Top-Shelf Titans: The Donald Conner Interview

Every two weeks (or so), I sit down with other addicts collectors to take a look at their toys and discuss the hobby of toy collecting. This week: Donald Conner is our Top-Shelf Titan!

"The flying saucers are the kind of ships I'd be zooming around in if I were in outer space," says Donald Conner. "To me, they're the sports cars of the space toy world." Conner should know. Since entering the hobby a few years ago, he's managed to put together a world-class collection of vintage flying saucers, one that's filled with some of the rarest and most beautiful examples. As if that weren't enough, he also collects robots and ray guns, and in the latter case, owns some toys you're unlikely to find anywhere else. But Conner didn't start out with this type of collection -- he's a perfect example of how a collector can benefit from sharp focus, strong discipline, an honest appreciation for these toys, and simple trust in his own sound judgment. Oh, and a little bit of luck doesn't hurt either!

DOC ATOMIC What's your approach to collecting, and how has it changed over the years?

DONALD CONNER When I started, I went through the "grab everything and anything you can afford so you can have lots of shelves filled with lots of toys" phase, but after a while I realized that all I was doing was collecting practically at random. I made a decision to focus on just my favorite categories: robots, flying saucers, and ray guns. To do this I would have to forego all other space toys like rockets, capsules, space tanks, and space cars. This was not and is not easy, let me tell you. There are so many toys that I really love from these other categories, but the fact is I can’t afford to collect everything. Focusing on a few things means I can actually build a collection that makes a statement

What do you mean by "a collection that makes a statement?"

Well, obviously, every collection is a statement about the collector's personal taste -- it has to be unless you're super rich and can buy anything and everything. But if a collector finds that they have a real love for a certain type of toy or a particular manufacturer or even a color of toy, and they put together a collection that focuses on whatever that is, in my opinion that makes a different kind of statement. It says, "This is what really turns me on and here are some examples for your enjoyment." 

If the examples are displayed on their own without the distraction of other types of toys, then a statement is made about the essence and purity of the form illustrated by the collector's choices. This is the kind of statement Alfred Stieglitz made when he took hundreds of photographs of Georgia O'Keeffe's hands. Plus, by specializing -- and depending on the category of toy -- it's actually a reasonable goal for the collector of average means to put together a complete collection some day.

What inspired you to move from a "collect everything" mentality to a more focused approach to collecting?

I started to notice that if I got one of something, all of a sudden I was collecting another category of toy. One rocket is cool, but two is better. Eventually, I wanted every every rocket there was. I realized that the more things I collected -- capsules, rockets, space cars -- the more I was spreading my budget thinly over each category. One day I decided to sell everything that wasn't a saucer, ray gun, or robot (I don't make a distinction between astronauts and robots) and channel that money back into the collection.

I noticed that some pieces brought me pleasure every time I looked at them and some didn't. You know what I mean -- there are the pieces you keep coming back to time and again to hold them and cherish them, while others merely fill space on the shelves. The space-fillers were mostly robots that I bought just because I needed a "robot fix" and there was a robot going for a good price. Missing from this equation: It wasn't a piece I loved.  

Different groupings of (mostly) tin robots (top) and plastic ones. 

I remember my breakthrough robot was Chief Robot Man. There was a mint example on eBay and I decided to spend three times as much as I had on any robot up to that time. When it arrived, as soon as I took it out of the box, I knew that I would never regret how much I spent on it. 

Chief Robot Man (center) stands tall.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you can only love expensive toys -- one of my top-three favorite toys that I own I got for under $100. I just decided to limit myself to only toys I absolutely love in my collection and that meant saving up. Once I learned how much satisfaction there is in saving for those very special pieces, I went from needing to have a regular "fix" to actually enjoying the saving part.

Do you have a favorite piece? 

I'd have to say my favorite saucer is the VX-1000, my favorite ray gun is the Shooting Bubble Gun (Arliss, 1950s), and my favorite robot is the Television Robot (Sankai, 1960s). I own the VX-1000 and the Arliss -- two out of three ain't bad!

The VX-1000 (bottom left corner) amidst various other great saucers. 

One of the rarest, and coolest looking space guns ever made: The Shooting Bubble Gun.

Is there any piece in your collection that you never expected to own? And how'd you end up getting it?

The Space Robot X-103 saucer. It's an extremely rare flying saucer with a great, primitive-style robot pilot sitting right in the middle. It's also got the best action of any saucer: You rev the wheels across a table while holding the robot head and then let go. The toy rolls forward while the saucer revolves around the robot's body. This is one of those pieces that you only see in the top collections, like Kitahara's. There have been a few published documentations of this toy as well, in Kitihara's books, Morita's book, and in a mail order catalog sent out years ago by [renowned dealer] Ray Rohr. This is a piece that has eluded the collections of people like Griffith, Wyse, Davidson, Lipps, Lesser, and Rosen. 

