This rare toy robot is currently charming visitors to the museum’s special collection of mid-20th-century robot toys.
HALTOM CITY, TX, December 07, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ — With his cheerful, good-natured expression and endearing smile, Big Loo is one of the friendliest robots showcased at the DFW Elite Toy Museum’s “Robots and Space Toys” exhibit. Running through March 24, the recently opened exhibit is free of charge.
Boasting a height of about 38 inches, Big Loo was one of the largest toy robots ever made. Produced by Louis Marx and Company for the 1963 holiday season, Big Loo had a limited release of about 5,000, making this guy quite rare. The manufacturer described the apparently congenial Big Loo with the catchphrase “Your Friend from the Moon.”
This exhibit features not only Big Loo, but his beautifully decorated original box, which is a rarity among toy collectors, according to Museum Director Brian Sturgeon. The boxes almost always were damaged or thrown out shortly after the wrapping paper was removed.
“Having that original box makes him even more exceptional, as those cardboard boxes were fairly fragile and rarely survived very long after they were opened,” Sturgeon added. The box contains delightful graphic design that describes Big Loo’s features, and at the bottom is an important declaration telling children: “You and Big Loo are Master of Any Situation.”
The elaborate design and attention to detail on Big Loo are truly notable. Big Loo is crafted of injection-molded, high-impact polystyrene parts. He presents quite a dashing figure, with his red legs, teal arms and torso, and lime green face. A copper-colored chest plate and accents add a touch of finesse, while his toothy smile is vaguely reminiscent of a piano keyboard.
Able to perform a wide variety of movements, Big Loo is renowned for being one of the most action-packed robot toys. A rocket-firing launcher with two rockets is located on the left side of his base. Simply pull the triggers on his back to make Big Loo shoot six-inch-long rubber-tipped darts. His left arm holds four red balls that launch with a spring in his elbow. Using his spring-operated claw, his right hand grasps and picks up objects.
Battery operation controls his flashing red eyes, and Big Loo can turn his head a full 360 degrees, roll forward, bend at the waist, and take a bow. One of Big Loo’s more delightful features is his ability to squirt water from his navel with his “water ray.”
Big Loo speaks 10 phrases with a hand-cranked mechanical voice box, and can even send messages in Morse code, using the clicking mechanism on his back. Big Loo’s “sonic signal” hard plastic whistle is on the back of his head, and between his feet is a working magnetic compass.
But his claim to fame is not limited solely to being a collectible and an awesomely cool toy. Big Loo appeared on the cover of the American band Los Lobos “Colossal Head” album released in 1996 by Warner Brothers Records.
The DFW Elite Toy Museum is the brainchild of businessman Ron Sturgeon, who first started collecting toy Mercedes cars more than 40 years ago. Sturgeon expanded his interests to include rare and vintage automobile themed items such as race cars and scale models. As the years progressed, Sturgeon’s interests expanded to include vintage toys, unique signs, automotive memorabilia, and other rare and historic collectibles. As his burgeoning collection grew, Sturgeon hatched a plan to open the DFW Elite Toy Museum, home to the current special exhibit, “Robots and Space Toys.” This exhibit runs through March 2024, and contains a plethora of robots and space toys from the mid-20th century, including Gumbo the Robot Italian Gumball Dispenser, the full set of incredibly rare Gang of Five robots, and the prized Atom Jet Racer.
About DFW Elite Toy Museum
Rare cars, dog antiques, collectible toys, and hard-to-find memorabilia are featured at the DFW Elite Toy Museum, which contains more than 3,000 pieces collected by serial entrepreneur and real estate developer Ron Sturgeon. Admission is free to the dog-friendly museum, which is located at 5940 Eden Drive in Haltom City, Texas. On display now at the museum is the special “Robots and Space Toys” exhibit, featuring some unique and hard-to-find toys and robots. The exhibit, which is available to see during the museum’s regular hours, allows visitors to experience mid-20th century space toy history in person. Ron Sturgeon owns the only two museums in Haltom City, a suburb of Fort Worth, the toy museum and the salon and spa museum.
Featured in the popular book “100 Things to Do in Dallas-Fort Worth Before You Die,” the museum is open to the public, and hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and most Saturdays. Special events and groups are welcome with advance notice. View this video to discover how Sturgeon started his collection more than 40 years ago, and how that led to opening the museum. Learn more by visiting the website at dfwelitetoymuseum.com. You can also follow the museum’s Facebook page.
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