Remember the Alamo Opening of a Marx Playset Ed Borris sent us photos of the opening of Marx playset. This is done every year, where a playset is opened at the show. This year they did a 1962 Alamo playset. The playset is called a John Wayne playset due when it came out.
Remember the Alamo Opening of a Marx Playset Playset
Craig Remmington and Rick Eber removing the staples of the playset.
The playset box has been opened. As you can see the tin litho is on the top.
Alan Ford, Todd Nace, Rick Keller and Franics Turner, not sure who the guy in the white shirt may be
Here you can see the layout of playset contents
Closeup of the Mexicans in the playset. Despite being sealed there were several broken figures. 
The front of the playset box great graphics.
Tin litho AlamoFlag on the instruction sheet. 
Another look at the contents of the playset
Enjoyed the photos.
But I find it disturbing that a mint-in-box playset is opened and several figures are found to be broken.
It doesn’t seem like it would be a box with a history of being stored in a garage or attic subject to extremes of cold or heat.
The figures were made in 1962 and were made in soft, pliable plastic. How the heck did they get broken? Never once growing up did I open a Marx playset and find anything broken: Roy Rogers, Lone Ranger, Farm Set, Arctic Explorer, Robin Hood 60mm, Robin Hood 54mm, Fort Apache 60mm, Fort Apache 54mm, Alamo, Blue & Gray, WWII Combat, Zorro, Captain Gallant, & Johnny Tremain.
After they open the playset, is it auctioned off for charity?
No, that’s from his privtae collection.
Hi there Stad! The guy in the white shirt standing by Francis is George Kroll.
Interesting note, as I remember it the Mexicans and the tan pioneers were all in pretty good shape. It was the light gray and the silver pioneers that had become brittle over time.
I think I remember there being some issues with silver figures and there possibly being something about the silver dye having something to do with the breakdown of the plastic. It is kind of a bummer to open a mint playset to find figures brittle and/or broken; kind of makes you wonder about buying unopened sets – though I can imagine the kick of getting one.
It’s always been one of those things I imagine – going into an old Mom and Pop store and finding an old Marx “Battleground” or “Fort Apache on a shelf somewhere gathering dust. In this day and age, highly unlikely – particularly as I’ve never seen any decent figures around here even at garage/yard sales or the flea markets. It is fun to dream, though.
Another interesting note or two:
1. They skipped taking a picture of the character figures in the set. Craig and I conspired to insert the figures of each of us into the box when no one was looking, no one bought it though.
2. Although I don’t appear in any of the pictures that is my knife in Rick Eber’s hand, that knife has been on hand for the last four MIB openings and has served us well.
Thanks for the great article !! I still have some parts from my childhood 1960s John Wayne Alamo playset and it was really interesting to see the pictures of the entire set still together after all these years, what fond memories you helped bring back !!