DIY

In ancient times (like when I was a kid), it was not uncommon to craft armies by melting lead ingots on a stove and pouring them into prepared molds. The quality of the molds varied and the quality of the figures produced might vary even more dependent on the temperature and condition of the mold and the temperature and quality of the metal. Did it do us any harm? Probably but that is life. The figures above show only the barest limits of what used to be available. Molds can still be found particularly for the figures shown above. The figures above were painted when I was about 7, 15, and 21. I will not bother to point out which is which though it does appear to me the painting gets neater as I age.

A problem with the figures is that they are very heavy. An army of these would be quite a burden. Additionally, for little kids, even something as mundane as lead can be quite an expense. Figures like the ones above were often cast as semi-round. This reduced the amount of metal needed, reduced the weight, and also facilitated the simple two piece molds being offered without the fragility of flat figures. Eventually, the problem of weight in lead soldiers was licked when W. Britains introduced hollow core cast figures.

W. Britains

Britains is to toy soldiers what Kleenex is to facial tissue. The brightly painted metal figures became synonymous with our image of the tin soldier. Cheaply made through the use of hollow core casting, the figures revolutionized toy soldiers in the 19th century. They are now the province of collectors with unusual figures going for hefty prices and major auction houses selling them. One of the most famous collectors was Malcolm Forbes who created a museum in Morocco to display his collection.

When I was a child, Britains figures were still easy enough to find and had not yet been counted as a valued antique so we would occasionally pick up a piece in a toy store or stumble upon some at the local Salvation Army store. Nowadays, they are easily found at auction. Their durability and appeal guarantees that they will last longer than their owners. I am not a collector of antiques so the number of Britains figures I own is very small but I do still like to buy them.

Louis Marx

Growing up in the 60s, nothing held such appeal as the Sears Christmas catalog. It was like finding a giant toy store in a book. One of the annual highlights was the playsets produced by Louis Marx and Company. A playset provided in an enormous box everything necessary for a child to enter a particular play world. Playsets were as diverse as the Ben Hur playset complete with chariots, the International Geophysical Year Arctic Explorer playset with explorers, eskimos, penguins, and more, the Operation Moon Base playset and the Jetport playset. But their most popular and enduring seemed to be the line of Wild West, American Civil War, and WWII playsets. At the heart of any of these playsets were bags of beautifully sculpted figures in a variety of poses.

Currently, there is a collector’s market for the figures but many of the original molds are still in use, producing recasts or reissues (the terms seem interchangeable.) In fact, some companies have attempted to duplicate the contents of the playsets with varying success. The one thing they cannot duplicate is the price. A good sized playset purchased during the 60s cost about $5. For many, the Marx playset provided them their first experience with toy soldiers.

Marx went beyond playsets though and produced toy soldiers in small boxes such as the Warriors of the World and Disneykins. It was also possible to purchase plastic bags of Marx figures. Most spectacularly, Marx produced a range of 6″ tall figures often duplicating the smaller figures. These included Western figures, WWII soldiers, cavemen, Marvel superheroes, and Disney characters among others.

Which is to say that if we wish to look at the toy soldier in the US, we should take a look at some figures by Marx. So here are few both original and recast. I do not have everything or even a lot but even a small number are worth looking at.

WWII

To say that WWII left its mark is a huge understatement. When I was a kid virtually every adult I knew had some vivid memory of the war. My mother remembered the crash of a B-25 bomber into the Empire State Building, my father remembered shooting down Japanese balloons over Oregon, one uncle served aboard the US Arizona, another fought in Europe. Which is to say that WWII became a reference point for toys because all the adults we knew seemed to want all the kids to know about it and value the experience. So Marx not surprisingly let loose with a host of WWII playsets.

Two Shades of Gray

Marx was not flamboyant in its use of colored plastic. This did not prevent them from changing plastics when they saw fit. Above are two sets of German figures, one likely from the Battleground playset, the other from The Guns of Navarone. It shows the good and bad of Marx, the beautifully sculpted figures in a variety of poses and the limits of those poses. Just how many generals does a person need?

The American GI was well represented with classic range of poses and weaponry. These figures could be found in playsets but were also available in bags sold through Woolworth’s.

Marx in Space

The 1950s saw the growth of science fiction. People were becoming accustomed to technological advances beyond their imagining. Numerous companies began producing space themed toys. Marx presented a range of items under the titles Tom Corbett, Rex Mars, and Captain Space. The figures provided with playsets have a rubbery quality consistent with earlier Marx figures. Cast in a number of colors, the figures are bulkier and less detailed than later work by Marx. The figures do show nice proportion and imaginative characters consistent with a 1930s-40s type SF. The spacemen originally were provided small transparent helmets but these were likely to be quickly lost and today, originals are difficult to find.

Air Force Training Base

An interesting set in that it shows multiple sizes of figures. The one holding the signal light is fairly short with a flat base while a number of other figures have a someone thicker base, giving them greater height. The two figures on the right are not only taller but have an entirely different base suggesting they are part of an entirely different set though they fit in perfectly with the Air Force personnel. A figure holding a missile has gone missing but will be added when I locate him.

