The Skyscraper Building   Table of Contents       (click on topic to move to section)

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The skyscraper building

Figures

Accessories

Furniture and other building fixtures

Automobiles

Cardboard boxes

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Marx introduced The Skyscraper Building in 1957, one of the busiest years in the Golden Age of Playsets.  According to Plastic Figure and Playset Collector magazine (PFPC) Issue 22, the set came in two versions, #5449 and #5450.  The only difference between the two sets was that one had a small electric bulb at the top of the elevator and one did not.  I'm not sure which was which.

Partially because the set was not sold by Sears and Roebuck, it did not become one of the company's popular playsets and is hard to find in today's collecting market.  Note that the set fails to have what the Marx company came to believe should be the basis of all playsets:  good guys and bad guys.  Selling at a rather high price (for 1957) of $8.95, the set was more popular with model railroaders than playset enthusiasts, according to PFPC.

The set has some interesting figures and accessories, most of them found only in this set.  However, for a skyscraper, they seem to be somewhat minimal, especially when compared to the number of accessories in similar sets, such as the Sears Shopping Center.

An article on the Skyscraper Building is in PFPC 22, and much of the information on this web page came from that article.


The skyscraper building

Without a doubt, the starring role in this playset goes to the skyscraper building itself.  In fact, the set itself is called "The Skyscraper Building" with no reference to it being a playset.  The largest tin litho building in any Marx playset, the skyscraper structure itself measures 28 inches high, 13 inches wide, and 7-1/2 inches deep.  However, its total height is 36 inches, with eight inches added by a cream-colored hard plastic tower (five inches) topped by a similar flag pole (three inches) that sit atop the building.  (The tower was also used in some Cape Canaveral playsets, molded in metallic silver.)  Despite having the flag pole, I have seen no indication that the set came with a flag; maybe it was raining that day?

The skyscraper sits on a metal base, slightly increasing the footprint of the building.  From the outside lithography, the building appears to be 10 stories high (plus roof), decorated in cream and light brown with blue colors.  The open back, however, reveals four stories plus the roof.  Each floor is about six inches tall, and colorful lithography covers the inside walls.  

There is an operating elevator in the center tower of the building; most of the tower's windows are open so that the elevator can be seen moving from both the front and back sides.  Power for the elevator comes from two of those huge D-size batteries.  They are housed in a compartment (lithographed as an air-conditioning unit) that hovers precariously over the bank customer at the teller's window on the first floor.  An up/down switch for the elevator is attached to the outside wall of the bank, as well as a buzzer button to push when the elevator is ready to move (a somewhat nerdy attempt at realism and/or play value).  The elevator motor sits at the top of the tower.  Since parking is on the roof, this elevator must be used by both employees and automobiles!

The National Bank and a drug store are on either side of the first floor.  Both have 2-piece revolving doors and small yellow awnings above the doors.  A center doorway leads into the elevator and is topped by a larger awning (which is also used for tin litho buildings in a few gas stations and one Cape Canaveral playset).  The first floor interior lithography shows 1) a teller's cage, fancy clock, and calendar for the bank and 2)  prescription display case, cabinet, and magazine rack for the drug store.

The second floor has two offices with lithographed book shelf, filing cabinet, map, production chart, and water cooler.  Apparently, employees who work in the building have a good union, as the third floor is a gymnasium outfitted with everything from a pool table to a mini-basketball court.  And the fourth floor is the stockroom, pictured with shelves of boxes and bottles, mops and brooms, and a fire extinguisher.

The building's roof has a small heliport (though no helicopter is included in the set) and parking spaces for three cars.  The plastic tower and flagpole that sit on top of the building are not shown in the photos below.

Photos below are of items from the collection of PFPC editor Tom Terry, courtesy of Ebay ID pfpcmagazine
Skyscraper	Top floor
Close-up of front	Close-up of bottom floor Container in upper right is for battery that runs the elevator.

Figures (PL-880)

The set has 15 figure poses produced in 54mm scale soft plastic.  These range from a serious-looking office manager to two ping pong players.  They are unique to the playset, but several can be easily used in other playsets.  PFPC notes that collectors often use them in displays of the Untouchable Play Set, trucking terminals, and railroad depots.

Of note, I do not have the policeman (Pose 1) and cannot tell what he is holding in his left hand.  Anyone know?  Perhaps he is more of a security guard?  That female ping pong player looks like she plays a very aggressive game, much more so than the male version!  Several of the poses look to me like they could fit in as peaceful folk in a Wild West display (e.g., 2, 3, 8, 11, and 13).  After all, they needed store clerks, bankers, and businessmen out there too!  Or how about replacing the ping pong paddle in Pose 9 with a rolling pin for a bit of levity in your display!

1.  Policeman Photo courtesy of Denis Rylev (Den71is)	2.  Bank customer, arms forward	3.  Boss wearing glasses, with paper

4.  Doorman in long coat Photo courtesy of Denis Rylev (Den71is)	5.  Deliveryman carrying box Photo courtesy of Denis Rylev (Den71is)	6.  Elevator operator in short coat Photo courtesy of Denis Rylev (Den71is)

7.  Woman and child Photo courtesy of Denis Rylev (Den71is)	8.  Pharmacist holding bottle and pen Photo courtesy of Denis Rylev (Den71is)	9.  Female ping pong player Photo courtesy of Denis Rylev (Den71is)

10.  Male ping pong player Photo courtesy of Denis Rylev (Den71is)	11.  Man with briefcase, standing	12.  Gym coach with whistle Photo courtesy of Denis Rylev (Den71is)

13.  Man with briefcase and coat, hurrying Photo courtesy of Denis Rylev (Den71is)	14.  Secretary, seated Photo courtesy of Denis Rylev (Den71is)	15.  Boy selling newspapers Photo courtesy of Denis Rylev (Den71is)

 



Accessories

     Furniture and other building fixtures
The playset has 15 different small accessories, most of them unique to this set.  Each item was made for a specific room in the building, as explained in the PFPC article.  For example, the exercise horse obviously belongs in the building's gymnasium, and the store counter in the drugstore.  

The pieces were manufactured in a gray hard plastic, and, like the figures, some items could be easily used in displays of other playsets.

Hobby Bunker has re-issued the accesories in a light gray.  Most of the photos below are of the Hobby Bunker re-issues.

1.  Telephone booth re-issue item	2.  Drugstore counter	3.  Bank customer desk with slant top re-issue item	4.  Bench with three cushions re-issue item
5.  Conference table re-issue item	6.  Stockroom desk/ cabinet with slant top	7.  Gym exercise horse re-issue item	8.  Ping pong table re-issue item

9.  Desk without typewriter re-issue item	10.  Desk with typewriter re-issue item	11.  Filing cabinet re-issue item	12.  4-wheel skid 2-piece item, wheels are molded on re-issue item

13.  Desk chair re-issue item	14.  Arm chair re-issue item	15.  Handcart re-issue item

     Automobiles

1.  1952 Chevrolet	2.  Futuristic automobile

     Cardboard boxes

1.	2.	3.	4.

5.	6.

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