Space Toys on eBay: A (Third) Round Up of Ended Auctions

As always, this is by no means an exhaustive survey of the space toys and robots available on eBay over the last few months. However, they are toys that caught my eye -- and made me catch my breath -- and I share them this evening for your amusement and edification. And also because I'm too lazy for a proper post...

So without further ado...

1. Space Rockets (Unknown, 1950s)

These nifty little toys, only six centimeters tall, are made in Germany. The astronaut is removable. I've not idea what they are, who made them, or any other details. But they're cool as all heck, and I wish I'd placed a bid on the little buggers!

2. Mighty Robot (Yoshiya, 1960s)

A rare cousin to the Chief Robot Man. This great toy features a transparent plastic, illuminated head with internal gears that rotate. A fantastic toy!

3. Silver Mechanized Robot (Nomura, 1957)

One of the rarest robots. This version preceded the more common black version, which can be read about here. Legend has it that when Nomura produced this toy, they only had black and white photos from the film Forbidden Planet and thought this character would be silver. When they realized their mistake, they switched to the more accurate black paint scheme. A funny little story, but I'm not so sure it's true. After all, salesman's prototypes -- which were the first versions of the toy produced -- are available in both silver and black. Whatever the reason, the silver Mechanized Robot is tough to get...

4. X-70 Robot (Nomura, 1960s)

More commonly known as the Tulip Robot because of its great action. First it walks forward with flashing lights in its neck. It then stops and its head opens like a flower to reveal a plastic TV camera. The whole thing -- camera, head pieces -- then rotates before closing up and repeating the cycle. A classic, and one of the best robots out there.

5. Moon Robot (Yonezawa, 1960s)

A nicer, more elegant version of Robby the Robot, this toy is commonly known as "Ribbon Robby" on account of the ribbons in his dome that rotate when he walks. One of my favorite toys.

6. Radar Robot (Nomura, 1960s)

A ridiculously rare toy, the Radar Robot is also known as Topolino, the Italian name for Mickey Mouse. He walks forward while the red squares in his chest light up to reveal a space scene. I'll be honest -- I don't really love this toy. I don't mind goofy looking robots -- and we all know I own a bunch of 'em! -- but this one is just a little too aesthetically disjointed. A lot of collectors will sell body parts to own it, but not me... They're welcome to him.

7. Lilliput Robot (Unknown, 1938)

The first robot ever produced, and one of my all-time favorites. Very rare, very beautiful, a classic toy and everything I love about these old robots. One day...

8. Mr. Atomic (Cragstan, 1964)

Another one that's near the top of my wish list. This was one of the first toys I fell in love with when I got into this hobby... but it's rare enough and pricey enough that it could end up being one of the last I add to my shelves. That's okay -- the hunt makes it worthwhile. In action, Mr. Atomic rolls around with bump and go action while a light flashed behind his domed head.

9. NY World's Fair Candy Pail (Up To Date Candy Manufacturing Company, 1939)

An unusual piece, rare in this condition. Only three and a half inches tall -- it's designed to hold candy, which you'd buy as a souvenir of the fair. A piece I'd love to add to my growing World's Fair collection.

Crass Commercialism! Stuff I've Got On eBay

I've got stuff for sale on eBay that I think you, my happy readers, might enjoy owning. Everything's got cheap buy-it-nows, but the starting bids (and, if applicable, the reserves) are even lower. So, without further ado, let the capitalism begin!

What's up for grabs? Swing on over here to see!

Space Toys on eBay: A (Second) Round Up of Ended Auctions

Another look at some of the space toy auctions that caught my eye over the last few months. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and doesn't even touch on every great toy to pass through my watching page. These are just pieces worth taking a second glance at, surprising appearances that made me pause for a moment and utter a quiet, "Whoa."

As before, I'm intentionally leaving out information about the auctions themselves -- who was selling the toy, what it went for, etc. While it's public information, I still feel like I'd be stepping on other collectors' toes by including such details.

