Peter Wassmiller Rex Mars/Tom Corbett HM Marx Compatible Space Training Center - Pt 1

Here is an absolutely cool-as-heck building I bought seven years ago from a gentleman on fleaBay: Peter Wassmiller. I have previously posted a number of Mr. Wassmiller's creations here on Toys and Stuff like those shown below.

This particular building is his homemade take on the old Marx Tom Corbett/Rex Mars Space Academy. I like his version for several reasons:

-If you already have an original Marx building, this acts as an additional building to any space port type set-up you may want to put together

-It's slightly smaller footprint saves space

-It's design mirrors that of the original so the two look like twin buildings

I bought this seven years ago and just now decided to assemble it! (I take the long view with my projects 😄 ) Were you to try and find one now you won't have any luck. It's been my experience that his creations are extremely limited. Sometimes he'll just do a one-off building, while other times he'll make several. But once they're sold, that's it, you can't buy any more! This building consisted of four pieces of formed-&-painted sheet metal structural pieces that are to be joined together by little clips. All the holes are pre-punched to accept the clips. A sheet of peel-&-stick appliqués is included which has all the decorative trim as well as interior detailing. There are two instruction sheets showing how to assemble the building and where to place the appliqués which you must cut out of the sheet yourself. The artwork is excellent and is most definitely appropriate to the era. In addition to the basic materials needed to assemble the building, he included a full set of original Marx Tom Corbett/Rex Mars plastic accessories! Awesome! Our next installment will show the assembled structure. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

Remco Radio Tower, Rex Mars Space Phone, and Unbranded Rocket

Wellll, it's been a long, slow arc from the last time I centered posts on space themes. Over the past couple of years we saw a TON of military stuff, a bunch of trains - which will remain a mainstay of the blog - dragons, and other miscellany. Then I hit the MPC ringhand toys and spent a year or more on those, finally using MPC ringhand space sets as my segue into space toys in general. So now let's break away from MPC for just a little while and hit some of the other space toys making their way into my own little Space Fleet.

This job lot was acquired quite cheaply some months back and included the radio tower from a Remco Radio Station, a Rex Mars Space Phone, and a multi-stage rocket. The radio tower, which measures 6 3/4" (17.14cm) H, can be used along with my other toys in any number of displays or set-ups and so will come in handy for that. Rex Mars was Marx's answer to Tom Corbett toys but because Marx had to pay royalties for the use of the Tom Corbett name they ended up inventing their own space hero: Rex Mars - totally royalty free. All they needed to do was re-name their existing playsets while essentially keeping the same parts. But here's the thing. I don't actually collect Rex Mars toys and am not sure what set this Space Phone came in, but it's a nice, non-functioning, frying pan looking toy. So, those two toys are nice but I bought this job lot for the multi-stage rocket. It is unbranded, has four stages in different colors, and measures 8" (20.32cm) H x 2 1/8" (5.39cm) wide, fin-to-fin. It makes a good addition to the Space Fleet but if anyone can give me a clue as to who made it that would be much appreciated. Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

Marx Rex Mars Planet Patrol Headquarters

In 1953 Marx introduced its 'Rex Mars Planet Patrol' playset as a Montgomery Wards exclusive during the 1953 Christmas catalog season. Of the three space-themed sets made by Marx during this period (the others being 'Tom Corbett' and 'Space Patrol'), Rex Mars owes his existence solely to Marx's imagination. The other two sets were based on television shows of the time for which Marx had to pay expensive royalties. By making their own fictional space hero, they could avoid the extra costs and introduce figures and accessories that may not have been true to the television series. The headquarters building featured today on Toys & Stuff is the re-purposed 1952 Tom Corbett playset building, but with much brighter yellow walls and bright red graphics. For more information on this set, refer to 'Playset Magazine' issue No.26 available at the following:

Playset Magazine 

Until a proper diorama setting can be worked up for featuring our Space Stuff here at Toys & Stuff, we'll have to content ourselves with just the nifty tin-litho centerpiece. However this time, in addition to the big centerpiece, we'll feature one of the premium highlights available in all these sets - the Rocket Car. What a gorgeous piece of mid-century space styling this is and we're glad to bring it to you. Enjoy!

Morse Code Re-purposed as Space Code

 Left wall

Front wall

 Details along the front wall

 Ceiling entrance into the Observatory

Right wall

Rocket Car