To say I never expected to own one is an understatement!

The fact that I did come to own one is a testament to the benefits of networking. Out of the blue, a friend of mine who is a dealer emailed me an offer for the the X-103. He knew that, as a collector obsessed with flying saucers, I would be a very interested party. Needless to say, the price was more than I take home in a month, let alone the amount that I had on hand for a toy. But after a lot of thought, I decided to make a serious offer and just put it on the credit card. After all, this might have been the only chance I would ever get to buy one, and I was not going to let a little thing like not being able to afford it get in the way! Once I had the toy safely in my clutches, I would move a few pieces to pay off the credit card -- it's the "snag now, figure out how to pay later" technique!

All the other toys want to hang out with the Space Robot X-103!

I happen to know that a number of your toys have good stories behind them. Come on, spit 'em out!

Okay, there's my Mr. Flash; I wish I could find all my robots this way. I had been collecting for maybe two years and a friend of mine knew that I did a lot of traveling to the antique shops that can be found up and down the North Coast. He had visited an antique shop the week before, and told me that if I was ever in that area I should out this particular store because it had a nice selection of antique toys. I grilled him about the type of toys: "Did they have any robots?" I asked. 

"Don't remember."

"How about space ships?"

"Could be."

"Ray guns?"

"Can't say."

So the very next weekend, I drove for two hours just to check out this one antique shop. When I went inside, the little bell above the door was still tinkling as my eye immediately fell on a red and blue figure standing inside an under-counter display full of tin cars and pressed steel planes. There, in all its glory, was a Mr. Flash. I wasn't even fully through the door yet! I always carry batteries with me -- for just such an occasion -- so I tested it out and found it to be in working order with walking motion, swinging arms, and blinking light in the head. I haggled a little on the price and paid about $115.

That experience is what I imagine it was like in the "old days" of robot collecting. Nowadays, a find like that is next to impossible -- or, at the very best, extremely unlikely. It's one of my fondest robot hunting experiences.

Mr. Flash (right) next to the colorful Magnor. 

What about the ray guns... any interesting stories there?

Yes, the Arliss Bubble Gun. That one popped up on eBay as part of a lot featuring about five guns. All of them were somewhat damaged or in poor condition. I was in love with that gun from the image in the book Ray Gun by Eugene Metcalf. The example in the auction was missing half of the sight at the top, and there was only one poorly lighted picture in the auction. I still bid on it because I wanted to hold and examine an example of this fantastic toy. I learned later that several bidders considered bidding but passed because of the missing part. I ended up winning the auction for under $150. 

Here's the kicker: When the seller shipped the lot, she emailed me to say that she had found a little piece of plastic and thought that it must go with one of my guns. Believe it or not, the piece was the other half of the Arliss' sight! It was a clean break that fit back together perfectly, and I was able to restore the gun. Now, it shows only the slightest fracture where it has been repaired. 

[Full disclosure: When he first discovered this lot of guns, Donald was nice enough to email me to see if I was interested in bidding. To his credit, he never mentioned how much he loved the Arliss; he just let me know the auction was there, and added that if I wasn't interested, he would place a bid. I decided that since the Arliss had some damage, I'd pass. I had no idea at the time how rare the gun is, and I wanted to wait for a mint one. Because, you see, I'm an idiot. Regardless, I'll always appreciate the fact that Donald offered to stand aside and let me bid if I'd wanted to. That sort of gracious gesture is why he actually deserves to own the gun! -- Doc Atomic]

Six incredible ray guns! (Clockwise from top left) Shooting Bubble Gun (Arliss, 1950s), Pyrotomic Disintegrator (Pyro Plastics, 1952), Rex Mars Sparking Gun (Marx, 1950s), Pow'r Pop Gun (Glenn, 1951), a rare "color test" green Space Patrol Rocket Pistol (U.S. Plastics, 1952), and Martian Bloon Rocket Gun (Mercury Plastics, 1950s)

What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get a toy?

Knocked on a stranger's door with $7,000 cash in my pocket. [The story behind this involves both Donald and myself; one day, maybe we'll tell it to you. -- Doc]

When did you start collecting? How did you get involved in space toys? 

I was casually picking up random tin toys at garage sales and flea markets for a few years. I decided one day to see what I could learn about toys, so I did a web search for tin toys and stumbled across Alphadrome. At that point, I was completely unaware of this area of collecting. When I visited the pages that had pictures of many of the different robots, all cataloged by manufacturer, my jaw dropped! These were without a doubt the coolest, most desirable of all the vintage toys I had ever seen. By the time I visited the flying saucer pages, I was hooked. All I knew was that I wanted very badly to own these toys.

Three great saucers. The red Astro 8 has sparks that race around the outer edges when it rolls forward.

Variations on a theme. Which is your favorite? 

The Space Giant is the largest of all the vintage saucers.

Mint examples of great robots.

