Who had MARX Best of the West ?

[Thundarr]

I have always been curious about these Marx figures. Not the western characters, but the Knights and Vikings. I remember having some western gear and swords and whatnot, passed down from my brothers. I have never seen a figure though, only in pictures.
Someone mentioned "Really play in the dirt" with them...they are very sturdy? Have they got bands inside like Mego or Joes, or are they solid? How is the poseability? I might like to grab the Knights and Vikings, are they fully in scale with Captain Action/12" Megos?
Anyone have any info on the repros? I can get the two Vikings they remade, and two Knights, for a great price.

Thanks!

Joe

[saildog]

Someone mentioned "Really play in the dirt" with them...they are very sturdy? Have they got bands inside like Mego or Joes, or are they solid? How is the poseability?
Joe

Hiya', Joe.

They were tougher than Megos or Joes, but lacked the articulation/poseability. They were almost solid plastic (no bands) with the basic clothing oulined in the molded plastic. To finish dressing them out, there were single colored pieces (usually black or brown) like hats, vests, and gunbelts. Those pieces were easily lost and even though they lacked bright colors, they were highly detailed and cool.

I think the articulation was limited to shoulders, elbows, legs, knees, and these gripping hands that would rotate with a ball and socket setup. The hands could be popped out and lost. You could make the head look left/right and they were somewhat poseable.

So, in summary, they were very tough, but lacked the articulation and the bright colors and cool feel of Megos.

[Thundarr]

Thanks for the great info man. Are you SURE about the bands inside though? I vaguely remember my brothers having this dude in a brownish painted-on suit...he looked like JFK to me...lol...and I SWEAR his legs were on some sort of elastic mechanism, not solid like say a Star Wars. I remember being able to 'spread' the arms out, like with Mego or a Joe figure.
I could be off... Their arms swivel at the elbow as well, right? If I just stuck to the Vikings and Knights, are they costly to collect?

Thanks!


Joe

[saildog]

Thanks for the great info man. Are you SURE about the bands inside though? I vaguely remember my brothers having this dude in a brownish painted-on suit...he looked like JFK to me...lol...and I SWEAR his legs were on some sort of elastic mechanism, not solid like say a Star Wars. I remember being able to 'spread' the arms out, like with Mego or a Joe figure.
I could be off... Their arms swivel at the elbow as well, right? If I just stuck to the Vikings and Knights, are they costly to collect?

Thanks!


Joe

I'm kinda' going on memory alone. It is possible they were banded in some part. I've been meaning to go on a search for mine since this thread opened and when I find them, I'll shoot you a PM with the complete rundown on their construction.

I think the ball and socket of the shoulder had a tongue and groove that allowed for the arms to be posed parallel to a horizontal surface, but I don't remember being able to pull them out of socket where you could see the bands like you can with a Mego. However, I haven't held one in my grubby mitts since I was 16, so I can't recall with 100% confidence.

I'll try and find them pretty soon. I know my Parents kept all of my childhood toys that weren't busted and I never had a Marx Best of the West figure break in any way, fashion, or form. My Dad said he remembered making a point of keeping them because he always thought they were cool, too.

[Thundarr]

Thanks man, I'd love to see some pictures. I think the joint system you mean is a ball-joint, like with Marvel Legends. I may have to pursue the Viking reissues, someone has offered me a song of a trade...



Joe

[Thundarr]

Ok, here's the dope: The elbows and knees are on an older style ball-joint, the wrists rotate, and the shoulders and hips are actually on metal SPRINGS. That is actually very cool, imo. I thought I remembered one of my bros having him sitting on a large horse. Anyhow, when my Vikings and/or Knights arrive, I'll put a few pictures here. Supposedly from many reviews I have read, they are 98% comparable with the original Marx...thats damn cool!


Joe

[saildog]

Ok, here's the dope: The elbows and knees are on an older style ball-joint, the wrists rotate, and the shoulders and hips are actually on metal SPRINGS. That is actually very cool, imo. I thought I remembered one of my bros having him sitting on a large horse. Anyhow, when my Vikings and/or Knights arrive, I'll put a few pictures here. Supposedly from many reviews I have read, they are 98% comparable with the original Marx...thats damn cool!


Joe

Cool...you found it. I was just digging around and found the info about springs here http://www.stewartsattic.com/Marx/fi...adingchart.cfm and then came here to see you had discovered the springs fact already.

Wow. I really need to dig those out because I didn't remember springs, but then again, none of them busted so I never had one apart.

[Thundarr]

Now I have to decide on Knights or Vikings...don't wanna spend too much. There are four Knights, two Vikings. Probably the Vikings, as the Knights had production errors that were later corrected. (Rivets sticking out too far..people complained that the armour wouldn't go on correctly, so Marx fixed it. Here that CTVT? ) Like I said man, I'll post pictures once they are in my possesion.


Joe

[BubbleGumFink]

I love the Marx figures. Too bad they don't have anything quite as cool as the Mego Museum going for them.

[gman]

I never liked BOTW but Stoney Smith and the Knights were awesome. Dave do they make repros of Stoney Smith accs. ?

[megoscott]

I spent a lot of time playing with my BOTW. I had Johnny and Geronimo with horses. My dad bought them for me---he liked them better than the WGSH. I always wanted Custer or the gals. I loves the blue and yellow color scheme.

[Captain]

Sorry for adding so late into this post....I am still trying to figure out the new museum!
Anyways, I have all of the Johnny West line (except Zeb Zachary) and class the Best of the West line as the ultimate all time greatest toy line ever! Growing up in a family of Cowboys and the fact Johnny looks just like my Dad may have some influence on this?

I can vouch for the work Dave's buddies do as well. The Jesse figure was incredible. So are the other parts they produce. Jed Gibson has some minor construction issues, but nothing that takes away from the overall playability or enjoyment of the figure. (Probably not even noticable to a non Marx nut!)The Coops also have a host of custom heads and gear. An much like the Mego community, it seems everday more and more folks are coming out with new custom parts and equipment.

[Aloha girl]

johnny west gear

Don't know much past Johnny and Jane (I have a one-armed of the latter - her limb lost, no doubt, courageously)

Would love to find a horse reasonably, or perhaps trade for gear. I have duplicates of both girl and guy clothes (chaps, hats, etc.) and a couple of sets of horse tack with some misc. -knife, rifle and rifle sling (?), small chest... forget what else without looking.

Enjoyed reading all the posts.
Aloha girl