Nomura (TN) Tin Litho Batt Op “Thunderbird Speedster Automatic Action” Japanese

Description

Nomura (TN) Tin Lithographed Battery Operated “Thunderbird Speedster Automatic Action” Japanese Toy
We have a very interesting mechanical, tin, lithographed, battery operated “
Thunderbird Speedster Automatic Action
” manufactured by Nomura Toy Industrial Co., Ltd. (T.N) of Tokyo Japan.
When switched on, this working example starts and stops with illuminated lights.
The black rubber tires are still intact, but as per usual with toys of this age they may have petrified, warped and cracked. We did not notice any warping or cracks upon inspection.
Battery compartment is clean and free of corrosion.
This piece is in excellent all original condition with no breaks, restorations, repairs, or touch ups. This piece shows the usual patina, fading, dust, chips, scuffs, surface rust, scratches, missing accessories and wear that are to be expected from age and play. This is approximately 11″ L. We invite you to view the photos to further determine quality and condition.
A brief history of Nomura Toy Industrial Co., Ltd. (T.N) of Tokyo Japan:
Nomura Toy Industrial Co., Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan, also known at TN, was one of the biggest and most prolific of all postwar Japanese toy makers. Nomura is believed to have manufactured toys from the late 1940’s through the 1970’s. The letters “T.N” within the diamond logo means that the company is often referred to as TN or Toys Nomura. A wide range of tinplate toys had this logo emblazoned on its boxes whilst its later die cast toys simply featured ‘Nomura toy’ on their boxes.
Nomura was an early manufacturer in the tin toy world of Japan. They opened their doors in the late 1940’s and quickly dominated the marketplace with colorful, original tin toy vehicles. They produced a wide variety of mechanical and battery (Electromobile) operated toys, military and civilian vehicles, space toys, and novelty items. They are responsible for many Astro Boy and Tetsujin 28 toys. As well as, creating many Robby robot and Sparky robot toys; all were classics.
By the mid 1970′s, like many other Japanese toy companies, it had to make the move into die cast in order to survive.  Their toys designs have even reappeared with the company Masudaya Modern Toys (MT). Nomura continued in one form or another until 1992 when they were bought out by the largest toy company of the time Hasbro.
*Pictures included are of the actual item(s) for sale, colors may differ slightly in  person due to lighting, cameras, or monitor settings.
PAYMENT
Payments are accepted through PayPal
. All payments must be received within 3 days of auction close unless prior arrangements have been made.
INSURANCE
We ship by USPS Priority mail unless otherwise specified. Priority mail includes up to in insurance. If you wish additional insurance above the amount, you must notify us before you purchase so we can advise on the additional insurance cost. [See the above section on combining items to see how to arrange to have an invoice sent to you.]
We sell and collect rare and unusual items that often cannot be replaced. We understand the need to pack things carefully, so we take the time to do things correctly, as there is no "Do over!" We pack and protect the items we sell, but no matter which shipping service we use, there will always be a few shipments that are damaged, no matter how well they were packaged and secured.
SHIPPING
Please note that the shipping price shown by eBay is for shipping within the United States and International shipping prices will vary. Within the United States we ship via
USPS
unless otherwise specified. We typically ship within 2 business days after payment is made and cleared. Please make sure that PayPal and eBay have your correct address and PO Box if necessary. If you are an international client please make sure we have a valid address for you in English to avoid shipping delays. We only ship to verified confirmed addresses. (US Only) Please note that the price for shipping is a calculation, if the calculation for shipping on eBay is over what we actually pay we will refund any shipping overages to you. If the eBay shipping calculation does not cover shipping we will not charge you more.
We
DO NOT
pad our shipping, the price you see is what eBay/USPS has calculated as your cost based on box size and weight.
SHIPPING INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS
If you are an International client please ask for International shipping prices before bidding/buying.
Please note that delivery times are ESTIMATES. First class international mail can take 2-6 weeks for delivery depending on delays in customs. First Class International is for items under 4lbs and under in value. There is no tracking on first class international in some places with the exception of Canada. PRIORITY MAIL international does include tracking and insurance. It is more expensive, but is the only option for shipping on items over 4 pounds or over in value.
CUSTOMS/DUTY - INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS ONLY
In January 2008, eBay issued instructions to sellers so that all buyers from outside the USA would be fully and uniformly informed regarding customs and taxes on items coming from the USA. The text and format are mandated by eBay. Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up; do not confuse them for additional shipping charges. We do not falsely lower merchandise values or mark items as "gifts" - US and International government regulations prohibit such behavior. Requests to do so will be forwarded to eBay's fraud department. Our international clients are very important to us. Please let us know if you have any questions. Please also note there is no tracking on first class international mail except in Canada and a few countries in Europe.
TERMS OF SALE
Items are
returnable,
however, we ask customers to examine the photos and details of the item carefully before bidding. Items are sold "as is" with no warranties express or implied. We do our best to show and describe any type of damage that might [in our opinion] have an effect on value.
Please ask questions prior to bidding.
PLEASE NOTE
If you believe an item has been misrepresented in error, or you are unhappy for any reason, please contact us via eBay messages PRIOR to opening an eBay or PayPal resolution case. This gives us an opportunity to work with you to come to a FAST resolution of your concerns.
ABOUT US
We have a store in Nokomis, FL (Sarasota) in addition to our online presence.  We are always helping with toy collections & buy, sell, and research old toys.  Even if you cannot make a purchase now, we have select articles and research information to help collectors.  We are always learning and sharing knowledge about the vintage and antique toy hobby.  Contact us if you have old toy catalogs, old quality toys or unique research data to share; it is much appreciated!
We buy collections, if you have a collection contact us and we would be happy to take a look and make some offers.
Thank you,
The
AntiqueToys
team!