In 1962, ALPS released Fred Flintstone’s Bedrock Band. The battery-operated tabletop toy imagined Fred as a drummer in a band, complete with a Stone Age-inspired drum kit.
The Hanna-Barbera-licensed toy featured four actions. Fred’s hands each held a hammer-like drumstick. His arms moved up and down in alternating strokes causing the drumsticks to beat a cymbal and side drum. His feet flexed up and down to operate a turtle shell hi-hat and bass drum that featured an image of Dino on the front.
The toy was made of vinyl, fabric, and lithographed tinplate. It stood about 7 inches tall and was controlled by an on/off switch located on the side.
COLLECTOR CONSIDERATIONS
Founded in 1948, ALPS was a Japanese toy and novelty company known for its battery-operated tin robot, vehicle, and character toys. The company ceased making toys in the 1970s to focus on manufacturing electronics. ALPS toys are popular with collectors thanks to their colourful lithographic designs and charmingly simplistic animations. Collectors are familiar with the degradation of vintage animated toys due to time, play, and curious youngsters wanting to know how things work. Battery-operated toys came with the added risk of damage caused by batteries that were unwittingly left in the battery compartment to corrode over the years.
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