During the 1950s, the majority of the battery operated and motorized wind-up tin robot toys were manufactured outside of the United States by several toy companies in Japan.  When these tin toys were exported to the United States, they attracted a lot of interest from American children.  Because they were able to cheaply mass produce… Read More »

Another great decade for vintage toy robots in America is the ’60s which showcased a great advancement of science and technology, feeding the growing obsession of these mechanical beings among children. During this time period, classic popular Sixties battery operated robot toys include Marx, Taiyo, Horikawa, and other classic brand robots from Japan. If you… Read More »

The company Horikawa was one of the most prolific Japanese manufacturers of battery operated tin toys in the industry after the second World War. Their brand are recognized by the company’s logo “SH” on their products which includes collectible tin toys such as robots, rocket ships and space stations. Horikawa was so popular as a… Read More »

When we take a nostalgic trip back to some of the classic children toys produced around the world, the robot toys manufactured by Louis Marx and Company stand out as undoubtedly the most beloved creations among toy collectors. Marx introduced his toy-line in the 1950s and 1960s to capitalize on the space and robot fandom… Read More »

Like many manufacturers in Japan, the company Nomura made a transition towards the tin toy industry in the late 1940’s after World War II to help reconstruct the economy of their country. Nomura is famous for their tin robot toys such as Tetsujin 28 aka Iron Man and Astro Boy. In addition, coming off the… Read More »

During the early 1970’s, the Japanese toy company Bandai created a toy division called Popy. Although they initially made tin toys such as the Grendizer robot photographed on the left, Popy began to incorporate die-cast metal into their action figure robot toys to reduce production costs during the ’70s.  The metal was zinc based and… Read More »

During the 1950’s and 1960’s post war era, Yoshiya was one of the major toy manufacturers in Japan. The company stayed in business until the 1970’s. It was also known as Kobe Yoko Ltd. and produced several friction, wind-up, and battery powered mechanical toys during their run. Many of their robot toys are now popular… Read More »

Fans of classic science fiction movies will fondly remember Robby the Robot as the iconic mechanical character from the 1956 sci-fi movie, Forbidden Planet, starring Leslie Nielsen. The popularity of the film and its high tech robot inspired a series of toy lines during the 1950’s and 1960’s. The original Robby the Robot toys were… Read More »

This Winter’s 2017 Wonder Festival Toy Convention (aka “Wonderfes”) featured an incredible showcase of action figures, model kits, and robotic toys.  These robot toys, commonly known by collectors as “mecha,” are popular with Japanese toy collectors.  The interest for these robotic collectibles has crossed the Pacific, attracting a large fan base in North America. This… Read More »

In the original animated series from the Eighties, the number one mission of the “Voltron Force” was to protect the planet Arus from the evil king Zarkon and his force of Ro-beasts. This classic incarnation of with lion Voltron robots was originally based on the 1981 Japanese animated series “Beast King Go Lion” which was… Read More »