Marx Toys Historical Figures we will first look at some reissues of Historical figures. Next we talk about some figures that were planned for Warriors of the World. We will look one of the Marx 60MM Roy Rogers
Marx Toys Historical Figures Moses & Napoleon
There are some 60MM historical or character figures that Marx did which we do not why they were done. One example is Moses. The original is in white or cream hard plastic. Most of the original figures come from John Bowers who had been one of the people who bought the Marx warehouse.
The reissues came from first Excalibur Hobbies later Hobby Bunker. They got various cavities from Glencoe Models who had bought them from American Plastic. They were done in various colors.
Here is another of the historical figures Napoleon I. Why it was done? Marx never did any Napoleonic figures. Was a series of famous historical figures was planned who knows.
Marx Toys Historical Figures Knights
One of the mysteries of Marx was an advertisement of Warriors of the World knights. They were never issued though some samples of the Warriors of the World exist. One of my friends from UK Barry blood has one. The knights later surfaced in Russia and has been several different companies. The series has six different figures.
- knight looking right with sword
- standing forward with sword out to the right
- advancing with sword and shield looking left figure is similar to Britians swoppet foot pose
- With ax and shield
- Stand with lance and shield similar to the six inch figure
- Mace and shield
You can see all six poses on Kent Sprecher site Toy Soldier Headquarters
Marx Toys Historical Figures Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers king of the cowboys, Marx did several versions of Roy Rogers for their playsets. In 60mm Marx did two foot and one mounted. Of the two foot poses this is my favorite. The other pose had his hands on his belt.
The knights were original designed in 8 poses no 6.
The mold w 8 poses made it to Soviet Union in late 70s
Few early Russian recast were sold by in 80s with full 8 poses sets
The two poses become then no longer part of mold for reason I don’t know.
Later reissues made in Russia still come with exact 6 poses as above picture only and not more other two.
The two rare poses are often on sale off ebay .one is a bowman and resemble Britain early bowman
They figures sale from 100 To 300 each as become rare.
Andrey from Russia not long ago send here the photos.
I have some to show as well.
Some of these poses looks a bit like the HO Marx knights too if not mistake.
I do not have any HO now to compare.
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other pose is standing w long spear and shield.
sorry
I believe the two missing knight poses were damage. I will update the article later today.
Yes I was told by Russian contacts that two cavities were damaged so only six were in the reissue set.
I had heard or red this before.
But it is not because of damage .
I after research in with russian friends and read some of actual work made by Russian collector the correct explanation is as follow.
The correct explanation to this was not damage but Technical tooling that were in non compliance with the mold used by Donetsk Toy Factory at the moment .
The mold of these figures Knights is not belong to former Charmore Heimo mold matrix made in Germany factory or Swansea UK factory in 50/s /60s but rather to HK WOW plastic mold designed in Glen Dale and sent to HK or possible made in HK factory itself .First done in hard plastic painted in limited run sets
After Marx closing up and short but failed taking over by UK company Dunbee-Combex .The D-C UK company acquired the most part of former MARX mold from HK and taiwan factories.Then sold in 1974-1976 to DZI-Soviet -russian factory who run then in full 8 poses set ,included the rare knight with separated tournament spear .A rare detail in these type Marx designed figures mold as usually Marx never did figures with separated weapon in molds of 8 poses cavity or larger.
Here is where the bowman pose and this pose(Standing with long tournament separated plug in spear ) as being positioned in different format in mold plate block can not be adjusted to be adapted in the mold machinery used and became unusable due to non-compliance with the technology by 1987/88 aprox .
This is exactly the same that happen to Egyptian 65 mm 8 poses mold were the long spear of pharaon pose become very short and crude in later Russian made reissued ,this time by factory Dnepropetrovsk Toy Factory.
The only damage mold 60 mm pose I know and confirmed by former mexican factory worker set is from Pirate one leg pose of mexico plastimarx factory mold that happen in late 80s when moving the block away from one storage it was hit by the Forklifts Forks tip at some speed point causing one corner crack section damage .
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Erwin the story of damage of the knights was given to me and Kent from Russian source. You must we were given this when the internet was in its infancy. The world has changed as more information comes to light.
I bet ,that is why we can share new light now more better updated.In fact it is in one blog/link site by Denitz you had post here before .Dimtry Machenko a good friend collector of mine who actually grow up very near the Donetsk Toy Factory And played with these 8 original reacts poses set give me some more info as well.
Is interesting that one protype early pose with separated spear was sold here in a show in 2013.the figure brought some speculation and comments as to veracity but it was in fact very real.
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Napoleon is supposed to be a portrait figure of Louis Marx, issued to friends and business associates.
Some of the knights were also done as 6″ Goldmarx figures.
http://marxwildwest.com/medieval.html#6_inch
The poses of the threes sizes are the same but there are variations in the details.
I had posted recently on Facebook about the Napoleon figure’s being Louie Marx. Several of the readers disagree so I did not mention it here.
Thanks for the update on 6 inch figures.
I don’t think is him as other were he did represent himself.
however the face looks very more alike him than that of Napoleon in my opinion.
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Napoleon’s face looks just like Lois Marx, gotta say another specialty figure created by Lois Marx, as the article says, no other Napoleonic figures were made . Never heard of any Marx Napoleonic planned sets anywhere .
Marx did the Waterloo playset in HO I think many of the poses are base in civil war w minor different uniforms .all painted in hard plastic
I don’t know if ever did a Napoleon pose x it.
the figure of Napoleon to me looks horrible done w wrong hat and boots else in my opinion.
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As far as I know Marx never did a Waterloo set in any size. Airfix made a HO playset for Waterloo featuring the farmhouse.
thank you ed ,i though they did ,i may confuse with crimea playset then .
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You also must of been thinking of Border Battle which was their take on the Alamo in HO
Yes either or.my bad .
I know i saw the red shirt infantry poses same as ACW marx 56 mm in prone position and others .
But as HO is not at all my interest i confuse mix then in my mind
I know of Airfix and ESCI making playset in true HO as Marx are 30 mm .ESCI did many more napoleonic playset battles such austerlitz ,jena and salamanca ,but both Airfix and ESCI are unpainted as far i know .
They had like three different versions of mounted lancers for COLB and Bengal Lancers and the Border Battle. Plus a couple of western sets, they even had a Helen of Troy set, but I’m not aware of a Napoleonic set.