Some nice examples of guns and their packaging. The blue toy on the right is a very rare German version of the Space Patrol Rocket Dart Gun. The lamp is just funky.

It's hard to describe the feeling I had that day, but it was a lot like falling in love at first sight. At the time, I knew very little about eBay, but reading the discussion forums on Alphadrome made it clear that's where I needed to go to find my first pieces. It went slow at first -- it took me a while to get over the fact that I was supposed to send money to a perfect stranger and trust them to send the toy. I can still remember my first three robots: A Taiwanese SJM Rotate-O-Matic, a brown Horikawa Attacking Martian, and a Horikawa Fighting Robot. I would re-arrange those robots on my shelf all day long! For a long time, my plan was to amass a large robot collection, but along the way the flying saucers kept catching my eye. Now the robot collection is secondary to the saucers. Same with the ray guns, I just kept buying them because I liked them, but I never thought I'd have a serious collection.

Do you have any goals as a collector?

I'd like to see how close I can get to a complete collection of Japanese tin flying saucers. There are obviously variations that I don't care about, particularly in the later Masudaya saucer variations of the X-5 and the X-7. Trying to track them all down could get very distracting. As for robots -- I'll never in a million years come close to having them all, but with saucers, I'll have a shot at it.

What's your proudest moment as a collector?

Having some of my saucers included in William Gallagher's book Modern Toys From Japan (Schiffer Press, 2005). I spent many, many hours thumbing through the pages of reference books and auction catalogs, coveting the toys, envying the owners and dreaming of the day I could own some of them myself. Being referred to Mr. Gallagher as someone who could provide pictures of some of the toys he was looking for and eventually having a few of them make it into the book made me feel like I had actually made it into the world that I used to dream about (and still do). It was a moment that made me feel like I was officially a collector.

The saucers on the top shelf (and the green one just below them) represent just some of those produced by Masudaya. Note the picture of Robby the Robot on the Space Patrol saucer (far right).

What's your worst moment?

There was a rare, boxed Masudaya X-12 flying saucer being offered in an online auction, and if I remember correctly, it was the example from the Griffith collection. For some inexplicable reason, I wanted to place my bid at the last minute, although this was not necessary as the bidding was open for two weeks and ended like a standard auction -- once the bidders finished bidding. I set my alarm to get up in the morning in time to place my bid at the last minute -- or, at least I thought I did!I woke up about 20 minutes too late and found that it had gone for less than I Was willing to pay. That's when it hit me -- I had two weeks to place my bid and never did. That one hurt because I just wasn't thinking.

What is the best advice you've gotten regarding collecting? 

Focus, patience, and selectivity. If you spend $100 every week, you will have a large collection of $100 toys. If you can wait and save $100 a week, in four months you can buy a $1600 toy. Also, only the richest collectors can afford to go after everything, so if you have a certain area that you are into, you have a better chance of making a statement.

What advice would you pass on to a collector?

Decide what you like and educate yourself. Learn what toys have been reproduced and how to tell the difference. Hold out for the best condition possible -- you'll be glad you did. I doubt any collector has ever looked back and regretted keeping a high standard for condition!

Various robot boxes: beautiful examples of mid-century space art!

Top-Shelf Titans: The Brady Chieffi Interview

Every week, I sit down with other addicts collectors to take a look at their toys and discuss the hobby of toy collecting. This week: Brady Chieffi is our Top-Shelf Titan!

Brady Chieffi is one of those toy collectors who doesn't like to discriminate. His shelves are filled with robots, ray guns, aliens, Japanese monsters, Dr. Seuss models, tin toys, plastic toys, soft vinyl toys, and everything in between. But he's also a discerning collector, a man who trusts his eye to lead him to the pieces he really loves. As a result, he's managed to create a beautiful, cohesive collection out of toys that, at first glance, sometimes appear disparate and unconnected. We've taken this opportunity to sit down with him to discuss his vintage toy ray guns. (Okay, and one great robot!)

DOC ATOMIC So, Brady, what do you like about these toys? 

BRADY CHIEFFI I appreciate toys on many levels; as art, as nostalgia, as a tangible expression of imagination, and simply because they are interesting. Often, when I would go to toy shows, I would be confronted by dealers with the question, "Are you looking for something in particular?" Invariably, my answer would be, "Whatever catches my eye." 

Two of Brady Chieffi's ray guns: (top) The rare green Atom Buster (Webb Electric, 1950s) and (bottom) a beautiful example of the Strato Gun (Futuristic Products, Co., 1950s). (All photos by Brady Chieffi)

I also truly believe that toys are meant to be played with. I never understood the people who hoard away their toys, locking them in some dark, unaccessible vault or closet. I will take a mint-in-box toy out of it’s box -- I have to touch it, look at its ingenious design, feel the curves of its shape. Toys radiate a vitality that never really fades away; the older the toy, the stronger its effect. People often tell me I don't look my age (if you must know, I’m 52). My reply is always the same: "My toys keep me young!" 

