Custer Playset Question

A European collector asked me if this Custer playset came out this way.  As you will notice the set has Marx Union figures and 45mm Dearborn figures. Also interesting is the blue wagon tops.  Let me know your thoughts

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60 Responses to Custer Playset Question

  1. erwin says:

    I see 4 different molds there mix.Centennial not true 54 mm, the ACW 54 mm ,the 45 cavalry and 54 mm Indian. Yet all described as 54 mm!? and 42 soldiers with 45 Indians .Not sure if all poses from all sets ,rare sort out set ,but definitely well described and with price!!?

    I bet any kid will be happy with so many poses. Of course not historical near at all, but definitely a lot fun.

  2. Wayne W says:

    I never had the set but knew a couple kids who did; the only version I ever saw had “reverse” color (light blue) Marx 54mm Confederate soldiers – both the original and Centennial poses fighting the 54mm Indians – I recall a covered wagon and hospital wagon.

    Erwin, you are right as far as historical accuracy goes – even my seven or eight year-old mind recognized that so it didn’t really break my heart I didn’t find one under the tree. Looking back, though, had the set come out with Marx ACW Union the figures MIGHT have served well for Terry’s or Crook’s columns.

    Erwin, I also agree with you on the prices, but when I consider my first wage job in the early 70s only paid me $2 an hour – I realize that was kind of steep back then.

  3. erwin says:

    Thanks Wayne.
    I agree in price and beside I do not know prices and salary back then of course, so thanks for explanation.
    I also is most you guys know ,still learning in Marx ,I know a bit more about MARX early .But not 60s as much I had learn here and from you guys, Kent and other sites/magazines …
    After a simple research I found out that The playset was sold as that
    I got several samples finds but I think this sold- out eBay link here ,once you open and click in pictures will show entire distribution of almost exact playset.
    Interesting combination .
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marx-6014-Custer-039-s-Last-Stand-Playset-MINT-COMPLETE-/361152076337?rmvSB=true&nma=true&si=QJiBJ6VR5man9z3hGFnrIaC1tFU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

  4. Jay Wilson says:

    I had a mint set from the warehouse auction. It did have everything in the ad, however while it had the reverse color confederates, they were not in the powder blue, but rather in a blue closer to the original Marx Mexicans. I’m not sure if that made it rarer or not. Looking at the 2014 ebay auction, that was a good price, even without the box. I think most boxes were the Allstate ones, so it wasn’t like that was a tremendous loss it not being there.

  5. I have had several of these sets over the years. They had 3 different sets of “cavalry”.
    1. ACW 54/56mm Confederates in reverse color blue usually light blue but some sets dark blue. 16 Figures
    2. ACW 52/54mm Centennials in light blue, 15 figures + stretcher.
    3. Fort Dearborn 45mm (actually closer to 50/52mm) Cavalry in light or sometimes dark blue. 10 figures. + 3 horses.
    + 2 wagon drivers with whip. Some sets cream, some sets light blue.
    + 1 cream falling horse & rider.
    four wagons, one with light blue covered wagon top, 1 with light blue square “medical” top with accessories. Wagons flat tan or waxy tan. Only 3 sets of wagon horses.
    3 Sets of Indians 45 figures + 3 totem poles redbrown (copper). + 3 ponies.
    large bow & arrow, sprue Indian accessories in red, 3 pc rock terrain, 2 teepees.
    So 44 Cavalry vs 45 Indians like their Alamo sets not like the actual ratio of combatants at all. Custer’s immediate command that was wiped out had about 210 men and was attacked by 1,000-1,500 Indians so with 44 cavalry you would need 225-340 Indians in the set. It is believed the “cavalry” sets were chosen as they each had wounded men.

  6. erwin says:

    Thank You Kent for data. Apreciate it…
    The eBay link sale I post above has about same described by you there in pictures, there others links as well I found.
    In testing mix set. Wonder if was A Marx planned idea or Sears in the mix distribution of figures.!?
    Here is another sale link of same playset number set that went high on eBay…

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/MARX-Playset-Custer-039-s-Last-Stand-6014-Sears-1963-Almost-Complete-Play-Set-Nice-/201267678629?rmvSB=true&nma=true&si=QJiBJ6VR5man9z3hGFnrIaC1tFU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

