MARX DOGS, FARM, CIRCUS WILD ANIMALS, BIRDS, FISH AND OTHER CIVILIAN TOY FIGURES AND ITEMS ID GUIDE
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PETS
One of the earliest (circa 1950) molds Marx made (PL-80) had cat and dog figures for doll houses. The mold had 12 cavities making 3 sets. The four animals in the top row made up one set. We have seen these in rubber like vinyl and hard plastic. They are not easy to find.
TOP ROW MARX ANIMALS
SECOND ROW THOMAS MFG ANIMALS
These animals were made by Thomas Toys. Interesting note the walking dachshund comes in two varieties, with and without a collar. Tim-Mee made a copy of the Thomas cat for their farm sets
PET SHOP DOGS
These were made about 1952 and can be found in rubber like vinyl and polyethylene soft plastic. They were included with Pet Shop playsets, Pet Shop trucks and red polka dot boxes and individually in counter displays. We believe that one dog chosen at random was included in each of the early farm playsets.
rubber = rubber like Vinyl, SP = Polyethylene soft plastic.
Pet Shop Hard Plastic Animals
Above shown 100% (most pictures 60%).
The Pet Shop playset also came with a set of hard plastic animals including; puppies, bunnies and birds. We have seen them in red and dark tan hard plastic.
CHAMPION DOGS
About 1954 Marx made another mold of 10 dogs, PL-593. These dogs were in the smaller 54mm scale Marx was changing to and called "Champion Dogs". One way they were sold was on a blister card (see above) that contained all 10 dogs. We have seen them in; white, gray, tan and browns.
Reissue MARX Champion dogs.
BLUE RIBBON DOGS
Display stand photo courtesy of Darryl McKinney.
About 1967 Marx made another dog mold, PL-1396. It had 14 cavities with new poses (bottom two rows of dogs in the above picture). This mold and the Champion dog mold PL-593 with 10 different dogs (top two rows in the above picture) were sent to Hong Kong where they were run in hard plastic and painted. They could be purchased in individual, boxes or in sets that might contain all 24 of the newly named "Blue Ribbon Dogs" (as seen above). They were also given a more glossy coat of paint and sold as "ceramic" like dogs to compete with the small ceramic sets of animals that were popular in the 1960s.
Hard Plastic milking cow, tail can pump up and down and udder unscrews. May have had a rubber bladder to hold "milk".
Marx made a nice set of 30-35mm farm animals, the ones seen in brown above, including the farmer and wife. The cream color animals ware misidentified as Marx and are actually made by Littletown (eventually bought by Bachmann Brothers for their plasticville line. Thanks to Rick Koch for the Littletown identification.
Rubber = rubber like vinyl, SP = polyethylene soft plastic.
Marxville barn with all 8 yellow HO accessories + 11 pieces of coop fence.
Marxville farm accessories, yellow HP
Reissue Marx miniature farm accessories. Mold makes two sets of eight pieces and and was made in green and red. They were used with the 30/35mm figures in the Marxville line that competed with the Bachman Brothers Plasticville series.
In the mid 1960s Marx produced a wide variety of miniature playsets at their factory in Hong Kong. The hard plastic painted figures are called "HO" by collectors but they are a bit bigger than 1/72 scale. Picture courtesy Christopher Wallentine.
Seated farmer, cream, 3-4 inch size -
Seated farmer 3-4 inch size -
LASSIE PLAYSET CHARACTER FIGURES
Set of 3 Reissue Lassie Character Figures, Gramps, Jeff and Lassie. orifinals were made in cream, Reissues have been made in gray & tan soft plastic and white hard plastic suitable for painting.
60mm Farm Figures
60mm Farm Figures made in the 1950s are usually found in a rubber like vinyl. The mold was revised and bases were added to the standing adults. These revised figures are found in polyethylene soft plastic.
