Marx Monsters

[bigbud]

Should I understand that you would therefore not regard Marx production of these pieces in say 1964-65 - if Marx did indeed produce another run(s) - as "originals"? So you would therefore require not only Marx production but Marx production verifiably from 1963 to earn the "original" label?

Just a farmboy from Kansas..........what did you say?  Make it easy on yourself....... For me any deviation of the information in the circles under base makes a figure questionable as original.  Do you assume that production of figures with the MCMLXlll marking were produced in '64 and '65?  That would be interesting if  true, but such proof would be difficult to come by.  And to me it wouldn't matter too much. In my mind there is no "other run", those figures I consider as original Marx monsters will have the MCMLXlll on the base, period. The original Marx monster production ended when MCMLXlll was altered or removed.....take it as fact or opinion......it's what I believe.   

(and I'm sure there where teal and orange sets made after 1963 by Marx

What proof is there that the original teal and orange Marx monsters were produced after '63?  I've seen or heard of none.

The plate cover up could be due to the popularity of these figures and the thought that they would/could be produced for years to come

Pure speculation..... I'll add acouple that are just as possible: 1. Marx altered the molds prior to selling the company off.  Afterall, you don't buy the production mold as a yard ornament. Marx had to know there was a possibility the molds would be put back in action. 2. Quaker Oats altered the molds before selling them to the Mexicans. 3. The Mexicans actually felt it was necessary to distinguish their repros from the  original figures.  4. Scatter, in an act of conscience, snuck into the old Marx factory and welded a bead across the MCMLXlll completely obliterating it. It took 2 months for the Mexicans to clean up his sloppy weld job, leaving a raised rectangle where the MCMXLlll once resided.

I take it that you've not yet seen a Bilious Yellow or a Creepy Rose Marx figure yourself?

And I don't believe you will............ till the Mexicans pump out something yellow and close to red. Kinda like what I suspect they did with the green.

[Monsters For Sale]

............ till the Mexicans pump out something yellow and close to red. Kinda like what I suspect they did with the green.

Those are the two colors I would most like to find - Canary Yellow and a nice Fire Engine Red.

[bigbud]

Those are the two colors I would most like to find - Canary Yellow and a nice Fire Engine Red.

If we knew where those molds resided in Mexico, we could shoot them a copy of that '64 ad claiming yellow, rose, and vile green. You'd have your wish within a month I bet. And an outbreak of E-bayers pronouncing a find of the rare and seldom seen lost colored monster figures............

[Gasport]

Here are both my neon orange and milky orange [as Zombiehorror pointed out] Marx Phantoms. Both display the bar covering the date on the bottom. The milky orange figure also includes a price tag of 19 cents from some [i can only guess] long gone store called Neisner's. Those dastardly Mexican recasters obviously are willing to go to any lengths to make us gullible collectors believe this was produced during the 60's! CURSE THEM!!

[zombiehorror]

Those dastardly Mexican recasters obviously are willing to go to any lengths to make us gullible collectors believe this was produced during the 60's! CURSE THEM!!

It's even worse than that, it's an obvious attempt by Marx to recast their own figures after 1963 and attempt to pass them off as originals!!

[Hepcat]

Now going back to the Marx only came in teal and orange discussion, sometime last year I came upon a website; http://www.jeffs60s.com/ were he has this picture and the following comment posted;



"These Universal Monsters were my favorite plastic figures. They sold for ten cents apiece, but soon went up to a whopping nineteen cents. They came in bright, flourescent colors and I used to just stare at them for hours. I do mention these on my school page. I also tried painting them like models and ending up ruining them. So, off to Newberry's toy basement to buy another set."

So I wrote him asking about it, figuring he was getting Marx Monster confused with Nutty Mads in his fuzzy monster memories.

Is the colour of the Frankenstein figure what most posters are calling teal blue, or is it Vile Green? Or is the Hunchback teal blue, or some other colour?



You should ask this fellow if he'd like to join UMA. We could use his monstrous insights.

Nope!  My guess is that these alternate colors were extremely limited even in the 60's and may have only been regional offerings?!

Or perhaps sold only through one specific large retailer.

[Hepcat]

Do you assume that production of figures with the MCMLXlll marking were produced in '64 and '65?

