378. MOPTOP COMBO PLAYER FIGURINES

Now here's a pair of Made in Japan figurines that hark back to the age of the Beatles, Shindig, Dave Clark 5, American Bandstand, the Monkees, and Hullabaloo. The two china figures represent combo players of the 60s era, and may have once graced a teenage girl's room, as she listened to her vinyl records playing the songs of Paul, John, Ringo and George on her plastic turntable. Alas,only two figurines remain--one singing the melody while beating a conga, the other, strumming away on his red electric guitar. The drummer and,possibly, the bass player are missing from the set, but that doe not detract from kischy cuteness of these two boy band members, who even have their original nylon moptop hair! And note the green bases where they stand--complete with musical notes! You could almost hear them belting out.."She loves you yeah...yeah...yeah!".

364. Dish and That: MINIATURE TOY DISHES

Another pretty set of Made-in-Japan children's toy tableware--consisting of cups, saucers, creamer, and plates. Nicely hand-painted with floral motifs, these loose pieces are individually marked with "JAPAN". The custom of manufacturing small bowls, mugs and plates began in Europe--mainly  in England, France and Germany, after 1760. Items were smaller in size than their adult counterparts, though there was no one standard size.In the U.S., toy dishes manufacturing peaked from the 1920s-40s.Japanese companies also produced fine children's dishes around this time--and these examples are from that period. After World War II, inexpensive Japanese imports flooded the market, made of other materials like tin and plastic. Once for playing, wee-size antique  children's dishes have become sought-after collectibles, with one set of miniature china going for about $1,000 in a U.S. auction!!!

351. Top That! VINTAGE WEDDING CAKE TOPPER

 Those "Japan Surplus" stores burgeoning around many towns and cities are becoming popular haunts for collectibles. This vintage wedding topper,for example, was found in a nearby shop, just a few steps away from my place!  In fact, I just walked right in, did some quick rummaging and came up with this nice topper, not too old, but with lots of vintage appeal.

This must probably be a surplus piece--it came in a box without a cover. The topper is unusued; the husband and wife plastic figurine stands on a latticework base decorated with feathers and fabric flowers. A hundred bucks and it was mine! Now, all I need is a fancy wedding cake!!!

345. I'm A Little Teapot: 50sTOY TEA SET

I don't remember where I got this complete set of "Made in Japan" toy tea set, with its  box intact. Probably from Makati Cinema Square. Since I have so much pet cats, I thought the "kitty tea set" would be a nice addition to my feline collection.

Children's toys such as these were widely available in bazaars everywhere in the Philippines as they were cheaply made. Unfortunately, they were also well-loved and much-played with, that often resulted in broken and missing pieces. That is why, I am lucky to have found this miniature play pieces in unused condition. Maybe one of these days, I'll treat my friends to tea and sconces, using my 50 year old plus tea ware, and hold the nicest tea party in the house.

340. Smallville Treasures: VINTAGE BISQUE DOLLS

An assortment of tiny bisque dolls picked from a local thrift shop, sold as a lot. The most precious is the 2nd Made-in-Japan doll with strung bent limbs and head, dressed in an original crochet dress (missing one sock)-- just a mere 3.5 inches tall! Even smaller is the first doll with a polka-dotted dress with sewn-on clothes, maybe part of a dollhouse family. A newer doll with an antique look is this 2 in. souvenir baby dressed in a baptismal outfit, with the name of the recipient attached to the dress. It came with a tiny stroller of woven bamboo. When it comes to dollies, artistry knows no size!

300. It's The Real Tin: MECHANICAL READING BEAR

Now here's an ingenious battery-run mechanical toy I've had for years. It's one of my first tin toy actually, bought from a store in Binondo with many old stocks. It shows a charming little bear made from fluffy fabric with a book on its lap. When switched on, one paw--which has a hidden magnet--stamps a metal page of the book, and then flips it over--just like he is reading the book. The book pages have incredible details, showing story titles like "The City Mouse and the Country Mouse". There are no marks on this late 50s-early 60s toy, but it looks Japan-made. The fur fabric has started to fall-off and I am resigned to the fact that it will soon deteriorate--but I intend to keep this toy for awhile even in this state, at least for display. For where on else can still one see a bear that reads?

294. MOD PIXIE PAIR

I couldn't help but be charmed by the sight of this pair of mod porcelain couple. They definitely exude a genuine 1960s vibe--from the pixie (or Twiggy) haircut of the girl to the fashionable Carnaby outfit of the cross-legged dandy. I assume that these are cake toppers, although they have separate bases. Too bad I have no use for this winsome vintage pair, when everything was mad about mod!

288. BUDDHA INCENSE HOLDER

Now here's a small Buddha incense holder made from delicate porcelain. It is another one of those Made in Japan pieces and probably dates back to the 50s. Incense sticks were stuck behind the figure and the ashes were collected in the opening at the back--now that's neat!

Religious figures often inspire artisans to come up with objects for domestic use. I have seen the Blessed Virgin converted into a bottle, a Jesus planter, and a Saint Joseph night lamp. I guess this incense holder is more appropriate to Buddha. In any case, I like the nostalgia this piece evoked, and the bright, vivid colors add to the appeal. It sits on my desk now, not as an incense holder but as a receptacle for my paper clips, a reminder to keep calm and work, work, work!!

286. BISQUE KIDS

Found this trio of bisque figures of kids--two girls in winter outfits and a little softballer. The heads are movable.. I'm almost sure they were made in Japan for the export market--I see these a lot in glass cabinets of many ancestral homes. No more than 3 inches tall, these adorable figurines sit perfectly on a wooden shadow box...not too precious, but still as decorative as they were made over 80 years ago!

