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Toy Soldier Saturday: MARX PRESIDENTS (Part 2)

The Marx parade of Presidents marches on . . .

More Toy Soldiers (including our first nine Chief Execs) HERE.

Cap Gun Monday: Leslie-Henry WILD BILL HICKOK

Most cap guns had plastic grips, meant to resemble the wood, ivory or pearl of real weapons. But a special few—like this one from the Leslie-Henry Company—had grips made of metal. These are especially cool because they're tinted to look like copper, and engraved specifically for this gun. This model is also unusual for its pop-top cap loader. Most Leslie-Henrys, like the Davy Crockett shown HERE, had the more common hinge arrangement.

Toy Soldier Saturday: LIDO KNIGHTS

I came upon this box one happy day at a thrift store. The knights, horses and accessories were still attached with antique rubber bands to the inside tray. A few of the figures bore sloppily-applied paint in strategic spots, so I assumed it was done at the factory. Interesting that every figure's armor, from boots to helmet, is different in every detail. 

These guys are 54mm, standing about 2 1/4" tall. The horses in the box were all hard ("durable," says the box) plastic, while those I acquired elsewhere were soft ("unbreakable miracle plastic"). The charging horse in the first pic, like all the figures and accessories, is soft. The other two are hard. 

The two Merry Men below were not in the box. Don't know if they were sold with knights (who would have been the villains in their set) or by themselves. 

Our growing Toy Soldier gallery is HERE.

Toy Soldier Saturday: MARX PRESIDENTS (Part 1)

Sometime in the '50s, Marx issued a great set of Presidents (up through Eisenhower) done in white plastic to resemble marble statues. I got mine (at a flea market some years back) in a box with a plastic build-it-yourself White House. 

In the '60s, I believe, Marx followed up with the painted versions. These were made of cheaper white plastic and hand-painted by "artists," probably sweat-shoppers in Japan or Hong Kong. Surprisingly, the color figures look pretty good in these pics. In person they look cheap and sloppy, especially next to the classy originals. 

Old John Quincy Adams looks sort of lonely here. The painted version of him was not in the box with the others, and I can only guess he's out philandering with an intern (or maybe the Ideal princess or Tim-Mee WAC seen previously in this space). 

More (but less Presidential) Toy Soldiers HERE.

Toy Soldier Saturday: MARX 6-INCH COWBOYS

More Toy Soldiers HERE.

Toy Soldier Saturday: LIDO FOREIGN LEGION & ARAB WARRIORS

These Lido guys, averaging about two inches tall, were peculiarly flat (maybe their molds were limited as to depth?), often short-limbed, and sometime awkwardly posed. Like everyone else, Lido did cowboys & Indians, knights, and Civil War soldiers (all coming eventually to this space), but I think they were only American company other than Marx (who did a great Captain Gallant set) to make Foreign Legion and Arab figures, complete with camels.

More Toy Soldiers HERE.