Toys OTD: Schylling's Electra Robot Girl, Proton Robot

These toys were given to us as a wedding gift! There's a lot of different tin wind-up robots (and still more reproductions of the older designs) so it can be really tough to identify one if you don't have the packaging to help you out. I did a lot of digging to discover their names!

These are both reproductions of older robot toys, though I'm not sure precisely which ones. The designs are appealing, and the body/innards are assembled in the classic, no-nonsense manner. The litho work is sharp, with no registration problems.

It's nice to see old-school robots with no plastic parts anywhere. Reproductions sometimes do this, either to save money or to acknowledge changes in safety guidelines. Thanks to Schylling, these new versions are intended for older audiences than their predecessors, so they look and work just fine! Wind them up, throw the switch, and off they wobble, grinding all the way.

These are still very affordable for a beginning collector or robot fan - Electra sells for $18.99 + shipping, while Proton Robot costs $12.50 + shipping. Have fun!

Toy OTD: Schylling Reproduction Flash Gordon Rocket Fighter (2004)

I've never been a purist in terms of original toys vs. "repros" - if it's well-made, I'll happily buy a reproduction (of course, it helps if the value of the original is in the ionosphere). Still, this sparking friction toy is a great example of how good a replica can be!

It's huge - 12" long - and looks a great deal like the real thing (I can't be the best judge, as I've never seen the original toy in person). It sparks and rolls around like the real thing, and the colorful artwork's terrific! It's great to be able to own one without having to shell out thousands of dollars.

Indeed - you can still buy one at robotisland.com for $16.95 + shipping!