Interested in old robots? Or do you think you may have something choice from the Space Age in your own attic?

Here's some advice for the novice space-toy collector - a synopsis of the Japanese companies that made the rarest and best the old 'bots "You get the results of years of my experience in a few minutes," said collector/dealer Robert G. Johnson

Yonazawa - made the Diamond Planet Robot with clockwork mechanism and Mr Atomic
Yoshiwa made the Mighty Robot with clockwork mechanism, and the Space Elephant (the silver version is the rarest)

Nomura - made Robby Space Patrol in two colors, light and dark blue; a!so the Astro Man wind-up, which is extremely rare

Marusan - famous for the Tarzan Robot, plus Cadillac cars

Ichida - still in existence in Japan, and released Sparky wind-up robots about 1 1/2 years ago

Daiya - Ranger Robot and the Cragstan Astronaut

Masudaya - still going in Japan, their latest products arc 4-inch "Gang of Five " wind-ups and their brand new tin space rockets. They own all rights to market Disney toys in Japan. Known for the 1950s robots Machine Man, Non-Stop Robot, Sonic Robot and Target Game Robot, and the first remote control robot, Radic on. Note: there are always on-going rumors about this company reproducing the original "Gang of Five"

Alps - made the Missile Robot, very rarely seen

Horikawa - famous for their Rotate- 0-Matic Super Astronaut Robots that frequently tum up in the Midwest. Still exists in Japan as Metal House; makes reproduction products from the Osaka Tin Toy Institute of Osaka, Japan. They still own their original molds from their postwar toys. l,atest product: a 9-inch wind-up astronaut that should retail around $140.00

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