Plastimarx Ben Hur Playset
We received an email today from Edgar Lomeli from Mexico about a Plastimarx Ben Hur Playset he had purchased. He acquired it from a person who had it from the 60’s. He knew that it was not one of the Dinamicos Ben Hur Playset that was first issued in the 90’s. He could not find any information and contacted us to see if we could help.
Plastimarx was one of Mars’s many factories around the world. Once a item had its run in the United States the molds were shipped to various countries. Plastimarx could have been its most important factory outside of the United States. Plastimarx was started in the 1950’s. Some of the first items that were done in Mexico were the tin toys. The company continued until 1991 according to Eric Johns on his Marx Wild West Site.
The Plastimarx playsets are not common outside of the Mexico. Over the years the only one I can being remembered being sold was a Jungle playset that was sold in the United Kingdom thirty years. This was part of the Marx warehouse that in Swansea.
Plastimarx Ben Hur Playset Contents
The Playset box listed 35 pieces. The above photo shows the horses and lion or tiger. The animal is different from the one that was in American version.
This photo shows the various figures in the playset. The previous owner had painted some of the figures. From the unpainted figures we know the figures are ivory or white color. The set has Emperor and Empress character figures. The set does not have the Ben Hur character figure.
We have here some of the accessories of the set. Once again the previous owner has painted the accessories. The set had two chariots which are sadly missing from the set except for wheels and lattice. Because there two carts and several urns we might have parts for more than one set.
Lastly we have arena in a nice gray color much nicer that colors that Dinamicos did with the arena.
Edgar plans to put playset up on Ebay in the near future. We thank him for the privilege of sharing this set with you.
I bought four figures from a guy in Mexico who claimed his figures were PlastiMarx. They were two Matt Dillons and two Chesters. I think I sent pictures when I first got them. I ended up selling them for $125.00 each. This was like 2 years ago, I still the cowboys that came with them they came in brown, gray, a bile green and one brilliant red one.
Sorry admin I had overview this posting.
The Mexican company ArteFatos plasticos S.A did not enter in selling toys till 1976 or after ,the playset could had not been in sale before by then. But they did produced Marx toys .
I will summit direct legal information of exact when the such named factory now in Monterrey produced toys from many brands under rental agreement as well MARX mold used on a direct email to you.
I will do the translation as well you may too of such data.
Last the Mexican eagle oval stamp was not used in the 60’s on toy packs but much later.
Best
Erwin
Thank you for the update and clarification, I will pass it along. It is still an interesting piece as it was before Marx close up.
I have seen the Mexican versions of both the Fort Apache and Fighting Knights carryalls. The Fort Apache had 60mm Town Cowboys in blue, Indians in red and the 60mm bareback horses in black, but no cavalry. The Fighting knights had a mix of 54,, & 60mm figures.
Hello:
If you are interested in this very, very rare set, I’ll put it tomorrow (march 12) in eBay.
Thank you very much Paul and Erwin.
Regards.