What do you love about ray guns? 

They embody all that was good about childhood, and the variety of styles and colors are almost infinite. I cold look at them all day, and they’re even more fun to play with! 

Note the copper-colored Atomic Ray (Tudor Rose, 1950s) in the top right corner!

(Top Left) A very rare Roto-Flash Gun (Renwal, 1950s)

Is there any particular gun that stands out as a favorite?

The first truly beautiful gun I ever owned was the Buck Rogers Liquid Helium Gun (Daisy, 1936). It has the most amazing, whiz-bang paint scheme I’ve ever seen on a toy gun. The bright red overlaid with yellow lightening bolts is the stuff of classic early science fiction comics. The shape of the pistol is downright sexy -- look at those curves! It has all the lines of a great sports car, it moves while standing still. 

Then there's the silver and bronze Pyrotomic Disintegrator (Pyro Plastics, 1952), even though, I sadly confess, the ramrod under the barrel is missing. Nonetheless, it still sends chills of excitement down my arm when I sight down the barrel, squeeze the trigger, and see the toy recoil in all its sci-fi splendor. 

So many guns, so little time! The copper gun in the center is the legendary Pyrotomic Disintegrator (Pyro Plastics, 1952). Two below it is the Buck Rogers XZ-44 Liquid Helium Gun (Daisy, 1936). And bottom left is the world's first toy ray gun, the Buck Rogers XZ-31 Rocket Pistol (Daisy, 1934). Can you name the rest?

As I have few rifles, the ones I own are very nice examples. The Sub-Machine Gun made by Ideal in the Forties is one that stands out. The use of marbled brown plastic to mimic grained wood is particularly eye-catching, as is the futuristic styling. It's not just another machine gun re-worked with a few fins (like the Radar Raider). I also love how the recoil action gives the gun a sense of realism.

The Atomic Ray Pistol (Tudor Rose, 1950s) is another great design. It has all the dials, fins and sliding power-levers a kid could ask for -- even the “screws” were accurately sculpted into the mold. I own the bronze color version, which is harder to find  than the silver one. [No kidding! I'm jealous! -- Doc] I like the fact that it is also a full-scale gun. Many toy guns were designed smaller for a child’s grip, but this fits nicely in my hand.

Of my European pistols, two in particular stand out as favorites. Both are small red plastic guns: a dart gun produced by Gyper in Spain, and a water pistol made by COMA in Italy. The designs are unusual, and both are fairly difficult to find. Uniqueness definitely adds to the attraction, knowing that these are hard to come by. A collector always wants a few pieces that perhaps few people have. 

A stunningly designed water pistol by the Italian company COMA.

Wow, that's quite a collection. What was your first vintage ray gun?

It would have to be XZ-31 Buck Rogers Rocket Pistol made by Daisy in 1934. I remember it being the first space gun I recognized as a true classic. I had seen it on the Toy Ray Gun website (www.toyraygun.com) and thought it just screamed “vintage.” If I was going to start a collection, I would begin with one of the cornerstones of the genre. At the time, the guns were fairly common and could be had at a reasonable price -- I think it cost me $100 and change. 

When I got it, it was like holding a museum piece. I was instantly struck by the weight and heft of the pistol. This was not like any toy I ever had as a kid; in the late Fifties the guns were tin or plastic [The XZ-31 is pressed steel -- Doc]. I very carefully cocked the gun and pulled the trigger -- I was startled by the resounding pop, it was really loud. I found it incredible that a child’s toy from the 1930’s was made this well, and still worked.

Are there any pieces in your collection that you never expected to own?

Surprisingly, there are two -- a robot and a gun. The robot is a Space Giant Robot (Tomy, 1960s). A very nice toy from a child’s standpoint -- it’s big, 29 inches tall, it came in a cardboard toolbox, and you assembled it with a wrench and big red nuts and bolts. The robot is easy to move: aside from it’s wheeled feet, it is made of blown-in-mold plastic and is surprisingly lightweight. It also has handles on the shoulders that allow the arms to be moved up and down, and a trigger that opens the claws. 

I first saw this jumbo toy in a grainy, black and white photo of an old toy store, in a Japanese collector’s magazine. You almost couldn’t make it out, back against the wall, piled behind hundreds of other toys. It was so perfectly classic, a true blockhead robot, and really large. I figured I’d never find one, I’d never seen it before, and no one I spoke with could identify it.

Not one but two Robots by Tomy (1960s). The golden one on the right is particularly rare.

Ten years passed, and I was trolling through eBay late one night...and there it was!  "Wait, this couldn’t be it...Yes, it is! Oh my gosh, I gotta have it! Let’s see, how much can I afford? Well, I can skip meals for a few weeks, no movies, walk to work... Hmmm, this could work, just don’t tell the wife (it has taken her 15 of our 21 years of marriage to come to terms with my toy obsession)." I bid, I won, I paid, and I waited for what seemed like an eternity. Then the package arrived: Eureka! He’s mine, all mine! (cue the childish glee).