    I agree in ratio figures but I think the ratio factor in figures per set was never considered in the MARX playset.
    Most forts sets bring less or about same soldier Indians/attackers foes or wherever want call or in both sides.
    Alamo was not even close in figures ,WW2 were pretty much same in both side armies. Marx FFL had less Arabs than soldiers if I’m not mistaken.
    The number of braves attacking Custer specific force had never been corrected estimated,some lowers number put then below 700 wile others as high as 3000.
    Accounts are base in few Indians participants and calculation ratio base in others soldiers/officers account estimation of two main task forces that were confronted in other areas.
    Definitely way more than Custer’s force of course. Also may had be a pitched split action in which Custer force made several separated stand according to where body location found later spread in three main groups areas least. That made even difficult to find out how many soldiers face how many natives at same moment.
    My thoughts…
    best..

  7. erwin says:

    Interesting mix set, I mean .. sorry

  8. ed borris says:

    Custer has in the neighborhood of 600 men in his column and he sure didn’t bring the wagons to last stand hill. Maybe Marx in their twisted way is trying to represent the entire troop strength. Marx never seemed to care much about historical accuracy, when they made the set it was made as a toy

    To me it’s a goofy mix of sets that represent Custers troopers, but guys just about wet their pants over the reverse Rebs. The set sells for a ridiculous amount and it’s doesn’t even have the Custer figure in it. While I’d take one of those sets to re-sell if I could get one cheap enough, but other than that it doesn’t interest me in the slightest. I’m talking the vintage Marx set , not the CTS version. I could never understand why collectors would pay big bucks for the Custer and Wagon Train sets. The only thing I like about the Custer set is the cream colored Indians, they look really nice.

    • Erwin says:

      Marx set prices are insane some time.
      Collectors when are willing to pay go nuts in frenzy bids.
      Is the interesting reality of collection world hobbies..

  9. Wayne W says:

    When I was a kid and saw the set I remember thinking Marx would probably have been better off using their Ft Apache (talking the 54mm not original 60mm) defenders instead of ACW infantry. They hadn’t come out with their “7th Cavalry” figures yet. A bit ironic when you think they never attempted the Custer set once they achieved more suitable figures for it. By that time, though, the political anti-military mood had begun to set in and Custer had become the scapegoat for US Indian policy in the minds of many. I don’t suppose Louis and Co thought a “Custer” set would sell. Maybe if they had marketed it as “Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse’s Revenge?”

    • ed borris says:

      The War of White Man Aggression. Give it a Conte like tone.

    • Erwin says:

      Funny part Custer was one of less indian enemies and “agressors”.
      But well as Wayne says was and is still used as symbol of that.
      How bad were the distribution in the HO Marx playsets?

  10. ed borris says:

    I don’t think the Marx Ho sets went over that big. They didn’t make good toys as they were fragile and small. Any ten year kid that got one, would have it almost trashed within a week. Even now although they are relatively hard to find in good shape, they are not as popular as the regular Marx sets. Some of the sets draw big bucks, but it’s a limited audience, at least that is what I have found.

    • Erwin says:

      Ed.
      Sorry I mean in my questions and actually to you as I know you had seen a lot of them.
      How was the distribution of poses figures two armies in the HO playset if better or same as regular scale?
      I agree in your comments of courses.
      Wonder whay they did then in so bad plastic x children.
      I may think HO were last drop as trying to go w then becoming popular scale HO at hobby level maybe!?
      Just a though ….

      • ed borris says:

        I never owned a Ho Custer set so I never got to see the distribution of Indians versus Cavalry. I do know that for the Cavalry they used downsized 60mm cavalry in the set. The HO sets were weird I only had one MIB set that I bought at Sears, it had virtually an equal number of opposing forces, it was a Charge of the Light Brigade set, there may have been a few more Brits than Russians, but not by a great deal. I acquired another Charge of the Light Brigade later in life and it had many more figures than were included in my set. In this set there was maybe 10 to 15 more Brits than Russians. Of course I don’t know if he combined sets or what because it wasn’t MIB. The second set there was even a Russian pose included that I didn’t get in my original set. Also in my original set there were four foot poses of the Brits and I got one of each, in the the one I acquired later there were like four each of the foot poses. I’m not sure that they actually counted out figures like they did with the 54MM and 60mm sets. I have a feeling it was rather random as it doesn’t appear it was regulated as closely as sets that originated in the US. Of course this is all conjecture on my part based on my own personal experiences. Rick Eber has or had both of the sets I owned as I ended up selling both sets to him years apart.