Plastic colors varied on figures released by Marx though the silver blue was likely distinctive for the earliest editions of the Air Force personnel. The figures seem representative of the 1950s. One on the right is dressed in a high altitude suit.

Operation Moon Base

One of my favorite sets and likely a favorite of many children at the time was Operation Moon Base. The figures show the usual Marx inclination for poses suggesting movement. The camera man floating above what appears to be an airlock hatch is particularly nice. In the back row is a spaceman sans spacesuit. His suit would be somewhat similar to the bulky one in the front.

One of the charms of the Marx playsets as opposed to the bagged figures was the rich selection of accessories such as buildings, trees, etc. Here are some of the vehicles from a Marx Moon Base set. The scale is smaller than the figure scale but this was common in Marx sets.

Here is a side-by-side comparison of a green MPC astronaut and a Marx silver one. Many people confuse the MPC figures and the Marx ones but looking at them closely it is apparent that the Marx figure has a more detailed base, a thicker body, a wider helmet and considerably more detailing of the spacesuit. Additionally, the MPC figures almost as a rule are carrying something. I am not sure if the green plastic is something that MPC normally used and it is possible that this figure was made from the same mold used by MPC but by a different manufacturer. The most common colors for MPC astronauts are orange, gold, and a medium blue. Later in a burst of patriotism, the colors were changed to dark blue, white and red.

Non-Military Usage

A small group of fairytale figures.

Larger Figures

During the 60s, Marx began producing large scale figures measuring 5-6 inches in height. At first, these were large scale versions of smaller figures released in playsets but eventually, new figures like the Nutty Mads and Campus Cuties were introduced. Below are a sampling of Disney figures. The larger figures seem to suggest decoration rather than play. I have had many kids roam the house playing with everything from yoga mats to musical instruments but none yet who have even touched the Disney figures.

Marx Recasts

To my mind, recasts are a beautiful thing. The only problem is that the recasts sometimes come in the oddest colors presumably to avoid stepping on the feet of Marx collectors. The recasts allow the one activity so necessary for toy soldiers and that is play. Here are some that have crept into the cache over the years:

Untouchables

Gangsters, police, and G-men battle it out. These were part of a colorful playset and feature a range of interesting poses well-suited to the large scale Cthulhu player.

Arctic Explorers

These seem to have appeared in a couple of playsets set in the Arctic including one celebrating the International Geophysical Year, a period of considerable scientific activity and exploration.

Ben Hur

The charioteers are a little out of place without chariots but there are plenty of gladiators, slaves, and Romans on hand.

Ajax Spacemen

Why Ajax? It is obvious they are spacemen but why Ajax Spacemen? I have seen this reference on E-bay over and over again until finally I find no reason to doubt it. There were numerous small companies making plastic soldiers when I was a child. Premium Plastics, MPC, Payton, Auburn, and many others all turned out a range of figures and vehicles. Ajax was one headquartered in NYC. So many people have called these Ajax spacemen that now I just go with it.

There are a couple of differences between these figures and many others. The biggest difference is in the use. These figures were individuals, never meant to be used in some miniature army. This makes them closer in character to dolls. They are designed for individual role play, not storming the sandbox. My recollection of these is that they were sold in bags of six, each one a different color than the others. They were really sold for years and years in many different guises and in many different packages. The colors changed constantly.

So what is the point of posting photos? These represent a very distinct type of toy soldier. Notice the lack of a base to keep the figure steady, necessary when used on a rough or difficult surface. Notice also the metallic colors very common and very particular to figures made in the late 50s and early 60s. These figures had a distinct purpose for children. They were designed for role playing while bagged soldiers like MPC and Marx entries were designed for war games. They were never as far as I know sold in large quantity bags or boxes. Eventually, the molds appear to have made their way to Hong Kong where slightly smaller hand-painted copies were made. There also some larger rubbery versions.

Play is distinctive but the child must always have some idea of who he is supposed to be. Is he the commander moving troops across the field or is he one of those soldiers guided by some unseen authority? It is a distinction made very clear by size, pattern and color. These figures it should be noted came with clear plastic helmets. I have only a few. They are difficult to find and frankly were quick to be lost.

Comic Book Warriors

For anyone old enough to remember, comic  books used to provide an amazing range of classified ads offered collections of postage stamps, pets, toy guns,  x-ray glasses, and more.  One of the most ubiquitous ads was for plastic wargames sets.  Whether inspired by the Marx listings in Sears Christmas catalogs or a creation of their own, the ads would list in exhaustive detail the many different items the set would contain.

The figures offered could be assorted sizes.  As toys, scale was not the most riveting concern.  The photo above shows some of the figures from a castle siege set.  The set came with figures, siege machine, a plastic sheet with a map of the castle to be besieged, and a tiny crown for the winner.  There was also a simple set of rules to govern the siege.

Other sets included Romans, armies of the American Revolution. modern armies, and likely others.  Figures were always plastic though some like the ones above were round figures in soft plastic while others like the modern armies were flats in hard plastic.  Amazingly, sets can still be found for sale.  My guess is that most were produced in Hong Kong, during the 60s, the ultimate source of cheap figures.

 

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