And the gun?

Well, that was just recently, in fact. Over the last 15 years or so, I’ve spent many hours researching space guns on the Toy Raygun website, and one in particular grabbed my attention. It was made by Ranger Steel Products in the Fifties, a variation on their popular sparkling Cosmic Ray Gun line, but it was like no pistol I’ve ever seen before. It was a cross between a raygun and a Buck Rogers-era cruiser. Made of orange plastic, with yellow fins and a clear red barrel, it was an absolutely stunning design! Unfortunately, I chalked it up as another “untouchable." These kinds of toys just don’t come up for sale, and when they do, well, I just know they'll be way above my level of the food chain.

So rare it hurts: The Ranger Steel ray gun.

So, there I am, locked into that damnable auction site again, the bane of my existence. Lo and behold, what appears to my watering eyes, but the gun of myth. Oh, fer crying out loud, the fates have pierced my heart yet again, dangling my hopes above the jagged rocks, only to snip the golden thread, sending me to my doom (well, it wasn’t exactly like that, but you get the idea).

How would I pay for it? I’ll think of something, but I can’t pass up the opportunity. So I set my maximum bait, and waited for a nibble, and bite they did. I couldn’t watch, I checked in to my eBay page after the war was over, and slowly scrolled down to the “won” photos. Oh geeze, is that the orange tip of the gun’s rear fins?! Yes, ha! I got it. Oh my gosh, now I have to pay for it. Well, I suppose it was worth it, and I can’t wait to hold it in my hand...Zap...Zap, POW!!

When did you start collecting?

Collecting was a natural for me, I’m a pack rat. My Mom started me early, taking me to garage sales and flea markets as a kid and it stuck. Originally, I collected antiques, but didn’t start with toys until I was well out of college and on my second marriage (yes, second, which proves I’m not too smart either). It started innocently enough, when someone gave me this ugly little troll-like figure. I began noticing other painfully ugly figures in shops and stores, and picked them up. This was around the time that the Spawn line was gaining steam, producing monsters and demons. I began calling it my “ugly toy collection.” The rest, as they say, is history.

An unusual, ball-firing ray gun. Note the feeder tube on top with the cut-out lightning bolts.

My passion for ray guns grew out of an innocent accidental discovery of the Toy Ray Gun website. It was a visual and historical feast. I remembered space guns from my childhood, but I had no idea there were so many varieties. I began emailing the great Gene Metcalf, a heck of a nice guy, and a truly passionate collector. [And author of the book Ray Gun -- Doc] We struck up an electronic, long-distance friendship. After a while, I was hooked, happily and hopelessly. Within a year I had gone from no guns to over 75 pieces. Then, one day Gene told me he was selling the entire collection, and turning over the site to someone else, I was thunderstruck. We talked a few times after that, but unfortunately, the emails grew fewer and farther between, until we just stopped.

The red Pow'r Pop gun (Glenn, 1951). Chieffi also has the original cork!

A fine example of the Rex Mars Signal gun (Marx, 1950s).

What advice would you pass on to another collector?

To quote an old, dear dealer friend who passed away many years ago, "If you are doing this to get rich, you are in the wrong business." Collecting, while a sometimes troubling itch that can’t be scratched, is an exuberant experience understood by few. It’s not what the item is worth intrinsically, but what it is worth to you. Is that toy you’re looking at really worth $100? Or, perhaps, much more, with the excitement of the hunt and blissful joy of the acquisition? Someone else may say it’s overpriced, but to you, your inner child -- oh man, it’s priceless! 

Search, think, and pace yourself. Remember, buy the best you can afford, but buy what you love, because if you don’t love it, no price, no matter how high or low, will make it worth anything.

Top-Shelf Titans: The Andrew Klein Interview

Every Sunday, I sit down with other addicts collectors to take a look at their toys and discuss the hobby of toy collecting. This week: Andrew Klein is our Top-Shelf Titan!

Mixing the excitement of youth with the eye of a seasoned pro, Andrew Klein has leapt enthusiastically into the world of vintage space toys to create a collection impressive in both size and scope. He's a man who knows what he wants, tending to focus on robots and the occasional tank or tractor -- if they're driven by robots! And don't bother looking for any astronauts. As Andy says, "A robot toy, in my mind, could be 'real,' while a toy with a litho face clearly could not be a little man inside a wind-up body. In fact," he adds, "for some reason I can't explain, robots with faces kind of give me the creeps!"

DOC ATOMIC So what attracts you to these toys?