FIRST SERIES "60mm" FARM ANIMALS
The first series animals are a confusing lot as they came from five molds! We thank Glenn Ridenour for helping us sort out the mold contents. Probably made in about 1950/51 they are as follow; The riding horse, standing and lying cows were in mold PL-162 (along with the "draft" horse, mule and mule pack). The adult pig, calf and colt were in mold PL-163. The trough, sheep, lamb, goat, and two piglets were in mold PL-164. The fowl; 1 Rooster, 1 sitting chicken, 3 chicks, 1 adult duck and 3 ducklings were in mold PL-165. Finally one of the Pet shop dogs was put in the group, we think at random. Obviously among the first molds Marx made this was a cumbersome system and lead to the arrival of the new new second series animal mold after a few years. With the exception of the special "pig mold" animals these figures were probably only made in a rubber like vinyl in the USA. Canadian playsets have these animals in soft plastic.
Pig Mold
Marx took the three adult pig cavities from PL-163 and added them to most of the PL-164 mold cavities to make a special "pig" mold, PL-164-A. Although records list this mold as having 10 cavities it actually has either 12 or 17. The 17 cavity version as seen above in a factory marked bag obtained from a former employee has; 2 troughs; 3 adult pigs, 6 piglets, 2 goats, 2 sheep and 2 lambs. The Sears Catalog shows some form of the pig mold contents included with the giant Farm set in 1956, and with an electric ALLSTATE train set from 1956-1958. Although first series poses, they were made of soft plastic polyethylene in in both cream and chocolate brown colors during this time period. A former Marx Girard (where Marx Train sets were made) employee ended up with a small horde of these bagged animals. He had both 6 piece and 12 piece sets. While awaiting the revised pig mold animals set of 12 pieces evidently two sets of PL-164 were included with some train sets. Each PL-164 set has 6 pieces; trough, goat, sheep, lamb & 2 piglets. The revised pig mold (no known PL number) had 12 pieces and each set was placed in an unmarked brown bag. This 12 piece set had; 1 trough, 3 adult pigs (from PL-163), 6 piglets & 2 lambs.
Old Girard Factory Stock bagged sets
PL-164A, 17 pieces + marked bag as seen above.
PL-164, 6 pieces + marked bag -
12 Piece pig mold set + unmarked bag -
SECOND SERIES "54mm" FARM ANIMALS
Playset store demo board animals. These were glued to rubber bases and then stapled to a large painted board with all of the contents of a playset. I remember these boards hanging at the local Sears store in the 1950s.
Fowls
The Marx second series Farm fowl mold has nine figures in 5 poses as seen above. The mold was revised and the first series rooster and sitting chicken were replaced with the newer more detailed rooster and pecking chicken. Marx records lists this new mold as PL-165-1. Playsets would have varying numbers of this group depending upon size. This revised mold was used for playsets with both second and third series animals.
This Mold (PL-523) has 14 cavities in 11 poses as seen above. This mold was probably made to replace the confusing group of first series molds. The 3 "baby" animal poses were also included in the "baby" animal mold (PL-878). Large farm playsets might have as many as three sets of this mold.
As seen in the photo above, PL-523 could be split into two sub molds like many accessory groups, run in two colors, and put in playsets to provide more color variety. The PL-523A subgroup was also used in some Western Wagon Train set, perhaps because the five piece mooing cow group (PL-688) was not ready or available.
- Red Polka Dot Box "FARM ANIMALS & FOWL 23 pieces". Has one set of 2nd series larger farm animals as seen above and one set of 9 fowl in white as seen below.
SEE BELOW FOR BABY ANIMALS
Series 2.5
Slightly smaller copies of the two second series cows and calf (X2) were made along with a new "mooing" cow. This mooer has it's tail hanging straight down while the 3rd series mooer's tail is curled around its rear end. This mold PL-688 had 10 cavities making two sets. The five cow sets were mainly used for Marx's Livestock hauler set (along with a 14 piece second series farm animal set PL-523), but were also included in the larger Wagon Train playsets. Mooing cow photo courtesy of Rich Delbert.
