Collection...

[Jeff W]

So what are we talking here for the ray gun and the helmet. I think I need to own these items!

[dratomic]

Like I said, I'm not really sure what the helmet's worth. As much as $700, given some of the figures I've seen bounced around. On the other hand, one sold on ebay for under $300 (it was listed weirdly), and I know someone who snagged one for under $50 (yeah, they were REAL lucky). Not enough come up to really establish a true "market" price...

As for the gun, a mint yellow one goes for about $400 - $600, depending on where you find it. Mint means it's got the little cap on the front, as well as two small fins sweeping off the front of the barrel (mine doesn't have them). If either of these are missing, it could still go for anywhere from $400 - $500... It's a rare gun. The blue and red ones will probably go for more.

If you find one mint-on-card, I have no idea what it'll be worth -- but more, as the card is mighty rare (though, in my opinion, quite boring -- I've got a repro of it, but it's not even worth the effort of displaying...).

Please keep in mind, I'm just guessing at prices, based on the few examples I've seen and the few dealers I've spoken to on the subject. Ray gun prices, I've found, are sometimes all over the place...

[Jeff W]

Thanks for the information. I have been looking under Renwal on ebay and find many of there products very interesting. Such a wide variety, toys, radios, doll house furnature. I also noticed they did the orginal visible V8 model kit. Then I started wondering if there is a relationship between Renwal and Revell. Do you know anthing about the Renwal company and what became of it?

[dratomic]

I'm afraid I don't know a lot about Renwal, except that it's a Canadian company. I have a repro card for the Planet Jet -- it says, "Manufactured in Canada by London Specialties of Canada, Ltd. Toronto, Canada." Not a heck of a lot of info, I'm afraid.

Revell was an American company, correct? So I'm guessing there's no connection beyond some shared consonants and vowels in their names. :)

Hey Rocket! Not sure if you're reading this, but do you know anything else about the company?

Or Robotnut? Any info on this Canadian company?

[robobob]

Interesting...

I never got the connection, but scanning the rec.modelers

boards, I found this lone mention :

Frog is out of business, (although the molds survive in Russia) and Renwal was bought out by Revell (which only rarely re-issues the old Renwal kits).

There must be something to this......

[Joe K.]

Dr. A -

From Toys A to Z by Mark Rich, Krause Publications, 2001, ISBN 0-87349-240-4:

Renwal Toy Corp. Plastic toys of all kinds comprised this Mineola, N.Y., firm's line from 1945 into the 1960s. The firm issued plastic airplanes, dollhouse furniture, boats, autos, trucks, pull-toys, dolls, cap guns, space guns, space men, and whistles. It issued many of its toys in various kinds of play sets, as in the mid-1950s "Hospital Nursery Set", which featured hospital furnishings and numerous baby beds, and the "Busy Little Mother" set, full of miniature household items. Renwal also made a few die-cast vehicle toys in 1955, in the "Turnpike Set" and loose assortments.

Revell, Inc. The "Revell Authentic Kits" were prominent in the 1950s and '60s. The firm also made "HO" electric train sets and accessories. It was based in Venice, Calif.

[dratomic]

Hm. Interesting. So the books says the company's based in NY, the toy's card says the Planet Jet's manufactured in Canada. I'm completely confused.

[Joe K.]

Perhaps for this particular toy, Renwal was the importer/distributor here in the U.S.A.?

[Andyman]

I know these are in no way vintage, but I thought this would be a good way to display ray guns. As I said before, I made this out of an old picture frame that I boxed in. If dratomic would so kindly send me his ray gun collection I would gladly display them in this cabinet. ;)

[Velocity]

Hey, Andy, is that a DIY Star Trek pilot episode hand phaser (upper left)? I haven't seen a model for that before. Do you have the pilot episode phaser rifle, as well?

[Jeff W]

Wow...look at this article. It is very interesting about the Chein co and Renwal toys.

http://collectibles.about.com/library/week...ly/blchein3.htm

[dratomic]

Interesting. Chein made one cool ray gun (that I'm aware of), a nice lithoed tin piece with sparking action. Not as intricate in detailing as Japanese examples, but slick nonetheless.

I had no idea of their connection to Renwal.

[Jeff W]

Does'nt this Renwal helmet resemble Wile E Coyote's Space helmet from the Road runner series?

[Andyman]

Hey, Andy, is that a DIY Star Trek pilot episode hand phaser (upper left)? I haven't seen a model for that before. Do you have the pilot episode phaser rifle, as well?

Sorry, I'm not familiar with the term DIY.

Those are all Playmates versions of Star Trek phasers from over the years. Yes that is a copy of the original pilot episode "laser pistol" (they hadn't adopted the word "phaser" yet). I have some doubt about it's accuracy though. I seem to remember the laser pistol in that show being a little more streamlined.

[Robotnut]

As for the "Made in Canada" issue, that's a simple answer...

Until the 1980's if you wanted to sell large amounts of your

product in Canada, you had to make them here. All the major

toy companies, Marx, Mattel, Fisher Price, Milton Bradley, Ideal

etc had plants in Canada. By doing this they could bring other

products into the country and export some back to the US.

Some very popular toys, like GI Joes and Marx Johnny West,

were made in both the US and Canada at the same time.

Canadian based toy companies like Reliable, Regal and Irwin

would licence US and European toys and make them here.

After free trade between the US and Canada came to pass

in the 80's, toy making in Canada virtually stopped. It was

one of those things that would have happened any way, as

by that time even US production had moved to Asia... :(