ANDREW KLEIN I suppose, as is the case with many other collectors, toy robots appeal to the kid in me. I’m 39 years old and have been interested in robots and science fiction related toys since the mid-Seventies. Star Wars really ignited my passion with R2-D2. I was fortunate that my mother enjoyed science fiction as well and, for birthdays, would give me Japanese imported die-cast robots as gifts. I still have a couple of them today. One of my favorites is Brain-3 from the UFO Commander series. Another aspect that both attracts me and keeps me interested in the hobby is the quality of design that went into these toys. They were built to stand on their own rather than to be sold in conjunction with a movie release or television show. They are unique to this day.

Some of Klein's collection. How many can you name? (All photos by Andrew Klein)

 

When did you start collecting?

I had been collecting on and off since I was a kid. This meant I would pick up a robot at a novelty shop if I though it was neat and I’d throw it on my shelf. I really started collecting in earnest somewhere around 1995. I received a copy of the Sotheby's Matt Wyse auction catalog and fell in love with robots I never knew existed. I was amazed because, prior to seeing that catalog, I thought I was an expert on toy robots. How little I knew! The truth is I’m still learning today and hope that I’ll never stop!

What's your approach to collecting? 

While my general collection rule is “collect what you like and what appeals to you," I do have a couple of guidelines I stick to (so far). First, I only collect robots. My second rule is that, with rare exceptions, I only collect toys that were designed and sold as toys. This means no statues, no models, and no art. I even have somewhat of an issue with the new robots on the market as they are not sold as toys and even come with the warning that “this is a collector’s item and not a toy. For adults only." If it wasn’t meant to be played with by a kid than I’m probably not interested in it. With that said, I do have an “Andybot” designed and built by a fellow Alphadrome (www.danefield.com/alpha) member named Andy Hill. That would be my "rare exception."

(bottom) Robby Space Patrol, a very rare "sled" style space vehicle. Also, one of more accurate toys to capitalize on the film Forbidden Planet.

Do you have a favorite toy, and is it in your collection?

I have a number of favorite pieces and, fortunately, most of them are in my collection. They would include my vintage Mr. Atomic (Cragstan, 1962), Non-Stop (a.k.a. Lavender) Robot (Masudaya, 1960), Ranger Robot (Cragstan, 1965) and Mr. Flash (Cragstan, 1960s). I also hope to own a Target Robot (Masudaya, 1965) someday. 

The wonderful Mr.Atomic was also available in a blue version. [editor's note: This is one of Doc's all-time favorite robots!]

Masudaya's Non-Stop Robot is part of the so-called Gang of Five, a group of large, skirted robots heavily desired by most collectors.  

Cragstan's Ranger Robot not only walked and made noises, but it also blew smoke. A light inside its transparent body helped show off all gears.

The Mr. Atomic and the Lavender robot were always "Holy Grail" robots that I dreamt of before I could afford the higher end toys. I had a copy of 1000 Tin Toys (by Teruhisha Kitahara, 1996) and the Sotheby's Matt Wyse auction catalog (1996) and would stare at these robots on a daily basis and fantasize about someday owning them. To this day, Mr. Atomic still has an impact on me and I’m amazed I have one sitting in my display. 

Also, the Mr. Flash is one of my favorites simply because of the design. I have both the red version and the more scarce silver version. Both are fantastic looking toys and never lose their appeal to me. 

Two versions of Mr. Flash. The silver one is rarest.

Is there any piece in your collection with a good story behind it?

I was cruising eBay when I came across a Missile Robot (Alps, Late 1960s) being sold by a guy in Argentina. It had a Buy-It-Now of $650 and looked to be in fair shape. I noticed also that this guy had re-listed the toy because of a non-paying bidder (so he says). Also, it was a bit fishy that even though the bidding on that first auction had gotten up to over $1400, he decided for a buy it now of $650. Finally, he also indicated he would only take Western Union -- no PayPal. 

Despite all that, I took the chance, thinking I made a great score on a very rare robot. We exchanged a few emails and I learned quickly that he spoke almost no English. He assured me that he would send the robot and to “trust him.” “Don’t worry,” he said. Can you smell the dramatic foreshadowing? 

Missile Man! A scarce toy.

I wired him the money plus $50 for shipping (“Is very heavy robot!” he said). A day later I received confirmation that he had picked the money up. Not long after, I got an email from him that said, “Not worry! I have not send yet! Will send tomorrow!” No problem. People get busy right? Things started to go sour after this. I sent him emails day after day with no response. After about 15 emails over the course of a month with no reply I decided to look up his phone number in Argentina through eBay. The woman who answered (who turned out to be his mother) spoke absolutely no English. I then called my brother-in-law, who speaks Spanish, and told him the story and asked for his help. 

He made several attempts and finally got through to the seller, who said, “Don’t worry. It takes up to three months to get to the United States,” and promised to email me. He never did. It became very clear to me he ripped me off. 

