Part 1 of The Andy Yanchus Collection of Plastic Models, Toys and More will be Auctioned Sept. 17th

Information may not be reliable

Part 1 of the Andy Yanchus collection of plastic models, diecast toys, American models and vintage toys from the 1960s through the 1990s, will come up for bid on Saturday, September 17th, by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, starting promptly at 10 am Eastern time, online and live in the Bruneau & Co. gallery located at 63 Fourth Avenue in Cranston.

Andy Yanchus is a highly regarded hobbyist and professional within the comic, model and toy world. His plastic model collection is one of the most comprehensive ever to come to market and features an impressive and diverse selection of Japanese science fiction model kits by Bandai, Imai, Tamiya, Midori, Aoshima and Bullmark. Diecast toys are by Popy, Takara and Nomura.

Throughout all the categories in the sale, there is an overlying theme of Gerry Anderson-related models and toys. Andy was an absolute diehard fan of Mr. Anderson and compiled one of the greatest archives of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, UFO and Joe Mac merchandise ever seen. These, like all the items in the collection and in the auction, are in pristine, unused condition.

It was Mr. Yanchus’s habit to only open each piece once, to document and inspect the design, before sealing it away again in storage. Almost everything was purchased new and much of it was documented with a collection stamp and the date it was acquired. This is an opportunity for plastic model, American model and diecast and vintage toy enthusiasts to add to their collections.

Lot 1 is a group of seven 1967 Imai Kagaku first issue Thunderbird Series model kits, including Thunderbird 5 with Thunderbird 3 kit no. 1-722, Thunderbird Jet-Mogura Tank kit no. 729, Thunderbird Excavator kit no. 736 factory sealed, Thunderbird 1 kit no. 733, Thunderbird 2 kit no. 1-721, and Thunderbird 4 kits no. 725 and 741 (est. $300-$500).

Lot 2 is a complete set of 1965 Lincoln International Thunderbirds model kits (Hong Kong), including Thunderbird 1 kit no. 2001, Thunderbird 2 kit no. 2002, Thunderbird 3 kit no. 2003, Thunderbird 4 kit no. 2004, and Lady Penelope's Fab 1 kit no. 2005, a great set that represents Mr. Yanchus’s love for the work of Gerry Anderson (est. $500-$800).

Lot 3 is a pair of 1968 Japanese Tamiya Super Space Apollo 1 Jupiter 2 models, including the Tamiya first issue Super Space series Apollo 1 kit no. SS101 and Jupiter 2 kit no. SS102, both with unused contents partially factory sealed, plus original paperwork Both are in exceptional condition for models from 1968. The lot should bring $300-$500.

Lot 7 consists of a rare and important 1961 Tamiya Thunder Bolt motorized race car (one of only a few known and possibly the finest one in existence) and an early 1960s Japan Hobby SF series S-1 Astoro Boat Star Fire-I, both with factory sealed contents and original paperwork, in overall good condition with vibrant graphics (est. $300-$500).

Lot 122 is a group that includes a 1979 Takara Microman Titan Space Knight, 1980 Microman Blizzard B-1 Paris, Death Marck (blue), 1981 New Microman Mighty Suit 2, and 1982 New Acroyear Acrosatan (green), all with original paperwork and unused sticker sheets, an exceptional group of late series Takara Microman, (est. $500-$800).

Lot 128 is a 3-piece American set that includes the 1979 Mego Micronauts series 5 Centaurus, Kronos, and Lobros. These three characters in particular were released at the very end of the Micronauts toy line, and primarily saw release in Europe through GiG. A very rare find for American collectors and a beautiful set of figures (est. $800-$1,200).

Lot 129 is an 8-piece Mego Lion Rock Micronauts MOSC Figure Group (United States, 1976-1980), including a 1976 Mego Micronauts Acroyear (pink), Space Glider (gold), Galactic Warrior (green), 1977 Acroyear II (silver), Pharoid (grey), 1978 Galactic Defender (white) and two 1980 Lion Rock Time Traveler (black/blue) (est. $800-$1,200). 

Lot 190 is a rare and desirable 1985 Polish Gdansk first generation Star Wars Prune Face movable rubber bootleg action figure, a rare sight and an opportunity for today’s Star Wars collectors (est. $800-$1,200). Lot 198 is a Kenner Star Wars Droids Sise Fromm MOSC (United States, 1985), factory sealed C7+ with moderate wear (est. $500-$800).

Internet bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, bidLIVE.Bruneauandco.com and the mobile app “Bruneau & Co.” on iTunes or GooglePlay.

Previews will be held in the Bruneau & Co. gallery on Thursday, September 15th, and Friday, September 16th, from 9 am to 4 pm Eastern time. Doors will open on auction day at 8 am. For more information, you may call 401-533-9980, or send an email to contact@bruneauandco.com.

Andy Yanchus was born and raised in Brooklyn and amassed his collection in his lifelong home. His passion for collecting goes back to early childhood and his love for building and displaying models led him to attend the Pratt School of Industrial Design in New York and to go on to have a ten-year career with Aurora Plastics. While at Aurora, he rose to the level of Project Manager.

Yanchus then became a staff colorist with Marvel Comics, a job he held for 17 years. He worked on Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men, Alpha Flight and G.I. Joe, among other titles. He also worked alongside Marvel great Dave Cockrum (1943-2006) and the two men became lifelong friends. Cockrum co-created the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus and Mystique.

Part 2 of the Andy Yanchus collection, featuring his comic collection and color guides, will be held on New Year’s Day 2023. Watch the website for further details: www.bruneauandco.com.

Before that, Bruneau and Co. has two auctions planned for October: The Henry Anderson Collection of Golden Age Comic Books (Oct. 1st) and a Comic, TCG & Toy Auction (Oct. 15th).

To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers and Part 1 of the Andy Yanchus collection slated for Saturday, September 17th, visit www.bruneauandco.com. Updates are posted often.