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Ronnie

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  It’s amazing how that ad and photo has stuck in my mind since 1966 and I remember how badly I wanted that set at the time.  I also realized then that the price $9.89 and $4.99 was so out-of-bounds

It is amazing that a number of us were moved by the same ad and that stayed with us years later. Like you I wanted that set but my parents never seemed to understand that…..When my son was growing up in the 90’s I made sure he had at least one Conte D-Day “play set” and Conte British, German, and American figures with supporting tanks and landing craft (a a few Marx recasts) to ensure he never grew up “deprived” as I was from not having a Marx play set…. ;)

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6 hours ago, Cap Camouflage Pattern I said:

I didn't either, I'm too young for Marx but I came across the photo a couple days ago and googled something like "vintage 1960s toy German helmet" and found this one that sold on eBay so when this thread was bumped back up it was fresh in my mind. 

1527599493_s-l1600(17).jpg.b7ac3b3a5933cde3fea835db814a1498.jpg

653423043_s-l1600(18).jpg.7768592ff4bf44ff05580950b71d9761.jpg


Thanks so much, did they make a uniform ?

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I used to have one of the Marx camo German helmets.  I have a picture of me wearing it that my dad took. Need to find it! I still have one of the non-camo Marx German helmets.

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I'll reply to the hard plastic camo German helmet.  I might be long winded, but it's true.  Time would be in the mid '60s.  I loved German helmets from the movies, but didn't have one yet.  I really wanted one.  So, one day much to my surprise, my oldest brother Mike found me in the back yard playing WWII stuff in the dirt, walked by and plopped one the these same helmets on my head and said nothing.  I never knew of these toy German helmets, and was ecstatic!!  

         So, at some point later, probably a couple  of months, I was playing with my friend, Michael Morrel, with whom I often played WWII.  At some point the helmet got knocked off my head and broke when it hit the sidewalk.  These were hard plastic, not the soft plastic as the  later one.  I actually cried a little.  I was really bummed.  Later I got of real one.  

         Side note to all that.  My friend Michael had one of the Marx M1 Garands,  now I cant remember if this happened on the same day as my German helmet breaking, but as at some point Mike and I came back a little late from playing war.  Mike's mother, an otherwise gentle person, got so pissed that she hit Mike with the toy M1and broke it.  Mike was crying then.  

         Ah, the trials and tribulations we go through when we are younger.  

        I would have bid on the plastic helmet the OP posted as I saw it on Ebay, but it was too  damaged -- looks like it spent too much time under a hot lightbulb.

Steve

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I
4 hours ago, manayunkman said:


Thanks so much, did they make a uniform ?

No clue, the entirety of my knowledge on Marx starts and stops with that pic and that helmet

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I
54 minutes ago, themick said:

At some point the helmet got knocked off my head and broke when it hit the sidewalk.  These were hard plastic, not the soft plastic as the  later one. 

I could be mistaken but it looks to me like in the Vietnam pic the helmet on the right has actually has a large crack running across it

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37 minutes ago, Cap Camouflage Pattern I said:

I could be mistaken but it looks to me like in the Vietnam pic the helmet on the right has actually has a large crack running across it

"Vietnam pic... "??  Not  sure what you are referring to if we are discussing the Marx toy German helmet

 

Steve

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I
On 10/1/2021 at 11:37 AM, Cap Camouflage Pattern I said:

1841302964_LarryBurrowsYankeePapa13.png.6a4f1674f91ffe26dec4eff1752519d2.png

Here's one of Larry Burrows photo's of Yankee Papa 13 that didn't make it into LIFE.

This one, the one on the right looks like it has a big crack across the top

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  • 2 months later...
On 9/4/2021 at 1:56 PM, Randy said:

Don't forget this classic. This is mine from 1970 or so. have the Fort Apache too. I have tons of extra stuff I got from kids that got too old for theirs as well. Kinda violent though, as it includes casualties and such. But pretty detailed for the day as a toy.