Well, at this point I was out over $750 in fees and payment for the robot. After feeling a bit helpless I decided I was pissed enough to take action. I Googled for an attorney in Buenos Aires that spoke English and contacted her. She agreed to take my case for a flat fee of around $200. I thought that was a great deal. Well, her involvement got this guy’s attention right away. All of a sudden I got an email asking me to take $400 back and to forget the whole thing. I told him to stuff it.  After a few weeks of back and forth my attorney managed to get my money back! She had it wired directly to my account. Turns out this guy had spent the money already and his girlfriend came in and ponied up the cash. I was amazed that I was able to resolve this.

So now at this point in the story I’m thinking I lost the robot but at least I got my money back. 

A few months later I’m on eBay and I see another Alps Missile Robot for auction! Wow! Here’s another chance for me! So I think and sweat and debate: Should I spend the money again? Well, as I keep going back to the auction to look at the picture I notice the robot looks really familiar -- same scratch marks on the tin. I go back to the old auction pictures and…can it be? Yes! It is the same robot the guy in Argentina was selling! 

I called the person holding the legit auction, which happened to be none other than [a long-time dealer named] Robert Johnson at Comet Toys. So we’re chatting about the robot and I tell him about the guy in Argentina. He says “Yeah, that’s where I got this robot!” A year and a half ago! It is now clear the Argentina guy sold it to Robert a long time ago and was using old pictures to rip me off. 

So I decide to bid. And… I lost the auction! Well, I figure this really was not meant to be. I tried to forget my frustration and disappointment at losing this robot again. A week later… It’s back on eBay! I guess Robert had a non-paying bidder. Well, this time I decided I was going to have it. I bid, and won! Now the robot sits in my display along side the other Alps robots (Moon Explorer, TV Spaceman, and Rocket Man).

Giants among robots. (clockwise from top left) Alps' Rocket Man, Moon Explorer, Missile Robot, and Television Spaceman

That's just an incredible story! Given your experiences, what advice would you pass on to a new collector?

Buy what you like. If you love it than it is worth the price. Also, never be ashamed of what you paid for a robot.  Just because it was inexpensive doesn’t mean it isn’t a great robot. The wind-up Radar Hunter is among my favorite robots and they can be had for $20 or so at any given time. If my Mr. Atomic became worthless tomorrow I wouldn’t love it any less and it would still give the same happy feeling that it does now. If another collector criticized your collection then you probably shouldn’t be listening to them any way. Always encourage other collectors and always be encouraged by other collectors. And always, always try to have fun!

Top-Shelf Titans: The Steve Jaspen Interview

Every Sunday, I'll sit down with other addicts collectors to take a look at their toys and discuss the hobby of toy collecting. This week: Steve Jaspen is our Top-Shelf Titan!

Steve Jaspen has collected space toys for more than a decade, and there are very few people who know more about them than he does. His collection of vintage wind-up robots and small-scale saucers, rockets and space cars is a wonder; not because it's huge, but, rather, because every piece in it is a bona fide treasure. Steve also happens to be one of the nicest guys in the hobby, and I consider him not only a good friend, but an honest-to-goodness mentor. So now that I've abandoned even a pretense of journalistic objectivity, let's get to the toys!

DOC ATOMIC What attracts you to these toys?  

STEVE JASPEN I like the feelings they evoke in me. It's very close to how I felt when watching the early space launches in the Sixties. The same feelings I have reading sci-fi novels. They represent something so much grander than we see, for the most part, in our everyday existence. A representation of the potential we have that we haven't quite reached yet.

Do you have a favorite piece in your collection? 

That's difficult. Certainly, my Television Robot (Sankei, 1960s) is high on the list. It's got a perfect look: fantastic lithography, and a face reminiscent of a little boy -- a robot almost becoming human. I love my early, blue, wind-up Planet Robots (Yoshiya, late 1950s). They are rare and beautiful, and their "grilled" faceplates look to me how a robot should look. Also my Mechanical Moon Robot (Yonezawa, 1960s) -- the multicolored ribbons within its domed, mirrored head are fantastic.

The Television Robot. One of the rarest toy robots. (All photos by Steve Jaspen)

Some of Jaspen's collection. The Mechanical Moon Robot (a.k.a. "Ribbon Robby) is on the right, in back. The ribbons in its dome spin as it walks.

When did you start collecting? How did you become involved with space toys?

I was heavily involved in sports memorabilia, but it reached a point where I had collected or seen just about everything in the field -- it was time to move on. The famous Sotheby's robot and space toy auction of Matt Wyse in 1996 showed me that this was an actual hobby. I had known about the famous Japanese collector Teruhisa Kitahara (whom I later had the pleasure of meeting), but until then I thought collecting these toys was only one man's obsession. With my sci-fi backround and love of robots this was a perfect hobby to move to from sports collecting. From that moment on it was off to the races.

One of Steve's rare blue Planet Robots is on the left. The grey skirted robot second from right is called Tremendous Mike -- it's another extremely rare toy. The robot to the far right is a modern piece hand-crafted by the late collector Henk Gosses.

Some of Jaspen's impressive saucer and rocket collection.