So... What was on eBay recently? Some juicy stuff indeed!

1. Diamond Planet Robot (Yonezawa, Early 1960s)

This is definitely one of the rarest robots to appear on eBay in a while -- hell, it's one of the rarest robots period. I know of maybe four or five others floating around out there (which isn't to say there aren't more, just that I don't know who owns them). Even in this rusty condition, it's still an amazing treasure. This large, wind-up tin robot was also available in red, and a there's a battery-operated prototype living somewhere in Japan. Seeing it pop up on eBay was a real thrill.

2. Domed Easel Back Robot (Linemar, Late 1950s)

An uncommon, battery operated robot with loads of litho and a great, funky, fish bowl helmet, the Domed Easel Back is one of my favorite toys. (One I'm proud to say I own, by the way -- look for a longer entry on it sometime soon.) It's most often missing that helmet, which is made of a thin, vacuum-formed plastic. This one's not only complete and minty, it comes with it's original box (not pictured because I'm a bit lazy). There are three other Easel Back Robots -- one other remote-controlled one, and two wind ups. This is definitely the rarest and most desirable of the lot.

3. Lilliput Robot (Unknown, 1938)

This is the first toy robot ever made. Boxy, primitive -- it's a beautiful piece that tops many collectors' wish lists (including my own). Needless to say, they're rare toys, though not as rare as one might think; they built 'em to last back then, I guess. There are actually two versions of the Lilliput Robot: One features a dial that's actually made from a separate piece of tin that's set inside the robot's chest, while the other has a dial that's simply stamped into the chest itself. This is an example of the former; I can't say which is rarer, but I know I like the two-piece version a bit more. That said... I'll take either one!

4. Martian Triple Shot Sky-Gun (Mercury Plastics, 1950s)

This is an uncommon gun that fires up to three propellors at once. Normally, it's found in red, and it's also been seen in black. Until now, I've never seen a blue one. (I'm an idiot for not bidding on it, and that's all I'll say on the matter...) The gun was also available with a design variation that includes fewer fin details. I've got both versions in red, one of which is mint-in-bag with a header card. Still, I should have snagged the blue one! Oh well, I'm sure it went to someone who appreciates it.

5. Robbie The Roving Robot (S.N.K., 1950s)

This is by far the rarest of a trio of robots made by S.N.K. that includes the wind up Sparkling Mike (seen here) and the battery operated Flashy Jim. While those other two pop up on eBay all the time, Robbie remains elusive. It differs from its brothers in a couple significant ways. Besides having different litho, it also uses a simple pin-walking mechanism similar to Atomic Robot Man (see here for more details).

eBay Photo Scandal: Important New Policies

A slightly hyperbolic headline, I know, but I wanted to get everyone's attention. If you sell anything on eBay, you need to be aware of this.

Ebay is now building a library of images pulled from auctions, which can be used by any other eBay seller. For instance, if you have an auction, and someone else has a similar auction, that other person can use your pics. 

The most annoying part of it all is that you are automatically opted in to the program. 

If you opt out by August 31, none of your photos will be used in this database. If you opt out after August 31, any photos posted up until that point remain fair game.

Here's how to opt out:

1. Go to My eBay.

2. Place your mouse over the Account tab.

3. From the drop-down menu, select Site Preferences.

4. Go down the list until you see Selling Preferences.

5. Find Share Your Photos.

6. Click Show. Click Edit.

7. You'll be allowed to Opt Out of the program. Then click Submit.

For more, check out this informative article.

Space Toys on eBay: A Roundup of Ended Auctions

Ebay is a fantastic place to window shop, and you never know what sort of interesting toys will pop up. Even if I'm not looking to spend any money, I like to keep track of what's coming and going. Since I'm following these toys anyway, I figured I'd start posting some of the more interesting ones that pop up every few weeks. 

I'm intentionally leaving out information about the auctions themselves -- who was selling the toy, what it went for, etc. While it's public information, I still feel like I'd be stepping on other collectors' toes by including those details. So consider this just a heads up on some cool toys you might have missed. 