      • ed borris says:

        If you are talking numbers, in my Charge of the Light Brigade set I had 28 Brits and I think 24 Russains. The one I acquired later had about twice the number of Brits and maybe 30 Russians. The Brits came in 4 foot poses and two riding poses. The Russians had 4 foot poses and two riding poses in my original set and 3 riding poses in the one I acquired later.

  11. Lynn Graves says:

    Funny part Custer was one of less indian enemies and “agressors”.

    Erwin, I am not sure what US history you are siting about Custer. He is infamous for his slaughter at the Washita River.

    • erwin says:

      Lynn
      (Erwin, I am not sure what US history you are siting about Custer. He is infamous for his slaughter at the Washita River.)
      I know what I read.
      My quote says “Funny part Custer was one of less Indian enemies and “aggressors”.
      “Less “ among others is the meaning ….Hope you got that part now.
      Any ways.
      The so call Washita River massacre I read as Battle and so had been know as that officially.
      To what point it is a massacre or not is depending in how look in the fact by some.
      The point and fact that Custer intention was to use and capture as much non warriors Indians before in order to the attack in the encampment is argued ,yet he was direct following order given by his superiors and he actually bring more civilian than many other US officers doing same actions.
      The number in death is disputed a lot as not real count of non combatant and warriors is given,yet there were many warriors killed in the village ,so it was not a complete simple attack in defenseless village. Beside there plenty proof Custer stop the killing and brought over 50 prisoners .
      Wile we got John Milton Chivington that commit a clear cut horrible masacre with mutilation of bodies and else at a village under reservation truce with white flags at Sand Creek Massacre.
      http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-sandcreek.html

      There plenty more larger and intentional planed masacres such..

      Fort Mims massacre
      Council House Massacre
      Old Shasta Town massacre
      Harney Massacre
      Marias Massacre
      Wounded Knee Massacre

      I can list many but I’m sure you know then.
      More impressive is that two elect president Jackson’s and successor, President Martin Van Buren during and after Seminoles war implement the so call “relocation policy” of indian removal act plan that produce thousand of deaths in what is well known as Death Marches pretty much same as Bataan death march.But no culpcrit is direct indicating both of Presidents !!!
      In the End the indians commit horrible atrocities all time too.So most Indians, army and settlers war/action were take in pure cruelty and in many cases as retaletion and with out code/spare from either side at all or respect of civilians.
      Wile attacks to villages of non friendly with armed warriors could be considered same as the attack to forts and castles with civilians inside and non combatants been unfurtuantelly targets consecuences of the action.
      Attacks on peaceful or settlerment places are NOT .
      My thoughs.
      Best…

      • Lynn Graves says:

        He was dead by the time of Wounded Knee.

      • Mark T. says:

        The Fort Mims Massacre was actually carried out by Creek Indians of the Red Stick faction against white pioneers. This massacre was the reason Andrew Jackson mobilized several state militias and marched against the Creeks as seen in the Disney “Davy Crockett” film, so that particular massacre does not belong on that list.

        • erwin says:

          Mark T
          With respect please…
          I set as samples of plain clear massacre carry on ,not sided who did it..
          but Andrew Jackson forces committed worst atrocities before and after too…
          Is just a matter of intention set mine before or after what made a massacre clear .
          Otherwise we have to count ever battle were civilian had been cut kill in middle massacres ….
          War is horror.
          Settlement wars are one of worst …

  12. ed borris says:

    Oops the Brits had four Riding poses, my bad.

    • erwin says:

      Thank you so much for the data Ed.
      looks like was either random or about same as big scale.
      HecK of memory you got there!!!

      • ed borris says:

        Well, I had the set from 1964 until 2002. I remember it cost $5.00 as I got in the after Xmas sale. I wished I had bought the Invasion Day, Guerilla Warfare and about 5 other sets, of course I was only 13 years old and didn’t have a job then.

