The mail-order promotional toy has the famous Optimus Prime transforming from Pepsi tractor-trailer into a robot. The Generation 1 Autobot leader was sold for $16,685 in 2021.

It competes against toy robots made by WowWee, which makes smart robot toys that aren’t really programmable. But WowWee’s robots, such as Robo Sapiens, are selling in the millions now.

Don't worry about having to memorize the phrase, "Klaatu barada nikto," in Kevin Hardy's house, because Gort from "The Day the Earth Stood Still" isn't there. But 31 other antique toy robots are ...

Wonder Workshop Inc, which makes toy robots that teach kids how to code, said it raised $20 million in its second round of funding and was looking to expand into new markets, especially China.

Kevin Hardy of Watson has collected 31 antique Japanese tin toy robots so far. He's found most of them on auction sites, and most of them were still packed in their original boxes.