Milestone Auctions Spring Vintage Toys — Premier Auction
Saturday May 27, at 10:00am
38198 Willoughby Parkway Willoughby, Ohio 44094
www.milestoneauctions.com
440-527-8060
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-70s are revered by collectors who love the toys’ fanciful looks and quirky actions, not to mention the wild artwork on their boxes. Milestone Auctions will offer a treasure trove of sought-after robots, space toys and dozens of other types of vintage playthings at its May 27 spring Premier toy sale at 10 am.
The 881-lot auction is led by a collection of postwar Japanese rarities, including Tetsujin, Astroboy, Space Ace and a Nomura Walking Batman with its original box. The parade of highlights is led by a battery-operated Target Robot from Masudaya’s “Gang of Five” robot series. Standing 15 inches tall and finished in glossy purple, red and yellow with a red circular target on its chest, it comes with its correct dart pistol and two darts, and it retains its colorful original box ($20/25,000).
Marching right behind Target Robot is his Gang of Five brother, Masudaya’s Radicon Robot. The big, boxy battery-op with a gray industrial-metal finish is also 100 percent original and comes complete with its correct remote-control box and antenna. It retains its original pictorial box depicting a boy in a spacesuit directing Radicon with his remote control ($15/20,000).
The parade continues with a rare Yonezawa 13-inch-tall “8 Man” Walking Robot. This toy is all original and finished in bright primary colors. It is in working order and comes with its original Japanese-language box with visuals of 8 Man running in space as a rocket zooms past him ($6/8,000).
The 8 Man is also the subject of a Yone/Yonezawa 12-inch battery-operated remote-control Thunderbird car. In complete, all-original condition, it has a retractable roof and steerable remote control. Its graphics include flames along the car’s outer edges, Japanese writing and images of 8 Man on both the hood (8 Man’s face) and trunk (8 Man against a checkered flag ($3/5,000).
Another rarely seen toy is Tada’s 13-inch tin windup Big X thin-leg walker. All original and complete, including its purple cloth cape and winged helmet boldly emblazoned with an “X,” the toy is in working order and comes with its original pictorial box ($4/6,000).
Bidding is expected to take off the moment Nomura’s battery-operated Walking Batman takes the spotlight. The Walking Batman in the sale is all original, complete and looks as though it has never been played with. When tested, it worked perfectly. Together with its original box with images of Batman, Robin and the Batmobile, this postwar classic is on target to reach $6/8,000.
Those who like their toys rare and exotic will be in the bidding fray for a Bandai (Japan) battery-operated Flying Space Ace. All original and complete with a colorfully decorated remote control and wire track for toy to fly on, it is accompanied by its original Japanese-language box ($3/5,000).
A hard-to-find, 9-inch pre-World War II wind-up “Race Car ‘Glory’” with a full-body driver figure boasts distinctive colors of the Art Deco period, and its original pictorial box depicts three children smiling with delight as they admire their toy car ($2/3,000).
Among the cast iron toy highlights to be auctioned are a rare 13-inch-long Kyser & Rex cast iron Santa in Sleigh toy pulled by two reindeer in all-original condition ($6/8,000); and a Hubley cast iron Harley-Davidson Hill Climber motorcycle. The 8½-inch-long bike is all original, finished in a scarce orange color with a driver “dressed” in black from head to toe ($5/8,000).
Collectors of pressed-steel toys will also be met with a trove of options to bid on. A scarce 25-inch-long Kingsbury motor-driven pressed-steel stake-bed truck retains its original white rubber tires and J.C. Penney “Little Jim” decals ($2,5/3,500). Also, a 23-inch-long Buddy L Junior Oil Tank Truck, all original including its paint, could roll out the door for a winning bid of $1/1,500.
Milestone’s gallery is at 38198 Willoughby Parkway. For more information, 440-527-8060 or www.milestoneauctions.com.
Full Catalog Live Bidding Available Thru:
| Liveauctioneers | Invaluable
PHONE BIDS & ABSENTEE BIDS: Call 440-527-8060
(440) 527-8060 | milestoneauctions@yahoo.com | Auctioneer: Miles King
Buyer’s Premium: 20% Online | 17% In-house | 3% Added for Credit Card Payments Milestone Auctions is proud to present this auction event. Collectors will have the chance to bid on many different categories of wonderful Antique Toys!! Wonderful selection of American, German, & Japanese Windup and Battery Operated Toys, Pressed Steel Truck, Cast Iron, & Much More!! Makers include Marx, Chein, Strauss, Linemar, Buddy L, Sturditoy, Kingsbury, Tonka, Nylint, Arcade, Kenton, Hubley, Vindex, Lehmann, Distler, Guntermann, and More!!!! Collection of Vintage Robots and Space Toys!! Includes many RARE Examples!!! MILESTONE AUCTIONS IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR QUALITY CONSIGNMENTS! ONE PIECE OR ENTIRE COLLECTIONS!! CALL 440-527-8060 FOR DETAILS
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