THIRD SERIES "54mm" FARM ANIMALS
Larger Animals
The mold (PL-978) for the third series of larger farm animals (2nd series of 54mm figures) has 12 cavities in 11 poses. Although listed as "54mm" some are larger than the first series "60mm" animals. The frisky calf is duplicated while there is one each of the other figures. Playsets would generally have one set of these animals.
Baby Animals
The second mold with "baby" animals (PL-878) has 15 figures in all six "baby" poses as seen above. Playsets would then have multiples of this group depending upon size. There are subtle differences between the the three poses that are found in both this mold and the second series animal mold. We will list all "baby" animals for sale here.
Prize Livestock
The other group of 3rd series farm animals, the Prize Livestock were generally only found in the largest farm playsets. Plus they were sold in the red polka dot boxes. The mold (PL-1001) had 10 cavities and made ten different animals. They were made in cream, browns, and tan, but gray versions from the old dump have also surfaced. It is thought that after being buried for 50 years the color may gave changed from the original to gray (or the gray figures could have been test shots).
NONE - Comical pig made at Marx Hong Kong factory.
RECAST/REISSUE FARM ANIMALS IN PRIMARY COLORS
Fence Birds -
Tin/steel Litho Farm Pieces
Lazy Day sets were sold by Wards, while Happi Time Farm sets were sold by Sears. I learned this in PLAYSET MAGAZINE. Do you subscribe? You should.
- NONE Tin conveyor.
Another mold Marx made had an animal stall and loading platform. The stall would clip into the floor of the tin barn included in the playset. We have seen these pieces in shades of gray and brown in a hard plastic. The above picture shows top and side views. Later Marx made a flat plastic cow feeder with metal wire loops.
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Milk Platform
Tom Loback (tomtin on ebay) was nice enough to allow us to use some of his ebay auction photos to show how some of the odd accessories were assembled with the barns as follow;
Small Add On Sets
The 1963 Sears Christmas catalog shows four small add on farm sets. They were; 1. 54mm farmers and 3rd series farm implements, 2. 54mm farmers, crop sprayer biplane & tin hanger, 3. Prize livestock + two "rodeo" chutes and 4. Farm truck accessories as seen below.
Set 0977 Farm Truck Accessory Set
This was Sear catalog number 49 U 6023 as seen on page 201 of the Sears 1963 catalog. For 1.79 you got a HP white milk truck with plastic wheels & separate 2 piece stand and rubber hose, two SP green pickup trucks with metal wheels, two blue HP jeeps with metal wheels, brown HP platform, six silver HP milk cans in an unmarked check bag and Instruction sheet P-1547.
Farm Crops
These "Crop rows" were sold in a separate "garden set" and not in the original farm playsets. about 1953. Eventually larger farm playsets had these included. The base is hard plastic while the "crops" are soft plastic. Each crop row could hold six plants.
Crop irrigation pipe pieces as see above.
BARN ACCESSORIES
Marx developed a nice 15 pc barn accessory group (PL-177). This set was used for years in most farm playsets. Usually found in yellow HP, the set can also be found in a fleshtan color in softer plastic.
PLATFORM BARN ACCESSORIES
The 13 piece set of platform barn farm accessories first appeared with the large platform barn farm playsets and thus its name. These pieces were part of an 18 cavity mold PL-1002 (18 cavities making 1 set) that also included the; hay wagon, wagon horse hitch, tractor tow hitch & two wheels for the dump hay rake. This lead to some confusion in sets that included the 3rd series farm implements but not this accessory grouping.
Reissue Marx Platform barn accessories. Differs from original mold configuration in that the two wheels for the hay rake are no longer in the mold but there are 3 new items; rooster & running horse weather vanes and a 2nd tow bar. Made in tan, wheels for hay wagon added are are not Marx.
2021 Finds a new reconfiguration of the mold using only 9 pieces making 7 assemblies. Made in tan. Each bagged set has three of each piece.
