The Alps Four

There was a dearth of toys made in the 1940s, due to the materials being needed for the war effort. The Lilliput Robot is considered a pre-WW II robot toy.

Carefull examination of it's original packaging points towards a circa 1939 release..

Lilliput Robot uses a keywind system,and walks with a strange side-to-side shuffling motion as spikes under foot alternately push down and raise up, and swinging arms.

A very simple and plain design.. boasts a block style head,oversized rivets,claw hands,and large lithographed chest gauges complemented by an oxygen supply.

As regards to Lilliput's dating I've tried to backend the answer by examining the companies behind the two trademarks on his box. Unfortunately "KT" is shrouded in as much mystery as Lilliput. This trademark appears on a number of prewar japanese toy boxes-usually in conjunction with another trademark. My guess is they were perhaps the actual manufacturer for the main toy companies such as Masudaya.

I have not seen their trademark on any post WW II boxes(this certainly doesn't mean there aren't any examples)I believe this company is the key to Lilliputs dating-if I later find(I'm working on it)that they did no survive past WW II-this is absolute proof that Lilliput is a prewar toy.

The other trademark-C.K.(Kuramochi Shoten)appears on the box lid with the wording-"sole supplier of made in Japan". They were probaly the biggest Japanese prewar toy company. They didn't fare too well after the war-becoming a tier two firm. After the war two of their employees fearing the total demise of the company left to form Alps and Nomura. (info courtesy of William Gallagher)So a tleast we know that C.K. was a definitive prewar company.(Although they did exist postwar). Adding little snipets of other info-none of them slamdunks-but they do produce a body of evidence re: The box is near identical to the first prewar Dancing Couple box(also with the K.T.logo). The box material and artwork is also consistant with 30's-early forties boxes.

A belgium dealers original invoice dating to 1939(if legit?)and an individuals memory that he received his Liiliput before the war. Of course memory is often an unreliable source-but as Mr. Hayes points out-the war is a very significant experience and it would be difficult to mistake pre vs postwar experience. I do not buy as others have suggested that Atomic robotman and Lilliput were made by the same party. If that was the case the trademarks would be identical which is not the case(although they could have been made in the same plant-i.e.metalhouse built robots for several different companies).

Lilliput also uses a keywind system which contains a 1930's Japan patent date. Of course this date only definately applies to the keywind-but again is another small piece of evidence.