Big Loo


Big Loo was a toy robot manufactured by Louis Marx and Company for the 1963 Christmas holiday season. It retailed for $9.99. The toy, primarily made of injection molded hi-impact polystyrene parts, stood three-feet tall, a foot wide, and nine inches deep.
Its key features included a sight scope with cross-hairs, two flashing battery-powered red eyes with an on-off switch, a hand-cranked mechanical voice box that played ten messages, two rubber-tipped darts that were fired from triggers on the back, a left arm that held four red balls which were fired from a spring in the left elbow, and a right arm that had a grasping claw able to pick up objects. One foot was equipped with a spring-powered rocket. It could also squirt water from its navel and was equipped with a compass, whistle, bell, a Morse code clicker with chart, and could bend over at the waist.
In 2016, new record values were set on some of the original accessories, with an original instruction sheet selling for over $220., and an original whistle going for over $600., both on Ebay. An average robot averages now at $600.+ with normal wear and imperfections, and one that still "talks" with the original recorded voice and hand crank always commands more money. Near mint condition Loo's sell for 2 to $3000. and more. If you're fortunate enough to still have the original BOX that the robot came in, depending upon the condition, it could add well over $1000. to the overall value of the toy, and of course the better the condition of the box, the higher the premium. The best example of a mint-in-box Big Loo was sold in 2017 for a record $6495.00 on Ebay by the proprietor of BigLooRobot.com, and regularly offered museum quality robots with accessories are selling for $2500. to $4000. at Trademark Classics, the latter being one of the only toy shops in the USA that currently offers professional repair on the costly robots for individual clients and museum displays.
As of Late June 2020 Big Loo has sold on Ebay consistently for between $800 and $1000, but, Also has been seen at 3 different Antique shops in Michigan and Ohio for between $400 and $600. As always something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Book values go up and down and should be used for insurance evaluation. There was a purchase made of Big Loo without box in close to mint condition in early June 2020 for $350 with all parts.
Big Loo was featured on the cover of the Los Lobos album Colossal Head.