c.1960 TPS Champ On Ice (Bear Skater Trio) in Original Box
One of the most recognizable, yet difficult to find, of all the Japanese built skating toys is the "Champ On Ice". It's frequently called by some other name because only the box has the exact name as it was originally titled. In this case the super rare box is present! It's in incredible near mint condition, works great, and appears to have been barely played with. The box is just as nice grading excellent and is complete. The toy features three connected bear figures "skating" in single file completing a large circle. Actually the lead bear contains the clockwork mechanism and large wheels which makes it move. The rear bear balances on two free spinning wheels, while the center bear doesn't even make ground contact. The lead bear (yellow) moves its arms in opposite directions simultaneously. It's wheels are off-centered giving it the appearance of swaying. The movement of the yellow bears' right arm is synchronized with movement of the green and red bears' right leg. The result; it appears as if all three are skating with exactly the same motion and at the exact same time! The toy works great. I made sure that everything worked correctly, but I didn't want it to over wind it, or have it fall over. A few turns of the attached key allowed it run for several seconds. The lithography is extremely colorful and the embossing gives it a very realistic appearance even without moving. The TPS logo was lithoed on the right ankle of the yellow bear. The box was illustrated with cartoon-like illustrations on every panel. The trio are shown skating in unison except for the front and rear aprons where they've "broken" formation. It's marked TPS on the front lower left corner. Size: 9½". Sold: May 2013
Price Sold: $ 835
