Marx Logo Marked Swoppet Spacemen

[space.trucks]

Maybe arriving late to this party as usual, but while pondering one of my Swoppet spacemen I realized his equipment pack sported a Marx Toys logo, something which had slipped attention previously. The spaceman himself is not marked.

 

A rule of thumb I had picked up is that Marx made swoppet spacemen are distinguished by having semi-painted pod feet rather than Cherilea stands, cast in a vinyl which is either stiff or flexible, and painted weapon detailing and rubber cast equipment packs. Copies have equipment packs cast in plastic without painted features and the figures cast in either stiff or "army man" type plastic.

 

 

MADE IN HONG KONG / MARX TOYS

 

Painted equipment pack in rubber which is still presumed to be by Marx, but marked "Made In Hong Kong" with no Marx logo. Did they simply stop marking their packs at some point?

 

 

Another presumed Marx figure with painted rubber equipment pack only marked Made In Hong Kong. There are others which share those attributes but have no markings anywhere.

 

 

So I rifled through the 36 loose swoppet spacemen I have and four of them have Marx logos on their equipment packs. Six have "Made In Hong Kong" markings on either their pack or a leg. The others including the Cherilea made examples have no markings anywhere.

 

 

 

Left: Equipment pack with Marx logo.

Right: Equipment pack with Made In Hong Kong.

 

Helmet styles match. Both have painted equipment packs and the semi-painted feet. Other than the change in markings (and plastic colors) they are visually identical, and I am still of the opinion that the blue guy is Marx as well.

 

Left: Equipment pack with Marx logo.

Right: Equipment pack with Made In Hong Kong.

 

None of the figures with logo marked backpacks have that style of helmet. Backpack styles vary from figure to figure including the four which are logo marked.

 

Left: Equipment pack with Marx logo.

Right: Equipment pack with no markings.

 

Left: Equipment pack with Marx logo.

Right: Equipment pack with Made In Hong Kong.

 

The four figures with logo marked packs, all of which appear to have the same helmet design as well. I'm also aware that since the logo marked packs are interchangeable & the figures purchased loose/used there's no way to guarantee that these four packs shipped connected to these four figures. Or any of the others for that matter. I do have six sealed figures in packages either marked Made In Hong Kong (cake topper set) or Made in China (flying saucer set) which have no markings anywhere & lack the painted details.

[Alain Lapointe]

good eye