Back around 1962 or '63, I received the above wind-up MARX 'COWBOY On HORSE' Twirling Toy for either a birthday or Christmas present. If I recall rightly, it was bought from LEWIS'S, in Glasgow, though I couldn't swear to it. (Perhaps it was GOLDBERG'S - not that it really matters.) Point is, I had it. The one in the above pic is a replacement I obtained a good few years ago, though I've forgotten exactly how many. Sometime in the 1990s, I think, or maybe even early '00s. That's a scan of the box (slightly water-damaged) at the foot of the post.
The toy below is what I guess would be considered its modern-day equivalent, as it does essentially the same thing. Curiously, it has no identifying makers' mark, nor a DISNEY copyright mark or date. I think I purchased it around 1997 or '98 (from WOOLWORTH'S), but it could've been a year or so after that. It's funny how, 35 years after I had the first toy (which could've been first produced in the '50s for all I know), the idea was still in production for the enjoyment of a whole new generation of kids. (I wonder if there's anything like it in the shops today? Anyone know?)
Anyway, thought you might like to see 'em, so here they are. Unfortunately, you'll just have to imagine them bucking. (I said bucking! There's nothing 'Brokeback Mountain' about these two guys. You lot obviously have dirty minds! Sheesh!)
Ahh memories - Lewis's and Goldberg's were legendary Glasgow stores - I was actually in the multi story car park directly park opposite Goldberg's in Candleriggs looking out as the store collapsed covering me and others in a thick layer of grey soot and dust (it was under demolition but the collapse was sudden) . Lewis's was a massive and wonderful store I do think you could have bought just about anything in there (it even had a great magazine and comic section) but the toy floor was a wonderland even by today's specialist toy store standards. I recall getting taken there by my mum and dad (especially for a birthday etc treat) arriving via the stunning ornate lifts with the elevator operator calling out the floor numbers and what was there ("5th floor toys, board games, sports equipment..." etc) and opening the wonderful wood and iron lift gates. The "toy soldier section"was amazing with all the toys set out by type/genre (cowboys, knights, space, World War soldiers by nation, Greeks, Romans etc) just wonderful stuff - I loved these type of things as a kid and really wish I had held onto a few of them ("Timpo" toys I think were my favourites with the interchangeable hats bodies etc)
ReplyDeleteMemories indeed, PM. I still have quite a few things originally bought in Lewis's, as well as a Lewis's Christmas Club badge from the '70s, I think. No doubt there are some items bought by my parents from Goldberg's somewhere in the house, but, alas, I wouldn't know what or where to find them. As for Timpo toys, I really must set my mind to acquiring some of them - the only one I have is a Captain Scarlet figure from the '60s. I miss all the great old stores - Lewis's, Goldberg's, Henderson's, Woolworth's, etc. Gone but not forgotten, eh? Glad the post prompted a few happy memories for you.
ReplyDeleteThe Marx toys were re released in the 90s and I bought my son the gold knight. It was a wonder with all the armor. And wonderfully awful because the plastic snaps were even more fragile than before and kept breaking the first time you put the armor on the knight. Great concept bad execution. Sort of the story of my life so to speak.
ReplyDeleteIn Britain, Johnny West and Chief Cherokee were re-released by a company called Dapol, but they were renamed. Johnny became Cowboy Kid and Chief Cherokee was renamed Cherokee Chief. Cowboy Kid didn't have JW's face 'though, he had the face of the Marx Black Knight - which bore a resemblance to Sean Connery. If I remember correctly ('cos my figures are packed away in the loft), only Cherokee Chief still had the Marx trademark stamp. Cowboy Kid had the Dapol brand, and Thunderbolt (the horse) had no copyright stamp at all. I was able to buy replacement accessories from Dapol for the original Johnny and Chief figures I'd acquired, so I was quite chuffed.
ReplyDeleteI've just learned that Marx actually had a 'Cowboy Kid', which was pretty much the same as the Dapol one. Who knew?!
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