So... What was on eBay during the last few weeks? Lots of juicy stuff!

1. Pistola Spaziale (Samco, 1960s)

A rare toy released by an Italian company, the Pistola Spaziale is clearly based on the Dan Dare Cosmic Ray Gun. The company replaced the flashlight and reflector dish with a dart mechanism, and then included two darts based on the ones included with the Space Patrol (and Dan Dare) Rocket Dart Gun. While other companies -- all Italian -- have copied the Cosmic Ray Gun, Samco is the only one to use the actual gun. If you were to look closely at the toy, you'd see that it has all the same markings as the original -- including the words "Made in England!" How do you say "ballsy" in Italian?

2. Mechanical Robot (Unknown, 1960s)

This simple Japanese robot features a wind up mechanism that causes it to sort of shuffle/hop around. It's surprisingly uncommon, and is often missing the decal on its chest. Kind of goofy looking, yeah, but I really like it. 

3. Space Patrol Cosmic Smoke Gun (U.S. Plastics, 1952)

This large sized, red Space Patrol gun is really, really rare. Normally, this version of the toy is metallic green; red was used for a version that has a smaller barrel. Every once in a while, a small green one will appear, but in all my years of collecting, I've never seen a large red version of the gun. Fascinating. (Note: By large I mean about six inches... the small one is about four inches long. Just so we're all on the same page.)

4. Planet Robot (Yoshiya, 1958)

Generally, the metallic blue paint job was only used on the battery operated Planet Robots. This is an extremely rare wind up, metallic blue Planet Robot. To see it is to love it, which is unfortunate since this is only the fourth example I've ever seen, and the only one that actually appeared on eBay. Unrequited love is a painful, painful thing.

5. Water Pistol (Reliable, 1950s)

A rare water gun made by the Canadian company Reliable. I don't actually know much about this toy, except that whoever put it on eBay included a very affordable buy-it-now, and I stupidly took my time debating whether I wanted to shell out the money. The decision was made for me when someone else bought it. Someone smarter than me. (A friend of mine likes to say that buy-it-nows always seem much more reasonable after someone else has bought the toy. So it goes.)

6. Dan Dare Rocket Pistol (Merit, 1950s)

The British company Merit based their Dan Dare Rocket Pistol on U.S. Plastics' Space Patrol Rocket Dart Gun. Same basic mold, but using metallic colors. It's much less common than it's American counterpart, too, especially here in the States. I've got the rarer copper version (hah!), but I don't have the great box (grr!). Note the darts -- they're the ones that Samco -- in this article's first entry -- used for their Pistola Spaziale.

7. Thunder Robot (Asakusa, 1967)

This strange looking tin robot is also mighty rare. The toy's got a great action: It walks forward with spinning propeller, then stops, raises his arms, and fires his light up hand cannons with a rat-tat-tat sound. Kinda makes you wonder where Tony Stark got his idea for Iron Man's repulser cannons... If you like this toy but can't afford an original, you'll be happy to know that a number of inexpensive reproductions have been released over the years. A quick search on eBay will turn up a bunch of them. Definitely a fun one to have sitting on the shelf.

8. Mr. Atomic (Cragstan, 1962)

One of my all-time favorites. Unfortunately, it's rare and expensive, so I don't think I'll be adding it to my shelves any time soon. The toy rolls around with bump-and-go action while its dome lights change color and it makes a plinking noise. It was also available in a slightly -- slightly -- more common silver version. I love 'em both. The toy was reproduced by two companies, Mike's Toy House and Osaka Tin Toy Institute; both have minor variations but are, for the most part, true to the original. These repros aren't cheap, though, and usually pull in a few hundred bucks. Still, that's a fraction of what an original costs.

9. Atomic Jet Gun (Crescent, 1950s)

A very cool British water gun, clearly based -- at least roughly -- on the Hiller Atom Jet water pistol here in the states. Slightly more stylized, though, with a few extra swoops thrown in for good measure. A tough toy to find, especially in this condition. 

