c.1940 Marx 20pc Soldiers Of Fortune In Original Box
Fantastic complete boxed set of 20 tin litho Marx, Soldiers of Fortune in rare original box. Comes complete with original insert, correct Daisy Pop Carbine Rifle, corks (replacements) and cork bag. Rifle works beautifully! Tough to find, especially in high grade condition, sets of this type containing the Daisy rifle and or Marx howitzer cannon were produced just prior to World War II. Individual soldiers were available after the war. The boxed sets contained either all U.S. military personnel, or an array of historic worldwide soldiers. The military sets were frequently packaged in boxes that resembled stone fortresses so it would become part of the play set. The historic set, like this one, were typically packed in flimsy, narrow wall cardboard. The weight of the soldiers plus the rifle would quickly destroy the box. It's been my experience that these sets are more difficult to find, although both are scarce. Representing everything from Scottish Highlanders to German Infantryman, to the American Indian, all types of "soldiers" were provided. Most are standing, but there are also six on horseback. Marx produced kneeling and prone soldiers as well. Each has a different point value on the underside of its foot stand. The soldiers are an average height of 4" tall. The rifle is an authentic 13½" Daisy pop rifle, carbine style, with steel barrel, trigger, and frame. The stock is solid wood with spectacular grain. This particular example has aged beautifully and looks like it was never cleaned (which destroys the value). It's a pump action style activated by cocking the barrel down several inches. There are 10 corks (which are replacements) which fit perfectly into the barrel. And yes, they do fire about 15ft. The waxed cellophane bag is original, but not to this particular set. The box includes the cover with colored illustration which was printed right onto the cardboard. It's not an applied print. Done in orange, green, blue and white, it depicts several historic soldier types on the battlefield. I have no idea why two pirates burying treasure were also included. The Marx logo and address are also present. The cover aprons were printed with the toy name and the legendary Marx motto. The insert is all original and was key to avoiding damage to the individual pieces. Individual slits hold all 20 securely in place. The remaining area was taken up by the rifle and ammo. The box bottom was made from the same flimsy cardboard as the cover. This is only the third or fourth box of this type I've seen. Size: Box 16¼" x 11" x 1". Soldiers average 4", Rifle 13½" Date Sold: Apr. 2008
Price Sold: $ 228
