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In 1968, the Louis Marx Toy Company attempted to breathe some new life into the then 7-year old Disneykin line of toys by creating a new playset series. By combining the miniature Disney figures with other previously manufactured Marx items -- with some new parts & accessories thrown in -- the Louis Marx Company created the "See & Play" playsets. The "new" line was sold only through the Montgomery Wards catalog (instead of the usual Sears) and included the Disneykin Dreamhouse Playset, the "See & Play" Disneykin Castle Playset, the "See & Play" Disneykin Farm Set, and the "See & Play" Disneykin Gas Station Playset.
One of the more bizarre of the four playsets was The Disneykin Dreamhouse. The set featured an intricate two-story Cape Cod-styled suburban house, made of see-through plastic, complete with two cars, Disneykins, and all modern conveniences -- including a 60s-era kitchen, gaudy dining room and living room sets, a console TV, carpeting, bedrooms, pool , outdoor furniture, landscaping, and even a bathroom. Sociologically, the playset mirrored the middle class lifestyles and expectations of the late 1960s, which was, incidentally, the core target marketing group of Marx's mini consumers.
Like many Marx Toys, this set ( and the other "See & Play" sets) appropriated items from other Marx lines and put them to new uses. This was readily apparent to any child then and now, considering many of the parts are not in the same scale as the Disneykin figures. This is especially noticeable with the smalll cars provided with this set. The "Dreamhouse" set appropriated a doll house and furniture which, this author presumes, was previously designed for a line of miniature Barbie-like figures, which never made it beyond the prototype stages. Other parts from the set , such as the trees and rocks, were "borrowed" from the many Marx HO scale products.
These days these sets are hard to come by. The most common of the four (and easiest to find) is the "See & Play" Disneykin Castle Playset. The "Dreamhouse" playset is the second rarest folowed by the nearly impossible to find "See & Play" Disneykin Farm Set and the "See & Play" Gas Station. Very rarely do those items appear in the secondary market. Disneykins.com will be doing features on other "See & Play" sets in future website editions and updates, as well as the Marx "Disney on Parade" Circus Playset - also from the late 1960's/wearly 1970s and only from JC Penney. The Flubber Gallery is always looking to acquire these playsets, especially in "mint in box" condition. Any information is appreciated.
Click on a photo for a larger view.
Photography and digital retouching by Abby Weissman.
From the collection of Abby Weissman.
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| The complete Disneykin Dreamhouse Playset on it's custom playmat. Click for a larger view. |
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| The "Dreamhouse" interior with the top floor removed. Click for a larger view. |
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| The box cover of The Disneykin Dreamhouse Playset. Click for a larger view. |
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