Joe K. Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Joe -That MARX Sabre car can be found in the 1953 Sears catalog where it's described as being "new". That would put it a full year ahead of IDEAL's Robert the Robot's release in 1954.Another question for you. Jimmiesparks mentions in another thread that the controller was permanently attached to the car, unlike Robert's that was removable. Can you confirm?Mike -Nice detective work, my friend! Another piece of the puzzle falls into place.Your idea about the toy companies "swapping" concepts and parts is absolutely correct, especially in this case.Keep up the good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Robot and Son Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Joe,Yes the control is permanently attached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToyMemories Posted May 23, 2009 Author Share Posted May 23, 2009 martijn yes, it really can be rewarding sometimes! electric robot - ah, I guess a little bit of cost cutting, recycle an old driver, and add "arms" to make it work for the new toy. The driver, to me, looks like he's more 1940's style... Thanks, Joe! That's what I'm here for :lol: Now, if I can only find the head and body drawings for Robert I'll feel better... :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 Hey TM, got any additional data on these?http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/index.php?showtopic=9189 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToyMemories Posted May 23, 2009 Author Share Posted May 23, 2009 Hey Tinman; I've been trying to find my scans of their drawings since you started that thread (they're probably amongst a whole lot of scans I did a while back that I never had time to properly name the files; the originals were kind of large). I may have other info. on them (likely), but inaccessible currently (sorry ). Let me see if I can turn the scans up for you... Additional info. I'll be happy to post if/when I come across it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToyMemories Posted June 10, 2009 Author Share Posted June 10, 2009 A must have if you love small space figures... and pret-ty difficult to find nowadays; Original Multiple Toymakers test-shot of space accessories for their playset figures. (this is a full shot; in production the runner would be cut up into smaller pieces for inclusion into sets) I love these tiny pieces... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToyMemories Posted January 29, 2010 Author Share Posted January 29, 2010 In the midst of moving some stuff around tonight, I came across this little early 1950's original drawing for a Marx space bagatelle game... Kind'a nifty, I thought! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyman Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Hey TM, it's been a long time since I've seen you around. Cool stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Hey TM, did you ever find anything on the Marx Jumpies?http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/index.ph...&hl=jumpiesThe Marx space game is pretty cool, was it produced looking anything like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToyMemories Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 Thanks, Andy, been TOO long! (been down with some health issues, and a load of other crap... the fun never ends, haha) Tinman actually... I did have original drawings for that series of toys, and wanted to post pictures of them a while back (inspired by your thread, of course), but couldn't figure where the heck I'd put them! I know they're here somewhere... I also MIGHT have some assembly line info on them (yes, I know they didn't take very much assembly LOL, but there was some), but that stuff is REALLY buried, and will be for a bit. Don't worry, I won't forget you; when I turn them up I'll try and get pics posted soon thereafter. (and geez, thanks to you I even had to pick up the goofy rabbit version at a friend's shop, regretfully that was the only one he had. And, it actually still worked fine, suction and all, after all this time!) I'm pretty sure the Marx space bagatelle game was produced like that, the drawing was on a larger sheet with drawings of other bagatelle known-to-be-produced versions done at the time showing various designs (the others on the sheet were non-space). Marx made a LOT of different bagatelles (I'll never get used to that name..., I see them more as "mini-pinball"!) from very small to somewhat sizable, it was one of their staples for a long time. That reminds me... I'll have to post a pic of the Jetsons bagatelle factory sample that I have which is pretty neat (UPDATE- of course I had to put the Jetsons bagatelle where it's too far out of reach... <_< I must be getting old. Will post pics of that when it's more accessible!) Ok, for now here's a detail from Ideal's "Friends of Fire" original painted artwork... yeah, yeah, nothing to do with the above, but still nice :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I love this thread!Mike, what is that artwork from? Do you know where I can find a pic of the toy? I tried to google it but got no hits.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToyMemories Posted January 31, 2010 Author Share Posted January 31, 2010 Hi John, Glad you like it, thanks! All the weird and wonderful stuff that keeps me going! The artwork excerpt above is from Ideal Toys, from a 1980 line called "Universal Task Force". Here is a link to more info that is put together nicely (better than I could do): http://reflectionsonfilmandtelevision.blog...