Hook Robot (Waco / 1950s / Japan / 7.5 inches)

Back from a few days off; these summer weekends, man, they really knock you for a loop. To make up for it, though, I've got a doozy of a toy: The legendary Hook Robot.

The Hook gets its name from its oddly shaped antenna; officially, the toy's called "Robot," a boring appellation that never stood much chance of surviving. The toy is the second smallest skirted robot, and definitely one of the simplest. It's powered by friction -- roll it along the ground to rev it up, then let it go. It moves forward while its head turns side to side. It's a nice little action; combined with its expressive face, it gives the robot a semblance of sentience. 

The Hook Robot's back litho panel.

The Hook is definitely one of the most eye-catching of all the robots. That detailed face; the intricate litho; the primitive, boxy design; the bright colors -- they all make for a classic toy that stands out on a shelf. Unfortunately, it also makes for a desirable toy. Combined with the it's scarcity -- believe me, this is one rare robot -- and you've got the kind of explosive situation that'll blow your wallet to smithereens. 

Consequently, this isn't a toy I ever thought I'd own. 

But as so often happens in the world of collecting, I got lucky. One appeared on eBay just after I'd sold a bunch of robots, including an uncommon, dead-mint Rocket Man (Alps, 1960s). I had a war chest, but generally speaking, not the kind of war chest that could help me score a Hook. So what happened?

It's pretty clear from the photos that my Hook isn't in mint condition. It's got scratches, some scuffing to the litho, play wear -- the kind of "damage" that results from age. It's common enough on these old toys and, depending on the toy's scarcity, is generally forgivable. By me, anyway. However, they're just the sort of condition issues that prevent high-end collectors from paying top-dollar for a toy. 

In many cases, a toy robot will lose the most monetary value in those first, tentative steps away from mint condition. A buyer willing to pay, say, $4000 for a mint toy will often pay much less than that for the same toy if it has just a bit of wear to it. While most people would assume that small condition issues would result in only a small drop in price, the reality is that a buyer could easily save up that additional chunk of cash and just get a mint robot. No, in order to entice that buyer, the seller might have to drop his $4000 toy down to $3000... and possibly even less. At that point, the savings might be great enough for the buyer to purchase the robot. 

And that, friends, is exactly what happened with my Hook. I know a number of collectors -- well heeled collectors -- who don't have one. They've got everything else, it sometimes seems, but they don't have a Hook. And they passed on this particular example because of its condition. They know that when a mint one comes up, they'll be able to afford it. They'd rather wait -- a smart approach to collecting, I might add, if you can afford to play that way. 

Ultimately, this clears the road for collectors like myself, collectors who are willing to balance the issue of condition with those of price, scarcity, and desirability. In this case, I decided that the toy looked fine enough to me, and that I'd never have another chance at owning one. Not without selling off my extra organs or taking up a new trade -- like gun running. So I placed a bid. Lo and behold, I won the auction. Not only that, a number of collectors estimated that I'd have to pay at least $50 more than the hammer price. So yeah, score one for me!

(I should point out that a year or so later, another Hook made an appearance on eBay that sold for a bit less than mine. Of course, it was missing its head, so I'm not sure it was really much of a deal...)

Chief Robot Man (Yoshiya / 1962 / Japan / 12.5 inches)

Now this is the robot of tomorrow... as envisioned by mid-century dreamers, of course. Stylish, mid-century futurism meets high-tech bells and whistles; he's the must-have appliance for any space-age bachelor pad. It's no surprise that Chief Robot Man is considered a classic tin toy, one of the hobby's high points in terms of not only design, but also action and play value. If someone wants to know why people love these old space toys, just show them ol' Chief and they'll get the picture.



The Devil's in the details, which I guess makes Chief Robot Man a rolling, beeping vision of hell. Check out the eyes, with their internal, concentric rings. How about that translucent green chest plate, with its grid pattern and ridges? And check out the chromed facial features and scanner rings! Clean lines and uncluttered surfaces -- it's practically a work of art. That you're allowed to play with.




And playing with it is fun! Chief Robot Man rolls around with "mystery action" (a.k.a. bump-n-go), a fundamental piece of vintage technology that caused the toy to spin around and travel in a different direction every time it bumped into something. But that's only the beginning. Every so often, Chief Robot Man stops and moves his head from side to side while making a clanking "space noise" and flashing the light on his head. Then, his mind apparently made up, he'll venture off along a new path. It all gives the appearance that the robot's much more advanced than it is; that there's more going on inside that tin body than brass gears and rods. Maybe a microchip or two? Heck, at least a nice, fat, glowing tube! Right? No? Regardless, it's an impressive toy!






Yoshiya produced three variations on the Chief Robot Man. The first two are simple color variations: Radical Robot, which has a light, metallic blue body; and Mystery Moon Man, which is a striking white with translucent red details. (I tend to think of the latter one as a medical robot -- paint a red cross on it's sides and he's ready to rescue wounded Martian miners.) The third variation is called Mighty Robot, and features a clear plastic head with translucent gears. The head can't swivel from side to side, but the gears all turn and the whole thing lights up. The robot's also got plastic arms, while Chief Robot Man, Radical Robot, and Mystery Moon Man all have tin arms. Of the four robots, Chief Robot Man is by far the most common, while Mighty Robot is the rarest. However, Radical and Mystery Moon Man are tough to find as well.

Chief Robot Man and his cousins are what's known in the hobby as skirted robots (for obvious reasons). This was a popular design among toy companies, probably because it not only looked appropriately futuristic, but the toy makers could cram a lot of gears and lights and motors into the hollow bodies of the larger toys. More mechanics equals more bells and whistles (sometimes literally) and that makes for a more popular toy. The toys were also a bit easier to manufacture, with fewer pieces of tin to stamp and simpler construction requirements.

Chief Robot Man was always a dream robot of mine, one I'd sigh over every time he popped up in an auction catalogue or a collectibles book. He used to be fairly expensive, but as more have cropped up the price has dropped considerably. I remember congratulating a friend who bought one for what seemed like an excellent price. Two months later, I paid about 25% less. Today, only a few years after I picked up mine, they sometimes go for as little as 25% less than that! 

Some collectors would be bothered by this, but not me. I've never been into it for the investment. Sure, I like getting a deal on a toy as much as the next guy, and when I do happen to sell off a piece (it rarely happens), I'm thrilled when I get more for it than I spent. But in the end, I collect toys because I love them. Finding them makes me happy, getting them makes me happy, putting them up on my shelf makes me happy, and yes, taking them down to run them for a bit makes me happy. None of that will change even if they're only worth money for the tin they're made of.

Chief Robot Man is such a perfect example of everything great about this hobby, I'm still as happy to have him as I was the day he arrived.