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Marx Trains
Louis Marx formed Louis Marx And Company, Inc in 1919. Joined by his brother David a couple of years later, Louis Marx & Company was located at 200 Fifth Avenue, in New York City where it remained for 52 years throughout the Marx ownership. The company begun without capital assets, sales base, patents, trademarks, products, processes, machinery, suppliers, or customers for that matter. However, they made up for this with conviction, commitment, good instinct, and Louis's talent and indomitable energy, combined with David's operational skills.
Two basic policies were instilled from the beginning at Louis Marx & Co.: "Give the customer more toy for less money," and "Quality is not negotiable." Louis and David worked long, hard days and nights to turn these policies into realities, setting an example for their staff and the entire industry. The company soon earned a reputation for excellent quality at low prices, making the Marx brand name synonymous with high value.
They began marketing Girard Joy Line trains in 1928 and gained complete control over the Girard product line in 1934.
The 1930's were a period of rapid growth for Marx despite the Great Depression. The first major plant was at Erie, Pennsylvania. Marx Trains ran 'full steam' at the Girard, PA plant, and vehicles 'rolled' out of the Glendale, West Virginia factory.
Solid growth continued until World War II, when the factories converted for the war effort. In 1945, following VE day, General Dwight D. Eisenhower invited Louis Marx to join him as Industrial Advisor in Germany. In 1947 Louis Marx & co. revived its 027 gauge train line and by 1948 were manufacturing some of the first plastic toys in the industry.
In 1955 Marx brought the Colber accessory line and added to their range of accessories.
In 1972, after careful negotiation, Louis Marx sold his U.S. empire to Quaker Oats for $52 million. Just 3 years later, Quaker sold to the British firm of Dunbee-Combex. Lacking the leadership and a star product (the Big Wheel was now 10 years old), they passed the control of development to English engineers, resulting in huge losses from returns of two expensive new toys in 1978. This was the last full year of production. The positive attitude that Marx was built upon quickly faded and they were no longer certain that they could ship the goods. Dunbee-Combex-Marx of England, unable to meet its obligations, lost control and filed for bankruptcy in 1980.
Louis Marx died in 1982.
In 1982, American Plastic Equipment of Florida purchased the company's assets from the Chemical Bank of New York. Later, in 1988, they acquired the intellectual rights. By that time, Marx toys and playsets were trading in the collector markets at hundreds and even thousands of dollars. This strong demand was what triggered and gave rise to the Marx Renaissance. These and other sets were soon reissued at very reasonable prices, and in no time, Magic Marxie was back! In 1995 Marx Toys, * a new entity, Marx Toy Corporation, was formed in Sebring Ohio. Although Louis Marx & Co. no longer exists, their legacy of producing quality toy products continues. Marx Toy Corporation is a seperate company from, and is not a successor to, Louis Marx & Co., however the original home of Marx, at 200 Fifth Avenue, still continues to house the new company's N.Y. Showroom.
Marx trains revived the Marx 027 train line in 1993 and continue to sell trains to this day.
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