19.80 BMC 67069 Fall harvest crops 3 of each per bag.
Farm Sprue Accessories
In the late 1960s Marx made a set of 37 small silver "sprue" farm accessories. These were only used in the largest farm playsets and are not easy to come by in today's collector market. Unlike other accessory sprues in which items repeated, all 37 pieces on the farm sprue are different items.
Top Row
1. Scale, 2. Hedge Trimmer, 3. Shovel, 4. Spade, 5. Hoe, 6. Rake, 7. Axe, 8. Post Hole Digger, 9. Pitchfork, 10. Chainsaw, 11. Gas Can, 12. Weed Sprayer, 13. Air Compressor, 14. Log Mover, 15. Incubator, 16. Trough, 17. Milk Can, 18. Bug Sprayer,
Bottom Row
19. Hack Saw, 20. Hand Saw, 21. Wood Saw, 22. Tinker's Hammer, 23. Ball Peen Hammer, 24. File, 25. Open End Wrench, 26. Adjustable Wrench, 27. Monkey Wrench, 28. Hedge Clippers, 29. Hatchet, 30. Square, 31. Jack, 32. Bird Feeder, 33. Box, 34. Tacked Block (Jack Stand), 35. Pail, 36. Electric Milking Machine, 37. Funnel.
Marx made small hard plastic ears of corn for their large platform barns circa 1960.
Farm Implements
Marx made three different sets of plastic farm implements plus one set made out of tin (not pictured). The SEARS catalog usually had as many as three different farm playsets and each could have a different grouping of implements. Thanks to PLAYSET MAGAZINE ISSUE #18 we have finally been able to sort them out and give them their proper names. Being big city kids we could name the tractor, plow and wagons but that was about it. We have back issues of PLAYSET MAGAZINE for sale in our books section. If you are reading this you should subscribe today.
The first version farm implements were made in hard plastic from 1951-57 and soft plastic from 1958 to about 1965.
PLAYSET MAGAZINE calls the second series of farm implements the "deluxe specialty" set as these were only found in certain larger deluxe playsets that also had the series one implements. They were made from about 1952-58 and then discontinued.
NONE - RECAST set of all six 2nd series farm implements in orange HP. Original wheel mold was not available and the wheels used for the; dump rake, hay mower and gravity wagon do not rotate (look ok).
The new more properly sized tractor to pull the series 3 farm implements arrived in 1959. Made in soft plastic it is usually found in red but other colors can be found.
The third series of farm implements also came out in 1959. Like the tractor they are bigger and more correct in their size in proportion the the figures in the set. We think these were only made of soft plastic. This mold also included two seated farmers to work the hay mower and hay rake.
To save money Marx made a 4th implement mold in the 1960s using pieces based upon series 1 & 2 farm implements + the barn accessories. The "feed sack" is much smaller than the original found in the barn accessory mold. There were only 8 pieces in this mold and two of the implements now have wheels molded on to the body. We have seen these put in playsets all in red or yellow or a mix of those two colors. This mold still exists and RECASTS have been made.
- Reissue 4th series farm implements, black.
Bin toy, HP, elephant. Marked SUPER CIRCUS on top. Hollow and ears, trunk and tail are connected and wiggle. About 4 inches long.
Super Circus sets were sold by Sears and had the 5 character figures. Big Top sets were sold by Wards with no character figures plus differences in the tin litho.
Sideshow "Tin Litho" stand with Miss Teeny, Monkeys & Moko pictured.
Sideshow "Tin Litho" stand with Midgets, Bo-Bo & sword swallower pictured.
Later soft plastic odd colors.
Hard plastic factory painted versions of the characters also exist and were incude in a Disny on Parade circus playset made in 1972 with Disney painted hard plastic figures.
