HEY, KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT DALEKS?

Above is a MARX 'Bump 'n' Go DALEK which sold

on eBay recently.  You'll have noticed it's got a blue base and

silver appendages.  Whenever I see this version up for sale, it's

usually described as being unable to accommodate modern

batteries in its battery compartment.

The two original Marx Daleks which I own have black

bases and appendages, and modern batteries fit into it with

no problem at all.  (And no, they're not the DAPOL re-issues.)

Comparing pics of the blue-based battery compartment with

that of a black-based one, there appears to be absolutely

no discernable difference in size.

I'm wondering if the claim of new batteries not fitting is a

convenient excuse to cover the Dalek not working, so that a

seller can claim he couldn't check to see if it did or not as he

was unable to get batteries to fit.  As the seller in that instance

wouldn't be advertising it as a working model, that leaves

the buyer with no comeback - sold as seen!

Later versions of this model had slimmer waistlines,

but the two I have are the original thicker-waisted Daleks

with the big red-balled eyepiece.  Could the size of batteries

have changed at some stage in the '60s, necessitating a larger

compartment in the black-based Daleks, or are some sellers

simply at it?  If you have one of these blue-based toys that

works with new batteries, please let me know.

Oh, and did this toy come with instructions?  I've

never seen any and there's none on the box.

Posted in: Cartoons