  13. Custer was directed towards the Washita after several Indian raids upon settlers. They trailed the attacking Indians to Black Kettle’s camp which was the first of many along the Washita. Although Black Kettle was a “friendly” Indian like other older Indians, many of the young Indians in his tribe were for war and some undoubtedly participated in the settler raids. Once attacked all Indians able to hold a weapon, man, woman or child would be expected to fight back. So soldiers shot everybody just like the Indians would kill all the white settlers in raids unless they wanted captives. There was heavy snow on the ground and after the assault Custer’s men killed as many ponies as they could and marched off 50-80 captives. One small group of soldiers went further down the Washita where the now roiled up Indians fought and killed them all, but this perhaps let Custer get away. Finding their sliced up bodies weeks later divided the command on Custer. Some like major Reno and captain Benteen hated him and in the future did not come to his aid at Little Big Horn. Speaking of which Custer was in a hurry and did not take any wagons to the Little Big Horn just a pack train. So the Marx set was wrong on several counts. My sad tale was seeing a stack of the sets at our local Sears after Christmas for $5 each, but I passed as I knew my two older brothers would tease me…….oops

    • Lynn Graves says:

      Custer also abandoned two batteries of Gatling guns as well. He was a despised and marked man for leading the incursion into the Black Hills in violation of treaties with the Indian tribes. The more I review the Atlantic figures the more accurate them seem to be. They provided the Gatling guns when Marx didn’t.

      • erwin says:

        Well Marx provide caisson and canon plus real carriages and wagon.
        Wile Atlantic did not and the frontier wagon are pull by oxen, so not value.
        The Atlantic Gatlin gun is off scale-too big even for Atlantic figures and not accurate detailed enough also
        Yet a nice piece not doubt. I rather use Timpo,Nardi ,Dulcop or other brand with any figure…
        But Atlantic provide more mounted Indian poses per set ,a complete lack in percentage in MARX 54 and 60 mm Indians sets with lack of Indian riders. The main force tool used by Indians in the west.
        So every one has it pro and cons…

    • erwin says:

      Thank you Kent for add up in the detail. I Had not chance dig it, but definitely not a premeditated massacre as other had been .Neither friendly as many warriors were among death. There records that Custer stop much more the killing too by witness account.
      I think his action not going to rescue the detachment going against his orders father over a mile was logic to avoid a complete loss of entire force.
      Beside he had strict order to attack the village and not else.
      But it gain resentment from others too.
      As mention before I think Marx did not care any historical, that set from Sears is a mess mix ,but back then some children would love it for the mix or least tease then I think. To me looks interesting as a playset with 4 molds.
      My thoughts…

  14. Bill Nevins says:

    For me, this is where reissues come in handy. I can build my own Custer set with as many wagons, Cavalrymen and Indians as I want.
    Except for the actual Custer figure, everything else is in reissue. Quite a bit of it in matching colors to the original issues.

    I love the re-issue wagons! Murphy’s first runs are really close to the original gray hospital wagon. Bill did some amazing colors in both body and tops.
    And the Oxen team! Those are great.

    CTS got involved and made their own wagons which are excellent. Again good colors!
    And double hitches. The back panel folding down is a nice touch,
    as was the rolled up canvass top.
    They take paint pretty well, too. I’ve probably painted a dozen of these.
    Some to match the Marx Wagon Train colors and others just cause they look so good painted up. The single best item CTS produces, in my mind.

    Then there are “unusual” colors, done by the “under the table” runs of Murphy’s original Marx molds.
    These came is several cheap playsets, with the most common color being RED.
    Theses were mainly inserted into the Westward Ho sets.
    As the story goes, when Bill Murphy was having his Marx wagon mold run in Mexico, the plastic factory owner ran a few thousand extra, which they sold under the table to job lot toy exporters. These RED wagons ended up in the cheap WW Ho sets.
    Later issue sets of Westward Ho contain the MPC wagon. Bill found what happened and sued the makers, who withdrew the existing sets and later reissued it with the replacement MPC wagon.

    There is also an Urban Legend, that a certain NYC toy dealer had more than a few scouts out hitting all the various Toy R Us, Targets and even Mom and Pop toy stores in search of the Westward Ho sets.
    Trying to corner the market on red wagons.
    LOL, LOL, LOL…I’m sure it’s just a legend.

    BUT, there are several playsets that contain some odd colored wagons. I have 3 or 4 examples of greens, browns and a flesh like, light gray color. I’ve never seen blue or yellow.
    I also have some orange, but these are just the red wagons that had less red dye in the batch. You can tell by the feel of the plastic.

    What about you guys ? My best reissue is the wagons.
    What’s your’s ?

