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Ha, Ha, where's the wheels!

I am guessing it performs some sort of hopping action. MADE IN JAPAN shown next to the logo, but where else would you want tinplate toys made! The logo is a little fuzzy, but I think it shows 'TN' which we know as 'TOY NOMURA' (Nomura Toy for our Japanese readers!).

I don't know when these insect toys were made, but it looks 1960's to me with it's step forward in mechanical ability advancement over the 1950's.

Ghosthunter.

GHOSTHUNTER wrote:I am guessing it performs some sort of hopping action. MADE IN JAPAN shown next to the logo, but where else would you want

You are indeed correct Ghosty, they do hop. There is a small suction cup on the underside, this sticks the bug down when pressed onto a smooth hard surface, pre-loading the spring legs. Then after awhile the suction cup lets go and the things fly into the air. Bet they were a lot of fun. It seems the original design can be traced back to the Thomas Toy Co. where they were known as Jerryhoppers. Marx Toys, copied the design in the early 1950's, called them Eisenhoppers and sent a whole batch off to the President - apparently President Eisenhower enjoyed using them to break the tension at meetings.
Full article here http://www.marxmuseum.com/home/eisenhoppers.html
I imagine the Made in Japan versions came along later during the 1960s, as you mention.

zBret

Thank's Gene for the additional info. I wondered what the dark round thing was under it's Belly. I can just imagine several of these stuck to a table top then jumping up in the air at different times, enough to drive you mad...

Ghosthunter.

not much better!