Marx Monsters

[horrorhunter]

Thanks Monster Bob. Yeah Hep, let's just say I've got a Marx Phantom in teal blue, orange, green, mexi-repop black, Uncle Milty beige and glow; the Uncle Milty glow is in a sealed blister pack I bought at TRU about 20 years ago and it's the only one with a broken mask. There's the mask, bouncing around inside the blister. So the verdict is: Louis Marx would have fired Uncle Milton for sucky quality control.

[Monster Bob]

The more modern plastics used are much more brittle- the newer plastics snap- the old stuff had to be chewed off!

So you're saying the quality control was bad on the Uncle Millton Glow-in-the-Dark rereleases?

Or more likely, the molds were showing their age.

[Dr.Terror]

Not sure about the quality of the plactic but the Unlce Milton versions are devoid of much details.     I bought a few sets of beige Mexico re-pops with incredibly crisp details.  They have the Marx and Uni logo. Except Hunch, no Uni.

The Marx molds were def altered for the milton release at least for the copyright info.

As for the plastic.   My uncle milton Monster Studio figures are much more brittle than the mexico versions.    Broken phantom mask, broken fingers on other characters.        I'm guesing the army man plastic used must have been different and just not as flexible.

[Hepcat]

Here are a couple of photos of my Marx Nutty Mads Bagatelle Game:

[dlhenderson]

Interesting to see the drawn versions of the familiar Nutty Mads on that bagatelle game, Hep.
Here's a gaggle of the green ones I got off eBay around ten years ago. They aren't the flat "lead" versions I had as a kid. Wonder how much lead I ingested from various toys and things back in the 50s. Maybe that's why I'm a Space Cadet!

[Hepcat]

Interesting to see the drawn versions of the familiar Nutty Mads on that bagatelle game, Hep.
Here's a gaggle of the green ones I got off eBay around ten years ago. They aren't the flat "lead" versions I had as a kid.

Do you think that they're still Marx originals as opposed to repops?

[dlhenderson]

They have the Marx imprint on the bottom, and the lady I bought them from claimed that her husband had them when he was a kid. Are there any repops that don't have the Mexican imprint? Here's a close-up of the two types of plastic. Took advantage of a beam of morning sun coming through my kitchen window for proper Nutty Mad illumination.

[horror1o1]

Interesting to see the drawn versions of the familiar Nutty Mads on that bagatelle game, Hep.
Here's a gaggle of the green ones I got off eBay around ten years ago. They aren't the flat "lead" versions I had as a kid. Wonder how much lead I ingested from various toys and things back in the 50s. Maybe that's why I'm a Space Cadet!

My dad use to have the green weight lifter and he got it in the early 80's from a garage sale. I'm guessing if they are repops they are old ones.

[dlhenderson]

They're marked 1963 (in roman numerals, of course) on the bottom.

[Hepcat]

That right there plus the gaudy limegreen colour may be the key. From Wikipedia:

In the 1980s and '90s, recastings from the original Marx molds began to appear from PlastiMarx out of Mexico. These are usually (but not always) a cream color, do not carry the Marx copyright on the bottom, and are worth considerably less than the originals.

From the Nutty Mad Men website:

After Louis Marx & Co. was sold to Quaker Oats in 1972, the Nutty Mad molds were purchased by a Mexican company called Plastimarx, which manufactured new toys from the old molds. These versions are distinguished by their cream-colored palette and are worth considerably less than the Marx originals. Further reissues (in white and black) were produced through the 1990s... but none of these have quite the aesthetic impact of their brighter hued forebears....

[Richard]

Not sure about the quality of the plastic but the Uncle Milton versions are devoid of much details.     I bought a few sets of beige Mexico re-pops with incredibly crisp details.  They have the Marx and Uni logo. Except Hunch, no Uni.

The Marx molds were def altered for the Milton release at least for the copyright info.

As for the plastic.   My uncle Milton Monster Studio figures are much more brittle than the Mexico versions.    Broken phantom mask, broken fingers on other characters.        I'm guessing the army man plastic used must have been different and just not as flexible.

I couldn't agree with you more, Dr. Terror!

Especially the Monster Studio set. A cool idea, presentation wise, but junk if you want to use the set(busted, malformed characters). It displays well though.

[Hepcat]

I don't understand. How can the Monster Studio figures display well if they're malformed and prone to breakage? And does this apply to the Glow-in-the-Dark Uncle Milton figures as well as the Monster Studio ones?

[Richard]

I don't understand. How can the Monster Studio figures display well if they're malformed and prone to breakage? And does this apply to the Glow-in-the-Dark Uncle Miltie figures as well as the Monster Studio ones?

Okay, Hepcat...
I'm sorry, I didn't make myself more clear to the community. 
When I said "It displays well though", you have to understand that I find some items look better in the box and some look better out of the box. I meant the box. I think this "Monster Studio" displays well with contents in the box. Your mileage may vary.

Here's the box


The water color paint set is dollar store-lame IMHO (Stick a bat or a cob web on the plastic cover~or something). The idea was to paint and repaint and repaint these monsters for hours of fun (and wash off the watercolor when you're done and start again). I haven't tried it but I don't think I want to paint these plastic monsters with water color paints. That's just me.


The monsters included were substandard castings. Several in my kit were deformed and, as Dr. Terror mentioned, brittle with pieces missing. If one wanted to display Marx Monsters, get the real deals. They are out there. But the castings in this kit are poor and best left in the box.
A Hunchback comparison~Uncle Milton Monster Studio example on the left(deformed hand, no thumb) and a much better late issue on the right


Frankenstein base. A very poor casting in this set


Now, perhaps my set was the only flawed set sold. I don't know, I've only got this one. If and when I ever display it (I ran out of room and need another monster room wing), it will display in the box.

I believe some things display better in the package and other things out of the package. In the words of the Big Bopper, " I knoooow what I like!"


In package:
Horroscope. It's going to stay in its wrap, the way it came.


Hasbro paint sets. Unless canvas is painted, no use displaying the unused contents




Out of the package:
Monster Old Maid set. I love these cards and had to display a few


Green Ghost, Haunted House and Bats in the Belfry. Way better seeing the pieces though the box art is great


I hope this clears up my statement

[horror1o1]

They're marked 1963 (in roman numerals, of course) on the bottom.

they sounds originals to me.

[CreepyJeff]

Drool...