    • admin says:

      The red covered wagon was run at cheaper price and jobbed out. The wagon was run for Sy Gruber (I may have the name wrong.) He needed wagons to fill out some western playset boxes he had. He had some MPC wagons but not enough to fill the sets. The rest of were parts he had acquire years ago when MPC or Miner Industries went out of business. It is where I got the MPC Sea Creatures that I am still selling on Ebay all these years.
      So the local NYC dealer got a mix of both.
      I have done some corrections and updates as it has been too many years on this subject.

  15. erwin says:

    Well I build mine with anything and I got all Marx 54 and 60 plus most foreign. Because I do not have the 45 mm MARX , I may need get the 45 mm as I have the BB,Elastolin,Rojas and Malaret ,Comansi 45 mm and Panini 45 MM US cavalry plus all Indians, so now I may need the Marx ones
    to make three Custer scales complete sets 45,54 and 60/65
    I do not know if ever reissued. So another quest.
    I do not match colors ,neither I repeat poses in small battles ,so I barely double my poses in my collection, even in reissued.
    But that is me of course.
    BEST…

      • ed borris says:

        The 45mm cavalry were horrible poses for kids that wanted fighting men. Three riding poses doing nothing, two guys running, one guy ready to broad jump, one firing pose, one guy running and clubbing with pistol, ( i know he was supposed to fit together with 45mm Indian running with knife), one of the always useful bugler, and one guy getting shot by arrow. The two sprinters appeared to be scouts or civilians, the rest cavalry. I was lucky enough to get them as Alamo defenders in my Alamo, talk about thrills, just what you needed for your Alamo a guy getting shot with an arrow. Maybe Rambo was supposed to be included with the Mexican poses. I understand some Alamo’s got Indians, but I didn’t.

        • Erwin says:

          I like the mounted firing pose Indian. I got plenty firing from other brands just need more variety in poses .I’m not looking x particular accuracy as I know marx was poor in real firing poses.But firing w bow are still dangerus too. Hand to hand are great x me too.
          My thoughts

    • Andy says:

      Wrong page for last link? If this isn’t it, plug in “Marx 45mm cavalry” in the search link:
      http://www.classictoysoldiers.com/cgi-bin/ctsc6/rtl/prd_s.cgi

  16. erwin says:

    thanks so much Andy!!

  17. TDBarnecut says:

    Referring back to the above Sears catalog page photo, did anyone notice that one of the vehicles has been placed upside down? I can see the defensive advantage of this but imagine the effort needed to flip over such a wagon?

    • Mark T. says:

      There was a battle in Red Cloud’s War called “The Wagon Box Fight” in which the US forces (a few soldiers and some civilian woodcutters) engaged a vastly superior force of Sioux from fortifications made by removing the wagon boxes from 14 wagons from their chassis and placing them in a ring.

      • erwin says:

        Yes ,the battle was represented in one movie .
        There some other action were it was done too by settlers using heavy wagons.
        A group soldiers could tip a wagon easy…they were hard well done but light enough to be pull and ride/run ,also to be dismounted if need too.

  18. ed borris says:

    Incidentally, the 45mm Indians had one of two Indian poses that were actually firing a rifle. The 54mm Indians didn’t even have an Indian with a rifle until they downsized the 60mm Indian with a rifle for the specialty poses. The 60mm Indians had four guys with rifles, 3 in the stockade lot and 1 in the skinny lot, only one was firing the rifle. In all those sets the Indians were not going to blow Custer away with their firepower.

    • erwin says:

      it.Sorry I respond to your comment mix in one above ,not here..my bad

    • Len Hardt says:

      My favorite Custer movie is the Twilight Zone episode where a Stuart tank shows up. Now there’s a fun diorama.

      • TDBarnecut says:

        Haven’t seen that one. Is the Stuart employed in the fight and on which side? Does it change the outcome?

        • ed borris says:

          No, the tank doesn’t get into the fight, just the three or four guys in it and their names end up on some monument showing they were killed in the battle. It’s been a long time, but I think the tank broke down or something, so they left it and joined the fight.

        • Len Hardt says:

          I think I remember it as a Stuart. The episode is “The 7th is Made Up of Phantoms.” Without being a spoiler, a group of modern (1963) soldiers are involved in war games and find themselves back in time. They must each decide what is each one’s duty. Of course, I know that you” get it”- that my naming this episode was facetious – I was responding to those who are sticklers to historical detail.

