Space Commander Walkie Talkies (Remco, 1953)

Along with ray guns and robots, I also collect vintage space walkie talkies. The Space Commander model is one of my favorite sets.

Like most toy walkie talkies, these used the old "can-and-string" technology -- tie a line between the two toys, pull it tight, and then marvel as your voice is transmitted to your friend on the other side of the room. Never mind that, with only about 15 feet between separating the two of you, your voice probably carried pretty clearly anyway. No, these toys were cool, high-tech gadgets and nothing could take away the fun of using them. 

Like so many Remco toys, the Space Commander Walkie Talkies came in a beautiful display box decorated with simple, but fun, three-color artwork. It also included a handy spool for the bright red string so you weren't left untangling the cord every time you wanted to use the toy. (Seriously -- how can you warn Earth about the incoming invasion if you're stuck picking knots out of your communication equipment?)

I've always liked these toys. They've got a great, spacey look to them, and really capture the mid-century futurism I love so much. And so many of them come in display boxes -- not just the Remco models -- that they end up looking fantastic on my shelves. Space walkie talkies aren't as big a collectible as ray guns or robots, but to me, that's part of their appeal -- I can build a complete collection without spending too much money, and I end up with a bunch of toys that aren't overly familiar to everyone else. 

I snagged this dead-mint set (notice that the string still has the original tape keeping it wound around the spool) during an annual space-toy collector convention in Adamstown, PA. I'd pretty much given up hope of finding anything good that weekend when I stumbled on these beauties at a giant antique mall. The dealer wanted about 25% more than I was willing to pay, but I managed to talk him down. Sweet. 

Okay, okay, that's not the most exciting story in the world. Not every purchase involves fighting off ninja or learning some important lesson about life. I'm just glad I got the toy!

Electronic Space Gun (Remco / 1953 / U.S. / 6 x 9 inches)

I'm always thrilled when a toy ray gun comes in a display box; the clever packaging provides a perfect way of showing off the toy. And few toys looked as good in their boxes as the Electronic Space Gun. There's just something about a wild-eyed space-kid firing colorful beams of death that really captures the mid-century spirit of intergalactic adventure.

Remco made some excellent space toys, including a number of space phones, an amazing B9 Robot from the TV series Lost In Space, and, of course, ray guns. The company was good at providing bells and whistles -- and lights and buzzers and whatever other battery-operated doo-dads you could imagine. In this case, the Electronic Space Gun fired a beam of light while a buzzer sounded. The red dial on the side, up near the barrel, turned a color wheel which could shift the light from white to red to green to blue. A compass towards the rear of the gun helped keep Junior Spacemen from getting lost (as long as they were on Earth, that is). 

I'll admit, it took a while for me to appreciate this gun. It's angular shape looked just a bit too functional; I kind of felt like it was lacking in fantasy. But over time, I began looking at it like a prop from a space movie or something. The factors that turned me off became more appealing. Eventually, I was scouring eBay for a nice, boxed example.

Remco made a number of different variations of the Electronic Space Gun. All used the same body, but the company sometimes replaced the compass in the back with a small, spiral color wheel. The toy was released in a variety of colors, including black, red, yellow, and blue. There are also at least three boxes; this is the most elaborate. One version is also known as the Jupiter Gun, though aside from the awesome name, there doesn't seem to be much difference.