The PopCult Toybox

The Marx Toy Convention, which was scheduled to take place at The Kruger Toy & Train Museum in Wheeling over Father’s Day weekend in June, has been canceled. This is no real shock, since the Coronavirus Pandemic is still a very real threat, and while state goverments are giving permission for some businesses to open prematurely, it is highly unlikely that gatherings of more than 25 people will be allowed in time for this show to happen.

It’s also common sense that older toy collectors probably shouldn’t risk exposure to the virus while it’s still actively spreading throughout the country.

While this is disappointing and sad, it’s made even more bittersweet by the fact that, this year, there was going to be a very limited-edition Marx Toy Convention exclusive figure of Kit Carson, assembled by Scott Stewart of Stewart’s Attic fame, Douglas Nelson and The Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum.

While the show is off, the figure is still on, and in fact Scott made these available over the weekend and I have mine in hand already. That means it’s time for a brief photo essay!

As seen above, the box is a nicely-conceived piece of art depicting Kit Carson, a Western pioneer and hero of the Mexican-American and Civil Wars. The sturdily-constructed box includes plenty of historical background material, as well as a list of contents and the logo for Kruger Street.

The whole package is impressive. The figure itself, as you can see at the left, is a Johnny West head mounted on a vintage Geronimo body.

Soft accessories are CXR “Mountain Man” accessories, as are some of the hard accessories.These were produced by the late Noah Coop, a pioneer himself when it came to reviving Marx Action Figures, and his wife, Terri Coop. I believe that this is the first Marx Toy Museum exclusive since the CXR accessory sets produced around ten years ago.

I also believe the flintlock rifle may be 3D printed by Scott.

Also included are an instruction sheet, a Challenge Coin and a Trading Card. These are high-quality items. The instruction sheet evokes the original Marx instruction sheets, while the trading card has great illustration on the front, and info on Kit Carson on the back.

The Challenge Coin is a really nice piece, an impressive silver-dollar-sized coin that has the heft and feel of brass.

The box is in the style of a vintage Marx 12″ figure box, but it’s made of sturdier stock, and includes an extra flap inside where you can stow some of the equipment. This flap also is also printed with information on Kit Carson and holds the Challenge Coin.

Let’s take a closer look, with some bigger photos..

The box is “coffin style” with a lid that lifts off. The top of the box is printed in full color, on all five panels. You can see the side and top flaps above.

Once you lift the lid, you can see how deluxe this package is.

The figure, being made of vintage parts, has the full range of motion of a regular vintage Marx figure, and the body of the one I have seems almost brand-new, with tight joints and no visible flaws.

Above you see the figure and accessories out of the box.

Here’s a closer look at some of what you get.

The trading card is really nice, and comes in a hard protective sleeve.

I don’t know if the photo does justice to this cool Challenge Coin. This is a really great addition to this set.

The bittersweet detail on the box.

This is a great set and would have been a real treat for convention-goers if the show had gone on as planned. As a very-limited edition figure, it’s not cheap. When you consider all the work that went into this set, with a mix of vinage pieces, custom-made items and the deluxe full-color box, $130 plus shipping is practically a bargain.

Since the show was canceled this figure was sold online only. There are still a few of these left (I believe it’s half a dozen). If you are interested you can find them at Stewart’s Attic, and get a piece of history that didn’t get to happen.