After looking at your collection, Steve, I was struck by your focus. Could you describe your approach to collecting?  

I purchase the pieces that really move me. When I'm looking at a book of robots and space toys, which are the ones I keep coming back to or most enjoy seeing? Not only do I focus on particular toys, but I quite often focus on a specific example of that piece -- literally one specific toy that I've seen somewhere. One collector I know calls it a "wanted dead or alive" style of collecting. In the world of sports memorabilia, many items were one of a kind, so I learned how to follow a specific piece from collection to collection until it became available. I use this skill in this hobby, too. 

Can you give us an example?

Sure. The silver-mouthed Hook Robot (Waco, 1950s) was high on my list from the moment I first saw him. A perfect example was offered by [long-time toy dealer] Mark Bergin in his 1998 catalog. By the time I called him, he'd already sold it. By chance I was able to find out who the buyer was, but he was a very high-end collector and no amount of money or trades could be offered to get the Hook out of his collection. But eventually, as so often happens, he decided to sell off his collection. I was able to figure out who ended up with the Hook. I had a very high-end piece in my collection that the new owner wanted. Applying my trading philosophy of giving up something great to obtain something that would give me even more happiness, a trade was born. I now own the one and very same example of the Hook Robot that I first saw in  Mark Bergin's catalog. It only took me 10 years to get the one I wanted! 

Any other instances of this happening?

Of course! There's a wonderful book called Roboter by Botho Wagner. Pictured on the cover is an amazing Planet Robot -- a blue, wind-up, rubber-handed version. Just beautiful. Well, I found out the hard way that this toy was so rare that not even well-known dealers had ever seen one -- or even heard of it. It turned out that this toy was probably not exported to this side of the ocean. 

I would just stare at this picture every day and wonder, "How am I going to get one of these for myself?" Wouldn't you know it: By sheer coincidence I had become close friends with a European collector... the very same collector who owned the exact robot used on the cover of the book! He knew of my deep love for this robot and one day, out of the blue (no pun intended), he offered it to me. So not only did I get my dream robot, but I got the exact example of the one I had been looking at all these many years. A dream come true!

Ladies and Gentlemen: The famous blue Planet Robot and silver-mouthed Hook Robot.

The Hook Robot next to an uncommon pin-walking robot called Robbie The Roving Robot. The blue robot on the right is the extremely rare X-27 Explorer. Note the VX-1000 space ship, another highly desirable toy.

You mentioned before that you traded a high-end piece to get the Hook Robot. Can you talk a bit more about this technique?

There are pieces [that I want] that are very hard to come by and are in the hands of deep pocketed collectors; one can't simply offer money to this class of collector. However, if I can get the piece I want by offering something special that they want, then a trade is possible. It's really about putting these toys on a scale of happiness; if what I am getting gives me more satisfaction than what I am giving up, it's an exchange I can seriously consider. I may not be able to keep every toy I've owned, but at least I've had the opportunity to have a sweet taste of many different great toys. 

A strong word of caution: It's too easy to get so excited about being able to obtain a sought-after new item that you don't carefully consider what you're giving up. You might discover that you liked what you traded more than what you received: I learned this the very hard way in my sports collecting days! My advice is to carefully consider each trade or sale. Sometimes the best deals are the ones that aren't made.

 

Sound advice! So, do you have any other interesting collecting stories?

There is one piece [from my collection] that is the center of a very good story. The Robot 5 (S.N.K./Sankei, 1950s) is a very high-end piece I never really expected to own. A dealer offered me a Robot 5 in his original box for quite a bit more than I could afford. Without even looking at a picture, I had to turn him down. A friend of mine was offered the robot, and he called to ask me what I thought of it. I told him I hadn't seen a picture, so he sent me one. Oh, my God! First off, it was a version I didn't at the time know existed -- a black and grey version as opposed to the better known champagne-pink one. It was really a perfect robot, and my friend decided to buy it. I was quite sad about that. 

By sheer coincidence, just as my friend closed the deal on the boxed grey-black version, he was offered the pink version, which he preferred. But it was unboxed. He asked for my advice -- he wanted the pink version but he also wanted the box. I had the perfect solution: We would split the boxed black-grey version. I would get the robot and he would get the box. Then he could buy the pink version to pair with it. So I ended up with the robot, he ended up with a boxed robot. All's well that ends well. 

Three fantastic robots: The extremely rare Robot 5, flanked by the red-mouthed Hook Robot and the Television Robot.

I'll say! So, do you have any advice for new collectors? Any parting words of wisdom?  

Here is my advice to new collectors: First off, knowledge is power. Find out as much about the hobby as you can. There are any number of excellent websites, books and catalogs to review. See which pieces "sing" to you and save money for the ones that you can reasonably afford. No impulse or quick-fix buying; save for those pieces that are most important to you. In the long run they will give you the most satisfaction. And use your own judgement as to what you like and do not like. After all it is your own collection that you are building!