Miniatures Louis Marx' "Warriors Of The World" Union & Confederate Soldiers From The 1960's

Great memories from better times - big thank you to all contributers to this thread - enjoyed them and learned quite a lot!

For some reason I totally whiffed on these opportunities though don't recall being aware of their existence and am not recalling friends that had any; would've really enjoyed having some of these sets!
 
There was a company called S.A.E., I think, that made beautiful sets of metal civil war figures in a smaller scale. I was given one of Union infantry and one of Confederate infantry when I was about 10. Never saw any of them other than those I recieved.

John
You could see literally HUNDREDS of SAE figures if you visited the old Confederama in Chattanooga or visit it under its new name and location Battles for Chattanooga atop Lookout Mountain next to the visitor center for NPS's Point Park:

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/classic-roadside-attraction-the-confederama.90654/post-730103

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Thank you very much! If I am ever out there I will have to check that out. I can see how they would make a nice presentation in masses like that especially.

John
 
Hi everyone, I was happy to see the thread about the Marx ACW figures. I too had a box playset given to me for my 10th birthday in 1964 which I still have. I also managed to find some extras a year or two later whilst on holiday. However, without sounding mean I didn't let my son play with them (as I also had a cavalry and Indian set which I let him use and which ended up broken or lost ), and I didn't want the ACW set to go the same way; I haven't even shown them to my grand-son. I had fun playing with them and am glad to say they are still in about 99% mint condition.
 
When I joined C/W Talk back in June and mentioned that one of my hobbies was painting model soldiers I was asked to post some pictures so, here are a couple to begin with. The first is of a Series 77 90mm Berdan sharpshooter, the second is a set by Barton miniatures called the rebel line.

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When I joined C/W Talk back in June and mentioned that one of my hobbies was painting model soldiers I was asked to post some pictures so, here are a couple to begin with. The first is of a Series 77 90mm Berdan sharpshooter, the second is a set by Barton miniatures called the rebel line.
Both very well painted, especially like the detail work on the diorama.
 
Not Civil War but a set I would have enjoyed as a kid would have been one of Fort Zindernoof from the Beau Gest story. I understand another company makes a beautiful one now, Marx being out of business I believe. I hope some kids still enjoy this stuff but I have a feeling more old guys are buying these things than kids now days.

John
 
Not Civil War but a set I would have enjoyed as a kid would have been one of Fort Zindernoof from the Beau Gest story. I understand another company makes a beautiful one now, Marx being out of business I believe. I hope some kids still enjoy this stuff but I have a feeling more old guys are buying these things than kids now days.

John
One of the 30+ Marx playsets I've owned over the years was their Captain Gallant Of The Foreign Legion which was a licensed tie-in to a rather mediocre Saturday morning kid's show. (Weren't they all?) The show starred former Olympic swimmer Buster Crabbe in the title role with veteran character actor Fuzzy Knight as the inevitable sidekick and some kid as the obligatory "orphan" adopted by the Legion as a mascot. (Like Corporal Rusty in Rin Tin Tin.) The set featured Legionnaires about the same color as the Union soldiers in Blue & Gray vs. brown Bedouins. There was a lithographed steel Legion fort using the castle walls and Fort Apache headquarters building but with tan crenelated plastic toppers to make them look "Moorish." Accessories included camels, horses, and a Bedouin tent! The time period was especially confusing since it appeared to be contemporary 1950's which seemed especially anachronistic even before Algerian independence and all outdoor scenes were stock footage.
 
James N. Yeah, I remember Captain Gallant from tv. I didn't know they made a play set for him though. I would have been thrilled with that! For years I worked with a guy named O'Hara whose nick name was Biff. We always had to explain to the young guys who the real Biff O'Hara was. None of them ever heard of Rin Tin Tin!

I recently saw a play set of Chapultepec. Looked really cool too.

If you ever get to Gettysburg check out a store called The Gettysburg Toy Soldier. They have some really cool stuff there. Makes me wish I was a kid again. (Hope it was ok to say that!).

John
 
If you ever get to Gettysburg check out a store called The Gettysburg Toy Soldier. They have some really cool stuff there. Makes me wish I was a kid again. (Hope it was ok to say that!).

John
Been there; done that! That's where I purchased the "modern" Britains set of two figures that go with their Stonewall Jackson single I bought at the Gettysburg Visitor Center: Jed Hotchkiss and Henry Kyd Douglas.
 
The series 77 figures are not available any more as Pat Bird the maker sold the moulds to somebody in Hawaii I think who never continued the range. Sometimes they can be found on e-bay or at shows where they may cost anything from maybe £25 pounds upwards depending on the seller. I am still about 6 figures short of the set of ACW figures that were produced. The Barton figures, the range can be found by searching 'Barton Miniatures' on the internet. Kitney and Co. purchased the range from Bartons and I bought these figures in 2011 when I retired, all four cost me about £200 I think. I have several other Barton ACW figures I have painted and still have one, a union cavalry officer standing with his horse still to do. But like all modellers I have lots of figures backed up. I started in 1967 with Hinton Hunt 54mm ACW figures, I wasn't very good at the time and over the years have developed more skill, so I have stripped a lot of the figures which are awaiting their re-paint. Good to talk.
 
