Forgotten robot in the attic could fetch £10,000 at auction

A toy robot that lay in a loft for decades and was destined for a charity shop could fetch up to £10,000 at auction after being identified as a sought-after Japanese rarity.

Lee Garrett, of Edinburgh, said she and her brother "couldn't believe our ears" when they were told the toy's valuation. She was cleaning her mother's house when she found the Radicon robot that she and her siblings played with as children more than 50 years ago and planned to give to charity.

Ms Garrett said: "When we were clearing my mum's house prior to her move to Edinburgh, we piled up a load of toys and other bits and pieces to give to the charity shop.

"The robot had been in the loft for decades and it was only when my brother said he had seen a similar toy online that we decided to take it out of the charity box and look into it a bit more.

Undated handout photo issued by Wave PR of a rare 1957 Radicon toy robot, owned by Lee Garrett from Edinburgh. Lee got the shock of her life when the toy robot her family planned to give away turned out to be a 1950's Japanese icon, valued at thousands of pounds. Issue date: Monday April 3, 2023. PA Photo. The robot, which Lee and her siblings had played with as children over 50 years ago, is now scheduled to headline McTear's Antiques & Interiors auction on April 7, with experts estimating the collector's item could fetch up to £10,000. See PA story SALE Robot. Photo credit should read: McTear's Auctioneers/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

"We were hoping the robot may be worth a few pounds but when we heard what it was, and the valuation, we couldn't believe our ears.

"We asked mum what she wanted to do with it and she said that it should be sold and the proceeds split between her five children.

"I would like to think that the lucky new owner may get as much fun playing with the robot as we did when we were kids, although I have a feeling it may be kept well out of reach of sticky fingers."

The robot was produced in 1957 by Japanese toymaker Masudaya.

Lee Garrett from Edinburgh, who owns a rare 1957 Radicon toy robot. Lee got the shock of her life when the toy robot her family planned to give away turned out to be a 1950's Japanese icon, valued at thousands of pounds.: Family handout/Wave PR/PA Wire

A member of the "Gang of Five" robots that were only available by special purchase in the late 1950s, it was first in the set to be produced, giving it heightened status.

The robot is now set to headline McTear's Antiques & Interiors auction in Glasgow on Friday and is expected to fetch up to £10,000.

McTear's specialist, James Spiridion, added: "Simply put, the Masudaya Radicon is the grandfather of tin plate robots and space toys generally. Very few of these fascinating toys have ever come to auction and to find one complete with box and controller is a rare find indeed.

"First edition toys, particularly ground-breaking pieces like this, are becoming more and more collectable and I am sure there will be a lot of interest from collectors at home and overseas when it goes under the hammer.

"The robot retains both its striking controller - complete with two of the original coloured antennae - and, most importantly, the box, with its fabulous artwork evoking the sense of awe and wonder that sci-fi brought in the 1950s."

McTear’s is expecting a decanter of whisky rescued by divers from a 130-year-old shipwreck in the Firth of Clyde will be the top lot at another auction later this month.

The SS Wallachia sank in 1895 while carrying a precious cargo of whisky and beer, which was thought to have been lost forever. But almost 100 years later in 1977, the shipwreck was discovered by the Girvan Sub-Aqua Club. One of the divers is now selling his find, which includes what is believed to be one of only two decanters of Wilkinson’s Famous Liqueur Whisky recovered from the wreck.

Experts anticipate the collection could sell for between £3,000 and £5,000 when it goes under the hammer onApril 14.

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