Juguetes Dinamicos de Mexico, S.A. #2946 Untouchables Header Bag Set

Long after the 1950s hit TV gangster drama The Untouchables stopped airing it remains a hot item for playset collectors, at least the original Marx toys associated with the show. A complete original Marx Untouchables playset can go for big bucks and the tin-litho buildings command premium prices as well. But for those who can['t afford to take out a second mortgage on their house just to buy original Marx toys there's a cheaper alternate - the sets made by 'Juguetes Dinamicos de Mexico, S.A.'. Marx had factories all over the world and when the parent company went out of business, many of their plastic toys were still being produced south of the border under different names. I covered their large playset on 2, 3, 4, 5 July of last year, this year we're looking at the smaller header bag set.

The biggest difference in their sets is the use of brightly colored plastics as well as the inclusion of '50s era Marx repo vehicles and various accessories culled from other Marx playsets. Repo figures are also available on the market in complete sets of silver and sometimes gray plastic - a lot less gaudy than those featured here today although I suppose one could re-paint these.

This header bag set consists of:

-14 figures in seven poses

-2 Beer vats

-Cement Mixer truck

-11 pieces of furniture

Same casting as above but with hat

The plastic used in these sets is quite brittle. This G-Man is carrying an ax with a broken handle. Unfortunately the handle wasn't in the bag so couldn't be glued back on.

Ya know, sometime Google is so frustrating. These were edited to bring out the black background and highlight the white, yet when they download to Google's photo albums all color editing is lost. It almost always happens on figures taken against dark backgrounds.

Here the color editing 'stuck' and the background is nice and black the way I intended it to be.

Juguetes Dinamicos de Mexico, S.A. #5206 Untouchables Set - Pt 3

Today we feature yet more pieces from the Juguetes Dinamicos de Mexico, Marx repo Untouchables Set. We'll look at the Distillery Group and Bank Group. Enjoy!

Distillery Group, 22 pcs:

                8 Vats, silver

                Dolly w/handle, 4pcs, blue/white

                Barrels, 4, blue/white

                Hand trucks, 2, blue/white

                Lanterns, 2, blue/white

                Sacks, 2, blue/white

Bank Group, 24 pcs:

                Desks, 2, blue/white

                Cashier Cages, 2, blue/white

                Safes, 2 blue/white

                Filing Cabinets, 2, blue/white

                Swivel type Office Chairs, 2, blue/white

                Coat Racks, 2, blue/white

                Cashier/Checkout Counters, 2, blue/white

                Gas Cans (stack), 2, blue/white

                Gas Cans (single), 6, blue/white

I found it rather odd that gas cans would be included in the Bank Group.

Juguetes Dinamicos de Mexico, S.A. #5206 Untouchables Set - Pt 1

Followers of Toys & Stuff know that we've been able to feature some of the original Marx tin-litho playset pieces. I don't own a complete original Marx set but do have the buildings and vehicles. Original figures for the set have simply become priced out of reach for many collectors and so we have to rely on other means to flesh out our sets. One way is to buy the sets made by Juguetes Dinamicos de Mexico, S.A.(translated: Dynamic Toys of Mexico). Sometimes these too can be pricey - this set selling for about $100 - but you do get a lot of pieces and the entire complement of figures that originally came with the Marx sets. Quite a few of the old Marx plastic toys are still being made in Mexico and they have become a great way to get that vintage Marx feel often times for a fraction of the cost of original Marx.

Normally when sets like this get blogged I'll do it in multiple parts spread out over several weeks. I believe it's time to try a different tact - covering the set in multiple parts on successive days. Let's start this off with the box, playmat, and set contents.

The set comes in this cardboard 'briefcase' similar to the carry-all sets produced by Marx, Ideal, and others.

Contents (all soft plastic except for playmat)

Garage Group, 12 pcs (truck tooling modified to increase height vs. the originals):

                Dump truck, 1, black

                Removable snow plow (aka ramming blade), 1, black

                Semi-tractor, 1, black

                Compressor, 1, black

                Jack Hammers, 3, black

                Wheel sets, 5,  black

Distillery Group, 22 pcs:

                8 Vats, silver

                Dolly w/handle, 4pcs, blue/white

                Barrels, 4, blue/white

                Hand trucks, 2, blue/white

                Lanterns, 2, blue/white

                Sacks, 2, blue/white

Bank Group, 24 pcs:

                Desks, 2, blue/white

                Cashier Cages, 2, blue/white

                Safes, 2 blue/white

                Filing Cabinets, 2, blue/white

                Swivel type Office Chairs, 2, blue/white

                Coat Racks, 2, blue/white

                Cashier/Checkout Counters, 2, blue/white

                Gas Cans (stack), 2, blue/white

                Gas Cans (single), 6, blue/white

Saloon Group, 18 pcs

                Banquette Seating, 1, white

                Ping Pong Table, 1, green

                Juke Box, 1, blue

                Bar, 1 red

                Upright Piano, 1, white

                Large Round Table (plain), 1, red

                Small Round Cocktail Table, 1, white

                Dining Table w/Place Settings, 2, blue/white

                Barstools, 2, blue/white

                Armchairs (large), 2, red/yellow

                Dining Chairs, 4, blue/white

                Large Rectangular Table, 1, white (not shown on box photo)

Alley Group, 12 pcs:

                Barricades,2 assemblies = 6pcs, blue/white

                Street Signs, 2, blue/white

                Streetlamps w/Callbox, 2, blue/white

                Fire Hydrants, 2, blue/white

Weapons Group, 10 pcs

                Tommy Guns, 4 blue/white

                45mm Pistols, 4, blue/white (I missing in my photos), blue/white

                Violin Cases, 2, blue/white

 People Group, 32 pcs (assignation of Good Guys or Bad Guys is subjective)

                Gun Moll, 4, orange (1), red (2), white (1)

                Crook, Hands in Air, 2, white

                Gangster Shot, pistol and Hat Falling, 2, red, light red

                Gangster Pulling Gun Out of Golf Club Bag, 3, red

                Gangster w/scarf over mouth Pointing Pistol, 2, white/orange

                Gangster w/Hands Hand-cuffed Behind Back, 1, white

                Casualty Lying on Ground, 1, gray

                Cop Firing Tommy Gun, 2, red

                Fed w/Tommy Gun at Waist Pointing Down, 1, white

                Fed w/Tommy Gun at Waist Aiming (or Firing), 2, light red,

                Fed w/Pistol, Crouching, 1, red

                Fed Running w/Axe, 1, light red

                Fed Reaching into Coat (for Badge? For Weapon? For Arrest Warrant?), 6, 3 red/3 light red/ 3

                white

                Fed w/Pistols Pointing Downward, 3, white/red/orange

                Fed w/no hat or coat, Pistol Pointing Out and Left Arm Extended, 1, light red

Playmat, multi-fold cardboard, 34 5/8” x 30”

The playmat is cardboard and unfolds like a puzzle. The graphics give the viewer the appearance of looking straight down onto the scene as if the roofs were removed from the buildings.

All playmats tend to be problematic and this one is no exception. Being cardboard it is prone to warping from changes in humidity. Plastic mats have a hard time laying flat as the creases where they are folded tend to stick up.        Like it Deine Frau Gattin Bettina :)