On TV and in books we see scientists dig up old things to see how humanity used to view itself - like people assuming that the brain must be in the chest where the heart is, because that's what reacts when we get excited. It's an interesting school of thought, and there is art to celebrate the concept, but it's ultimately wrong. Similarly the Brontosaurus existed for quite some time as a toy despite the fact that such a dinosaur a) never existed and b) was discredited around 1903. Pedants - those who remind you of Frankenstein's Monster and the like - do not care for the fact that it's considered a synonym, and the word has graced toy packaging for quite some time. It's out of vogue now - as are most toys based on sauropods - but this little fellow is incorrect as it should be. His head is that of a Camarasaurus, just like people saw at some museums.
Marx markings are nowhere to be seen, but it does say "30' LONG" and "BRONTOSAURUS" on the belly. His stumpy little legs make for a cute creature which measures about 8-inches long and it's notable for having quite a bit of detail. The head is superbly wrinkly, as is the neck and tail. The body looks textured similarly to an elephant, and has his tail lifted slightly off the ground.
The figure was sold in numerous colors by Marx and has been copied and bootlegged to death - I see variations on this mold, usually downsized, in grocery store cheap dinosaur packs to this very day. Imperial Toy sells one in a bag (or a carded set) for about four bucks with other painted prehistoric creatures. If that's not good enough for you, the original is around $10 on eBay.
Like many other Marx toys it was sold unpainted, which keeps costs down and lets the customer decorate it if they want. Model kits as a form of play were a very real thing 40-50 years ago - kids didn't buy a $5-$20 action figure, they got a model kit for a dollar or so instead. It wasn't uncommon for kids to paint the figures into the colors they wanted, and some of the older dinosaurs from this era that I got from my dad were indeed covered in browns or greens or other colors - this is bare brown plastic, so clearly he got the one he wanted. Each figure has little mold holes on his feet, and the plastic is rather light and airy with a vaguely waxy texture. It has very little give and I would not say it was at all rubbery. I would like to declare it some sort of relic, but the funny thing is that this mold has been in pretty constant circulation as itself or a bootleg for over 50 years. That's real staying power in the toy business, as there is an endless demand for cheap dinosaur toys.
As this specimen belonged to my dad as a kid and me also as a kid, it's pretty gosh-darned special. I wouldn't suggest getting it on its own merits, but it is one of those super-special things in my large toy stash that will probably never go away because it has been in the family for quite some time and remains in good shape. I really need to get these guys a nice display case or something.
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