About Me

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I’m a 60-year-old Aspergic gardening CAD-Monkey. Sardonic, cynical and with the political leanings of a social reformer, I’m also a toy and model figure collector, particularly interested in the history of plastics and plastic toys. Other interests are history, current affairs, modern art, and architecture, gardening and natural history. I love plain chocolate, fireworks and trees, but I don’t hug them, I do hug kittens. I hate ignorance, when it can be avoided, so I hate the 'educational' establishment and pity the millions they’ve failed with teaching-to-test and rote 'learning' and I hate the short-sighted stupidity of the entire ruling/industrial elite, with their planet destroying fascism and added “buy-one-get-one-free”. Likewise, I also have no time for fools and little time for the false crap we're all supposed to pretend we haven't noticed, or the games we're supposed to play. I will 'bite the hand that feeds', to remind it why it feeds.

Monday 27 July 2015

A1 - A-One Ltd. - Asakusa Gangu Ningyo - Asakusa Showa - Asakusa Toy Ltd. - Asakasa Toy Company - Asakusa Toys & Dolls Co., Ltd. - Asakasu - ATD


Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan

1950's-1960's

Company or series of companies making tin-plate toys, often for other marks, and [/or] dolls. Plastic was increasingly used, and rubber was employed for tyres and such-like. Battery-powered features included moving parts, driving vehicles and light-up components.

Listings vary between '...usa' and '...asu' spelling, may be two separate companies or marks? Asakusa is the commoner spelling. Kevin Dockerill further identifies two companies, both in Tokyo, I suspect they are different generations of the same company, but there may be three hiding in this listing! Asakusa is a district in the old town (or 'Low Town') in Tokyo, so more than one toy company might well have adopted the moniker for/as part of their branding.

Marks:
- A1 (within a cartoon face with crown)
- ATD (in a circle)

Known Products
Art NO. A-14289 - London Double Decker Bus
- Astro Boy Atom Tetsuwan DX Parade Vehicle (battery operated, tin-plate and plastic)
- Auto Carrier (car transporter, tin-plate with plastic glazing and rubber wheels)
- Buick Police Car (battery operated, tin-plate and plastic)
- Corvair-95 Minivan (battery operated, tin-plate and plastic)
- Electric Train
- Flying Astro Boy (clockwork, tin plate with celluloid or rubber head)
- Service Truck (pick-up, tin-plate, plastic glazing)
- Space Radar Pilot (battery operated, tin-plate trolley with plastic astronaut, fires discs, 1960's, made for/sold by Asahi Trading)
- Space TV Pilot (battery operated, tin-plate trolley with plastic astronaut, 1960's)
- Thunder Robot (battery-powered, tin plate and plastic, approximately1957)

Links
Kevin Dockerill's A1 Mark
Kevin Dockerill's ATD Mark

What This Entry Needs
Further product listings
Company details and/or splitting
Doll information

2 comments:

  1. Just purchased an 'A-1 Asakusa Toy' 38-centimeters-long (15") tinplate, friction-driven model of the 1967 Mercury Cougar, somewhat weirdly in ambulance guise. Apparently, a battery-operated version was available also, alternatively in civilian, fire chief, and police cruiser styles.

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  2. Cheers 'Unknown', it's all grist to the mill!

    H

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