1942 Marx, Rocking Horse (Cowboy Rider) in Original Box
The Louis Marx Company manufactured several different mechanical cowboy on a horse toys including the Lone Ranger and Hop-A-Long Cassidy versions. These toys had elaborate lithographed bases. Vibrating versions in which the horse was shown reared up on its hind legs and sort of buzzed around were also produced. However, until now I never knew that Marx manufactured an actual Rocking Horse cowboy. This toy with its dual arm rocking lever, black horse, and black hat rider is not listed in any of my references. Neither it is listed in the Sotheby's or Parke Bernet auction catalogs which sold off the bulk of Marx company holdings following their bankruptcy in 1977. The lithography on this toy is different from the other cowboy/horse toys by Marx. I don't recall ever seeing a black horse with white underbelly, nor a cowboy with a black hat, yellow shirt and blue jeans. The face is identical to Marx's "Cowboy Rider" toy and was probably produced around the same time. The horse and cowboy are tin litho and it does have a Marx logo. The base is embossed pressed steel. Unlike the other cowboy toys it uses a clockwork mechanism to precisely control the up and down movement of the levers. The cowboy's left arm moves side to side while his lariat twirls. The motion of the lariat is inconsistent because it's merely pegged into the raised hand and is removable. The other cowboy versions had a lariat with a long stem which bolted to the underside of the horse. This allowed it spin freely. The box is a simple text style with double ended tuck-in end flaps on both sides. Size: 7¾" long x 6¾" tall. Sold: May 2005
Price Sold: $ 154
