Marx Monsters

[Haunted hearse]

Was 29 cents a good price for these back in the day?

[Monsters For Sale]

Was 29 cents a good price for these back in the day?

I've seen the originals with a price stamped in purple ink.  It was a circle with "19" inside.

[zombiehorror]

I've seen the originals with a price stamped in purple ink.  It was a circle with "19" inside.

Yep, my lime green Frankenstein had a little rectangular 19 cent/Mejers sticker on it (don't recall the 19 being circled though?); at some point the sticker unfortunately fell off, I'm hoping to find it amongst my monster stuff one day.

[Monsters For Sale]

Yep, my lime green Frankenstein had a little rectangular 19 cent/Mejers sticker on it (don't recall the 19 being circled though?); at some point the sticker unfortunately fell off, I'm hoping to find it amongst my monster stuff one day.

The circle was stamped directly on the bottom of the toy - no tag.

A little vigorous rubbing would take it off.

[horrorhunter]

My orange Phantom has a price sticker on the base bottom reading "F.W. Woolworth", and below that written in pen is the price ".10". Prices probably varied, starting at 10 cents and rising slightly through the '60s and into the early '70s when the original MarxMons were retailed. I've seen them marked "19 cents" someplace before fairly recently.. probably in eBay listings. I seem to remember them ranging from a dime to a quarter in hazy kidhood recollection.

Looks like a store in the 60's had their own label and bagging system for toys that arrived naked to me.

Yeah, that's what it looks like to me also. Maybe from the '70s. It's probably not some crook's doing trying to fake original packaging because they would have gone for the '60s style graphics on the header card to really cash in. I can't really see this generic type packaging adding much, if any, value to the piece. I would rather have the figure loose to display on the shelf rather than display in such boring, non-monstery, packaging.

[Hepcat]

Looks like a store in the 60's had their own label and bagging system for toys that arrived naked to me.

It looks to me like a distributor's packaging. Note that if you saved a sufficient number of header cards you could redeem the cards for valuable prizes!

[Wicked Lester]

Can anyone explain to me how this Phantom in overall nice condition has a different head position? Never seen one like this before.

[John Pertwee]

That's strange. If someone dropped it right after it was molded, why didn't the mask break or fold over? Could have been left in direct sunlight? We may never know.

[Hepcat]

Could have been left in direct sunlight?

That may be the answer you know.

[John Pertwee]

Perhaps, but I would think there would be damage to the fingers before the neck, but the weight of the head could be the reason only that part moved.

[Allhallowsday]

The circle was stamped directly on the bottom of the toy - no tag.

A little vigorous rubbing would take it off.

I think many collectors are too young to remember those ink stamping tools, where the numbers could be dialed to whatever price was desired.  I've seen the Marx monsters with both sticky labels and price stamps.  Original prices vary, but 50 years ago, 19 cents was a lot of bread...  
I can also remember that sound of workers pricing new merchandise... clickaclickaclicka...

The Marx monsters did come in an illustrated bag showing three orange and three blue monsters.  I think retailers opened the bag of six and priced them individually. 

[darkmonkeygod]

Can anyone explain to me how this Phantom in overall nice condition has a different head position? Never seen one like this before.

Heat. Boiling it for a bit would allow for the head to be repositioned.

[Wicked Lester]

That's strange. If someone dropped it right after it was molded, why didn't the mask break or fold over? Could have been left in direct sunlight? We may never know.

I doubt direct sunlight would be strong enough even over years to have bent the head. Unless possibly left on a dashboard in the summer sun. Then again the fingers would have melted.

[Wicked Lester]

Heat. Boiling it for a bit would allow for the head to be re-positioned.

I couldnt get just the head and neck in water without the hand and arm going before it. At any rate I bought this one just because I found it intriguing. Not a fan of the Phantom but I do like the color and it is complete so for the $27 delivered I figured WTF, Buy it.

[horrorhunter]

I would keep it the way it is just for the oddity of it. I've never seen one with the head to one side like that.

By the pic it looks like one of those Plastimarx greenies from the '80s/'90s from Mexico. Those are marked like the original orange ones with the date barred through. 27 bucks is a fair price, especially with an intact mask.