Playset Magazine #110-- March/April 2020--RETIRED--LAST THIRTEEN!!
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Item Number: PM110
Playset Magazine #110 March/April 2020
Happy Easter Everyone and welcome as we continue our celebration of the Anniversary of the Victory over Germany and Japan in WWII with our “War’s Over” theme and an incredible exclamation point of Marx history: How Louis Marx pens ended World War II. The whole fascinating, untold story is here, courtesy Francis Turner.
Victories Abound
Last issue we reveled in the U.S. victory in plastics and new ideas for incredible toys. Just look at the mighty events that surrounded and influenced the toy making world during this era:
1945 - WWII ends in victory
1948 - Yeager breaks sound barrier
1950 - Korean War starts
1951 - Color TV 1954 - First Nuclear Sub
1955 - Davy Crockett TV Series
1956 - Suez Canal crisis
1957 - Sputnik crosses the skies
1958 - Vanguard launched What a fantastic time.
While the war regulated toy makers who were subject to the needs of the war effort, it became an austerity measure that we Baby Boomers never had to experience. Proud, free and optimistic, we were deluged with a grand proliferation of toy soldiers, military battlegrounds, forts and an endless stream of delights people just could not have dreamed of during the war, except Louis Marx and maybe Tobias Cohn. And that brings us to the postwar sets that Tobias offered.
This issue along with “How Louis Marx’ Pen Ended World War II, we thoroughly examine those diverse T. Cohn forts so drenched in 1950’s sensibilities and clever twists. These playsets are colorful, with hard and soft plastic figures, wagons and accessories (well, limited accessories) but they really take you back to the early days of Western movies like Drum Beat and The Last Comanche. But the truth is, few of us (actually, none of those we polled) had any idea as to the differences in figures, or forts themselves
• Which sets had Metal gates? Plastic gates?
• Which ones had the undersize wagons?
• Exactly when did they start using swivel-hip Indians?
• What is the Coolest set?
Together we’ll enjoy exploring the surrounded walls of Fort Comanche (several versions), Fort Superior (two versions) Fort Mackenzie, Fort Davy Crockett, plus the wondrously boxed Wagon Train into Fort Cheyenne and see incredible Christmas morning images from Ron Knoop and others, and still more!
This is extensive, comprehensive coverage of early playsets instigated by PMers Tom Wiberg, Mike Ciccone, Ron Knoop, Kent Sprecher, and even your editors, delving into and enjoying that “only in the Fifties” charm.
Meanwhile, Easter is coming; a time of renewal and time to watch Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments on TV. Or set up Marx’ The Ten Commandments playset. We’ve pictured it before (briefly, last Easter), but this Easter, we compare two mint sets, thanks to PMers Jeff Schilling and Ron Miller.
This issue is on the presses now and ships the 25th of February. We are celebrating 18 plastic action packed years serving America’s plastics fraternity as the premiere magazine for plastic toy soldiers and playsets, never missing an issue or a deadline, we dutifully ship on the 25th. We’re also manning the phones live every day and ship orders out within hours.
So sit back with a favorite beverage, dear friends, its plastic time! And thank you. By reading Playset Magazine you are part of a fraternity that loves to discuss playsets and plastic toys from the atomic era, and we thank you for being here.
RETIRED.
LAST THIRTEEN!!
