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Marx 1975 Johnny West/ Best of the West Catalog

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  • rykerw1701
    Persistent Member
    • Aug 27, 2007
    • 1026

    #16
    The is one of those lines I look at and think I need to start collecting them. Then I come to my senses and decide not to open that can of worms.

    As for condition, my only experience with Marx is with the Silver Knight, Sir Stuart, which I've had since the early 70's. He's been in storage for a while, but last time I looked he and his accessories were fine. The only thing I've noticed is that there is a lot of high quality repro accessories out there. I bought a reissued Silver Knight maybe 20 years ago, took what I needed and mixed his stuff with my originals, and i couldn't tell the difference. Looked great, but had I spent a bunch of money for all original, I would have been frustrated.

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    • Mikey
      Verbose Member
      • Aug 9, 2001
      • 47242

      #17
      The few Johnny Wests that made it into my adulthood stayed pretty well intact --- not including their horrible face discolorations.

      General Custer turned green and Geronimo went super ruby red.

      Strangely, Sam Cobra is totally fine to this day ---

      BTW, still thinking of making a Forbidden Planet Dr Morbius custom using Cobra's head -- It's pretty much spot on

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      • apes3978
        Permanent Member
        • Nov 19, 2005
        • 4901

        #18
        Originally posted by apes3978

        When I get some time, I *might* try to contact the guy I sold my stuff to, and ask him his experiences with the Marx stuff (he was a major collector, and had everything from all over, and I believe he dabbled in selling as well)... If I can dig up his contact info, I'll see what I can find out-But that may take awhile... In the meantime, I hope there are people on these forums who can tell us if their stuff became decrepit over the years. I am curious about it, because I always thought that the figures themselves at least were built like a tank, solid and indestructible.


        Well, I contacted the collector I mentioned in my earlier post, and this is what he had to say regarding the Johnny West/Best of the West figures:

        The caramel colored figures that Marx made are very prone to crumbling because of a chemical breakdown of the caramel color pellets used...
        However, the Canadian and UK figures don't do this as they used a different color chemical.

        On the accessories, some will leach the plasticizer used to soften the poly vinyl to be injection molded... It happens a lot with the Princess Wildflower items, but it can happen with all. This is the process that causes the tack to melt the styrene of the horses and wagons, but never melts the figures. If it starts, washing them in Dawn dishwasher liquid helps for a while but it will come back.

        As to extremes in temperatures, he said nothing has ever been confirmed, but he does think it can play a part in the stuff breaking down.

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        • Earth 2 Chris
          Verbose Member
          • Mar 7, 2004
          • 32498

          #19
          ^Thanks for looking into it. I guess the caramel color explains Chief Cherokee crumbling in his box at least!

          I know Captain Action weapons have been known to "melt" in their rubbery holsters as well.

          Chris
          sigpic

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          • knight errant00
            8 Inch Action Figure
            • Nov 15, 2005
            • 1766

            #20
            Originally posted by PNGwynne
            I've admired Marx' figures, I'd like a custom James (Wild Wild West) West
            Maybe you you knew this already, but "all" you need to do it are a Sam Cobra body and a Captain Maddox head -- From what I understand, WWW was intended to be part of the JW line at some point and then didn't happen, but the parts were repurposed into these two characters.

            This article shows the prototype.

            And here's somebody's painted-up one, with a custom Artemis (although the ones I've seen left in the Sam Cobra colors look just fine, too):

            157179033_-johnny-west-style-wild-wild-west-james-west-artemus-.jpg

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            • PNGwynne
              Master of Fowl Play
              • Jun 5, 2008
              • 19444

              #21
              Yes, exactly. I think I first read of that at Stewart's Attic. Some day...

              Thank you for the pic, too!
              WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.

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