very hot robot, it’s not as hot as some of the even rarer toy robots that have turned up since that people never knew existed. But the Machine Man auction really got people’s attention. It prompted people start looking for robots and pulling them out of their attics.
Collectors Weekly: What do you think of the reproduction robots made since the mid-’90s?
Pinchot: Reproductions both hurt and help the market at the same time. They help because they get people interested in the original toys, but they hurt because people who would have spent real money to buy an original, perhaps $1,000, will now buy a very close reproduction for $20, so those buyers are now out of the market.
But whenever a reproduction raises the social consciousness of a genre as a whole, it’s a good thing. Suddenly the originals become more valuable and are preserved. A lot of my friends are collectors, and we all know that we can’t take this stuff with us; we understand that we are all just caretakers, preserving these things for future generations. So, to the extent that the reproductions encourage preservation of the originals, that’s a good thing. They’ll be coveted for a long time.
Collectors Weekly: Is there a way to distinguish the repros from the originals?
Pinchot: Yes, but it takes a bit of doing. You have to kind of know them to begin with. If you’re just looking at them fresh, it can be very difficult to tell the difference. In fact, even some seasoned collectors will go on the chat boards and say, “Is this original or is this a reproduction?” You’ll get shifty people who will rub off a maker’s mark to make a repro look like it’s an original instead of a reproduction. It can be tough.
The best advice I can give new collector is to get involved, either by going to shows to meet knowledgeable dealers or by reading books and auction catalogs. The more educated you are, the better armed you’ll be. Eventually, you’ll be able to spot the differences very easily.
For example, someone may reproduce a Lilliput robot. It will be very close to the original, but when you stand them side by side, there are obvious differences: The eyes on the repro are embossed rather than concave; the body is a little bit too narrow; the arms are attached a little bit differently. If you don’t have them side-by-side, it can be dificult to tell the difference.
I highly recommend that anyone who wants to start collecting get as many reference books and old auction catalogs as they can before they buying their first piece. They should talk to as many other collectors who are into the hobby as they can.
Most of the people who I got started on robots and space toys did a lot of conferencing before they ever bought their first piece. I did a lot of educating as a dealer—that’s your job. It’s important to educate your buying public so that they know what they’re looking at. The goal is to help them make smart decisions and be happy. It’s all about research, research, research.
Collectors Weekly: Have computers supplanted Rosie the Robot?
Pinchot: The computer, I think, has killed off a lot of things. When I was a kid, I had to go to the library to get information. Now, at 2:00 am, if I need information, I just go online. It’s all there. That’s a good thing and a bad thing. But yes, the computer has killed the idea of the robot because, really, the computer is the robot, and just like a toy robot, we are controlling it. It’s not fantasy anymore. It really is a robot.
This is what killed rockets and space toys. Once we actually went into space, the fantasy aspect was gone—toys started to reflect reality. You had Apollo, Gemini, and all these rockets that had gone into space. Fantasy was pushed aside, but fantasy is a big issue for kids. If you allow them to fantasize, they’re going to have a great time. That’s the definition of play.
But I think the pendulum will swing the other way again, eventually. You’ll get computerized robots. Suddenly, once again, you’ll have kids who can be in control of a robot toy.
Collectors Weekly: So with all this technology at our fingertips, why d