Vintage Walkie Talkies

[dratomic]

A while ago, Joe added some Remco walkie talkies to the timeline. That entry can be found here: danefield.com/alpha/forums/index.php?showtopic=8856

I said I'd upload some photos, but I figured it might be fun to just post them in Robot Talk. Why not, right? Something different. I'd like to make this post a study of vintage space walkie talkies, since there's really not much out there on the subject and, frankly, they're really neat space toys.

Remco made a number of walkie talkie sets during the Fifties. As near as I can tell, they had at least three different shapes, which they used in a variety of different boxes. Of course, they were also available in a zillion different colors, including red, blue, black, white, silver, metallic blue, and various combinations thereof.

There were also serial- and character tie-in sets, made by various manufacturers, for properties like Buck Rogers, Tom Corbett, Space Patrol, Captain Video, Dan Dare, and Flash Gordon. These came in all different shapes, though they often seemed to rely on each other's molds... It's something that's seen often within the ray gun world. A number of great walkie talkie sets came out of Europe, with some of the coolest being produced in the U.K. There's also a spectacular set out of Germany that I'd love to own... It was on eBay for a time but the purchase price was just more than I wanted to spend. Haven't seen it listed in a while, which mean someone probably bought it. Oh well.

My collection's not that large -- only four sets. I can think of at least five other sets that I'd like to add... One day. I like the walkie talkies because, generally, they're not too expensive, even m-i-b. Of course, the ones I'd like to add are exceptions to the rule, and can cost a couple hundred dollars... (Except for the one time a set I really wanted sold for only $37! Of course, I forgot to bid... Boo hoo, right? We've all been there.)

If anyone else has any sets, please post them here. I'd love to get a good idea of what's floating around out there so I know what to shop for in the future. :)

Anyway, here are the four sets I've got:

I picked this set up at Botstock 4. As mint as I've ever seen... So mint that I can't use the box as an open display box without cracking the die-cut hinge. I should have taken a picture of the walkie talkies themselves, though... Whoops. I'll add it later.

I traded a repro box to Don for these. They're the first ones I picked up.

Another, fancier version of the Remco walkie talkies. They not only featured a spacier box, but they also came with a rocket-shaped registration card/instruction sheet. Love the metallic blue plastic...

This is the only British set I've got. I love the box art. Only three colors, but so much detail...

[Phil R]

Doc, I have the Remco set with the robotic face. I've always planned to get the Buck Rogers set but never did. ;)

[Kilroy]

I have 3 Remco walkie talkies but none of the space variety.

I do have some robot ones though.

[Rocket]

This is an early set... they have a contact on the back for a wire, so they may be electrified, but I don't know for sure. The handles are wood, and the red surrounds are thick cardboard.

ROCKET [O_O]-

[dratomic]

I remember seeing those the last time I was at your place, Rocket. They're cool. I'm willing to bet they're not electrified -- I suspect they use some of the same principles as the Remcos -- a combination of magnet and vibrations through the wire (same system as a microphone/PA, but without any amplification or other boost to the signal). I'm pretty sure I've seen boxed examples of this toy -- or maybe an instruction sheet or something -- and don't remember any mention of batteries. But I could be wrong.

Regardless, they're beautiful!

[Arjen Robots]

Here the Robot version with box

[Fineas J. Whoopie]

These are some great space toys and I think a great value for the money.

I think it's a hoot that these toys were seen as high tech and futuristic back in the day. They were basically dressed up tin cans and string.

The idea that two astronauts were going to talk to each other through a long wire is hilarious. Imagine two nine year old boys back in the 1950's talking to each other with a set of these space walkie talkies fantasizing about the future. These days some nine year olds actually have their own cell phones. Welcome to the real future. B)

[dratomic]

I decided to display my last box of Remco walkie talkies in the open position, so I figured I'd post a pic for continuity's sake. If you check the timeline thread, you'll see that these, too, have been confirmed for 1953, meaning that Remco released three different sets of walkie talkies -- in an unknown number of colors -- all in the same year. Odd.

