1939 Marx, Army Military Tractor Trailer Set in Original Box
Extraordinary three piece, clockwork, Military Tractor Trailer Set. Includes #2 Army tractor, pull trailer, and doughboy driver. All are color matched olive green. Rare set comes with its original (and very unusual) reinforced cardboard box. The tractor is a standard 8½" embossed tin litho model with steel encased clockwork motor. attached cast iron key, and ½" rubber treads. This style was produced from the mid-1930's until the start of WWII. Definitely non-standard however, is its olive green body with mandarin orange highlights. The hood is lithoed "ARMY" on the front corners and "2 ART." [sic. Artillery] on the rear corners. The flat grille features the Marx logo, a large #2, and patent information. The driver is a standard "farmer" model, but lithoed as a pre-WWII Army Corporal. He's wearing a post-1918 enlisted men's campaign hat, breeches, and high top laced leather boots. The stake cart has four yellow painted wooden wheels and was lithoed with matching olive green body. The front axle pivots. The box is all text and has no printed statement regarding the military aspect of the toy. It's most unusual aspect is its "shoe-box" style with removable lid. I've never seen that before except for Linemar toys. All four corners of the cover and bottom were factory reinforced. A similar "Tractor Trailer Set" box was used by Marx in 1939 to package a farm theme toy. That box had endflaps instead of a lid. Size: 16½" overall. Sold: Aug. 2005
Price Sold: $ 456