  19. When Custer and the 7th was detached to search up the Big Horn he was offered and refused 4 companies of another regiments cavalry plus the two Gatling guns. He did not think the cavalry was needed and that the Gatling guns might slow him down. For the same reason he did not take any wagons but only a pack train of mules. So if you want to make a semi factual Custer’s Last Stand set there should be nothing with wheels but maybe half dozen sets of the Marx pack horses (ok not mules but will have to do) throwing the accessories in a box to be used with something else. Marx used the four wagons to simulate an attack on a wagon train and to give the playset something substantial as there was no tin building. Using only Marx figures the set sold in the Sears catalog had the best figures available. As I mentioned above the three figure sets chosen as “Cavalry” were used as all had one or more wounded men and most of the battle was fought on foot. We can pick on accuracy for just about every Marx military playset made. Marx was not making “military miniatures” they were making toys based upon history. Look at the weapons the 54mm WWII GIs are equipped with, most are post WWII. Also the US 41 tank was at best very late WWII.

    • ed borris says:

      You are correct, they are toys and they were the best toy soldiers out there at the time they came out. For historical accuracy they miss the mark on many occasions. When we were kids we probably didn’t give a big rat’s gluteus maximus either. Come to think I don’t care that much now, as long as my Alamo defender doesn’t have a M-16.

      • Wayne W says:

        No argument there about them being the best there was at the time; there’s a reason ebay sellers are constantly mislabeling their products “Marx” or my favorite, “Marx?”

        Kent you give a pretty good explanation for why Marx chose the figures they did – kind of like all the arrows sticking out of the Atlantic 7th Cavalry figures. Thinking about it my big complaint with the choice of reverse rebs for majority of the cavalry figures in the set had more to do with my early introduction to the Fort Apache set when I was younger. Our neighbor’s kid, who was several years older than I, had a Ft Apache set with the 54mm pioneers and “cavalry” (which thinking about it wore uniforms I still don’t recognize – park rangers?). he was a pretty nice kid – as were his parents – and he let me play with his Fort Apache set whenever I wanted but I never called it “Fort Apache.” I was still hung up on a Saturday afternoon showing of “They Died with Their Boots On!” To me, those guys in that set were the embodiment of Errol Flynn and his troopers.

        So to me, my neighbor’s Fort Apache was the “Custer Set.” And one of his buglers had lost his bugle – to me, he was Custer.

        So I already had the Giant Blue and Gray set – before I finally received my own Fort Apache years later I pit my ACW guys against MPC Indians from my Dodge City and other sets. I had to do a mental CGI to multiply my Indians to outnumber my 7th Cavalry in that one…

        But in my mind, those Fort Apache guys were the ONLY troops fit to be the “real” 7th Cavalry. That is, until Marx broke down and did their 7th Cavalry.

  20. Greg Liska says:

    Kent! Buddy, you are making this thread! Thanks for being the ‘fact man’ on this. I’m just looking at it all now and you’re spot on. I’d like to add that it’s not just Marx that misses the mark on accuracy. Take a look at the scads of European figures that are so far off they are barely recognizable. Stuff like; Cherilea and Charbens Russians! Those soldiers bought their stuff at the same costume shop. Looking like Czarist era guards and all of them are carrying weird weapons. The Cherilea guys have what sort of looks like Bren LMGs. Cherilea Germans have helmets that look like Spanish M-36s and the officer is right out of a comic book. The rifles look way more like Enfield R1 Mk III’s. The Lone Star Germans look like they are wearing a hat that a 1940’s cab driver would sport. There’s US stuff that was just as messy! The whole array of small arms the MPC Germans are carrying is just kind of a puzzle. Some of the rifles look like BB guns and that SMG the guy in the M-43 cap is carrying takes pieces of about 3 different weapons and smushes them together. In all of this, I just do not let it ruin the fun for me. More accuracy is BETTER, but they are toys and as long as I know what ‘right’ looks like, I can accept a certain amount of license (or is it laziness?) in the toy’s design. That ambiguity in a set of figures also lets me use them for other things, too.