 

Randy

IMG_3015.JPG

I had the Ft Apache one, got it for Christmas 1969. The French Foreign Legion Fort too, plus a few of the large scale figures. like General Custer and the Indians one

eNVw85x4cndtExW17bJYJQ.jpg

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What a trip down memory lane! Santa brought me a Johnny Eagle M14 set about 1970? give or take a year or two. My oldest brother got the Big Game Hunter set and my next oldest got the Cowboy set. I remember when I swept my M14 to the side and hit my brother or a neighbor kid and broke the barrel just in front of the "wood". Never the same after that! Mom probably put it in the trash soon after. We were typical boys, a bit hard on things! Don't know what happened to the .45. Might be tempted to buy one if I saw one for sale! I got a "Battleground" set one year also. Funny the ad says "Not for sale in New York", they were even anti-toy gun!

BKW 

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On 12/13/2021 at 10:41 PM, Brian Keith said:

 I got a "Battleground" set one year also. Funny the ad says "Not for sale in New York", they were even anti-toy gun!

BKW 

 

It's because no one in New York served in World War II.  Like my Uncle in New Guinea.... 

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BILL THE PATCH
On 10/2/2021 at 9:08 PM, themick said:

I'll reply to the hard plastic camo German helmet.  I might be long winded, but it's true.  Time would be in the mid '60s.  I loved German helmets from the movies, but didn't have one yet.  I really wanted one.  So, one day much to my surprise, my oldest brother Mike found me in the back yard playing WWII stuff in the dirt, walked by and plopped one the these same helmets on my head and said nothing.  I never knew of these toy German helmets, and was ecstatic!!  

         So, at some point later, probably a couple  of months, I was playing with my friend, Michael Morrel, with whom I often played WWII.  At some point the helmet got knocked off my head and broke when it hit the sidewalk.  These were hard plastic, not the soft plastic as the  later one.  I actually cried a little.  I was really bummed.  Later I got of real one.  

         Side note to all that.  My friend Michael had one of the Marx M1 Garands,  now I cant remember if this happened on the same day as my German helmet breaking, but as at some point Mike and I came back a little late from playing war.  Mike's mother, an otherwise gentle person, got so pissed that she hit Mike with the toy M1and broke it.  Mike was crying then.  

         Ah, the trials and tribulations we go through when we are younger.  

        I would have bid on the plastic helmet the OP posted as I saw it on Ebay, but it was too  damaged -- looks like it spent too much time under a hot lightbulb.

Steve

Omg she hit him with his toy gun, lmao that wouldn't go over well today. Spare the rod spoil the child

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This is one of the few Marx toys I have left. Had several of the firearms, long gone. This is a miniature set, made in Hong Kong. Early 60s. The figures are related to some larger ones I still have and have to find.

Marx Rebby boy mini.jpg

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On 12/17/2021 at 1:45 PM, tredhed2 said:

This is one of the few Marx toys I have left. Had several of the firearms, long gone. This is a miniature set, made in Hong Kong. Early 60s. The figures are related to some larger ones I still have and have to find.

Marx Rebby boy mini.jpg

 

 

Dave, I barely remember these sets.  They appear to be painted versions done in hard plastic.  I think the molds were the same or similar to those used for their soft plastic solders.  In particular the running rifleman, the flag bearer and the bugler.  The officer I think may have been based on a Robert E. Lee figure.  The soft plastic set had strecher bearers, but I don't recall them being all on one piece.  

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I think these are Marx HO scale figures which mirrored the hard plastic painted 54mm figures utilizing identical poses and came usually packaged in play sets. Your correct on the Hong Kong manufacture. 

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  • 6 months later...
RANDALL 1953

I had the Marx Civil War playset that had shooting mortars and a flexible 45 Rpm record that had battle sounds. I think that this was a Sears exclusive set.

