LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. — On January 28, Landry Pop took us back to Twentieth Century Japan with its Shōwa Era Icons, Curated by Joshua Fraser auction, which offered 200 lots of collectibles from the golden age of toy design selected by Fraser, Saucony’s lead designer and a lifelong collector of vintage Japanese toys. The sale was led by a 1963 Asakusa Toys & Dolls Co., (ATD) tin wind-up toy of Tetsuwan Atom (also famously known as Astro Boy), complete with its original box, which rocketed past its $40/60,000 estimate to achieve $122,000, including premium. The toy, which included its original key and tie, was “one of the finest examples [Landry Pop has] encountered,” according to catalog notes. Its rarity came from its absence in the toy market, despite Astro Boy being at an all-time high in popularity when it was released. The reason? Most likely the fact that the toy’s tin connector tabs folded outwards on its arms, legs and torso, which may have been a safety hazard for children. Additional highlights from this sale will be featured in an upcoming issue.