Space Toys Online: toyraygun.com

Image via Toy Ray Guns

When I first began collecting ray guns, I had one resource to guide me towards my purchases: the book Ray Gun, by Gene Metcalf. It served as my inspiration and my shopping list, and I scoured the internet and antique stores looking for the toys that appeared in its pages. "Boy oh boy," I'd think to myself, "there sure are a lot of guns out there."

But I had no idea.

Metcalf was bound by page numbers -- physical real estate -- when putting together his wonderful book. The internet has no such limitations, and with his web site, Toy Ray Guns (www.toyraygun.com), Metcalf was able to really show off his passion.

Suddenly, I had a much bigger shopping list...

Toy Ray Guns divides its toys up by decade and nationality, and then lists them alphabetically. Each entry includes a small photo, and most have at least a brief description. There are also sections for box art, as well as ancillary items like holsters and helmets. Metcalf included a number of articles and essays about ray guns and collecting, as well as a fun virtual tour through a space toy exhibition that was staged in California.

A few years ago, the site was taken over by a collector/dealer (and good friend of mine) named Justin Pinchot. An expert on vintage space toys in his own right, he added a for-sale section that includes not only ray guns, but also robots and space ships.

Is the site perfect? Not quite. It wears its age a little roughly -- Toy Ray Guns was constructed long enough ago that there's no search function, and the layout is limited by whatever version of HTML was in use at the time. Ray gun knowledge was also in its infancy; dates are sometimes incorrect (if they're known at all), and names are often limited to "Space Gun." I'm not sure how much has been updated since its original construction. Lastly, the pictures are pretty small -- it's sometimes difficult to make out the details on the toys.

That said, Toy Ray Guns is still one of the best general resources for space guns, online or off. I constantly consult it whenever I encounter not only unknown toys, but also ones in my collection for which I need more information. It's also a lot of fun, with many nooks and crannies to poke through and lots of delightful history to uncover. And even today, years after my own collection has grown to a size that most people would probably call excessive, I still experience those a ha! moments whenever I visit.

Planet Jet Water Pistol & Space Scout Helmet (Renwal / 1954 / U.S. / 4 x 6 inches)

I remember it well: My birthday. A sushi restaurant in the East Village. Two good friends, at the time dating but now married. A present, flat, rectangular, wrapped. A book, clearly. But what kind of book? My friends knew me well, but even so, it could have been a book about anything. I rushed to open it.

Ray Gun, by some guy named Eugene Metcalf. An old looking tin ray gun on the cover. I flipped through a few pages, noting the brightly colored plastic toys. I closed the book, gave my friends a smile, thanked them for such a cool present. We all went back to our sushi.

Only... I didn't. Not really. I was still wandering between the covers of the book, crawling over each ring, curve, fin, and embossed planet. Those photos, only briefly glanced at, had somehow imprinted themselves upon my brain. Clearly my friends really did know me well, better in fact than I knew myself. Up until that moment, I didn't realize that I was a ray gun collector. But oh was I!

Ray Gun has pages and pages of beautiful space guns, but most of them pale next to one of my all-time favorite toys: Renwal's Planet Jet.

Abstract like only a space gun can possibly be, it's a miniature work of art disguised as a toy. Or maybe it's a toy elevated to the level of art.

Nope, I've got it: It's rock-solid, incontrovertible proof that toys are art.

My favorite part of the Planet Jet is the rocket on its spine, which zips forward with every pull of the trigger. The gun fires water, which is stored in the bulbous barrel. It also makes a clicking noise, because clicking noises are cool. Don't ask me why, but they are.

So what's up with the helmet? C'mon, I hear you asking about it. It's a strange one, right? All those open spaces and ribs and that funky antenna. It's called the Space Scout helmet, and while it wasn't specifically packaged with the Planet Jet, the two share a color scheme that pretty much demands that they be displayed together. Renwal's designers, renowned for their skills, were clearly firing on all cylinders when they came up with these two toys.

Both the Space Scout helmet and the Planet Jet came in a few different color variations. The helmet's are pretty straight forward -- both versions feature a yellow body, but the "ear muff" and antenna colors are reversed. Neither is more common than the other; I owned both at one point, but sold one of them off to a good friend. I kept this one because it more closely matches the Planet Jet's color scheme.

The gun came in three different variations: The yellow is most common, followed by a blue one with a yellow tip and trigger, and a red rocket; and a red one with a blue tip and trigger, and a yellow rocket. I'm honestly not certain which is rarer, the blue or the red. I've seen both on eBay, I've seen a couple of each in people's collections. Suffice it to say, they're both extremely difficult to find.

