As festive fever moves into top gear in the run-up to Christmas toy excitement abounds, especially at Hansons.
Parked up in our saleroom – ready for the January sales – is a sensational collection of toy vehicles, many of which have survived in pristine condition for decades.
Everything from a magnificent Rolls-Royce pedal car, estimate £150-£250, to hundreds of Dinky vehicles worth thousands of pounds make Hansons feel like Santa’s grotto. Some are play worn, others have been so well looked after the man in red could pop them into a Christmas stocking today.
Toy expert Steve Fulford, a man known to shed a tear of nostalgia if he finds a particularly nice item, recently uncovered a major Dinky toy collection in Belper. Around 150 vehicles, still in their original boxes, had been languishing in storage for 15 years. They’re set for auction in January and together could achieve £5,000-£6,000.
For Steve it’s like finding buried treasure. No matter how often it happens, he still finds it incredible to uncover toys which are 65 to 70 years old in such good condition. But he has a theory for it. Back in the 1950 and 60s toys were for birthdays and Christmas, not an every week treat. Consequently they were extremely special and some children looked after them.
Most kids played with their toys – as you would expect – but then they got damaged, or even wrecked. So the survivors, the toys that were well looked after, are rare today. That makes them collectors’ items. Add to this the rocket fuel of childhood nostalgia and we have a recipe for consistent auction success.
Hansons’ Autumn Toy Auction saw many Dinky lots comfortably achieve their guide prices. For example, a boxed Corgi Toys James Bond You Only Live Twice Toyota 2000GT in excellent condition with seven yellow missiles made £150.
Another lot in demand contained a boxed Dinky Toys British Road Signs set, reference No. 772, plus a Dinky Toys International Road Signs set, reference No. 771. It made £140 from a £60-£80 estimate. Dinky lots containing one, two or three vehicles consistently make around £50-£150 depending on rarity and condition. And bidders are plentiful.
Corgi toys are sought after too. The same sale saw seven boxed Corgi The Aviation Archive Military Air Power aircrafts, including a Boeing C-97G Stratofreighter AA31002 and Tupolev TU-4 AA31804, hammer at £140, above their £80-£120 guide.
When it comes to vintage toys original boxes matter. Inevitably most are damaged or stained due to age but the condition of the box alone will enhance the price achieved.
So what else attracted bidders in the autumn toy sale? Well, the top lot was a surprise though Derbyshire’s railway workers may beg to differ. Six railway plaques from the 1950s and 60s rocketed to £1,500 – around 13 times their £80-120 estimate. In fact vintage railway plaques were all the rage because another collection of six including a 89D Oswestry shed plate and LMS Built Derby, 1942, made £750 from a £120-£150 guide.
Other railwayana to do well included a rare, boxed Hornby, OO Gauge, Thomas & Friends, Murdoch, locomotive and tender, £600, and a 3 ½ gauge model of a Jubilee Live Steam Locomotive, 2-6-4 tank complete with Reeves plans and 1979 boiler certificate, £800.
The cuddly joy of antique Steiff bears also entice collectors. A circa 1908 example with gold mohair fur, boot button eyes, a shaved muzzle and stitched nose and smile achieved £1,300. In addition a 1907 Steiff bear made £1,000 and a 1920s example hammered at £1,150.
The toy market is diverse as another top lot demonstrated. Perhaps the plethora of home bars or family rooms have increased demand for one arm bandits. A Mills Hi-Top Jackpot example, operating on 6d or 5p, made £540.
And we can never forget relatively new kid on the block Pokémon. An uncut Pokémon printers sheet, Property of Wizards of the Coast, comprising 121 uncut cards made £660. Hansons’ autumn sales also saw a collection of around 250 Pokémon trading cards, which had languished in a bedroom for 21 years, achieve £3,600.
But perhaps the magic of toys is best encapsulated by a magnificent late 19th century magician automaton Victorian doll by Renou, with bisque head. It achieved £1,000.
If you’re looking for Christmas inspiration, Hansons December 7 Toy Auction catalogue is live at www.hansonslive.co.uk. Meanwhile, if you have something to sell, entries are invited for the January Specialist Toy Auction. For advice or a free valuation please email toy valuers Steve Fulford or David Wilson-Turner: [email protected] or [email protected].
