Robots and space guns were unstoppable at Morphy’s $1.5M toy auction

From Masudaya’s (Japan) famed Gang of Five robot series, a circa-1960 Machine Man Robot accompanied by original graphic box with inserts. One of very few known examples, it was discovered in the attic of the original owner’s home. Sold near the top of its estimate range for $84,000

DENVER, Pa. – It was playday but it was also payday for those hoping to acquire rare robots and space guns at Morphy’s August 9-10 Toys & Collectibles Auction. The sale took in $1.5 million, with big-ticket items that included a boxed Machine Man Robot, a whimsical Electroman Robot, and an Italian robot-man gumball machine that prompted ferocious bidding before landing at six times its high estimate. Absentee and Internet live bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.

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Space toys: charting a course from Buck Rogers to Star Wars

Known as the tulip head robot, this Japanese tin litho battery-op Space Robot X-70 made $3,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2017 at Dan Morphy Auctions. Image courtesy of Dan Morphy Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
Known as the tulip head robot, this Japanese tin litho battery-op Space Robot X-70 made $3,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2017 at Dan Morphy Auctions. Image courtesy of Dan Morphy Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
Known as the tulip head robot, this Japanese tin litho battery-op Space Robot X-70 made $3,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2017 at Dan Morphy Auctions. Image courtesy of Dan Morphy Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Given the enduring fascination with science fiction and space travel, it’s no surprise that collectors ardently pursue space-themed toys. The trifecta of this category comprises toy ray guns, spaceships and robots with a common denominator being the action of these toys, many of them battery-operated. Glowing red or flashing “laser” lights along with popping, clicking or whirring sounds add to the fun.

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