The Planet Jet was the first high-end gun to enter my collection. I've actually owned two of them: The first was missing the little fins coming off the front part of the barrel. It's a common flaw in the toy, and doesn't really take away from its appearance. Considering how scarce a gun it is, many collectors -- myself included -- don't worry too much about it. Besides, that particular gun was featured in the fantastic book Ray Gun!, which is just the kind of provenance I like.

Until, of course, a mint one comes along. Which, in my case, is exactly what happened. The same ray-gun dealer (who happens to be a good friend of mine) snagged the one photographed for this blog and offered it to me. I jumped at the opportunity. To help pay for it, I sold my first one to yet another good friend (who has since turned into one hell of a ray-gun collector himself).

The Planet Jet also stars in one of the most frustrating experiences I've had as a collector. A blue one appeared on eBay with its very rare -- we're talking only two or three known to exist -- display card. The seller was the retail wing of a very prominent auction house, so even though the photos only showed one side of the gun, I wasn't too worried. The description was very forthright in mentioning two missing fins (see?) and some scrapes and scuffs, so I figured I knew exactly what I'd be getting if I won the toy. I placed a bid and ended up taking it for just under what the gun would be worth by itself. Talk about a major victory!

Then the gun arrived. Seems I should have asked for a couple extra photos; the other side of the Planet Jet looked like a nail had been driven through the plastic! This was no small scratch, and I was amazed that such a reputable auction house would neglect to mention it in the description. Still, I wasn't feeling too bad because I had that rare card, which was worth more than the gun. For the money, I was still way ahead of the game.

Except, of course, the card was a reproduction. A bad one. I won't go into the hows and whys of identifying reproduction packaging, but trust me, a blind man could have picked this out.

Needless to say, I was livid. I called up the auction house, explained the situation to them, and was relieved when they immediately offered a full refund. But to this day, I'm staggered that they made such a mistake in the first place. (It's interesting to note that, a week or two after I returned the toy, it popped up on eBay again. This time, both sides were photographed. The description of the card, however, only included a small amendment: "It's possible that the card is a reproduction." Possible?)

Anyway, ain't none of us immune to making mistakes in this hobby. Mine was not asking for more photos. Live, learn, move on to the next toy. But at the same time, don't forget to enjoy the ones you've already got!

Space Toy Books and Web Sites

"Doc, Doc! I want to learn more about vintage toy robots! What resources are available to me? Besides your wonderful blog, of course." Robot collectors are a lucky bunch, with access to many, many different books and web sites detailing vintage space toys. I'm not going to list them all -- that's what Google's for -- but here are some of my favorite sources of information.

Alphadrome (www.danefield.com/alpha) 

The best online discussion forum for all things space-toy related. Dozens of active members -- out of the hundreds of lurkers -- create a sort of hive-mind that has, over the years, amassed so much information that it would take months to sift through it all. Dates, manufacturers, variations -- you name it, there's someone talking about it. It's also a great place to meet other collectors; the people on Alphadrome are a friendly lot and new members are always welcome -- especially if they post a picture or two of their collections!

Alphadrome also spawned what has to be the only vintage space toy convention in the world: Botstock. Six years old and with not end in sight, this weekend-long Spring get together has moves around a lot, and has convenved at the Toy Robot Museum, the might Robot Hut, and the Kane County Toy Show outside of Chicago. It's always a lot of fun, and often an opportunity to see -- and oftentimes buy -- all sorts of great toys. I'll post more extensively about Botstock somewhere down the road. 

  

Future Toys, by Antoni Emchowicz (New Cavendish Books, 2000) 

One of the best books for photos of old robots, space vehicles, and toy astronauts. The variety is nearly overwhelming, the images are clear, and the editorial details, like the information on company logos, is vital to any collector. Most of the data accompanying the photos is spot-on accurate, though some of the date information is incorrect (though it was all anyone knew when the book came out). It's worth noting that Emchowicz is a long-time collector and dealer, and some wonderful toys can be found at his web site, Zoomer Toys (www.zoomertoys.com). 

Toy Ray Gun (www.toyraygun.com) 

One of the deepest fonts of ray gun information in the world. Dozens of guns are pictured, along with descriptions, names, manufacturers, dates, and countries of origin. There are also sections for boxes, and associated toys like space helmets and holsters. If the site has any flaws at all, it's the small photos that accompany each entry, and the somewhat dated information (again, the site's creator, Gene Metcalf, was working with the best knowledge of the day, so he can hardly be blamed). The site is currently owned by a good friend of mine named Justin Pinchot, who is himself responsible for my owning many of the toys in my collection. 

