c.1948 Marx Mechanical "Rocking Horse" in Original Box
I couldn't find any reference for this Marx "Rocking Horse" mechanical wind-up tin litho toy. I gave it a "c.1948" date only because I have all of the other Sears Christmas catalog toy sections with the exception of 1948, 49, and 50. It comes complete with original box. The lariat and swinging left arm are both original as well. Patterned after some of the earlier Lone Ranger and Hop-A-Long Cassidy rocker toys this version contains essentially everything the others have except for the base. The internal clockwork mechanism is linked to a rocking arm similar to the other cowboy rockers, only in this case it's visible. The other rockers were hidden underneath the base. The base in this case is a painted pressed steel die cut curve. The rocking arm sits inside the center of the curve. The rocker connected to the gears inside the horse moves the arm in a cog-like motion; raising and then lowering the rear end of the horse. Simultaneously this causes the lariat to spin and the left arm swings from side to side. It also clicks every time the horse rocks from one end to the other. And it works great! The lithography also differs from the more familiar cowboy rocking toys. Here the rider is dressed in white with red trim and yellow boots. The horse is an appaloosa with brown and white spotted marking. Only the tail is black. The harnessing and bridle was lithoed yellow and red. The toy is all tin litho with the exception of the base which is steel. The lariat is steel rod. The box simply identifies the contents as "Rocking Horse". It has the Marx name, address, and logo and that's it. Pretty sparse. To fit inside the box the lariat must be removable, but I'm not familiar with how it would disassemble so I left it alone. As an aside while researching this on the internet I did find a small Midwest Mom/Pop auction house that currently has a really beaten up, rusted example for auction. It was also missing the swinging left arm. I only mention it because it was advertised as "rare one-armed cowboy" which I thought was interesting. Size: 8" long, 7½" tall. Sold: Feb. 2012
Price Sold: $ 324
