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MOUNDSVILLE - There's just something about a Marx toy.

Whether it's the whimsical design of these famous toys or the fact that the baby boomer generation made them popular, the Marx Toy Museum located at 915 Second St., Moundsville, is now reaping the benefits.

The Marx Toy Company was founded in 1919 with the largest factory located in Glen Dale until the demise of the company by 1980.

Francis Turner, owner/operator of the Marx Toy Museum, explained, "Last year was our best business year ever. This year, total sales are up 70 percent from last year. "We are getting more local people," he said. "On West Virginia Day we had 387 people come through the door. I never expected that many people to come and a lot of them came back because they didn't have the time to see everything."

While the toy company is defunct, the popularity of these collectible toys remains high. From the space toys to trains, to the robots and cowboys, Marx toys hold special memories for many.

"Everybody's shocked when they come in this building," he continued. "They are amazed by what we have. About 80 percent of the toys we have were made in Glen Dale and we have several very rare pieces. We display toys from 1920 through 1980."

Turner and his son Jason opened the museum in 2001. In April next year it will start its 10th year of operation. Turner, 58, explained that about 20 years ago he was buying and selling Marx toys to make some extra money. "After three months I got hooked. I started to like the toys and got the fever. Now I've been buying them and selling for 20 years."

"I believe this is the only Marx toy museum in the country. There was one in Erie but it shut down years ago. It would be impossible now to come up with the collection we have. Nobody has stuff like we have," Turner said. "It's a passion."

He also pointed out, "it's a responsibility." His favorite toy is a Marx Merry Makers toy from the 1930s. Four mice play a piano, fiddle, drum and and dance when the toy is wound up.

"The museum doesn't make any money but I love doing it and the history behind it," he continued. "You would not believe the rare stuff we have when it comes to Marx, and we've picked up a lot of of new things recently.We're packed. We have the largest amount of archived retail Marx stuff. I could fill a museum four times this size. We also have all kinds of information about the history of the toys and how they were produced."

Several items he noted were drawings and original toys done by Glen Dale native Floyd "Joe" Chamberlain, who secretly put his initials on different products and used his own house number on a few toys. "We have a lot of original artwork, original paintings, original Marx books and play sets," Turner said. "We are more than just a place to come in and look at toys. We give history of the toys and the employees that made them. For example, the girls in Glen Dale that made the toys in 1937 made 25 cents an hour."

According to Turner, the museum gift shop has recently been expanded. He plans to open the gift shop to the public through the month of December for Christmas shopping. The museum will close Dec. 31 and reopen April 1 next year. "When we open next year we will have a special display on famous people," Turner said. "They will include generals, presidents, and political figures."