M is for Masudaya's Multi-Material Minis

An old-school name who's predominantly tin-plate stuff fills the books on such things, not least Tashen's 1000 Robots, Space Ships & Other Tin Toys, New Cavendish's Future Toys (from the past!) and probably Chronicle Book's Yesterday's Toys, but they don't credit many of the makers in that one!

But these are modern, Masudaya (Modern Toys), harking back to their past, and surviving where most of their contemporaries (not just in Japan, but the big US and German Tin-plate names have all gone), these smaller-scale space toys were very tempting, but I only photographed them!

 

The general shape of the ship is very recognisable if you've caught old tin-plate space toys in passing, but I think the periscope 'technician' is rather daft, not only would a periscope in space be about as much use as star-drive on a submarine, but the operator would be shredded by space-dust? The 1950's was a different planet!

 

However . . . there's a figure! And a spaceman in near-NASA garb, so there's that!

 

Described as 'Adult Collectors Items' NOT toys and NOT for children under 14, I think they'd make the best Christmas-stocking toys, it's exactly what you want to find Santa's left you at 4am!

 

This was with the above, and again, the 'racing' spaceships were an old trope, with an exposed pilot taking everything space has to offer; radiation, space-dust and extreme temperatures! I actually saw a third at Sandown (these were shot on Adrian's stall), and it was on a mate's stand, but I didn't think to shoot it.

 

Google reveals there's at least half-a-dozen in the line, and they are about one-quarter the size of the vintage originals they are referencing? Tin and plastic, the whole underside of this rocket racer is plastic, where it was tin on the originals. Fun things!