If you grew up between the 1960s and the turn of the century, you might recognize Imai Kagaku Model Kits. For over four decades this Japanese company manufactured kits of all kinds, and while most of their consumer base was located in Japan, they did branch out into the U.S. marketplace until the company closed in 2002.
Model kits became popular during the post-war economic boom when TV was more common and influential in the average home. This was true in both Japan and the United States where technology and science fiction captured the imagination of the masses like never before. Since plastic was a new, versatile, and cheap alternative to woods and metals, it was the perfect medium for producing detailed scale models in large quantities. In a further nod to the advancing technology of the time, many of the Imai models included functioning pieces, motors, and remote controls.
Imai Kagaku dabbled in a little bit Manga and Kaiju monsters when it came to model kits but are most well known for their extensive catalog of model ships, military vehicles, and motorcycles. They also produced models influenced by movies and television dominating pop culture of the time, including James Bond, Jerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds, and Superman.
On September 17th, Bruneau and Co. Auctioneers is hosting Part I of the Andy Yanchus Collection (if you want to know more about Andy, click here), and to which there will be a large selection of unused Imai model kits up for auction. Andy was an avid fan of Gerry Anderson, so you will find the large majority of Imai models to be from the Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, and Space: 1999. Do not worry though, there is a plethora of other space and military vehicles, submarines, and rockets. Andy was such an eclectic yet highly curated collector that we haven’t even scratched the surface of his collecting story. Stay tuned as we continue to uncover treasure from the Andy Yanchus Collection.
