Customer Reviews

Modern Toys from Japan: 1940s-1980s (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

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As a long-time collector of Japanese tin toys, I'm always eager to acquire new reference works, especially where most of the illustrations are in color. This book is ok, taking into consideration that Modern Toys Company is more or less the Budweiser of the Japanese tin toy industry. The pictures are small but quite high quality. My main reservations lie with the overwhelming number of toys from the 1970s that are pictured. As far as I am concerned, this was the nadir of their industry and most Jap tin toys made in that period are at best mediocre. They incorporate inordinate amounts of plastic, pretty crude shapes and in general are reminiscent of modern Chinese tin.

I expect I'll keep the book mainly because I maintain an extensive reference library. But if you're expecting anything at all close to the superb Kitahara titles, be warned. There are a number of quality toys pictured, but not enough.

Why it was necessary (given the long history of Masudaya) to provide no fewer than 20 illustrations of the 1970s Overland Express or Hill Climber trains, which came in numerous slightly different shapes and colors, I cannot imagine. This toy and its versions may excite the totally clueless dealer who finds one and puts it on Ebay as "probably 50s", but it has zero appeal to collectors. Indeed, when one is searching for "Japan Trains" on Ebay one spends most of one's time skipping over the endless examples of the Overland/Hill Climber offered for sale; which incidentally hardly ever get any bids.

A large proportion of the toys in the book don't deserve coverage, I'm afraid to say. The Japanese made very few charmless toys up through the 60s, but they made up for lost time in the 70s.

Get this book if you want an insight to some of the toys that came out from the land of the rising sun that hasn't reached our shores. Hard bound and a great collector's guide all throughout.

This is a great book for collectors of Modern Toys. Nice pictures with good coloring and quality. would recommend this book.

I think this is a great book. A good selection of photos for the expert collector as well as for the beginner. Good to see reference material on items that you actually have a chance to find at a reasonable price.