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Robots & Space Toys Manufacturers

A curated directory of 11 robot and space toy makers of the atomic and space age. Every maker below has a full profile covering its history, founding, notable toys, and collecting notes.

11 manufacturers listed.

Alps Shoji Ltd.
1948–1972 · Japan · Defunct
Alps was one of Japan's premier producers of battery-operated and clockwork tin toys for the American market. Much of the output w…
Bandai
1950–present · Japan · Operating
One of Japan's most powerful entertainment companies, Bandai began with tin toys and grew into a global giant through anime and to…
Cragstan
1950–1970 · United States · Defunct
Cragstan was an American importer and distributor of Japanese tin toys, particularly from Alps. The Cragstan brand appears on some…
Joustra
1934–1980 · France · Defunct
Joustra was a significant French tin toy manufacturer producing lithographed battery-operated and friction vehicles, robots, and n…
Kuramochi & Co.
1950–1970 · Japan · Defunct
Kuramochi produced battery-operated tin toys and robots for the export market. Their 'CK' trademark — not the 'KO' mark, which bel…
Linemar (Marx Japan)
1950–1965 · Japan · Defunct
Linemar was Louis Marx & Company's Japanese subsidiary, producing battery-operated and friction tin toys for the American export m…
MT (Masudaya Toys)
1945–present · Japan · Operating
Masudaya (Modern Toys) is legendary among tin toy collectors for producing some of the most imaginative battery-operated tin toys …
Nomura (TN Toy)
1950–1980 · Japan · Defunct
Nomura Toy (TN) produced a wide range of battery-operated tin toys for the export market, including cars, space ships, and robots …
SH (Horikawa Toys)
1959–present · Japan · Operating
Horikawa (Showa) produced colorful battery-operated tin robots and space toys that are among the most beloved examples of the genr…
Y / Yonezawa (STS/Yone)
1950–1972 · Japan · Defunct
Yonezawa produced exquisite battery-operated and friction tin toys primarily for the American export market in the 1950s and 1960s…
Yoshiya (KO Kogyo)
1950–1975 · Japan · Defunct
Yoshiya (KO) produced battery-operated tin robots and space toys that are among the most colorful and creative of the postwar Japa…