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2" versions of known 0.5" robot figures


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#1 ajwatts

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Posted 07 March 2018 - 08:51 PM

Gang,

 

This has been a mystery to me for 25 years this year. My primary goal is to identify the toys - but if we can't, I'm happy to at least get more toys from the bunch (which I know at least one Little Rubber Guys member has!). Can we do this? Not a week has gone by in 25 years where I've not wondered who these LRGs are.

 

In the mid-1990s, a Chinese company called Hinstar made spaceship playsets. Think Mighty Max, but war-ry spaceships, with little robots who could sit (stand) in seats, or ride little elevators, etc. I've included a picture of one such playset here. There were at least three spaceships in this set. The second picture shows the complete assortment of robots. They came in bronze, silver and gold.

 

Attached File  hinstarplayset.png   1.12MB   43 downloads

 

Attached File  hinstar02.jpg   89.05K   57 downloads

 

(Hinstar also recoloured the spaceships and put tiny Power Rangers-ish figures in them, and called them "Power Riders", I think. They also re-released the same spaceship in that photo but with tiny human figures.)

 

I have all of those spaceship sets, and the tiny robots. Unfortunately, they're packed away where I don't have any access to them, so can't take them out to show folks. (I did, however, just learn there was also a space station in the set!) These are not what I'm after.

 

A couple of years before those spaceship sets were released, I found a little green rubber robot in the school playground. This was 1993, and I believe the playsets came out in 1995. When I got the playsets in 1995, I immediately noticed that a micro-version of him was in the set. In both pictures, I've enclosed him in a red square.

 

The only difference I can see or recall is that the larger version has a 13 on the front of his left shoulder, which the smaller version lacks. The bigger, green version is about the size of a Micromaster Transformer in robot mode. The tiny figures are made of a very hard, inflexible plastic; the big green guy is made of a much softer, flexible rubber/plastic. The bigger guy has no year or company marked on him anywhere.

 

Years ago, I saw a purple version of that same figure in a post here on Little Rubber Guys. I contacted the owner to buy him, but apparently had just missed out - someone else from LRG had already nabbed him. So I know they come in at least green and dark purple.

 

A couple of years ago, I noticed another bigger, green version of one of the tiny robots here on LRG and successfully bought it. That one is surrounded by a yellow square in both pictures. Where the other figure was differentiated by the number 13 on his shoulder, this one's slight difference is in the head - the micro version has a bigger, more detailed one - but they are still clearly, basically the same figure.

 

Attached File  slammerandtracker.jpg   49.02K   46 downloads

 

My suspicion is that the playset editions of the figures are downsized knockoffs of larger figures. I suspect the green (or purple!) ones may also be bootlegs of something else, but I believe they predate the smaller, hard plastic figures.

 

I would like to know where the moulds may have originated. As I suspect they're knockoffs, it is possible that the moulds are of different figures from multiple different toylines.

 

If anyone has any of the figures in the larger size, I definitely would be interested in buying them. (Yes, whoever got the purple one - I still want it!) But the primary objective is to learn what they are and where they originated.

 

You're all smart folks - I'm sure one of you will be able to bring my 25 year quest to an end!


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#2 tennunb

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Posted 08 March 2018 - 07:58 AM

Not sure this helps to answer the green and purple rubber ones but I know now that the original line was called Galaxy War, I found a pic of some what look to be metallic green ones ? Also shows a few pics that might prove useful

 

http://danefield.com...cent-additions/


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#3 ajwatts

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Posted 08 March 2018 - 04:50 PM

Excellent find, tennunb!

 

Those metallic green figures, though, are actually badly-lit silver ones (of the tiny hard plastic variety). But every journey begins with a single step. :)


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#4 Acidonia

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Posted 09 March 2018 - 10:57 AM

Ive only ever seen the Larger Rubber ones in those two Molds Before never the other smaller designs.


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#5 bigazzhead

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Posted 04 April 2018 - 07:16 AM

If your not too keen on material, you could go for the keshi version. I believe these robots are knock off robots from the 90's tetsujin28 series.  

Here's a shot of the boxed set of the robots, though not a good pic

You can see one of the big green bots is Tetsujin 6 by the line drawings. I have a few of these in gray/silver, and will try to take some pics this weekend.

 

https://page.auction...tion/v482392049

And while trying to find a good pic I came across this youtube video where they use the same bot in the thumbnail.

 

 

Which can be found if you look for 

"Chou Dendou Robot Tetsujin 28 go FX 24"

 

 

 

 

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#6 bigazzhead

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    and anything cool. (yeah I know pretty vague)

Posted 04 April 2018 - 07:20 AM

Ok found a btter pic on ebay, don't know why it didn't show up before. Any way looks the other robot you highlighted is number 13 or 19.

https://www.ebay.com...2-/361699874262


Edited by bigazzhead, 04 April 2018 - 07:22 AM.

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#7 ajwatts

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Posted 19 March 2019 - 09:37 PM

Oh my God, you guys are my heroes.

 

I'm gobsmacked.

 

After 25 years, it's resolved.

 

If you're ever in Australia, let me buy you 1000 beers, both of you.


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