Tag Archive for: Nomura

Yone/Yonezawa (Japan) 12in battery-operated 8 Man remote-control Thunderbird car. All original and complete with retractable roof and steerable remote control. Sensational graphics on toy and original box (some restoration). Estimate $3,000-$5,000

Huge collection of rare robots, superheroes leads Milestone’s May 27 auction

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Fantastic Nomura (Japan) battery-operated Walking Batman. All original, complete, and appears never to have been played with. All functions in working order when tested. Clean original box with great graphics of Batman, Robin and Batmobile. Estimate $6,000-$8,000

Fantastic Nomura (Japan) battery-operated Walking Batman. All original, complete, and appears never to have been played with. All functions in working order when tested. Clean original box with great graphics of Batman, Robin and Batmobile. Estimate $6,000-$8,000

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Today, many nations and private companies are engaged in the Space Race, but there’s no contest as to who the winner is when it comes to space toys. Japan has been the clear and unchallenged leader in the manufacture of robots and space toys since the end of World War II. The imaginative designs of Masudaya, Yonezawa, Nomura and scores of other Japanese firms of the 1950s-1970s are revered by collectors who love the toys’ fanciful looks and quirky actions, not to mention the wild artwork on their boxes. Milestone Auctions, the home of great toy collections, will offer a treasure trove of sought-after robots, space toys and dozens of other types of vintage playthings at their big May 27th Spring Premier Toy Sale. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Bertoia’s to auction top model’s phenomenal antique toy collection, March 11-12

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Boxed Lehmann (Germany) ‘Mandarin’ wind-up toy. Estimate $4,000-$7,000

VINELAND, N.J. – On March 11 and 12, Bertoia’s will auction, without reserve, the Monique Knowlton antique toy collection, a spectacular assemblage of comic character, German automotive, American toys, and out-of-this-world Japanese robots and space toys. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

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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.

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

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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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Collectors aimed high for robots, Disney toys at Milestone auction

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Bandai (Japan) friction-powered ‘Flying Spaceman’ on ‘Super Cycle’ with original caped, green rubber “Superman” figure. Cape shown in foreground. Accompanied by colorfully illustrated box lid. The top lot of the sale, it sold for $55,200 against an estimate of $15,000-$25,000.

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Bidders from more than 20 countries worldwide brought their A-game to Milestone’s May 1 Spring Spectacular Toy Auction, which ran 13 hours due to sustained bidding, primarily via the Internet. Interest was especially strong for robots, early comic character toys and an extraordinary collection of 150+ vintage toy boats and electric outboard motors in their original boxes.

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