Here's the extremely rare red version of the Diamond Planet Robot with box, which was once owned by the renowned Japanese toy collector Teruhisa Kitahara:

   It's one of the fine offerings from the Robert Lesser collection that will be auctioned by Smith House Toy & Auction Company during their April 29-May 9 event. For more information, click on the Smith House name above, and you'll be directed to their Web site.

   When folks ask what I’m working on, it seems that lately I’ve had the same answer over and over again, “O’Brien’s Collecting Toys.” But that’s okay, because this book is one of my favorite toy references ever, and working on it is a daily history lesson about the toys made long before I was born.

   The book concentrates on toys from the 1950s and back—no new toys here. Long gone are the chapters on Star Wars and Action Figures that once took pages away from vintage favorites. This edition will contain more than 2,000 images, and I want to extend a very hearty THANK YOU to Andrew Truman over at James D. Julia Inc. Auctioneer & Appraisers.

   He sent along more than 500 gorgeous color images of vintage toys from their last three auctions—and that’s what I’m working on these days. Integrating these beautiful pictures into the appropriate chapters is a feast for the eyes, and I can honestly say that this 30th Anniversary edition will easily be the most beautiful yet.

   Thanks, Andrew!

   I'll post a few images later this week. For now, it's back to work!

   Beat the winter cold by heading south this weekend for a train show! The guys at Golden Spike Enterprises are hosting the 29th Jacksonville Rail Fair this Saturday at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.

   It’s Jacksonville’s oldest and largest model train and railroadiana show, and it will feature a large operating layout. They are expecting quite a turnout, so if you’re into trains, don’t miss the event of the year.

29th Jacksonville Rail Fair

Model Train & Railroad Artifact Show & Sale

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Prime Osborn Convention Center

1000 Water St.

Jacksonville, Florida

9am to 5pm

For information, contact:

Charles Miller

(703) 536-2954

rrshows@aol.com

www.gserr.com

   As always, if you attend the show, send me a couple of digital images and I'll post them right here -- I'd love to see that operating layout!

   I'll be talkin' toys all afternoon with the nice folks in North Carolina. One of my favorite talk radio hosts, Allan Handelman, invited me to be a guest on today's show -- and I wouldn't miss that for all the snow in Wisconsin!

   Allan's show is broadcast on Superstation WZTK FMTalk 101.1 and I'll provide on-air appraisals and reminisce about the toys of yesteryear. If you're in the North Carolia area, give it a listen!

I'm just amazed at the toy robots in the Lesser Collection -- as I mentioned yesterday, the collection is up for auction through Smith House Toy & Auction Company from April 24 through May 9.

Take the Lilliput robot, for example. Most robot collectors acknowledge this toy as the first mass-produced robot. It was released in Japan in the late 1940s, and though it looks a bit primitive compared to its more sophisticated descendants, the quality of craftsmanship is unmistakable and certainly bodes well for the future of its kind.

Take a look:

Not only did Robert Lesser find this robot in outstanding condition, the box is a seldom-seen treat, as is the original key. Yes, that's the original key tag still attached to the key!

It's okay to be amazed, I sure am!

   Even if you don’t know author and toy collector Robert Lesser, chances are good that you know his robot collection. The Lesser collection was displayed at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in November 2000 through February 2001. Then the collection was moved to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, where the robots were exhibited from November 2001 to January 2002, and again from June 2005 until September 2007, when they were shipped to Smith House Toy & Auction Company for auction.

   Smith House’s phone and online auction will open for bidding April 24 and end May 9. (Click on the Smith House name in the above paragraph for more information about this incredible auction.)

   To describe the Lesser collection as remarkable does a disservice to this extraordinary assemblage of the finest condition robots, many with their original boxes. The collection features robots considered “Holy Grail” pieces by collectors and fans. Consider that it was Lesser who coined the description “Gang of Five” for the series of large, battery-operated mechanical men made by Masudaya in the 1950s: Sonic Robot, Radicon Robot, Non-Stop “Lavender” Robot, Target Robot, and the scarcest of the group, Machine Man. The Machine Man in this auction was the first example of the toy to emerge in North America.

   I was thrilled that Craig Thompson of Smith House sent along a photo of Machine Man – let’s face it, this piece is so rare that you might not ever see one but in photographs.

Wow.

   Hello everyone! Thanks for your patience during the last week. Making the change from one magazine to the other wasn't a seemless transition, but the blog has now safely migrated and we're back to talkin' toys! (I think I owe the computer folks chocolate-chip cookies for sure.)

   If you have a topic you'd like me to address, click "Comments" below and I'll do my best.

   Thanks and have a great weekend!

   It's moving day! This blog is officially up and running over on the Antique Trader site, so please change your bookmarks to:

www.antiquetrader.com/toyland

   I don't know how much longer the antiquetrader.com address will function, so please make those changes and we'll keep talkin' old toys and old cars and old toy cars!

   I'd also like to extend a big "Welcome to Toyland" to the regular readership of the Antique Trader site. The "Babe in Toyland" button on that site features the wind-up Marx toy drummer/soldier from the film, Babes in Toyland. That toy is one of my favorite wind-ups ever and, of course, an inspiration for the name of this blog.

   So settle in, feel free to read the past posts, and if there's a toy topic you'd like me to address, drop me an email at: karen.obrien@fwpubs.com and I'll do my best to include it here.