Hi everyone, I was happy to see the thread about the Marx ACW figures. I too had a box playset given to me for my 10th birthday in 1964 which I still have. I also managed to find some extras a year or two later whilst on holiday. However, without sounding mean I didn't let my son play with them (as I also had a cavalry and Indian set which I let him use and which ended up broken or lost ), and I didn't want the ACW set to go the same way; I haven't even shown them to my grand-son. I had fun playing with them and am glad to say they are still in about 99% mint condition.
I saved my playsets to play with my children too. The first 2 (girls born 8 years apart) were pretty easy on the figures and accessories. By the time our son came along (a further 8 years down the road. Yep. We have every Happy Meal toy since 1990) the plastic was getting brittle. He didn´t break anything, but I did setting Fort Apache up. It was a bit of a disappointment because he wanted to play with them more than any of his siblings did. I still use my Marx pieces for wargaming, but I´m really careful with them. To anyone saving their childhood toys for their kids... grandkids... g-grandkids... I´d suggest scooping up some of those inexpensive figs by BMC and let them play with them to their hearts content. Our gallant plastic warriors belong in the old soldier´s home. :smile:
 
I had the Marx Civil War set which my mom got my brother and I for Christmas in 1960 - just in time for the centennial. I still have the figures and painted them up as I use them in dioramas (though I kept the original blue and gray colors). I've augmented them with other plastic and metal soldiers I have painted as well as painted metal figures purchased from various toy soldier companies. Here is my current diorama of Champion Hill. Many of the Union soldiers marching up the road and in the flanking movement to the far right are Marx figures as are other soldiers scattered across both armies. The gray fences at the base of the hill to the left are also from the original Marx set. Grant stands in front of the Campion House in the left foreground. The wagons in the background are heading towards Edwards Ferry on their way (ideally with the rest of Pemberton's army) to join Joe Johnston as per Johnston's orders, though unknown to Pemberton, Johnston decided to move north, not west, leaving Pemberton holding the proverbial bag.
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I had the Marx Civil War set which my mom got my brother and I for Christmas in 1960 - just in time for the centennial. I still have the figures and painted them up as I use them in dioramas (though I kept the original blue and gray colors). I've augmented them with other plastic and metal soldiers I have painted as well as painted metal figures purchased from various toy soldier companies. Here is my current diorama of Champion Hill. Many of the Union soldiers marching up the road and in the flanking movement to the far right are Marx figures as are other soldiers scattered across both armies. The gray fences at the base of the hill to the left are also from the original Marx set. Grant stands in front of the Campion House in the left foreground. The wagons in the background are heading towards Edwards Ferry on their way (ideally with the rest of Pemberton's army) to join Joe Johnston as per Johnston's orders, though unknown to Pemberton, Johnston decided to move north, not west, leaving Pemberton holding the proverbial bag. View attachment 422833
Great job . It must be huge ! All of my Marx figures are long gone .
 
I had the Marx Civil War set which my mom got my brother and I for Christmas in 1960 - just in time for the centennial. I still have the figures and painted them up as I use them in dioramas (though I kept the original blue and gray colors). I've augmented them with other plastic and metal soldiers I have painted as well as painted metal figures purchased from various toy soldier companies. Here is my current diorama of Champion Hill. Many of the Union soldiers marching up the road and in the flanking movement to the far right are Marx figures as are other soldiers scattered across both armies. The gray fences at the base of the hill to the left are also from the original Marx set. Grant stands in front of the Campion House in the left foreground. The wagons in the background are heading towards Edwards Ferry on their way (ideally with the rest of Pemberton's army) to join Joe Johnston as per Johnston's orders, though unknown to Pemberton, Johnston decided to move north, not west, leaving Pemberton holding the proverbial bag. View attachment 422833
I recognize the iconic Marx poses there. That´s great stuff. Really nice work on other manufacturer´s figures too. I know there are some BMC figs in there because I recognize the poses. Those can be hard to paint because the detailing isn´t that great, but you´ve done a great job of blending them in with the rest of your collection. I still have my entire ¨Blue and Gray¨ playset too, to include the plantation building and the terrain pieces. I like to skirmish wargame in 54mm and I use the terrain all the time. I never painted it, although I painted the figures.
 
I had the Marx Civil War set which my mom got my brother and I for Christmas in 1960 - just in time for the centennial. I still have the figures and painted them up as I use them in dioramas (though I kept the original blue and gray colors). I've augmented them with other plastic and metal soldiers I have painted as well as painted metal figures purchased from various toy soldier companies. Here is my current diorama of Champion Hill. Many of the Union soldiers marching up the road and in the flanking movement to the far right are Marx figures as are other soldiers scattered across both armies. The gray fences at the base of the hill to the left are also from the original Marx set. Grant stands in front of the Campion House in the left foreground. The wagons in the background are heading towards Edwards Ferry on their way (ideally with the rest of Pemberton's army) to join Joe Johnston as per Johnston's orders, though unknown to Pemberton, Johnston decided to move north, not west, leaving Pemberton holding the proverbial bag. View attachment 422833

Nice!!! My Uncle Frank designed those playsets for Louis Marx. He'd have smiled bigtime to see your photo. :smile:
 
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