resources

This is a list of books which have fueled my obsession:

Title: Robots. Tin Toy Dreams
Author: Teruhisa Kitahara
Publisher: Chronicle Books, San Francisco
ISBN: 0-87701-355-1
Date: 1985
Description: 250 good quality colour photographs - mainly robots. Informative "explanations" section at the end.

Title: Zap! Ray gun classics
Author: Leslie Singer
Publisher: Chronicle Books, San Francisco
ISBN: 0-8118-0033-4
Date: 1991
Description: 100 colour photographs of rayguns from the 30' to the 80's. US price guide.

Title: Yesterday's Toys. Robots, Spaceships and Monsters.
Author: Teruhisa Kitahara
Publisher: Chronicle Books, San Francisco
ISBN: 0-87701-630-5
Date: 1989
Description: 160 large format colour photographs. Informative "explanations" section at the end. Complements "Robots" without too much duplication of material.

Title: The Tin Toy Robot Collection of Matt Wyse
Author: Auction Catalogue
Publisher: Sotheby's
ISBN: N/A
Date: 1996
Description: Colour photographs and details of 255 lots. This has to be the best up-to-date price guide for robots. Southeby's say they have none left in stock so if you see one grab it!

Title: Toys of the Sixties. A Pictorial Guide.
Author: Bill Bruegman
Publisher: Cap'n Penny Productions, Akron, Ohio
ISBN: 0-9632637-2-2
Date: 1992
Description: B/W photos and illustrations of a wide range of "baby boomer" toys. Aimed mainly at the US market but I remember loads of these toys in the UK. Price guide included.

Title: 1000 Tin Toys
Author: Teruhisa Kitahara
Publisher: Benedikt TASCHEN Verlag GmbH, Cologne
ISBN: 3-8228-8856-7
Date: 1996
Description: 1000 photographs of tin toys. Most of the spacey stuff is duplicated in the other two books mentioned already. Other catagories include cars, boats, planes and figures. Minimal text.

Title: Science Fiction Toys and Models.
Author: Stephen J. Sansweet
Publisher: Starlog Press Inc., New York.
ISBN: 0-931064-27-9
Date: 1980
Description: A thin volume but packed with useful photos and information. Includes a section on Star Wars figures which is quite premonitory. Now sadly out of print I believe. It states Volume 1 - I have not heard of a volume 2.

All book cover illustrations are copyright of the authors/publishers

Updated: 3rd May 1999