Marty Sutlovich’s Marx Question, Marty Sutlovich who got my lists when I did them, has a question on the Marx Desert Fox Playset. Next, we have some sad news on a local collector/dealer Alan Ernst. Plus
Marty Sutlovich’s Marx Question Desert Fox Playset
Marty sent the following question in regards to Marx Desert Fox Playset. Here is his question:
I have a question for you regarding what I think was a version of the MARX Desert Fox playset that I came across in a hobby shop as a youngster in Seattle. I have been looking for this set my whole adult life. The price was $10 at the time which was around 1968 or ’69. It had the familiar size box but it also had a full-color cover photo that was beautiful and featured the Marx us army tanks in a line facing the German Panthers much like in the Sears catalog photo ad. There were at least 6 or 7 tanks for each army and the GI’s and their tanks were in the tan color. I could not afford it then but have been looking for this particular set for many years. Does this description remind you of any version of the Desert Fox playset?
Marty Sutlovich’s Marx Question Alan Ernst
Laurie was looking over our local television station’s website when she noticed that person had died from 27 car pileup. She opened the article to discover it was someone we knew, Alan Ernst. Alan was a local collector/dealer of
Marty Sutlovich’s Marx Question Short Takes
It is interesting how many times Airfix Germans have been copied. Recently we show copies done by Biplant. In that case, they base their new Russian figures on old Airfix figures.
Other companies just copy the Airfix figure with no changes. The above figure is one of the better copies. I believe it was done by the same company that did U.S. Army figure I will show in the near future.
Many years ago at a show, a dealer was selling a collection of figures. The collection was of a person who had recreated dioramas in his basement. Many of the figures had been converted. Some were bizarre, one was a soldier riding moose. This figure is from that group. I am going to use him as an officer.
I think that the converted figure is meant to be the Free French General LeClec.
The best done and more close copies of Airfix were made by RADO-RY toys from HK in early 80s in their first reissues .I had done compare photos of some poses of those with original Airfix.
Above is not RADO.
They too did airfix cowboys and indians in very nice cloned almost same same deetail to airfix as well.
Any copies after as usual when you copy the same figure keep “incrementally” reducing size ,detail and quality as more copies are done til become literally so crude as a waste .
RADO early copies are about 2-4 mm approx less than original and not exact to detail of course but the closer you can get .Often not mark bellow too .
I can provide Photos of those if like in Germans Infantry and cowboys indians .
In the other hand and different thematic with the good great collector researcher Markus from Germany we have a rare mystery on Jean Hoefler.
I had come across identical exact to every detail cloned Jean Hoefler western entire line set poses that bellow base says made Hong Kong .
Even the bases have same edge detail and horse same.
I send photos to him and pst in other blogs x answers
To us is a mystery as HK later copies of JH are less detail and smaller in scale plus minor erase deetail off bases else .
Wherever they were done by JH using original mold in HK factory or not is a mystery .
Is first time I had come across a clone exact of same figure with HK bellow ,they can pass even in colors as JH unless you really turn figure upside down and see engraving not saying West Germany or Negrin /other that also sold JH figures as well
Colors -So far only made in nice flat yellow and red brown matching first non painted edition of JH .No the later gloss colorful 80s JH ore common seen around
For some reason they are some time mix in lots off ebay and hard to tell unless you buy them .sellers describe then as HK and it add to assumption of lower scale less detail copies.They are not at all.
I can provide photos of those as well.
best
I am thinking the 4174 Desert Patrol playset from 1967 for Marty.
Hello Eddie, wow I did not stop to think that there could have been more than one version of the Desert Fox playset. I had only seen the familiar Desert Fox set with the simple graphics on the box. I was around 10 years of age at that time which would place it to 1967 or early ’68. Thank you Eddie for that information!
Thank you Eddie I will keep my eyes open for a nice DESERT PATROL set with everything complete, your pal Marty!
I received the Desert Patrol set for Christmas 1967 (I think); I didn’t know about the larger Desert Fox set until I grew up and got on the Net, but it was a great little playset and I got hours of fun out of it.
Terry Isbell and I are currently writing a feature article on Marx Giant Tank Battle (6061, 6060, 6056), Desert Fox (4177 from 1967), Desert Fox early 70’s (4180MO), and Desert Patrol (4174) for Rusty Kern at Playset Magazine. I am currently the hold up due to not having taken pictures of my sets for the article. Or google Marx Desert Patrol and click on images.
Eddie, go ahead and get those photos taken and in to Playset Magazine. I’m looking forward to seeing the article. I don’t think Playset Magazine has yet had a cover story on Rommel and the Marx Desert Fox playsets.
I’ve also been wondering what the new topic will be this year on Playset Magazine’s great hardbound volumes. I’ve suggested to Rusty that he consider making this year’s book on the subject of the Military/WWII/Combat playsets.
So far, Rusty has produced two illustrated volumes on the history of Marx Toy Company, followed by a volume each on Fort Apache, Blue & Gray, and Alamo, each volume being an exhaustive, well-illustrated history of the Marx playsets in each category. Each volume becomes a nice, permanent, durable, illustrated documentary record of all the playsets under each topic — more permanent and fuller coverage than just the magazine articles on each subject. I think a volume on the WWII Combat sets, including the Desert Fox playsets, would be a good addition
I remember like it was yesterday the beautiful full color close-up shot of both armies facing off on the front of the box!
Hello Eddie, I would love to see some detailed shots of the Desert Patrol playset