Vintage Japanese robot gallery

Wired's posted a photo gallery from the new show of vintage Japanese robots opening at the Sci Fi Museum in Seattle.

Iconic graphic designer Tom Geismar, whose firm Chermayeff & Geismar has created memorable logos for Mobil, PBS and other U.S. institutions, has been collecting the shiny bots for decades.

The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle will exhibit toys from Geismar's collection in Robots: A Designer's Collection of Miniature Mechanical Marvels through Oct. 26. The vintage robots on display reflect Geismar's trained eye. "I've really restricted myself to ones that appealed to me as interesting, imaginative designs," he says.

Link

[#1 posted by Jack , May 16, 2008 8:25 PM]

Finally! Biotron/Robotman/Cosmobot gets his due!
http://tinyurl.com/6khdgx

For more info on this under-appreciated—but iconic—toy, check this: http://www.microforever.com/Robotman-Biotron.htm

[#2 posted by A New Challenger , May 16, 2008 10:21 PM]

They call him "Annual Gift Man," and he lives on the moon!

[#3 posted by David Carroll , May 17, 2008 1:09 AM]

This brings us ever closer to the holy grail of Boing Boing posts. You know: The elusive single post that contains a bit of all the mutants interests. A grand unifying post if you will...

[#4 posted by eigafan , May 17, 2008 10:16 AM]

This exhibit reminds me of my two favorite robot toy collection books "Robots, Spaceships & Other Toys" and "Super #1 Robot."

[#5 posted by Jeff , May 17, 2008 12:10 PM]

I would love to collect a few more vintage robots, the Roby from Forbidden Planet is very pricy, and a reproduction is just outrageously expensive. The Japanese reproductions are really beautiful. Does anyone here collect robots?

[#6 posted by planetsurfer , May 17, 2008 7:26 PM]

Many artists now are creating robot 'toys' that far exceeds the quality and artistry of pasts, though they arent 'antiques' yet, our generation will have something to be proud of decades from now:

http://www.planetsurfer.net/2008/05/13/top-10-incredible-robot-art-creations/

[#7 posted by Takuan , May 17, 2008 7:34 PM]

kudos to Lawrence Northey, damned fine!

[#8 posted by Jack , May 17, 2008 7:50 PM]

#5 POSTED BY JEFF
Collecting is something that you really need to do at your own pace. The mainstream U.S. collectors market for toys tends to slant towards the (I hate to say it) OCD "Gotta catch them all collector!"

My own collection of Microman figures comes from an appreciation I had for them as a kid, and actually funding my adult collection by selling off a few key toys from my childhood collection. I'm not really into being a completist as much as getting what I like.

What I will say is that nowadays it's hard to figure out where one can easily get vintage 1970s/1980s robots without going to toyshows. I go to flea markets and thrift stores all the time, and while you can find tons of stuff, it's rare to find cool robot toys.

Also, in my casual talks with old school collectors, it seems that there are treasure troves of stuff hidden away by old school collectors who don't want to have anything to do with online selling.

Outside of the U.S. it seems easier to get stuff... Even U.S. stuff... Maybe if the $ weren't week a trip to Europe or Canada would be in order.

[#9 posted by Archbob , May 17, 2008 9:45 PM]

Wow, there are vintage personal robots now in Japan? I thought these were a new thing. I must be way out of the loop

[#10 posted by hassan-i-sabbah , May 18, 2008 8:30 AM]

I own some repro bots,which I love and cherish,but this article,oh,sweet jebus,makes me wish I was stupid rich!Oh the pointless beautiful shit I would own...............

[#11 posted by Raideen , May 19, 2008 9:37 AM]

This is a crappy lot of bots. Some not Japanese or vintage...blech. Coop, post some pics man!