In addition to the five super circus character figures there were 38 other 45mm figures made on 35 "bases". Early figures are made of rubber like vinyl while later figures were made of polyethylene soft plastic (SP). The first 18 figures were in Marx mold PL-367, while the last 17 shown were in mold PL-368 Circus Accessories
Marx mold, PL-405 contained 11 cavities and produced the set of circus accessories seen above. We have only had them in red hard plastic. The set includes; 2 flag poles, 2 "show rings", 2 ladders with platforms (to be connected with a metal rod), 2 ladders that attach to the 1 yellow ladder, 2 square bases & 1 water tub or round base.
Marx mold, PL-406 contained 15 cavities and produced the set of circus accessories seen above. We have only had them in yellow hard plastic. The set includes; 1 two piece popcorn cart, 1 two piece ticket booth (to be attached with a small metal rod), 1 stage with steps, 1 performing pole ladder, 1 ring on pedestal, 1 ladder (to go with red ladders), 1 barrel, 1 tapered barrel, 2 round bases, 1 taller square base & 2 shorter square bases. There seem to be two shades of yellow.
Reissue 3 ring circus, factory painted. You get all the pieces in the picture including two wire "ropes" painted white & 2 balls for your animals they added. Base color was gray and everything is painted. Looks very nice.
Circus Animals
Marx made two circus animal molds, PL-408 Circus animals "Thins". It had 16 cavities with duplicates of; the walking elephant, lion and horse. One of the cavities made a "Howdah" that fits on the back of the walking elephant. A second 14 cavity mold PL-408A was also made in which the two circus horses were eliminated. These two circus horses were then for some reason added to the wild animal mold (PL-344) for a short while and so the horses will match the color of those animals in the Zoo playset and most circus playsets.
CIRCUS/JUNGLE WILD ANIMALS
The Circus monkeys can also be found in ; petshop, Zoo and Jungle playsets as well as header card bags. The mold PL-361 had 18 cavities and made three sets at a time. Early monkeys were made in a rubber like vinyl.
Blister card of 15 miniature "HO" scale painted HP monkeys.
About 1950/51 Marx made four molds (PL-166,67,68 & 169) that produced 15 different "60mm" wild/jungle animals. They were made in rubber like vinyl as well as various odd and hard plastics. The larger animals are difficult to find. Larger animal picture courtesy of Rick Koch.
The first group of 54mm "jungle animals" was made for the circus playsets about 1951/2. Those found in the circus playsets will be made of rubber like vinyl, but by the time of the first jungle playsets in 1956/7 Marx had switched to polyethylene soft plastic. The 1956 header card bagged set and early boxed jungle playsets will have this group. Often the mold would be run in two colors and the animals separated into two sub groups for placement in the retail packaging. It is possible that on paper two different groups were made than those shown above but the ones above are the commonly seen groups. The MPC tiger is almost identical to the Marx version also creating difficulties. Evidently the large mold could accommodate two extra cavities and two circus horses were placed in the mold for awhile Please note we did not have color matched A&B groups for photography in any of the three mold variations seen above and below.
Realizing that four of the animals were not from the jungle, Marx pulled those (buffalo, 2 polar bears & camel) from the mold and replaced them with four new poses; running elephant, gorilla, lion cub lying down and adult male lion in 1957. This may have been a phase in operation and some sets may not have gotten all four new poses. As with the first mold this one also was broken into two sub groups for retail sale at times. The most commonly seen sub groupings are shown above.
The 1957 header card bagged set also included the above six smaller 60mm jungle animals that had been made about 1951 with limited distribution. Early 1951 versions were made in rubber like vinyl as well as odd hard plastic but the jungle set versions were made in later polyethylene soft plastic usually seen in tan. Sitting Monkey curtesy of Mike Handley.
In 1967 for the Daktari playsets the mold was altered for a final time with the removal of the adult lion and gorilla who were replaced by the two Daktari animal characters; Judy the Chimpanzee and Clarance the Cross-eyed Lion. Some sets get all ten animals in a light waxy flesh. While other sets had the animals broken into two sub groups in two different colors as seen above.
