Louis Marx Doctor Who Toys

American toy maker Louis Marx and Company was founded by Louis and David Marx in 1919 and by the 1950s had become the Hasbro of its day, only to wind up in bankruptcy by the 1980s. With slogans like 'more toy for less money' and 'quality is not negotiable' Marx was particularly successful in the manufacture of early sci-fi inspired robot and space toys.

Today Louis Marx playsets and figures are highly collectable and the vintage Marx daleks and Marx Doctor Who toys are very sought after by collectors.

6.5" Robot Action Daleks

Marx Dalek 6.5" with Robot Action, battery operated released from 1965 in black or silver. The blue box is the first release, with the packaging changing to the red box possibly from around 1967. In the pictures above the black dalek on the left is an original 60's Marx dalek, whereas the silver one on the right is the 1990's Dapol reproduction version.

The first Marx Daleks dating from 1965 were the 'Dr Who the Mysterious Daleks' with 'Amazing Robot Action' (later known as bump and go) daleks which came in black or silver/grey both with two gold bands. These very successful battery-operated daleks altered direction when they bumped into something and were rereleased in several versions.

In the 1990's Dapol made their own reproduction versions of the Marx daleks which even have the Marx logo on the base (the parts and base pictured are original). Although modern batteries can be squeezed into the battery compartment they are then very hard to extract; this is not advisable.

The early Marx Dalek toys were actually used as props in the Troughton seven-part Evil of the Daleks (1967).

Friction Drive Daleks

Marx Toys made friction drive daleks in two scales - 4.5" and 6.5".

Marx Dalek 4.5" with friction drive, released from 1965 in black or silver.

Marx Dalek 6.5" with friction drive, siren and flashing light, battery operated released from 1965 in black or silver.

The Marx Dalek Construction Kit, also released from 1965, was a dalek model that when assembled was in appearance the same as other Marx daleks but without the internal robot action or friction drive mechanisms.

Dalek Rolykins

Dr Who and the Dalek Rolykins were Marx's best selling Doctor Who toy.

The Rolykins one inch miniature daleks featured a ball-bearing in the base and came in a box stamped with the colour on the bottom; red, silver or black. Mint examples have the eye stalk, gun and plunger still in a plastic bag sealed with a staple.

Standing around an inch high the Dalek Rolykins were the ideal pocket money toy.

In the 1990's Product Enterprise released a range of reproduction Dalek Rolykins; these all have © BBC 1963 on the base instead of the original Marx logo.

Other toys by Marx included the Dalek Shooting Game consisting of a cork firing pop gun, target board and four cardboard stand-up daleks.

Marx Doctor Who and the Daleks Bagatelle (1965) can be found in three versions; small circular, large circular and oblong. All three versions were originally sold boxed.

Marx Dalek 6.5" with Robot Action, battery operated re-released from 1974 in red or yellow in a revised box.

Note, in the 1990s Dapol released their own Friction Drive and Bump and Go Daleks that were manufactured from the original Marx daleks toy moulds.