Tan/Beige Marx/Universal MCMVXIII figures?

[Hepcat]

They inspire me to keep looking!

As I'm getting Ebay involved now, I really need to know what I'm talking about.

Other than by "known" colours, long-time collectors use two methods to differentiate original Marx figures from more recent Mexican repops.

1. Despite what I said about Marx being sloppy about standards, Marx did do a good job of keeping the molds clean and trimming excess plastic from the figures. The Mexicans are much sloppier in this regard and Mexican repops frequently sport excess plastic a.k.a. flashing around the edges of the figures.

2. The old Marx plastic had a very characteristic smell. The new figures just don't smell like the old Marx production.

So have fun, but be careful!

[Mord]

 Maybe someone could develop a cologne that duplicates that original Marx smell.

[Mike Scott]

The Mexicans are much sloppier in this regard and Mexican repops frequently sport excess plastic a.k.a. flashing around the edges of the figures.

Especially on the Creature's hands!

[horrorhunter]

I believe the "pumpkin orange" and "popsicle blue" colors are original '60s colors as evidenced by the pics from Bob's and Freddie's collections. Marx changed it's plastic to the semi-translucent version sometime in 1964 as evidenced by series 3 of the Nutty Mads. Prior to that the plastic was matte (flat) colored. Most common are the Marx Monsters in flat teal blue and "popsicle orange", because the blue ones were made in 1963 and the orange ones in 1964 and perhaps later into the '60s. There seems to be some rare "overlap" pieces from late 1963/early 1964 in the form of the "pumpkin orange" and "popsicle blue".

This may have been the first use of the so-called "Heritage" type plastic that Marx used later with various playset pieces. I'm more familiar with the Marx Prehistoric sets and the first set made after 1963 was the #3398 from 1971 which used the Heritage plastic for the dinos and cavemen. The newer plastic was supposed to mold more efficiently and did not contain the lead-based paint in the older plastic mix. Most collectors preferred the older plastic for the variations in color (and the distinctive smell... *huff, huff*  ).

Here's a link to one of frankenstein73's posts in the other thread which pictures an unusual green Marx Phantom which also appears to be legitimately from the '60s. http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=1070.msg424728#msg424728

The Uncle Milton figures are cool '90s reissues and because of the 1963 dates on the base bottoms they are often misrepresented and sold as original '60s pieces. I believe the flat green Marx Monsters to be from the '80s/'90s reissued by the Mexican Plasti-Marx company, even though the base bottoms are the same as the original '60s orange ones. Most Mexican repops just have blank base bottoms.

[zombiehorror]

And I wouldn't be surprised if the seller didn't just call it "orange". I'm not sure I could tell the difference, without having the two of them side by side.

It is pretty noticeable but may depend on the seller photo, here is the original seller photo for my Phantom


And the one for my lime green Frankenstein/teal Phantom; I thought the Frankenstein was yellow until it arrived so a photo isn't always the best way to judge color.

[Wich2]

>I believe the "pumpkin orange" and "popsicle blue" colors are original '60s colors<

HH, I'd go more with the "teal blue" label, but yep - those were the colors of my complete set of originals, picked out of a bin at a Discount Store in Northen Michigan in the '60s. (Of course soon after that, I covered them with now much-chipped Testor's enamel!)

-Craig

[zombiehorror]

This appears to be a pumpkin Creature



http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Vintage-1963-Creature-from-the-Black-Lagoon-Louis-Marx-Co-Plastic-Figures-/261812099354?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cf537991a

[Hepcat]

>I believe the "pumpkin orange" and "popsicle blue" colors are original '60s colors<

HH, I'd go more with the "teal blue" label, but yep - those were the colors of my complete set of originals....

Horrorhunter isn't talking about the common teal blue coloured ones though. He's talking about the popsicle/electric/neon blue ones Freddie Poe owns. Read the previous page of this thread.

[horrorhunter]

Horrorhunter isn't talking about the common teal blue coloured ones though. He's talking about the popsicle/electric/neon blue ones Freddie Poe owns. Read the previous page of this thread.

Thanks, Hep. Yes, I just meant there were two versions of the blue and two versions of the orange. The teal blue flat colored ones and the "popsicle orange" ones are by far the most common. The "popsicle blue" ones and the "pumpkin orange" ones are the rare ones, with "popsicle blue" seeming to be the rarest of the two.

[horrorhunter]

This appears to be a pumpkin Creature



http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Vintage-1963-Creature-from-the-Black-Lagoon-Louis-Marx-Co-Plastic-Figures-/261812099354?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cf537991a

That looks more like one of the common "popsicle orange" ones to me. But, as you stated, it's tough to tell sometimes from pics...especially fuzzy bad pics.

[Monster Bob]

Thanks, Bob! 

Do you ever see the pumpkin ones on ebay?

Yes I have. I have gotten an extra Frankenstein through ebay.

[Hepcat]

The old Marx plastic had a very characteristic smell. The new figures just don't smell like the old Marx production.

Here's a question for you Marx figure collectors. Do the popsicle orange Marx monsters smell the same as the teal ones? If not, is there a noticeable difference in smell between the popsicle orange Marx figures and the more recent Mexican repops?

[Wich2]

Horrorhunter isn't talking about the common teal blue coloured ones though. He's talking about the popsicle/electric/neon blue ones Freddie Poe owns. Read the previous page of this thread.

Just crossed wires, Hep!

Best,
-Craig

[Mike Scott]

Just crossed wires, Hep!

Just don't cross the "streams"!

[Wich2]

Well, Mike, if you're a vampire, anyway!