Sparkling Mike (S.N.K. / 1956 / Japan / 7.5 inches)

I'd never even heard of Sparkling Mike when I first stumbled upon him during one of my regular, gonzo, all-night eBay search-fests. It was early in my career as a collector and the holes in my knowledge were big enough to fire a rocket though. So I didn't know anything about Sparkling Mike when his auction page popped up in front of me. Except that he hit me like a ton of bricks, and I had to own him.

Sparkling Mike's got that classic robot look, all boxy and silver with smooth lines and just a little bit of rivet-like detailing and clean, stylized lithography. Then there's that facial expression, those soulful eyes that seem to see the world through a haze of wonder. Asimov's robots might have looked like Sparkling Mike. Also the character "Adam Link," who appeared in an earlier story by two brothers writing under the pseudonym Eando Binder. One friend of mine described Sparkling Mike's eyes as looking haunted; a woman I know fell in love with him because he seemed so sweet and innocent. That's the thing about Mike: he's like a blank screen just waiting for us to supply the image. Such a simple toy, but maybe that's why he's so compelling. 

On the surface, Sparkling Mike seems like a pretty simple toy. He uses a key-wind mechanism coupled with an on/off switch to walk while sparks spit from a hole in his chest. 

But look a little deeper and you'll see that he's more sophisticated than you might think. He uses a unique walking mechanism that combines the up/down motions of pins extending from the soles of his feet (similar to pin walkers like the previously discussed Atomic Robot Man) with legs that move forward and back. This gives the toy an appearance of heel-toe movement that's astonishingly life like and a whole lot of fun. Sparkling Mike definitely has my favorite walking mechanism among all the toy robots. 

Sparkling Mike is part of a series of three, similar looking "brother" robots that includes Flashy Jim (which uses a battery-operated remote control to walk, and has light-up eyes) and Robbie the Roving Robot (which features stiff legs and a traditional pin-walking mechanism). Of the three, Mike is the most common, followed closely by Jim. Robbie is definitely the rarest. To be honest, though, Mike is my favorite. 

I actually owned Flashy Jim for a while. I won him at an auction for a fraction of what he's worth. I enjoyed the toy, but after a while I realized that he didn't affect me quite like his Sparkling brother. There were toys I wanted more, so I ended up selling him. While I made money on the sale, I was also able to give the buyer a great deal, so I feel like it worked out really well for everyone. Even Flashy Jim, who's now in a collection where he's properly appreciated. 

(Me? Anthropomorphize these toys? Never! Ahem... moving on.)

Sparkling Mike also has a distant cousin called Robot 5. It shared the basic S.N.K. body and head, but had much more complex lithography, and was available in three colors: grey, pink, and blue. These toys are extremely rare. Extremely, rare. I mean, "Buy this robot or pay your rent for a year" rare. And that's New York rents, buddy. All of which is very unfortunate, since aesthetically, the blue and grey versions are two of my favorite toy robots. Did I mention that, of the three, the blue one is absolutely the rarest, with only three known to exist? 

I find it amazing how I can constantly redesign my own personal vision of hell. A minor circle of hell, to be sure, but still, sometimes I wish I fell in love with Go Bots or something. 

Sparkling Mike is actually responsible for my becoming friendly with a long-time collector and dealer named Jay Brotter. He currently owns an online store called Robot Island (www.robotisland.com) and has one of the foremost collections of plastic robots. Jay was the person selling Sparkling Mike on eBay way back when, and after I won it, we discovered that we both lived in NYC. Jay suggested I pick it up from his place, and we ended up having a nice, face-to-face chat. Since then, Jay's left NYC for greener pastures (quite literally). However, thanks to various toy-robot related events and activities, I've still sometimes have the opportunity to say hi -- and buy some more toys!

Sparkling Mike: Bringing people together. So they can spend more money.