Marx Dinosaurs and Prehistoric

Marx produced series of dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures in soft plastic beginning in the 1950s.

Main Series

The main series started with three molds in 1955, numbers PL-749, PL-750, and PL-755. There was a later revision of the primary group with mold PL-977, and new additions later with mold PL-1083. Earlier dinosaurs are in soft plastic most commonly grey and green, with some brown or tan. Later ones are in a more waxy feeling soft plastic in similar colors, and the last ones were in other colors with blue and yellow being the more commonly seen. Many of the dinos have been reissued by other manufacturers using the same molds, and copied by many more. The original series was produced in very limited quantities out of hard plastic and painted, to be used as a giveaway at the Nuremberg Toy Fair.

The first mold PL-749 contained three large animals

Marx Brontosaurus
Marx Kronosaurus
Marx Tyrannosaurus Rex - known as the potbelly T Rex

PL-750 had six medium sized animals

Marx Allosaurus - right foot has a larger outside toe pointing more outwards
Marx Ankylosaurus - has one large injection mold circle and a pebbly looking belly
Marx Hadrosaurus
Marx Pteranodon
Marx Stegosaurus - has one large injection circle and 3 smaller ones
Marx Trachodon - right arm points down

PL-755 made five small animals

Marx Cynognathus
Marx Dimetrodon - has mold injection circle on stomoach
Marx Plateosaurus
Marx Sphenacodon
Marx Triceratops - has thicker horns

PL-760 and PL-761 are numbers for plants and their bases respectively.

In 1959 a revised mold PL-977 was made combining together and remaking many of the animals. Most look nearly identical, but the Tyrannosaurus Rex was completely new.

Marx Allosaurus 2 - right foot has smaller outside toe and all point forwards
Marx Ankylosaurus 2 - has no injection circle and lines on belly
Marx Brontosaurus 2 - looks the same as the first but has smaller mold injection circles on the feet
Marx Dimetrodon 2 - no mold injection circle
Marx Stegosaurus 2 - has all small injection circles
Marx Trachodon 2 - right arm points up
Marx Triceratops 2 - has thinner horns
Marx Tyrannosaurus Rex 2 - known as the skinny T Rex

In 1961 a new mold was made PL-1083 with eight new creatures.

The Flintstones

The Flintstones Playset included dinosaurs from the main line plus various character figures, only two of which were animals. These have both been reissued over the years.

There was also the Flintstones Hunting Party set. This also included dinos from the main line, plus three very large hollow ones made using two parts glued together. These are rare and tend to be pretty expensive, they have never been reissued.

As part of the Tinykins line there was also the two pets, in small hard plastic and factory painted

ELM Miniatures

These were small versions of some of the main line dinos produced of hard plastic and sold in individual boxes. Made in Hong Kong and marked as ELM - Empire Louis Marx.