I have no assumptions. Quite simply, I never encountered these figures as a kid and what little I "know" about them I've learned from discussions on this forum. But you see you fellows have now infected me with your own enthusiasm for these figures and I'm trying to figure out how to tell a Marx produced figure from a Mexican reproduction.

That would be interesting if  true, but such proof would be difficult to come by.  And to me it wouldn't matter too much. In my mind there is no "other run", those figures I consider as original Marx monsters will have the MCMLXlll on the base, period. The original Marx monster production ended when MCMLXlll was altered or removed.....take it as fact or opinion......it's what I believe.

The precise point on which I'm still not clear is whether you don't believe Marx produced any figures after 1963, or whether you would not be willing to classify any production after the initial Marx run in 1963 as "original" even if Marx itself did additional later production runs.

[zombiehorror]

Is the colour of the Frankenstein figure what most posters are calling teal blue, or is it Vile Green? Or is the Hunchback teal blue, or some other colour?

You should ask this fellow if he'd like to join UMA. We could use his monstrous insights.

The blue Hunchback is representative of the common teal, although it looks way bluer in that picture!  The Frankenstein is green but not what I (originally) considered vile green because of this picture:



Which I also found at http://www.jeffs60s.com/  If this picture represents the "original" colors then you have teal (Which does appear more accurately in this pic than his other.), orange, rose, green and yellow (Which if I'm correct is actually a lime green, at least to my eyes!?)

Who knows Jeff may just be a lurker at the UMA!??!

[bigbud]

Those dastardly Mexican recasters obviously are willing to go to any lengths to make us gullible collectors believe this was produced during the 60's! CURSE THEM!!

Exactly!  We need a catchy phrase to go by............. If it's got a bar, repro they are!   Nice!   Love, Buddy

[zombiehorror]

Exactly!  We need a catchy phrase to go by............. If it's got a bar, repro they are!   Nice!   Love, Buddy

Or.......If it's got a bar, it was made by Marx in '64'!!

[Hepcat]

If you need my ear
If you want my time
Then I fear dear sir
You must speak in rhyme.

[bigbud]

It's even worse than that, it's an obvious attempt by Marx to recast their own figures after 1963 and attempt to pass them off as originals!!

Very funny guys! I see where we differ in opinion........the word "original". I consider a figure cast in 1963 and with MCMLXlll to be original because that's the year they first came out. For me....again.......for me, I want only such figures in my collection. Sure, your orange barred Phantom is from the 60's, but not 1963, or so I believe. I can show you my teal Phantom with MCMXLlll on the base.........I know it was produced in 1963..........your Phantom with a bar.......it was produced in ?  I do indeed understand and admire you guys that want all color variations of the Marx Monsters, no matter how many continue to be pumped out. I'm sure you can understand my desire to only own those figures with the MCMLXlll on the base. Your definition of original is fine with me..........just isn't the same as mine.   Buddy

[Hepcat]

The Gallery of Monster Toys has the Marx figures as circa 1969!

In addition to battery-operated and wind-up toys, Louis Marx also manufactured a wide variety of solid plastic figurines. Marx produced figurines of dinosaurs, animals, soldiers, cowboys, Weird-Ohs, and every other pop-culture character imaginable. The classic monsters were no exception. Marx issued a set of six licensed Universal Monsters circa 1969. The set included Frankenstein, Wolfman, Mummy, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Phantom of the Opera, and Hunchback of Notre Dame. The set was sold both loose, and together in a plastic bag with a printed logo that read "Cinema Creatures!" The monster figurines have been re-issued many times over the years, most recently as a glow-in-the-dark set by Uncle Milton in 1991.... But the original 60's versions were molded in blue and orange plastic. Other colors have also been reported.

Here's the link:

Gallery of Monster Toys

[Gasport]

I have a complete set of teal and a complete set of orange figures...today i inspected the bases of them all. Every one of my teal examples had the roman numeral date except the Creature, while none of the orange ones did...makes me wonder if ANY of the original orange figures had the date on them...anybody out there have one?

[zombiehorror]

.....teal examples had the roman numeral date except the Creature, while none of the orange ones did...makes me wonder if ANY of the original orange figures had the date on them...anybody out there have one?

More importantly does anyone have a teal Creature with MCMLXIII on it?