Breaking Rubenstein Header Card Discovery. Our hobby has many mysteries. One is on whether Rubenstein International sold a set of figures. Well, we have the answer.
Breaking Rubenstein Header Card Mystery
Rubenstein International was a small California-based company that sold various header bags. These header bags contain figures and other items that had mostly been used previously as cereal premiums. One of the most famous of the group was a header bag that contained copies of the Marx Robin Hood figures. Another was a header bag that contained the Soldiers of the World.
Soldiers of the World
The Soldiers of the World was a set of sixteen figures that were offered in cereals around the world. When they were cereal premiums, the colors of the figures were either gold or silver. When Rubenstein did the figures, they were done in blue and red with a possibility of white. The problem was that we had no documentation of this header bag.
Discovery
I was cleaning under a table when suddenly I pulled the above header card. I knew I had bought them and kept the header card. The card tells many things. First, the artist had copied the poses of the Viking, musketeer, and Zulu warrior. Second, the set was called Historical Warriors. Kent Sprecher of Toy Soldier Headquarters had them as historic. I thought they might have been called Soldiers of the World, but I was wrong on that. Third, the bag contained 22 figures. Since the series only contains 16 figures, you have six duplicate figures in the bag.
The figures were made in England, where the original series was made. Interesting, the ” Made in England” is in a different place than normal onthe card. It is usually in the lower right corner. The stock number is 1006.
The header card has the original price sticker on it. It was bought at King’s Department Store on Airport Road for $.99. King’s Department Store was located on Airport Road and is long gone.
So another mystery is solved.
What time frame were the Rubinstein figures marketed, 1970’s or 1980’s ?
they were the late 70’s to the early 80’s.
I picked up bags of their cowboys and Indians (sold separately), copies of the Marx 5-6″ figures at a Rose’s in Alabama in 1978 or 79.
My figures came as prizes in cereal. They were a little undersized for 54mm but they were great figures to learn to paint as boy.
Rubenstein Internationl was founded in Canada after WWII with affiliates in Europe. They were primarily a jewelry/watch store but started working getting things for major companies including awards. Then they started having cereal premiums made for Kelloggs & Nabisco. The father retired about 1970 and a few years later the son moved to Los Angeles and kept the business going. About 1982 an employee suggested they try selling some of the leftover premiums in header card bags. Most of the small header card bags had 22 pieces and were randomly inserted. They did one series with figures and one with snap together vehicles. They did this from 1982-84 but ceased as the profits were low. I wrote a more complete article for PLASTIC WARRIOR magazine issue 196 in 2024. Stad also supplied a header card for their bag of WWII soldiers, Airfix copies made for them in Hong Kong.
To help confuse collectors Italian companies Baraveli & Tibidao worked together having copies of Marx 6 inch Knights, Cowboys & Indians made in 54mm. These were then sold in header card bags by Woolworths & Woolco in Europe and the US and confused collectors sometimes call them Rubenstein. The Rubenstein cowboys & Indians are closer to 50mm and scale and include the wounded cavalryman but not the man with a double lasso.
Kind of off topic but header cards are a mystery I was always curious how the dayglow tim mee m16 gi’s were carded…..
I would like to see a 3d printing place do the Marx 6 inch Cowboys in 54mm or 58mm. Also the Marx six inch Cavalry, Japanese, Russians, Man from Uncle and Monsters. I think most of the 3d designers and companies that sell are in their 20’s and 30’s and could care less or don’t know about Marx or the old movie character sets us boomers always wanted. Also redo the Marx sets that are not reproduced because the moulds are lost.
Tom,
All you need to make the figures you want are: the original 6” figures, a good 3D scanner, a good 3D printer , a new powerful computer to run the software & some experience with these tools. It’s a substantial financial investment and time commitment.