Cragstan
20 years in operation (1950–1970)
About Cragstan
Cragstan was an American importer and distributor of Japanese tin toys, particularly from Alps. The Cragstan brand appears on some of the finest battery-operated tin toys of the 1950s and 1960s, including robots, cars, and aircraft.
History of Cragstan
Cragstan was not a factory. It was a New York importer that commissioned and badged Japanese toys for the American market, and it was one of the largest of them — for two decades a Cragstan box was one of the most likely ways for a Japanese battery-operated or tinplate toy to reach an American child.
The toys themselves were made by Alps, Masudaya, Nomura, Yonezawa, Daiya and others. Cragstan specified, ordered, named, boxed and distributed. This produces the single most important fact for anyone identifying one: the name on the box and the mark on the metal usually disagree, and both are correct. The box records who sold it; the base records who built it.
The Cragstan catalogue is a good survey of what the Japanese export industry could do at its peak — battery-operated robots, space vehicles, smoking and drinking novelty figures, friction cars, and the Cragstan Mr. Robot and Cragstan Astronaut that are now among the most sought-after toys of the era. Importing on this model ended as Japanese costs rose and production moved to Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Timeline
- 1950Cragstan begins importing Japanese toys into the United States
- 1958Battery-operated robots and space toys become the best-known part of the range
- 1962Cragstan is among the largest American importers of Japanese tinplate
- 1970Importing under the Cragstan name ends as production shifts away from Japan
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- Cragstan Mr. Robot
- Cragstan Great Astronaut
- Cragstan tin Buick
- Cragstan tin airplane
- Cragstan 7000 robot
Identifying & Dating Cragstan Toys
- "CRAGSTAN" appears on the box, and often on a lithographed panel on the toy, alongside the actual maker's mark on the base — the Alps mountain device, the Masudaya "MT", the Nomura "TN", the Yonezawa "Y".
- A Cragstan-boxed toy with a Japanese maker's mark underneath is entirely correct and is the normal state of affairs.
- "MADE IN JAPAN" on the base places the toy in the main import era; "MADE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN" is earlier and narrower.
Collector's Notes
- The box is central. Cragstan boxes have strong graphics and often name the toy differently from the maker's own market, and a boxed example is worth several times a loose one.
- Identify the actual manufacturer before valuing, because collectors price by maker. A Cragstan-boxed Masudaya robot is valued as a Masudaya.
- Battery compartments are the usual point of failure. Corroded contacts, and rust spreading from them into the lithographed tin, are the things to check first.
Currently for Sale on eBay
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Cragstan founded?
Cragstan was founded in 1950, based in New York, NY.
Is Cragstan still in business?
No. Cragstan ceased operations in 1970, after 20 years in business.
What is Cragstan best known for?
Cragstan is best known for Cragstan Mr. Robot, Cragstan Great Astronaut, Cragstan tin Buick, among other toys.
Where was Cragstan located?
Cragstan was based in New York, NY.
What kinds of toys did Cragstan make?
Cragstan is categorized under tin toys, battery operated, robots, vehicles.
How can you identify genuine Cragstan toys?
"CRAGSTAN" appears on the box, and often on a lithographed panel on the toy, alongside the actual maker's mark on the base — the Alps mountain device, the Masudaya "MT", the Nomura "TN", the Yonezawa "Y". A Cragstan-boxed toy with a Japanese maker's mark underneath is entirely correct and is the normal state of affairs. "MADE IN JAPAN" on the base places the toy in the main import era; "MADE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN" is earlier and narrower.
Are Cragstan toys valuable?
The box is central. Cragstan boxes have strong graphics and often name the toy differently from the maker's own market, and a boxed example is worth several times a loose one. Identify the actual manufacturer before valuing, because collectors price by maker. A Cragstan-boxed Masudaya robot is valued as a Masudaya. Battery compartments are the usual point of failure. Corroded contacts, and rust spreading from them into the lithographed tin, are the things to check first.