought 5 from when i was children since they were imported to my country .I sold two long ago x low price compared to what go now.The buildings can blend with 54 mm but are more x 70/75 mm in my opinion,some were a bit smaler others more taller.They even made a circus Buffalo Bill show stand with rings and seats x expectator .
The wagons by some DDR brands were plastic and super detailed but in the 70/75 mm scale or 1/28 scale approx .I conserve one mint and will send pictures to admin x posting as are in my opinion nice well done toys worth been look at .
best
Something like what you folks want was done by Halsam in the early 1960s – Fort America. I still have mine someplace. Look at the top row of pictures in the link below. I believe Kent Sprecher also has a picture in his section on Timmee Civil War soldiers. My set came with Lido Civil War soldiers and Indians. Others had the Timmees. Its a great fort!
https://www.google.com/search?q=fort+america+toy+halsam&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjpzNayucrWAhXJ7CYKHUqvCBEQsAQIJw&biw=1280&bih=906
Yes;that is the one i have and exact come with Lido figures as you say ,but i think are copies of LIDO,i compare with original LIDO and noticed a variation of 3 mm smaller plus few mold maks.So someone did a copy mold of the figures i guess.Interesting.
best…
The Zvezda castle I had was not the Russian wood fortress, but a more western European stone fortification. I’m sure that the basic approach of modular construction and sections being pinned together with pegs was the same.
I still have a couple of the Zvezda 1/72 stone fortress sets I bought almost twenty years ago (I guess) – I wanted to make some sort of super fortress for my ancients; but as you’ve said Daniel – it was more complex than I thought. I realized when I put it together I was going to have to have a good place to either permanently display it or store it broken down somewhat. I didn’t have one at the time so I put the one I opened back in its box alongside the unopened one for a future date; which sadly has yet to come. I just came across them yesterday tearing everything out of my storage room. Maybe one day…
Wayne, that is exactly what happened to me. I bought a couple of Zvezda castles inexpensively at Squadron and then ran into difficulties with construction and storage. I also picked up a Miniart castle that was even worse to build. Zvezda has always made excellent, well-engineered figures and sets – but in some they have a tendency to over-design and make the building process too complicated. This is what doomed their 28 mm fantasy line. I only purchased a couple of wizards and they were a pain to build. I heard that the skeletons were awful, almost bone by bone to put together.
Daniel, they made some beautiful 1/72 scale figures but some of their Napoleonic Arty sets were such a pain to assemble – as you said, over-engineered. Then they got into a fit of scale-creep some of their 1/72 figures were reaching close to 28mm. I shouldn’t have been surprised by the castles, but who knows, one day I might get my own “War Room” and be able to display them. Or I might just decide to save the space and put them on ebay. LOL
Hi,
just a short note on why the Jean Wild West Forts (Fort Laramie being the most popular one) came without (7th) Cavalry.
The figures came out much later than the Cowboys, Indians and Knights.
Probably in March 1975 as Union and Confederates in blue and gray.
For sure a reason why those are much harder to find than other Wild West Figures.
The vacuum Fort West came with cavalry but even later.
Got mine from Toys r us in the 90s. For sure after 1993 as it has already the 5 digit post code introduced mid 93 on original factory sticker still left on box.