Clarence is similar to the wild animal lion except his his head is straight forward while the wild animal lion is looking slightly to his left, and the paw of Clarence's right front foot points forward while the wild animal lion's right front paw points rearward.
The unpainted animals were then replaced by seven factory painted animals from the Marx Taiwan factory that had just started up in 1967.
OTHER WILD ANIMALS
NORTH AMERICAN WILD ANIMALS
Picture courtesy David Schafer.
Stag in picture supplied by Mike Handley. The larger North American wild animal mold had five cavities and made one each of the above five animals. A second mold with two cavities was also made that produced two stags that were then used in the Robin Hood playsets. The above five figures were sold in red polka dot boxes with the smaller North American wild animals and birds as well as on blister cards and in headercard bags. The RECAST/REISSUE animals from the original molds are made in a stiffer plastic and should paint up quite nicely.
The smaller North American wild anmimals were made in mold PL-771 that contained 18 cavities and two other molds (PL-771A & PL-771B) each of which had nine cavities. The set includes 18 animals in 11 poses. There are one each of the; raccoon, muskrat, mink and weasel, and two each of the other seven poses.
- Red Polka dot box WILD LIFE ANIMALS AND BIRDS 31 PIECE SET.
BIRDS
Blister card picture courtesy David Schafer.
These came in red polka dot boxes in blue soft plastic together with some of the North American wild animals. They were also made in hard plastic and put on a blister card. The birds on the card would be in a mix of blue, red, tan & white colors.
1992 reissue header card set by the Demert Co of San Leandro CA, Looks like all eight birds are there in bright colored soft plastic.
LARGE WILD ANIMALS
About 1957 Marx made another series of large 90-100mm wild animals. They were made in hard plastic, came in two halfs and were glue together. They were sold by Wards in sets and could also be purchased as part of a Jungle target shooting game.
FINAL SERIES WILD ANIMALS
Pictures and information courtesy James Hayes.
Marx made two later series of wild animals. The first series made about 1962/63 in Hong Kong consisted of 23 different some what crude painted vinyl animals maybe 30mm scale and a cage. Each comes in its own box marked ANIMAL KINGDOM which are numbered on one of the small inside end flaps 1-23. The numbers on the outside of the box, 6505 - may be on first series boxes, 6506 - may be on second series boxes) and may have to do with production runs but we are unsure. The second series was made in 1967 (at least some animals were made this year and included in the Daktari playset) and the rest by 1969 as the date is added to the small boxes which are mostly the same as the first series. Second series production was in both Hong Kong and Taiwan. Slightly better sculpting than the first series and also vinyl and factory painted. The cage was eliminated and a 24th animal, a hippopotamus added. Each animal comes in its own little box marked ANIMAL KINGDOM and/or WILD ANIMALS and like the first series boxes numbered 1-24 on an inside small end flap. Both series have facts about the animals on the back of the boxes. Second series animals may be marked TAIWAN or Hong Kong but like the first series animals do not have the Marx logo. Please note crude copies have been made and owners of boxes haves stuffed other nonMarx animals into the boxes to sell on ebay.
Marx wild animal cage wagon sold to go with the above animals. Photo courtesy Renata Willings Stetina.
5.00 EACH Boxed Wild Animals
Sea Life
blister card, NONE. Picture courtesy David Schafer.
Marx also made a nice 54mm SCUBA diver (mold PL-1081) with small detachable accessories sold on a blister card with the fish.
Marx made an eight cavity mold (PL-795) with eight different fish and for some reason a second mold with nine cavities (PL-795A) adding what the Marx PL list says is a barracuda. We think they blocked off the RAINBOW TROUT cavity in the second mold. It is the hardest fish to find We have had them in; cream, silver, gray and metallic blue.
At least two sources made copies of the Marx Sea Life. One in Hong Kong closely copied the fish with the bases hollow just like Marx. The other concern also made very nice copies but with solid bases.
Copies of seven of the fish were made in translucent red & blue and used as Nabisco cereal premiums.