Billiken Shokai Mighty Atom Tin Plate Wind-Up Walking Figure, Astro Boy, About 23 cm, with Illustrated Box
Billiken Shokai Mighty Atom Tin Plate Wind-Up Walking Figure, Astro Boy, About 23 cm, with Illustrated Box
- Dispatch
- Prepared and sent from Tokyo within 7–14 days, often sooner, or as arranged
- Arrival
- United States · usually 4–7 days after dispatch, insured and tracked Check the Shipping Flowchart here
- Import
Duties and customs · View the estimate
A guide for this piece: about $81, based on the 10% US charge on the declared value of goods made in Japan.
The final figure is set by US Customs and depends on where the piece was made and the kind of object it is. Many antiques over a century old carry no ordinary duty; most jewellery and leather goods add a single-digit rate.
With EMS, any charge is collected by your postal service on delivery. For pieces of significant value we can often arrange duties prepaid before dispatch.
How the estimate is reached · Ask for a figure on this piece
- Character
- Balanced 6 of 10 ·
- Replies
- Within one Tokyo business day · Ask the curator team
- Guarantee
- Authenticity guaranteed · How we grade
Every piece is measured by hand, in centimetres as Japan measures. Please allow 1–2 cm (about ½ inch) for the give of the material and the hand that held the tape.
Where each figure is taken · View the plate
Object, sculpture and ceramics
Condition report
Very Good
- Giftable
- Mint
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
- Honest Wear
- As Found
Tezuka’s Boy Robot in Tin
Billiken Shokai gives Atom the solid, slightly naive charm of a postwar walker. The cream body and red boots read beautifully on a shelf beside the box. It is an easy first piece for a tin plate shelf.
Best for: Astro Boy and tin plate toy collectors
Condition notes
Long stored; age soiling and ageing left uncleaned and unrepaired as described. Light rubbing at arm and boot edges; box shelf wear. Clockwork untested.
Grades, ratings and commentary are given to the best of our ability, knowledge and experience, and condition remains partly a matter of personal perception. What we stand behind without qualification is authenticity, truthful description and provenance, to the best of our knowledge. How we grade
Couldn't load pickup availability
All sales are final. Please read our refund policy before purchase.
Considered offers only. The Desk replies personally to figures made in good faith; those set far below the asking price receive no reply.
Examined in Tokyo, one price, insured to your door. How buying from Japonista works · Join the Circle, free
Astro Boy as Billiken Shokai made him in tin plate: a stout clockwork walker in cream, teal and red, standing about 23 cm tall beside his starry illustrated box.
The Piece
Billiken Shokai built its name on reviving the spirit of Japan’s postwar tin toys, and its Mighty Atom is one of the best loved of the line. Osamu Tezuka’s boy robot is pressed and lithographed in tin, with his famous swept black hair, wide eyes and a determined little frown, a teal belt over black shorts and bright red boots that carry the walking mechanism.
The arms swing on rivets, the winding hole sits at his side and a key rests in the card insert of the box. The box itself is a small poster: Atom soaring past a rocket over a cratered moon on the lid, his face on the end panel, and MADE IN JAPAN with an age mark printed on the base.
Details
- Maker: Billiken Shokai
- Character: Astro Boy (Mighty Atom, Tetsuwan Atom) by Osamu Tezuka
- Material: Lithographed tin plate
- Mechanism: Clockwork walker with key
- Height: About 23 cm (9 in), as described
- Markings: Box printed MADE IN JAPAN
- Packaging: Original illustrated box with card insert
- Year: Not stated
Height as stated; please allow a gentle margin of about 1 cm (0.4 in).
Condition
- Stored at home for many years; described as having age-related soiling and ageing that has been left uncleaned and unrepaired.
- Light rubbing shows at the edges of the arms and boots; the box has shelf wear at the corners.
- The clockwork has not been tested by the Desk; ask before deciding.
Condition grade B (very good, light wear) on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.
Authenticity & Care
Checked and photographed in Japan before dispatch. Keep tin plate dry and away from humidity, wind it gently and never fully, and dust with a soft dry cloth.
Delivery from Japan
Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Every sale is final; please ask anything you wish to know before you buy, and see our published policy.
Considered offers are welcome through Send an Offer, and each one is reviewed personally. Read the guide to Showa tin plate and soft vinyl toys or continue to Japanese toys and collectibles.
Concierge
Searching for another Billiken Shokai walker or a particular Tezuka character in tin? Our Hunting Salon™ locates it across Japan’s private collector circles, then inspects, documents and delivers it to you. Begin a Hunting Salon™ request.
Collectors also search: Billiken Shokai Mighty Atom · Astro Boy tin wind-up toy · Tetsuwan Atom tin plate figure
Chosen for you