Post by KingboyD on Oct 1, 2008 15:38:18 GMT -5
There are a lot of great robot-related tins. A lot of threads have been posted in the past about the traditional standing windup figures made by companies like Popy and Bullmark. I believe that these are referred to as Zenmai, but I don't know what else falls under this term. Ed recently posted a thread about a Mach Baron one.
I wanted to focus on some of the others out there that are not seen so much, and are often snatched up not by Chogokin fans, but by tin fans.
Tin robot and space toys have been around for much longer than gokins, transformers, and such. I believe that they date back to the 1950s, possibly earlier. Prices for these toys typically run from several hundred dollars and up. This is definitely a hobby for the wealthy.
Now I am no expert on this, and there may be great resources already online for these, but I wanted to share some of the ones I've seen on auction that caught my eye. BTW, there is a great forum known as Alphadrome, and if you look through the collection pics, you'll see some really great stuff, although much of it is outside the realm of what most of us collect or have interest in (i.e., generic space/robot toys and non-Japanese TV show related). Here's the link for the forum:
danefield.com/alpha/forums/index.php?s=6b7d26e500b215c94043f4b62e14ce94&showforum=27
So moving on, there is some great stuff made prior to the 1970s. There seems to be a huge number of tin toys from shows like Tetsujin and Astroboy, since these were released prior to 1970.
According to Wikipedia:
"Gigantor is a manga ... that was first published in 1956 and was later adapted into several anime series, the first in 1963. It was the first "giant robot" series. "
"Astro Boy is a Japanese manga series and television program first broadcast in Japan from 1963 to 1966."
Some of the books out there already discuss the rise and fall of tin toys, so I won't delve into it.
Anyway, enough background. Here's some great stuff I've encountered. I've got tons of pics from shows like Tetsujin, Astro Boy, and Getter Robo, so to keep this thread fresh, I'll try to update this every few days with more if there is any interest in it.
One of the things that I really like about tins is that they take these giant robots and put them in ridiculous situations, such as operating vehicles like boats, tanks, and even tricycles.
Here's Astro Boy driving a boat:
And here's Tetsujin in a UFO:
Buses are also popular for robot-related tin toys, and here's a Tekkaman bus:
Anyway, that's a start. Let me know whatcha think.
I wanted to focus on some of the others out there that are not seen so much, and are often snatched up not by Chogokin fans, but by tin fans.
Tin robot and space toys have been around for much longer than gokins, transformers, and such. I believe that they date back to the 1950s, possibly earlier. Prices for these toys typically run from several hundred dollars and up. This is definitely a hobby for the wealthy.
Now I am no expert on this, and there may be great resources already online for these, but I wanted to share some of the ones I've seen on auction that caught my eye. BTW, there is a great forum known as Alphadrome, and if you look through the collection pics, you'll see some really great stuff, although much of it is outside the realm of what most of us collect or have interest in (i.e., generic space/robot toys and non-Japanese TV show related). Here's the link for the forum:
danefield.com/alpha/forums/index.php?s=6b7d26e500b215c94043f4b62e14ce94&showforum=27
So moving on, there is some great stuff made prior to the 1970s. There seems to be a huge number of tin toys from shows like Tetsujin and Astroboy, since these were released prior to 1970.
According to Wikipedia:
"Gigantor is a manga ... that was first published in 1956 and was later adapted into several anime series, the first in 1963. It was the first "giant robot" series. "
"Astro Boy is a Japanese manga series and television program first broadcast in Japan from 1963 to 1966."
Some of the books out there already discuss the rise and fall of tin toys, so I won't delve into it.
Anyway, enough background. Here's some great stuff I've encountered. I've got tons of pics from shows like Tetsujin, Astro Boy, and Getter Robo, so to keep this thread fresh, I'll try to update this every few days with more if there is any interest in it.
One of the things that I really like about tins is that they take these giant robots and put them in ridiculous situations, such as operating vehicles like boats, tanks, and even tricycles.
Here's Astro Boy driving a boat:
And here's Tetsujin in a UFO:
Buses are also popular for robot-related tin toys, and here's a Tekkaman bus:
Anyway, that's a start. Let me know whatcha think.
If you think vintage gokin collecting is pricey, many of these will really bankrupt you in short order unless you have VERY deep pockets. 