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  • 1 month later...
Salvage Sailor

M-1, a box that's been in my warehouse for decades

1369879983_MarxToysM1001.jpg.22e5a9e8ec22b7c2b9006c9cf0ac550f.jpg

 

Let's take a peek inside of this time capsule

871776438_MarxToysM1002.jpg.ca0d42f401fb9be18565effdc219fed1.jpg

 

Part of my army, lying dormant since the 1960's

1206156915_MarxToysM1003.jpg.04af69eed9398121cfbd10b49f4c81bb.jpg

 

Americans ETO

2091379495_MarxToysM1004.jpg.ef17d8fa618392c8f63883d1befb2361.jpg

 

USMC PTO

1625591753_MarxToysM1005.jpg.7d97aac026dc26dc5faef5f54cad0aea.jpg

 

Soviets, Wehrmacht

1611505796_MarxToysM1006.jpg.d14d37e53b2e8325f9fefdf9e765d34b.jpg

 

Fortifications, Japanese

1597750638_MarxToysM1007.jpg.75916cf376d3ed7378d66afe3fea23a9.jpg

 

USA Vietnam era - there's a lot more in the box besides these Marx pieces and I also have a stash of Airfix and other stuff I'll post in detail elsewhere

267074088_MarxToysM1008.jpg.7c505425d84114760327b74bc7c7857c.jpg

 

But this is what I was after for this topic

1041061398_MarxFieldGear001.jpg.06604a0ca11a1a3b1af3d0f31cca93db.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

The remains of my circa 1963 Marx Field Gear which I hardly ever used.  The guns (.45 auto and .45 thompson) are long gone and destroyed playing Army, but these were stashed away.

703199752_MarxFieldGear001.jpg.dab83393d04335b3a5c80fd38912871a.jpg

 

1142500097_MarxFieldGear002.jpg.78931d13273815686bf100a01ed8c997.jpg

 

1214359653_MarxFieldGear003.jpg.0075d1069a24bbceae1bd3f139267e9b.jpg

 

521975495_MarxFieldGear004.jpg.3dfcb8ea577a0cd035858c5d4d5e0982.jpg

 

1984679137_MarxFieldGear005.jpg.38006ecb534c8ae7f46b30f0eeea70a6.jpg

 

That's the Marx camo helmet cover inside the holster.

802381230_MarxFieldGear006.jpg.22c331706af493b9d733ed110f1ea378.jpg

 

1309499163_MarxFieldGear007.jpg.22669f7d811f394177419e94ed0134dc.jpg

 

1017700389_MarxFieldGear012.jpg.818cbaba63e5fd726d3ae72f77626dd1.jpg

 

126565558_MarxFieldGear008.jpg.1c9c6807a18e846d1ec01e2237ce92cb.jpg

 

535448960_MarxFieldGear009.jpg.0fa480e425e2b4056ca5cd02666d6699.jpg

 

1711845223_MarxFieldGear010.jpg.2f92674bed0c86c851117572f3c5cc83.jpg

 

...and inside of the field pack, the more fragile mortars, recoilless rifles, howitzers, and drivers

555176201_MarxFieldGear011.jpg.c78e8930da46165573b8eaad72a52a94.jpg

 

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Salvage Sailor

Marx camo shower cap helmet cover

1983099661_MarxFieldGear013.jpg.757f8f9c61dd8a455cb4b935c3c25531.jpg

 

217278759_MarxFieldGear014.jpg.3658666c213850f877f5a84154ed4f74.jpg

 

It's a shower cap, not a beret, meant to fit over the Marx helmet

IMG_1618.JPG.39f8bf0af6b6d5974d69ee24c88d4112.JPG

 

747261334_MarxFieldGear016.jpg.29cd19f11adea1be8c817e417e0aff8a.jpg

 

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  • 4 months later...
On 10/2/2021 at 11:13 AM, Cap Camouflage Pattern I said:

I didn't either, I'm too young for Marx but I came across the photo a couple days ago and googled something like "vintage 1960s toy German helmet" and found this one that sold on eBay so when this thread was bumped back up it was fresh in my mind. 

1527599493_s-l1600(17).jpg.b7ac3b3a5933cde3fea835db814a1498.jpg

653423043_s-l1600(18).jpg.7768592ff4bf44ff05580950b71d9761.jpg

I had one of these as a kid

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On 12/5/2021 at 9:44 PM, patches said:

I had the Ft Apache one, got it for Christmas 1969. The French Foreign Legion Fort too, plus a few of the large scale figures. like General Custer and the Indians one

eNVw85x4cndtExW17bJYJQ.jpg

I still have one which I use in War Games

 

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