A ‘treasure trove’ of toys unearthed in the Midlands includes an unused Christmas present from the 1930s – still in its festive paper.
A Meccano Engineering For Boys set from 1936 was uncovered by toy valuer Steve Fulford – and he was astonished to find it had never been played with.
It was found loosely wrapped in its original brown festive paper featuring Christmas stickers and the playset inside was unopened. All parts were still wired into the box.
Mr Fulford: “It’s as good as new. I don’t suppose we’ll ever know why it wasn’t played with by the youngster it was meant for all those years ago. However, its perfect preservation allows us to see a toy made decades ago in pristine condition.
“It was part of an amazing collection unearthed in Knowle – an absolute treasure trove of toys. We also uncovered a rare 1934 Pickfords Removals and Storage Van, which has an estimate of £1,000-£1,500, and some marvellous pre-war Dinky Toys.”
A Dinky mechanical horse and trailer set has an estimate of £300-£400, an RAC Hut with motorcycle patrol has a guide price of £200-£300 and a 1930s petrol pump set has been valued at £80-£120.
Mr Fulford said: “People may be surprised to learn that the Meccano set has a humble value of £30-£40 but, who knows, complete with its festive wrapping paper and feelings of nostalgia, the price may soar at auction.”
Meccano was created by Frank Hornby (1863-1936), an English inventor, businessman and politician. He was a visionary in toy development and manufacture, and though he had no formal engineering training, he was responsible for the invention and production of three of the most popular lines of toys based on engineering principles in the 20th century – Meccano, Hornby Model Railways and Dinky Toys. He founded Meccano Ltd in 1908 and his inventions made him a millionaire by the 1930s.
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