Milestone's October toy auction features rare robots, prototypes and early character toys

Milestone Auctions will hold a Premier Antique & Vintage Toy Auction on Oct. 17 in Willoughby, Ohio, with 745 lots spanning rare Japanese robots, early comic characters, Marklin steam pieces and prototype toys. The sale is drawing attention for examples that are one of only a handful known, including items that are fresh to market, working, and in some cases believed to be unique in auction history.

Why it matters: - Milestone is putting several museum-grade rarities into one auction, including toys and mechanical pieces that are seldom, if ever, seen publicly. - The sale could test top-end demand across robot, character toy, steam toy, pressed-steel and prototype collecting categories. - Several highlights are described as one-of-a-kind, one of two known, or among only a few known examples.

What happened: - Milestone Auctions announced its Premier Antique & Vintage Toy Auction for Oct. 17, 2026, at its metro-Cleveland gallery in Willoughby, Ohio. - The sale includes 745 lots. - Start time is 10 a.m. ET. - The auction features a deep lineup of rare antique and vintage toys, with major examples led by Japanese robots, Marklin steam and boat pieces, early comic characters and prototype space toys.

The details: - A fresh-to-market 1960 Machine Man robot is a 15-inch example with its box, original parts, a clean battery compartment and working illumination features. - The Machine Man carries a $60,000 to $80,000 estimate. - A TN Nomura battery-operated Gigantor #5 Tetsujin 28 comes with its original pictorial box and correct remote control battery box. - The Gigantor #5 is estimated at $40,000 to $60,000. - Chein’s 1926 Felix Frolic tin windup platform toy is one of only four known examples. - The Felix Frolic measures 13 inches long, with a 9-inch-tall main Felix figure and smaller companion figures and mice. - The Felix toy is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000. - A Hoge 14-inch windup Popeye Speedboat appears in superb original condition and carries the factory number “400” stenciled on the bow. - The Popeye Speedboat is estimated at $15,000 to $20,000. - A working sample of Marklin’s oversized steam plant measures 47 inches by 34½ inches by 34½ inches. - Milestone describes the Marklin steam plant as one of only two known and the only one believed to be in North America. - The Marklin steam plant is estimated at $40,000 to $60,000. - A pre-1906 Marklin First Series Nicholas II Battleship is 21 inches long with original hull and deck intact and a working windup mechanism. - The Marklin battleship is estimated at $15,000 to $25,000. - A prototype of Marx’s 1939 New York World’s Fair Rocket Ship includes an added front cockpit, painted passenger images and tail markings for the fair. - The Marx prototype is estimated at $10,000 to $15,000. - A 28-inch Turner pressed-steel Lincoln Yellow Cab is described as one of only two known and the first of its kind ever offered at auction. - The Lincoln Yellow Cab is estimated at $10,000 to $20,000. - A pre-war Japanese “Gun-Yo” tin windup military trike motorcycle is 10½ inches long and features detailed lithography and a working windup mechanism. - The “Gun-Yo” motorcycle is estimated at $10,000 to $15,000. - Other sale highlights include a boxed Masudaya Gang of Five Radicon Robot, Atom Jet racer, IY Japan tin friction Harley-Davidson Motorcycle with a pictorial-label box, Toonerville Trolley’s Aunt Eppie Hogg, a tin Batmobile, a boxed 1880s Vielmetter Clown Artist, a boxed battery-op Yeti, pressed-steel trucks, a boxed battery-operated Superman Tank, racers, boxed Spic and Span, Distler Banana Man, American horse-drawn cast-iron toys and early German cars and motorcycles. - A rare 1920s Gendron Marmon pedal car is also in the sale and carries an $8,000 to $12,000 estimate.

Between the lines: - The catalog suggests collectors are chasing condition, completeness and provenance as much as rarity. - Several pieces are notable because they combine rarity with functionality, including toys that still work and examples with original boxes. - The strongest material in the sale appears to cluster around Japanese robots and early mechanical toys, where scarcity can push prices sharply higher when the right example surfaces.

What's next: - Milestone will hold the auction at 38198 Willoughby Pkwy., Willoughby, OH 44094. - Bidding will be available in person, absentee, by phone and online through Milestone Live, LiveAuctioneers and Invaluable. - Worldwide shipping will be available. - More information is available in Milestone's auction listing and by calling 440-527-8060 or emailing info@milestoneauctions.com. - The full catalog is available on Milestone's website.

The bottom line: - Milestone is leaning on a catalog built for serious collectors: rare, high-condition toys with strong estimates and multiple pieces that are seldom seen on the open market.