1928 Marx "Loop The Loop" In Original Box
Many years ago when this Marx Loop the Loop was produced it was considered one of the company's "more affordable" toys selling for 25¢. It's made from a combination of pressed steel and tinplate and is powered only by gravity. However, despite its history this is the first example of either the toy or box I've seen. Greenberg's Guide to Marx Toys Volume II, page 62, shows a photo of a completely different and much smaller 10¼" model with an identical name. It was made in 1931. The author also refers to a 1928 patent, but it too is different from this toy. This Loop the Loop measures over 2 feet long assembled. Other than the Sears-Roebuck catalog I could find no previous reference to this version. Like many scarce Marx toys it was not lithoed with the Marx trademark logo. More importantly it's complete and works beautifully! The toy consists of four track sections (includes two loops permanently tabbed to a green steel base), a 10" tall platform tower with stilt legs attached to a green steel base, a 2-¾" long starting booth with honeycomb-style lithoed roof (permanently tabbed to the starting track), and the racer with driver. The racer is similar in design to some other early Marx toys, but at 2½" long it's the largest of its type. The tracks are pressed steel. Everything else is tinplate. The starting booth can be set directly on top of the platform, or extended out from one end. It's balanced better when extended outward. This is also how it's shown on the box and in the Sears catalog (see last photo). The toy was made available one last time through the 1929 catalog. Once assembled the toy works flawlessly without having to push the racer. It rolls down the incline into the first half loop, turns upside-down, passes through a 3½" empty space, lands right-side up on the second half loop, and continues running onto a small straight-away. I tried it several times and, so far, nothing impedes the racer; it doesn't stop, fall, bind, or slow down. It runs the entire length of track and exits on all four wheels. It's interesting that to make this work the track width was varied. The first half including the incline is 1¼" wide. The landing loop is 1-¾" wide. And then there's the box. It can be described in one word ..AWESOME! It was printed using four colors with a very detailed and well drawn illustration. It shows the toy as part of an old-time carnival or circus (the kind of circus that has long since vanished). The helmeted driver is half-way down the incline. A colorless, dotted-line view of the racer is shown upside down as it passes over from loop to loop. In the foreground children dressed in mid-20s style clothing holding balloons are shown cheering him on. A man wearing a straw hat with boy and girl stand on the opposite side. A little pup watches at the loop. The background shows the circus with four tents, a Ferris wheel, lots of customers, and even an elephant. The toy name was printed conspicuously above the fairgrounds. The Marx name and address were printed along the bottom edge preceded by the words "Made by" which I've never seen before. The shorter panels repeat the same illustration, but without the text which really looks great! The endflaps repeat the company name and address, and include the Marx logo. It's also one of the rare times that the well known Marx slogan "this is one of the many Marx toys, Have you all of them" was not included. The box is complete with the exception of the lower blank half of one endflap, one interior flap, and a ½" wide edge sliver. Size: 27½" long, 12-5/8" tall. Date Sold: Nov. 2010
Price Sold: $ 399
