MPC Monsters: Small 1 inch version available...

[horrorhunter]

I just picked up TWO of the 1 inch Marx MPC Monsters on Ebay for less than $10.  I am attaching a photo.

If someone is interested in the yellow one, I would be willing to sell it for $5.  AND I might have another available as soon as I find the first one I bought.

Let me know.

Photo from original owner.  I have them in hand and they look great.

I picked up the white Creature Of Doom (Grim Reaper) 1 1/2" from an eBay auction. Very nice with sharp details. Now I just need a skeleton. Now, we need to figure out who exactly made these, and how they were distributed. Was it MPC or some other company doing MPC knockoffs for gumball machine distribution? Were they only sold in gumball machines, or maybe also in those little 5 cent Horror Monster Grab Bags? The only little monsters I know for sure that were sold in the Grab Bags were Palmer flats, but these little 1 1/2" MPC types would be the right size and time period ('60s-early '70s). Anybody know the dirty lowdown on these burning questions???

[poseablemonster]

They were vending machine knock offs of the MPC monsters. 

[horrorhunter]

They were vending machine knock offs of the MPC monsters.

Do you know who made them? Do you know of any pics of a vending machine display card of them?

[Monster Bob]

Aren't they a bit too tall to fit in a capsule?

[Hepcat]

The 1 1/2" knock-offs in question would fit into vending machine capsules.

[Gaberax]

Heads up. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marx-light-blue-skeleton-figure-1-3-4-tall-vintage-creepy-plastic-toy-monster-/251248394662?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a7f9241a6

[Hepcat]

"Marx"? Another clueless seller.

[horrorhunter]

     So far we know of three MPC monsters that were knocked off by whichever company did these little 1 1/2" versions: Witch, Creature Of Doom, Skeleton. What puzzles me is why they chose the three with the most small bits sticking out (bats, scythe) that had to be left off of the smaller sculpt. Maybe they thought by leaving off the small details the sculpt was changed enough to keep from being sued by MPC. They are still obviously knock offs. If the only reason they left off those small details was for molding/encapsulating purposes then why did they pick the three with the most protruding small details? These little guys are a bit of a mystery.

[Toy Ranch]

Aren't they a bit too tall to fit in a capsule?

When did the larger size vending capsules become common?  Seems like it was into the 70's.  The small ones were a nickel and later a dime.  Large ones were a quarter.  Nobody would have paid a quarter in the 60s for a mini plastic figure.

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[Hepcat]

If the only reason they left off those small details was for molding/encapsulating purposes then why did they pick the three with the most protruding small details?

Good point!

When did the larger size vending capsules become common?  Seems like it was into the 70's.  The small ones were a nickel and later a dime.  Large ones were a quarter.  Nobody would have paid a quarter in the 60s for a mini plastic figure.

Even these little 1 1/2" figures would not have fit into the little nickel or dime capsules I remember from the sixties. This would seem to imply that these figures must have been knocked off in the seventies or later to be sold for a quarter in the bigger capsules.

[Toy Ranch]

I think they may have come in little party prize bags or something, but they would need to be flatter for that I think. The mini Palmer flats came in those (although there are many newer ones out there from the 90's that didn't come in those bags).  Don't think they were vending items.

Pretty sure this larger one was a cake decoration.

[Haunted hearse]

I think they may have come in little party prize bags or something, but they would need to be flatter for that I think. The mini Palmer flats came in those (although there are many newer ones out there from the 90's that didn't come in those bags).  Don't think they were vending items.

Pretty sure this larger one was a cake decoration.

For "National Mother in Law day"?

[horrorhunter]

Thought I'd dig up this old thread to see if anyone knows more about these little 1 1/2" MPC Monster knock-offs. Below is a picture of the three I've accumulated behind my Monster Head Rings. Does anyone know if there are more types than those three? How about how they were sold, or who made them? It's this kind of meaningless monster minutiae that keeps some of us  a little too occupied. 

[Gaberax]

It's this kind of meaningless monster minutiae that keeps some of us  a little too occupied. 

I have the three you have. I am still looking for the others.