  21. erwin says:

    Even the brands making “historical series” later such AIRFIX and Matchbox or ALMARK made mistakes and even repeated after. So back then I bet as I mention before MARX did not give darm about ;just feel box with fun and well detailed made figures ,still they manage get many well done and others close enough. Also the media and films before did not show any accuracy historical as they try do more after the 70s in the clothing’s and weapons I mean not in the facts.So that add to facts that toys were not looking for it.
    Today toys are to copy exact the movies more …
    I considered Cherilea but few sets one of the worst with Charben in non accuracy and anachronism, same way LIDO and MPC .Yet MPC 45 mm revolutionary soldiers are more historical detailed than MARX ..MPC WW2 Russian are impressive better than Marx in poses , detail weapons plus uniforms .So I guess every brand did their bad and good.
    Marx did the most best as was the largest
    If the MARX WW2 GIs and Germans are bad in weapons and uniforms,then Japanese were well done by most and the French, Russian and English too on the 54 mm.
    In the WOW series the same happen with the US infantry/marines with post WW2 uniforms but what kid will notice it.I still could use them all and pick on it x my battles with out any complain,those are minor detail.
    My thoughts..
    best..

  22. Andy says:

    I think when Marx made playsets in the 1950s & 60s, they were just making exciting toys for kids and not anticipating that 60 year old men would have them under microscopes and micrometers of historical accuracy in 2017. My attraction to old Marx today is toward recapturing those good childhood feelings – somewhat of a harmless psychological “high”. European toy soldiers may have been more for an adult collectors’ market and less concerned about kids’ play value. I think today’s toy soldiers are intended for adults who are more concerned about these technical details that kids overlooked such as ratios between cowboys and Indians or Texans and Mexicans. Hence, not many kids at toy soldier shows, but full houses of kids for anything computer game oriented. If Marx was starting today, they would probably be making video games and not plastic playsets. Just my opinion.

  23. Blake Stepp says:

    I have so enjoyed Your information and blogs on the Playsets most of us grew up with!! Kent I have purchased many items from You, years ago from Peter Fritz, Tim Geppert, and early dealers in Playsets, etc… I had never had the Custer’s Last Stand Playset, but had a couple guys visiting me when I was a child that had this set. A buddy from school would come over and we would play with either a WWII Playset or my Sears Civil War Playset. My Civil War Playset came with 2 sets of the 1st series poses, and 1 set of Centennial poses for each side’ The 1st series poses were light gray and light blue respectively, the centennial poses were very dark gray and blue. As we played one weekend the other guys brought their Custer figures they were a Beautiful Medium Blue, but were Union Civil War poses and the Centennial poses, NOT the Reverse Confederate poses. I remembered this because I had the same Union poses from my Civil War set but the colors were different so no worries about a mix up. So I say all that to say there were at least 2 sets of Custer’s Last Stand with Union troops like the Sears Catalog shows. Also one of the guys had brown wagons, and one had tan wagons. Have a Good One Guys, just food for thought!!

    • The Union figures may have been left over from making a Civil War set and used up in the Custer set instead of being thrown out. Marx actually made three 1/32 Custer sets. The first was about 1958 and used the Ft.Apache/Alamo figures as the cavalry, 54mm Indians, 60mm Western “Hero” figures of Custer & Sitting Bull + the small downsize tin cabin and a 60mm covered wagon. So it was even more inaccurate than the 1963 version we have been talking about. About 1967 Marx made a mold with 32 cavities of 54mm Cavalry with the Custer figure that fetches $200+ The Custer TV show bombed so a set was not made and the Custer figure replaced and the figures used in carry all Fort Apaches. In 1973 Penny’s decided to carry a Little Big Horn set and Custer was reinserted into the mold. The anti Custer people got Penny’s so worried they just called it a cowboy & Indian set in their Christmas catalog with a small black & white picture. It had two wagons but actual cavalry (64) vs Indians (60 I think). On the catalog page opposite was the Marx carry all Fort Apache with a color picture that was $2-3 higher in price which probably out sold the Battle of Little Big horn set.

  24. Blake Stepp says:

    Thanks much for Your interest and input on this!! I spoke with Rick Eber about this and we agreed that the Union figures in the set were rare indeed!! It was funny that two of the guys had gotten the set with the Union figures. They are a Beautiful Blue color matching the reverse blue Confederates perfectly, at least one of the colors the Confederates came in. I have noticed that there seems to have been 3 shades of blue the Reverse Confederates came in. I currently have a couple of these figures in 2 of these colors, and recently on Ebay there has been a lighter color of blue that Rick confirmed as being original as well, and I have seen them in this color. None of these were reproductions or recast. Thanks again for Your input!! Have a Good One!!

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