Friday, February 26, 2010

Vintage Archer Space Men in Original Box

Yesterday my 1950s Archer Space Men in their original dime store box arrived (see my earlier, very excited post from the day I found them). They're in fantastic, factory mint condition.
Check out the pics:

 Top of the box. The "Archer" logo and spaceman pop up
to make a display.

 End of the box. It holds 2 dozen space men...

 
 ...and here they are! (Also 4 really cool robots.)

Here's a close-up of the space men. Several have lost their helmets, which are floating around loose in the box. Vintage Archer Space Men are frequently found with missing helmets. Design flaws caused ill fits, and the plastic used for the helmets tended to warp, crack, and discolor over time. These poor helmetless guys will likely suffer fatal embolisms when exposed to the vacuum pressure of space...

8 comments:

  1. No, they're from a great dealer named Georgie Mauler, who is liquidating the remains of the Mauler Bros. wholesale toy distributing firm, a 100+ year old family business in Maryland. Georgie's mother and father were very prescient toy store owners, and saved large portions of their stock in unopened condition, dating back to the 1930s. You can see some of what Georgie has left at his website, www.momandpopstoys.com.

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  2. I looked at the website and was tempted by a few things (racing cars and a space rocket.) Luckily, they were too expensive for my budget.Very nice though.

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  3. Wow! I HAD that robot on the left...It was a Christmas preesent in 1956 I believe...my favorite all time toy!
    Plus the Archer Spacemen!
    I still have a couple spacemen left but I would LOVE to know what happened to the robot...any idea of the manufacturer or possibility of snagging one??

    Thanks Tracy

    Yours Truly, Kirk

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  4. Hi there,

    The big robot on the left of the header pic is Ideal's Robert the Robot, made in the 1950s. There are usually several available on ebay, but you have to watch out for a reproduction that was made a few years ago.

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  5. http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z51/captaingallant4730/wresmansworldoftoysandmodels/?action=view&current=DSC05405.jpg

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  6. Do you know what each figure is valued at. I found some of my Father's Old toys while cleaning today. After researching they are these space men.

    I have 8 space men. 4 are Dark Green and 4 are Bronze color. All 8 still have the plastic helmet (which are mysteriously stuck...they will not fall off).

    What are they worth ? I do not have the original box...They were store in a White Owl Cigar Box (along with some Ration booklets from WWII)

    Any Info would be appreciated.

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    Replies
    1. Hi, that was a great find, especially with their helmets intact. And it's typical for them to be stuck on like that. It's best to leave them alone and not try to remove them. This old plastic is brittle.
      As far as prices, check completed listings on ebay, Those generally give good ideas of realistic current values.

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