-47-ideals.html On that page you'll also see what the final product looked like. Regretfully I never had them as a kid, and have not been able to turn up any examples (I admit I really haven't tried too persistently, but I would like to get one to go with the artwork at least!) I'd say they're on the obscure and hard-to-get side! The full artwork for Friends of Fire is too big for my scanner, and also way full of detail, so I just put a little excerpt above... it's weird, colorful... I like it Don't know who the artist was offhand, but it reminds me of a few different artists. On a different note, I'd love to be able to put together a board, similar to here at Alphadrome, but mostly for all kinds of toys and their background material... but I haven't the foggiest idea (or likely the ability) how to do it! It's a pretty cool and easy format for something like that, and the constant ability to add and update instantly is great. See, I keep getting tempted to go off track and post pics of other stuff... toy guns... games... slot cars... war toys... dolls :lol: but thankfully I always stop myself before I go overboard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Sweet! Get a digital camera and take a full pic of that art. Is it framed yet? You have no idea how much a professional framer can make a beauty like that pop.There's actually already a protoype board. It's called http://www.behindthetoys.com I guess it mostly focuses on the prototypes from the 70s-now but I'm sure your contributions would be welcome. Posts are a bit slower there but it's not like prototypes fall out of trees so there's not constant topic. Still, a nice source for info on many different lines.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe K. Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Related photos of this unusual piece:The die The Doctor received from David Kirk:http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/uploads/...-1209010029.jpgThe remote controller that Electric Robot and Son identifies as being from the Ideal Sabre Car:http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/uploads/...-1209048127.jpghttp://danefield.com/alpha/forums/uploads/...-1209048167.jpghttp://danefield.com/alpha/forums/uploads/...-1209059332.jpghttp://danefield.com/alpha/forums/uploads/...-1209059390.jpgAn ad, posted by FJW, showing this controller with Ideal's Robert the Robot:http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/uploads/...-1209018387.jpgPhotos posted by Blechroboter from Eduardo Paolozzi's Cloud Atomic Laboratory:http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/uploads/...-1209043672.jpghttp://danefield.com/alpha/forums/uploads/...-1209043697.jpgSo the question still remains, why does your blueprint say Marx, Mike?Here's a recently ended auction that shows a red color variation of this "rocket" controller and yellow Buick LeSabre:http://cgi.ebay.com/1951-BUICK-CONCEPT-SHO...=item3efc438588 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToyMemories Posted February 2, 2010 Author Share Posted February 2, 2010 Thanks Joe, and not a bad price at all. I haven't had one yet, the only thing that I find weird is the lack of an obvious Marx trademark (maybe it's in the plastic on the underside). John I'll have to see if I can find an old digital picture here, as the art is currently in storage (sometimes I think everything is in storage :lol: ). Though I truly love ALL of this stuff, I never have room to display much of the flat art and other 2D pieces. Most of what I display are small figural prototypes, and small production figures (playset-type). I have had some things professionally framed in the past, and you're right; the right guy can make a piece look pretty amazing! I keep telling myself... "one day I'll have more room, one day..." Thanks for the link; I checked it out somewhat thoroughly (and enjoyed doing so) and bookmarked it, but felt like a stranger in a strange land :blink: heavy on Star Wars, and a lot of figure lines that are pretty nifty, but most are beyond me. Don't get me wrong, as I found the site and subjects cool, but I was thinking of something centered on earlier stuff (from simpler times LOL). For example, an Alphadrome type board with headings (say "games", "toy guns", etc.) and then "posts" that would be on a particular toy that could be added to perpetually. Kind of more reference than chat. It would be super to have something like a thread on the game Mousetrap (I have a nice concept/design blueprint of the mice), and then people could add pics of various versions of the game, catalog pics, factory material would be great (whatever still exists), etc. and do the same for a whole bunch of different stuff. The ideal (pun?) outcome would be to have ever-expanding mini forums on lots of toys, well rounded and informative. Maybe it's an unlikely possibility, but I think it would be quite cool if it worked in some way. I know there are some similar things out there on a smaller scale, but there's also a whole lot of bogus information, assumptions, and sillyness too. It'd be really fantastic to somehow get an old sizable school building affordably, and transform it into a massive toy museum prototypes and art everywhere, digital presentations of the process... heaven! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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