[kennetzel]

The only "vintage" sci fi walkie talkies I have are not all that old...well, I guess they are. They're the Start Trek III The Search For Spock Walkie Talkies I got from a Coast Soap promotion back in 1984. I think they were like five dollars with a soap wrapper. They never had good range, but they were reasonable replica's of the communicators used in the movie. They still work for being 25 years old, but the buttons are scratchy when you press them.

[The Toyman]

Good topic, I have quite a few sets but as I'm not on my own computer I can only pinch some pics that I posted in another section. The Dan Dare set is the second set I've had but I'll keep this set, the Space Patrol set is one of approx 20 sets I got from an old warehouse in Santa Cruz in the Canary Islands about 15 years ago. They were absolute mint warehouse stock from the late 50's. I sold them off, one set at a time and then sold the last batch of six to Mark Bergin at a UK toy show when he was over here staying in London ( I remember he asked me how many I had and I said six, hoping that I had seven...as it turned out I DID have seven...so this is definately the last set)

[Electric Robot and Son]

I have a couple of the walkie Talkies, a mint pair of red and yellow Remco ones but not the cool box. Mine came in an original plain brown shipping box with directions, from the Consumers Mart 131 west 33rd st NY, shipping was 5 cents and it was postmarked Feb 5, 1953. Joe how does that fit with your timeline? I also have a set of transformers walkies. But I just won an auction for a really awesome German set made by Geolia. I haven't received them yet but I can't wait to get them. They are also in a plain box. Here are some pics.

Does anybody have any further info on these?

[dratomic]

That german set is AMAZING. I've actually seen them before -- or a similar set by some other European company. Dead mint in box, the seller wanted a lot of money for them so I had to pass (more than $300). The box was kind of lame looking, but those walkie talkies... fantastic!

[Blechroboter]

... I just won an auction for a really awesome German set made by Geolia. Does anybody have any further info on these?

My congrats to you. It´s really an awesome looking toy. I´m still searching for it.

The producers name is Geobra (yeah, one can read it also as Geolia ). It´s the short form of Georg Brandstätter.

Geobra was founded in 1877. A small company, producing tin toys. In 1921 they introduced the trademark Geobra.

Since 1954 plastic toys were produced. Here some of the earlier products: Geobra

But the company is still existing and you all know the products they produce nowadays. Geobra today Surprise,surprise :D ;)

[dratomic]

I recently added this set of Walkie Talkies to my collection. They were made in Hong Kong, probably in the early Sixties, judging by the artwork. Definitely for the British market. No maker's marks or anything. The phones just say Space Phone on the box and on the toy. The walkie talkies are also whistles. The shapes are the same as those that turn up later on both the Star Trek Communicator Set and the 007 Communicator set, both made in the Seventies by Lone Star in England. Those two sets were only produced -- as far as I know -- in yellow/black combinations.

I think they're quite beautiful -- I love the swirly, metallic, maroon plastic.

As you can see, the box was originally a disaster. A complete wreck. So I brought it to my friend Steve, who owns Alphaville here in New York, and also does poster and box restoration. He did an excellent job of bringing my box back to life, not only fixing areas that needed paint, but reconstructing entire sections that were missing. I actually asked him to not spend too much time repairing the box -- I only needed it to look presentable. If I'd given him the go-ahead, it'd have looked even better... his stuff is really good. Still, I'm happy with the results, and the whole thing looks excellent on my shelf. :)

[Joe K.]

It was Extravaganza Weekend along The Antique Strip here in Adamstown. Came across these at Shupp's Grove on Saturday morning.

Can anyone identify them?:

The front says: Strato-Scout Space Phone

Embossed on the back side: PAT. PEND. . J. V. Z. CO. ST. LOUIS 4