Dinosaur Playsets

[Hepcat]

...this small strip mall in Athens, Ga. and in a little mom&pop hobby shop there was this glorious display of that Marx #3394 squarebox set on a painted board with sand and the whole nine yards.

Cool! I hope they sold dozens of the sets as a result of that display.

[jimm]

Cool that you remember which set it was at that age ... I have to refer to old pics if they exist to figure out which Exact toy I had (especially one with so many variations)

[horrorhunter]

This is my Prehistoric Play Set #3398 (Marx, 1971). It is the most common Marx Prehistoric Playset and the first one featuring prehistoric animals made from the new waxy looking "Heritage" type plastic. Supposedly the plastic was easier to mold, and it certainly gave more uniform colors. Most collectors prefer the older lead based plastic for the variety of colors and marbled patterns. The newer dinosaurs looked rather bland with them all being the exact same shade of mint green or light gray. Likewise, the new cavemen were all the same shade of brown.









Monkeying with color on this pic (or lack of it). Gettin' all artsy fartsy. 


Revised booklet to include the 2nd Series dinos & mammals.


Back:


Instruction Sheet. Notice the little sprue in the foreground above with the two extra terrain clips still attached.


Marx #3398 (1971 version) CONTENTS:

1 3-piece Terrain Set w/cave, rock arch, and pond in brown

1 Revised Mold Group (PL-977) 1/2 in mint green, 1/2 in light gray (8 dinos)

1 2nd Series Mold Group (PL-1083) 1/2 in mint green, 1/2 in light gray (8 dinos/mammals)

1 Medium Mold Group (PL-750) in mint green (6 dinos)

2 Small Mold Groups (PL-755-7) in light gray (7 X 2= 14 dinos)

36 Dinosaurs/Prehistoric Mammals Total

2 Sets of 6 Cavemen (12 total)

4 Palm Trees & 4 Ferns

4 Terrain Clips

20 Page Revised Booklet (P-1311R)

Instruction Sheet (P-1822R)

Even though this is the most common Marx Prehistoric Playset it's still difficult to complete. I had to buy three of these things off eBay several years ago and then add pieces to get a complete set. The box is usually trashed when it's even present, and the revised booklet is a little difficult to find at all, let alone in nice condition. The instruction sheet and clips are pretty scarce. These usually sell mostly complete in fairly bad condition for $100-$150. A nice complete one should bring at least twice that.

[horrorhunter]

Cool that you remember which set it was at that age ... I have to refer to old pics if they exist to figure out which Exact toy I had (especially one with so many variations)

Yeah, I'm pretty well obsessed with this stuff so it's firmly held in the memory. There is so much monster/dino crap in my head I don't think I have any room left for anything most people would consider important. 

I hope you guys enjoy the set postings. I'm really starting to get interested in posting all this stuff. Makes it seem fresh again after all these years. 

[horrorhunter]

This is one of my mountain sets, Giant Prehistoric Mountain #4304 (Marx, 1977). It's the last Marx Prehistoric Mountain Playset, and also by far the most scarce. Most distinctive about this set is that the mountain pieces were molded in gray plastic, the prehistoric mountains for the other two types of prehistoric mountain sets were molded in yellow (One Million B.C., 1974, and Prehistoric Mountain 1975). The box is also quite different showing photos and illustrations.

BOX:












CONTENTS:

5 piece Mountains/River Base Terrain including Land Bridge and Walking Bridge

5 Nuts/5 Bolts for assembling Mountain Terrain

1 Plastic Playmat

1 Revised Mold Group (PL-977) (8 dinos, 1/2 in brown, 1/2 in mint green)

1 Second Series Mold Group (PL-1083) (8 dinos/prehistoric mammals, 1/2 in lt. gray, 1/2 in mint green)

1 Medium Mold Group (PL-750) (6 dinos in mint green)

1 Small Mold Group (PL-755-7) (7 dinos in lt. gray) (note: one source reports no Small Mold Group being contained in this set but the 1975 Mountain Set had them and the photo on the front of the box for this one shows them so unless I see better evidence I will assume they were included in this set)

29 Dinos/Prehistoric Mammals Total (in shiny, waxy-looking, "Heritage" type plastic)

3 Sets of 6 Cavemen (18 Total) in brown (note: one source reports only 12 cavemen were included but the 1975 Mountain Set had 18 so without further evidence to the contrary I'm going with 18) (in "Heritage" plastic)

2 Palm Trees and 2 Ferns (1/2 the full sets of 4 each)

Paperwork? (The outside of the box does not list a booklet or instruction sheet but it's safe to assume there was probably an instruction sheet similar to the one in the Prehistoric Mountain (1975) Set. Also, this set might have included a color booklet similar to the one from the 1975 set. I think Marx Toys had changed hands from Quaker Oats to a British company called Dunbee-Combex by this time so the information on the booklet would not have mentioned Quaker, and would have probably given the Glen Dale W.Va. address for Marx.

Prehistoric Mountain (1975) Color Booklet:


Back:


I bought this set off eBay around 2004 and it came with the original box, 5 piece mountain terrain, playmat, dinosaurs, cavemen, and palm trees and ferns, but no paperwork. I had to replace a few missing dinos and cavemen but it was remarkably complete. The box top still has the original price sticker for $14.88 from some store called "Child World". The box may look rough but considering it's rarity and size there aren't many survivors which aren't totally trashed.

