Marx Fort Apache Cabin with Crooked Horseshoe

On 10 Nov 2010 Toys & Stuff Featured the Marx Fort Apache Cabin with Straight Horseshoe which came out in 1956. This refers to the lithographed detail on the front door of the cabin. In 1958 Marx slightly revised the lithography on the cabin front by giving the front door a crooked horse shoe- as if somebody had slammed the door - and adding porch detail, but essentially everything else remained the same. Enjoy!

Marx Fort Apache Carry-all w-Vacu-Form HQ & Stable

Last week on Toys & Stuff we featured the Marx Fort Apache Carry-all with tin-litho HQ and Stable. Today, let's take a look at its companion, the Fort Apache Carry-all with Vacu-Form HQ and Stable. The only real difference between the two is of course the insert HQ/Stable section. The graphics remain the same, and there's still a handle and simple latch mechanism. Vacu-forming toy parts was kind of popular back in the '70s, unfortunately most vacu-formed parts were junk!! They were very thin and prone to splitting and breaking. However, on a positive note,  when it came to large pieces they allowed toy manufacturers to make colorful, detailed, lightweight items. I had stated that I got rid of the my only two Ft. Apache carry-all's because of condition problems. Although the one featured today had an intact latch, handle, and gates you'll soon see why I got rid of it. Enjoy!

Just a slight bit of wear-&-tear!

The latch and handle are clearly intact on this sample

You'll notice the two gates are still attached

 Gate detail

Beautiful stockade lithography

Marx Fort Apache Carry-all w-Tin HQ & Stable

When I first started collecting tin-litho toys I had picked up a couple of these Marx Carry-all's. Their concept is really good - take a playset, put it in a sturdy container, add a handle to make it portable like a briefcase so you can take it to your friends house to play, and decorate the exterior to match the theme of the contents. Other companies, like MPC, put handles on cardboard playset boxes but the tin-litho Carry-all's were sturdier and the interior and exterior sides could be decorated to match the sets' theme. The Fort Apache sets were neat in that the case was easily transformed into a 'wooden' stockade. When opened, there were two gates on either side, in the middle where the case hinges were located. When the stockade was opened, two plastic lookout towers - which were a staple of the traditional sets - were added to the corners. Marx made two versions of the Fort Apache carry-all. The first one is shown today. It has a tin-litho HQ and stables along one end of the case. The other version is a dumbed-down, cheap vacuum-formed HQ and stable. I don't have the dimensions for the Carry-all today, but hopefully for my next Carry-all post we'll be able to get that for you.

I sold both of my Fort Apache Carry-all's several years ago as they had condition problems, but before doing so had taken a bunch of photos. Now I'm glad I took those photos, regardless of the condition problems, because it's unlikely I'll be able to get replacement sets any time soon. Enjoy!

My set was missing both the handle and the latch. The exterior was a scratched up and one side was bent out - Yup, just a few condition problems :-)

You'll notice the open space in the stockade walls. There are normally two gates which fill these openings - both were missing on my box.

 The left side was designed to be the soldier's area. The right side was the 'friendly Indian' encampment.

Nicely done, tin-litho HQ and stable wall.

In spite of the stray markings, the beautiful litho detail still shines through.

The lookout towers originally included with the traditional all-plastic stockade.

Fort Apache Downsized Cabin

Marx's Fort Apache sets were fascinating. They underwent many changes in sizes, types, and colors of figures and accessories, and it's centerpiece tin-litho building kept changing and evolving as well. For years, the centerpiece was one of the large tin-litho cabins and then in 1956 Marx offered this smaller cabin. The cabin is nice but seems so inadequate as a fort's main structure. If one were to make a 'fantasy' playset, this would certainly look great as one of the smaller peripheral buildings. It wasn't until 1961 that Marx introduced a proper Fort Apache headquarters building, see the 29 Aug 2011 Toys & Stuff post. Enjoy!

Marx Fort Apache Headquarters with Stable

As I get around to photographing the collection one thing is apparent; the abundance of Marx 'shoebox' buildings, so-called because of their rectangular shape, 5" (12.7cm) H x 4" (10.2cm) W x 12" (30.5) L. But in these you won't find a pair of Buster Brown's or P.F. Flyer's (if you're a child of the '50s you 'll know exactly what I'm talking about).

Today on Toys and Stuff we feature the 'shoebox' Fort Apache Headquarters with Stable. The first Fort Apache set came out in 1951 and was an immediate and enduring hit with kids. I had always looked forward to visiting my Uncle Al and Aunt Dorothy because they had a Fort Apache set always at the ready for use by their grand kids. Later on I would be fortunate to get a set for Christmas - it was the Sears Heritage set from 1961. The basic box shapes of the 'shoebox' series of buildings could always be plussed-up through the use of plastic add-ons as is the case with this building. Through the addition of a porch, opening stable doors, and a lookout tower, this building is taken to the next level in terms of design and aesthetics. It's also fun!

The Fort Apache sets have been dubbed the 'King of Playsets' and were able to adapt and change with the times. This particular building ushered in a beautiful flat finish lithography and stood 11" (27.9cm) H to the top of the mast.  It was the same type that came with my childhood set  from 1961. Enjoy!