  

Ray Gun, by Eugene Metcalf and Frank Maresca (Fotofolio Books, 1999) 

Besides starting raygun.com, Metcalf also released the second book on toy ray guns. This excellent resource features large, clear photographs of some amazing space-age artillery. Rare toys, common toys, steel, tin, plastic -- a wide variety of toy ray guns are represented. Each photo is accompanied by minimal text, including name, manufacturer, dimensions, date, and country of origin. Metcalf's opening essay is a must-read. 

This is the book that got me started collecting vintage ray guns, back before I even owned any vintage robots. Eventually, these toys will make an appearance in this blog, though for now I'm happy to focus on the robots. 

 

Zap!, by Leslie Singer (Chronicle Books, 1991) 

The very first book on toy ray guns, Zap! literally broke new ground in the hobby. Before anyone knew much about anything, Leslie Singer was exploring toy shows, attending auctions, and going to swap meets in an effort to amass a collection of these fantastic toys. This was in the days before eBay and internet chat forums; when nothing was known about these toys, Leslie was putting it all together. The book is full of incredible pictures, and if the information is a little dated, it nonetheless provides a snapshot of what people knew about these toys in the early Nineties.

 

Blast Off, by S. Mark Young, Steve Duin, and Mike Richardson (Dark Horse Books, 2001) 

An excellent overview of the whole range of space toys, from pieces based on characters like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, to premiums attached to TV such TV shows as Space Patrol and Tom Corbett: Space Cadet, to foreign toys, to tin robots. Very little is left behind, and Young's accompanying text is full of interesting factoids and amusing anecdotes. Flipping through Blast Off helps give these toys some context. Robots didn't exist in a vacuum; the kids who owned them in the middle of the century were playing with a variety of toys, each of which helped to create a vision of the future that, sadly, transformed into fiction long ago.

 

Robot and Space Toys Collection, by Takashi and Kinya Morita (World Mook 242) 

It's hard to beat this Japanese "mook" -- the weird union of a book and a magazine -- if you're looking for photos. Covering all manner of space toys, and with different angle and close ups of details, there's enough eye-candy between these covers to put your brain into shock. There's also extensive editorial content... which is, unfortunately, written in Japanese. I have no idea what any of it says... 

  

Robots, Tin Toy Dreams, by T. Kitahara (Chronicle Books, 1985)

For many collectors, this is the book that kick-started their addictions. Kitahara was collecting these robots before anyone else thought to even bother, and built up the kind of collection that few people can even dream of. Lots of holes in the information, of course -- so very little was known at the time -- but nonetheless a worthwhile resource for the historical value alone.

Important Robots and Antique Toys From the Estate of F.H. Griffith (Sotheby's Auction Catalog, December 9, 2000)

Wonderful photos from the former collection of master collector F.H. Griffith. Loads of boxes, too. The descriptions of the toys give a good idea of what they all do, though the dates are a bit off. 

The Tin Toy Robot Collection of Matt Wyse (Sotheby's Auction Catalog, November 7, 1996)

Another great catalog featuring toys owned by an early collector. Lots of group shots, which is great for figuring out the relative sizes of each toy. 

The Robert Lesser Robot and Space Toy Collection (Smith House Toy & Auction Company Catalog, #72, May 9, 2008)

Another fantastic collection by a legend in the hobby. This catalog features large photos of many toys, including some extremely rare one. The descriptions are listed in the back, and are a bit perfunctory, but they still get the job done. More photos are available at the Smith House web site: www.smithhousetoys.com.

The Alan Rosen Robot and Space Toy Collection - Part 1 (Smith House Toy & Auction Company Catalog, #74, May 15, 2009)

This catalog features mostly space toys, and covers everything from the most common to the absolute rarest. Almost all the toys are boxed, and in some cases, these photos represent the only ones known to exist. This is an absolute must-own if you're into space toys such as rockets, tanks, saucers, and tractors. 

And now, my least favorite book on space toys. I'd argue that there's no reason to own it, unless you need a way to prop up a wobbly table.

Vintage Toys, by Jim Bunte, Heinz Mueller, and Dave Hallman (Paperback Kraus)

Factual errors abound in this book. It also quotes prices that, frankly, make no sense at all half the time. Unfortunately, it seems that many sellers on eBay use this as the basis of their descriptions... Beware.