The Race For The Rarest of the Marx Rarities

Very nice lithography on that trolley! Check out the seller's other items....a lot of interesting items there.

Must be the unloading of a serious collectors rarefied stash. All of it too pricey for this kid. This one is way cool. Never saw one before. I wonder if it was cobbled..it looks too perfect but then again I tend to be a skeptic when it comes to $300.00 + rarities.

Check out that sellers other items, that's some collection.  I've never ever heard of a Flintstones handcar, way cool.  Make sure you look at the completed sales as well, sure to make a post war fan cry.  

the trolley was made with or without a battery op headlight...

although i've also seen a different type of bumper on the lighted version.

i'll put my bet on the critter/ unloader bringing the highest Marx bid of those lots, ...or at least it should.  collector alert on these small tanks.  originals should be metal, ...there are repro cast resin critters out there, though.

there are also a LOT of nice vehicles on flats.  not exactly original loads, but many rarely seen.

cheers...gary

Egads..it was like Chinese water torture to scroll through the other offerings knowing that I was out of the race at those prices, with two days to go...Anyone who doubted there was a market for this stuff from Marx ought to take a gander. I thought I had seen some high price benchmarks before, but they were nothing compared to this, especially the quality of nearly everything. Maybe it's Bill Gates...my bet is on the streetcar. It will be a real horse race. 

Luckily, there is a lot of Marx, including several train series, that I don't collect.  If any

of those 3 pages of eBay items reach the $2500 of that 3/16 NKP side dumping hopper,

I'd be impressed...of course, there are bunny train cars on there which might approach

that...and I never saw the Flintstone handcar before, either.

I HAD to look... (current AND completed).  Nice collection!!

I wish I hadn't looked. 

the 572ST is a true Marx car, but only with the unique tank and unique flat.

there are many variations of the #5 tank, but only the OD, non-flip model is correct for the load. if you see the flip-over metal strip (a more common version) it is not the flatcar load and will probably not even sit properly on the flat.

the 572ST flat was also a very unique car.  the full length tank holder clip is fastened near the corners with four tabs punched out from the flat car bed.  this is the only 6" tin car with these tabs.  sometimes two of the tank holder tabs will be bent 90° inward, but either arrangement will hold the tank securely.

as an accessory, the tank should run and it even should sparkle although i have yet to find how to change the flint on these without a complete disassembly.  a running and still sparkling tank would be an extremely rare find.

I'm now following several of his items

Nice and all, and I know this isn't marx, but I like this lil guy better!...and no, I'm not paying that "and" shipping!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390564778608?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I've really been interested in the euro clockwork stuff lately...don't know why, it just looks neat.

...hehehe- x2, even before this thread popped up.

"Honey there's been a problem with the tax return"........

Rare Marx and a Hornby "Snow Plough"?  Is this a great thread or what?!

Bob, I'm in the same boat with an increased interest in British and German clockwork items... they have a unique charm to them.  However, as a dyed-in-the-wool Marx windup fan, it's taking me a while to warm up to the prices of the Euro items - especially when the shipping costs are added! 

I always try to have some Hornby or other European on my tables at shows.  If you follow Hornby on ebay on any given day there will be 50-100 items in the USA.  Hachette was a remake of mainly French Hornby items but I they are now only available on the secondary market.

I am amazed - wonder how many of these were disposed of over the years leading to this auction price?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/370785...id=p3984.m1423.l2649

Yes, rarity:  The bunny train was a sales flop at the time.  Louis Marx was reportedly very disappointed, not even wanting to hear it mentioned afterward, as it was all his idea in the first place. 

This is the Marx version of Lionel's girls set. Couldn't give them away, now very collectable.

Steve

oops... should have read the ad.  the critter they had WAS one of the repros.  the Marx part of their auction looks like it did fairly well overall.  certainly the few i was slightly interested in closed higher than i would have predicted.  probably due to so many nice pieces in one place.  guess you'll definitely attract a crowd that way.  probably a good strategy to keep in mind.