253. HULA-BALOO!

When Hawaii became America's newest state in 1959, its native culture fascinated American mainlanders--including its sinuous dance--the "hula". Inspired by dancing "Leilanis" , many merchandisers cashed in onthis iconic image of a hip-swaying Hawaiian maiden in a (missing) grass skirt and came up with nodders and bobbers meant for car dashboards and curio cabinets. This Made-in-Japan example, straight from the 50s,  falls into that category, but is much more functional. For one, the figurine is a bobber and ash tray in one, and is made of more expensive ceramic than the usual plaster cast models. The upper body is attached to its lower part with a spring. When shaken, the figure wobbles, mimicking the swaying moves of graceful hula dancers. So kitschy...so tacky...so collectible!!

229. Good Cluck Find: MECHANICAL EGG-LAYING TIN CHICKEN

Now this battery-powered tin chicken toy caught my fancy in a roadside shop--only because of its  unsually funny complex features--it pushes a pram containing her bobbling-head chicks, walks with a loud squalk while moving its wings and then stops to lay 2 plastic eggs! Now that's a weird playtime pleaser! I've seen a couple of YouTube videos of similar egg-laying chicken toys--but not like this pram-pushing variety. The condition of this toy is perfect--maybe it's missing 1 egg, but other than that, I see no major mechanical defects. Which leads me to believe that this is a newer toy model, possibly from the 70s? Or even later. I originally thought this was made in Japan, but a reader corrected me--it's made in China (thanks RodC). What a fine feathered find!

228. Holy Wheels! A BLUE BATMOBILE!

 Holy Baloney! Another Japan-made Batmobile from the 60s! And this time, it's the rarer blue model variety.  This battery-powered super car comes with the vinyl caped crusaders, ready to take them to the scene of the crime, complete with light and bump and go action!

This Batmobile was inspired by the campy 1967 TV series, "Batman", starring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as the Boy Wonder. There was also a black version of the Batmobile--and I am determined to find that one too.

As you can see, this Batmobile is a bit scruffy with dings and dents and some rusting all over. But that doesn't detract much from the kitschy appeal of this toy, which harkens back to the days when everything was over-the-top, with everyone screaming "Kapowww!! Kablammm! Holy Cowww!" every time Good triumphed over Evil.

227. I, ROBOT: A Horikawa Shoot 'n Walk Robot

One of the most prolific makers of Japanese battery operated toys was the Horikawa company which manufactured and sold hundreds of different tin robots and space toys. Horikawa sold so many different robots in the 1950's through 80's that new variations are being found regularly by collectors--just like this vintage 70s monter, which came literally robot-walked to my doorstep. It's a large, heft robot (16" tall!), noseless, with tin and plastic body. When running on its batteries, it walks, stops, and its chest opens to reveal a deadly set of rocket artillery, which it shoots with matching light flashes and sound effects. Pretty impressive for a 40++ year old robot, no?

226. A Jeep for Keeps: TIN ARMY JEEP

I'm not a big collector of tin toys, but when this friction metal tin toy jeep--in exceptional condition--I made a rare exception and bought it at once, even if a bit pricey. The Japan-made toy depicts a U.S. army jeep painted in the typical drab olive green color. Jeeps were used extensively in the last World War, so I found the idea of a Japanese manufacturer making a U.S. war jeep a rather interesting study in irony. This toy, dating from the 60s features two vinyl soldier figures, one driving the vehicle and the other, manning the machine gun mounted at the rear.

When the battery-operated toy is turned on, the army jeep moves forward while the gunner sways from side to side, firing at unseen enemies. I have seen similar tin army jeeps offered on ebay, in the range of $100 and up, and I don't regret getting this fine specimen that has a crossover appeal with WWII memorabilia collectors. Of course, you know what we did to the U.S.army jeep--we closed it, lengthen it, painted it with bright wild colors, trimmed it with plastic buntings and added a stainless steel horse as a hood ornament. Voila--the Philippine jeepney! Now that's a real collectible toy!!

124. COOKIE JAR HEAD

Vintage cookie jars enjoyed a brief surge in popularity in the late '80s when they were rediscovered by nostalgia fans who appreciated them more for their decorative and creative design, shape and form than their utilitarian value. These new collectibles got a boost when Andy Warhol's collection of period cookie jars were sold in an auction in 1987, for a staggering $250,000! There were character jars, advertising jars, animal-shaped jars, jars inspired by nursery rhymes, storybooks, pop culture icons and even everyday objects. form than their utilitarian value. Cookie jars were made by a variety of ceramic firms, the most popular of which were the McCoy, Metlock, Red Wing, Shawnee and Brush Pottery--all from the U.S. But Japanese firms also produced unusual hand-painted cookie jars like this one, in the shape of a boy's head, with his hat as the jar lid, complete with a rattan handle. Bangkal in Makati, that happy hunting ground of second-hand flotsam and jetsam, yielded this, err, kooky find!

99. TAKE YOU FOR A RIDE IN MY CAR, CAR!

Rev up that engine and go driving with me! Wheeee!!!

Now here's a well-made friction car that was on every boy's birthday and Xmas gift list back in the 1950s. It was made in Japan, by CK, a well-known company known for its amazing mechanical toys. With a lithographed dashboard, this 8 in. , 2-tone car still works--just run the rubber wheels on the floor, release the car, and awayyyyyy it goes! I have a couple of these tin toys, brought from a shop with an old stock of toys in Binondo that was closing down. I don;t know what model this car is--An Impala? A Buick? Rambler?--but I really don't care. I just need a car that will get me from point A to point B.