1978 - Space Commander Robot (remote control push button version)

[Joe K.]

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Here's the recently ended auction:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1978-79-Karstadt-Spielzeug-Katalog-Toy-Catalog-Playmobil-Lego-Schumpf-Robots-/261520894451?pt=DE_Allesf%C3%BCrKind_Spielzeug_Playmobil&hash=item3ce3dc29f3&nma=true&si=NTudGCwwZusQVJ2OIFGADJLGEsM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

As seen in this 1978 - 1979 Karstadt Catalog:

This close-up seems to show a gray color variation with a black upper torso. Can anyone provide a photo of the box?

The Database image of the brown/tan color variation:

Although I couldn't find a date on any of the photos in the auction, based on other toys in the catalog (Mattel's Barbie's Dreamhouse, Texas Instruments' Speak & Spell, Mattel's Space Alert handheld game) the 1978 date appears correct.

Here's the link to a 1983 catalog sighting of the non-remote control version:

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[Morbius]

I definitely recall seeing the brown non-remote version as well as the pink one in 1981 on store shelves (I saw these when purchasing the Mechanic Robot and golden gear wind-up new in store) so the dates appear right on. Of course I wasn't the least bit interested in a chocolate brown robot nor a pink one so neither went home with me.

[Blechroboter]

Karstadt is a famous and one of the last two big department stores here in Germany. Perhaps actually we see the last few months or years in the more than hundred years in the life of Karstadt. Nicolas Berggruen seems not to be the honest man he was called than he bought Karstadt a few years back.

More info on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karstadt

The Space Commander Robot I´ve only saw in the brown/tan version. Box was always the well known english version. Until the opposite I do not believe that a grey/black version was ever sold. Perhaps it is a change of print colours in the Karstadt catalogue or the pictured robot was a prototype.