I did research before posting this and there is almost no information on this set anywhere. I've been religiously checking eBay listings for dinosaur playsets since 2002 and I've only seen a couple of listings for this set and one had no box. The only one I ever saw on eBay with the box is this one which I bought. Contrast that with a yellow Prehistoric Mountain terrain piece showing up on eBay once or twice a month, and one with the box (either Prehistoric Mountain or One Million B.C.) showing up every few weeks. This is one of the rarest Marx Prehistoric playsets in existence as far as I know.

[horrorhunter]

I stumbled upon yet another toy dinosaur site while cybersurfing. Here's the link: http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php

[horrorhunter]

Here's a better pic of the Giant Prehistoric Mountain I posted above.




Just got a new camera and thought I would post a clear pic people could actually see while the set was still set up.

[bigbud]

Love the wood bridge the cave men are crossing! That is special cool!

[Mike Scott]

Love the wood bridge the cave men are crossing!

Pretty advanced engineering for cavemen! 

[horrorhunter]

Prehistoric Dinosaur Playset #4208 (Marx, 1978) is next up. This is the updated and downscaled version of the 3398 from 1971. This is the original set I bought at Big K back in 1978. Some people thought I was too old to buy this stuff when I was 19 but I usually don't listen to "some people" and bought it anyway. You see these on eBay sometimes in various states of completion and disrepair, but I never see one complete and like new as this one is. The original price sticker is still on the box. It reads "$8.97" and "Big K".









Instruction Sheet (This is the top half of the front):


CONTENTS:

1 3pc Rock Formation Terrain (Cave, Rock Arch, Pond) in Gray Hard Plastic

1 Revised Mold Group (PL-977) (8 Dinos in Canary Yellow)

1 Medium Mold Group (PL-750) (6 Dinos in Blue)

1 Second Series Mold Group (PL-1083) (8 Dinos/Prehistoric Mammals in Brown)

22 Total Dinos/Prehistoric Mammals in Shiny "Heritage" Plastic

2 Sets of 6 Cavemen (12 Total) in Brown "Heritage" Plastic

3 Palm Trees & 2 Ferns

4 Clips for Terrain in Gray Hard Plastic

Large Instruction Sheet (P-0046)


Marx had stopped including a booklet by this time and instead included the large instruction sheet which also gave information about each type of prehistoric animal in the set. Also missing is the Small Mold Group (PL-755-7) of dinos. Some info I've read asserts that the Small Mold Group mold was sent with the Flintstones set with the changing of ownership, but the dinos from the Small Mold Group are pictured on the Giant Prehistoric Mountain box from the previous year (1977) and I believe Marx was owned by Dunbee-Combex when both sets were released, and right up to the end of Marx proper in 1979. If anyone has any good info on any of this please post it.

My set above came with extra pieces over what it states on the box front. It has 22 dinos/prehistoric mammals instead of 20, 12 cavemen instead of 11, and 3 trees instead of 2. I believe the set was supposed to contain the 22 dinos and 12 cavemen because of the mold grouping totals but I think the extra tree was just put in there by mistake because with the Mountain Sets from slightly before Marx had already cut down to 2 trees and 2 ferns per set.

[Hepcat]

Here's a better pic of the Giant Prehistoric Mountain I posted above.



Just got a new camera and thought I would post a clear pic people could actually see while the set was still set up.

Man, that is great. Your new camera is already paying off for all of us!

[Hepcat]

Prehistoric Dinosaur Playset #4208 (Marx, 1978) is next up. This is the updated and downscaled version of the 3398 from 1971. This is the original set I bought at Big K back in 1978. Some people thought I was too old to buy this stuff when I was 19 but I usually don't listen to "some people" and bought it anyway. You see these on eBay sometimes in various states of completion and disrepair, but I never see one complete and like new as this one is.

And despite what the philistines were saying in 1978, I'll bet you're ever so glad you made the purchase in 1978. And you know what? So are the rest of us here on UMA today!

My set above came with extra pieces over what it states on the box front. It has 22 dinos/prehistoric mammals instead of 20, 12 cavemen instead of 11, and 3 trees instead of 2. I believe the set was supposed to contain the 22 dinos and 12 cavemen because of the mold grouping totals but I think the extra tree was just put in there by mistake because with the Mountain Sets from slightly before Marx had already cut down to 2 trees and 2 ferns per set.

Bonus! That's got to make you doubly glad now you purchased the set at the time!

[Hepcat]

I realize there aren't many people on UMA who are into playsets....

I think your shots have gained a whole legion of new converts for those Marx playsets here on UMA! I certainly wish I had several display cases packed with them.

[horrorhunter]

I think your shots have gained a whole legion of new converts for those Marx playsets here on UMA! I certainly wish I had several display cases packed with them.

Thanks, Hep. I hope others enjoy these playsets as much as I do.

Toy dinosaurs, especially by Marx and MPC, have a special place in the hearts of many a Monsterkid. 

[bigbud]

I want in on the Dino fun too! Have these loose and am on the lookout for a Marx Prehistoric Playset box....they show up quite often on the Bay....







This is a pic of the Smiley/Waving Dino....one of my favorites!