Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2023 i Collectors Gazette

A very clean, 9.6 graded copy of Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963) is one of only five of its type and grade known to exist: this example set off a bidding war at Hake’s recent auction of pop culture memorabilia, rocketing to an astonishing final price of US$520,380. The comic had been displayed at Comic-Con in San Diego and attracted huge interest from fans, a sure sign of what was to come. In fact, more than 300 certified comic books were offered, including examples of nearly all of Marvel’s key Silver Age titles. The company’s August 1962 production Amazing Fantasy #15, graded 7.5, was notable for its introduction of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, as well as the character’s cover debut. Like the auction’s top lot, it came with provenance from the Goodrich…

Morphy’s last two-day auction did well, despite it being the holiday season. With the blockbuster Margot Robbie/Ryan Gosling movie packing cinemas worldwide, this has been the summer of Barbie - and that has also included the toy collecting world. Morphy’s August sale featured a 1959 first-issue brunette #1 Barbie Doll with its original box, stand and complete set of accessories. Harder to find than her blonde counterpart, the early brunette doll in excellent condition was bid to US$10,455 against an estimate of US$6,000-7,000. The top seller, though, was an extremely rare, unopened 1976 Topps football rack box containing 24 pristine packs of trading cards. The packs featured images of star athletes of the period, including Fran Tarkenton, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Bubba Smith, Mel Blount and many others. They realised…

A Bing gauge 1 4-4-0 locomotive and tender stole the show at Vectis recently. Lined for the South East and Chatham Railway, in green, and in electric format, fitted with a modern three-rail mechanism, it made £3,920. Close on its (w) heels was a Bassett-Lowke Caledonian Railway loco and tender, also gauge 1 and in 4-4-0 configuration: again modified for three rail use (but with the original wheel assemblies), it was bid to £2,940. Finally, a Paul Forsyth built gauge 1 (10mm scale) loco and tender in North British Railway colours closed on £2,695. Andrew Woodhall’s collection continues to be sold off: a Mattel Hot Wheels Custom Beetle in dark metallic aqua but without a sunroof, and with accompanying button, raised £1,041, while his Models of Yesteryear Y7 Jacobs biscuit…

During the 1960s it was common practice for diecast toys, mostly those by British manufacturers, to be copied in plastic by Hong Kong toy makers. For years these were sometimes dismissed by collectors as cheap ‘ripoffs’, while the value of the original diecasts climbed on the collecting market. Then things changed. Over the last ten or fifteen years, collectors have woken up to the fact that the survival rate of early plastic toys is far lower than for their diecast equivalents. As a result, auction prices of plastic toys such as Telsalda, Lucky Toys, Clifford Series and others have risen dramatically. At the time these toys were made, the Hong Kong toy industry did not operate in the same way as the British one. Generally, manufacturers would have a background…

My introduction to Mamod live steam toys came in 1963 when my father arrived home from work one dark winter evening with a parcel tucked under his arm. This turned out to be a toy steam roller he had bought second hand from one of his workmates. He claimed he’d bought it ‘for the kids’ but it was very clear from the outset that the roller was really ‘Dad’s toy’! We watched on intently as he set about firing her up with methylated spirit and it wasn’t long before she whistled into motion. My mother, however, was not best pleased to see this smelly contraption hissing and spitting its way, at some considerable speed, over her beloved Axminster carpet so we were all quickly banished to the kitchen where the…

TRADING CARDS COMIC BOOK RESULTS DIECAST RESULTS LEGO RESULTS VINTAGE ACTION MAN RESULTS…

SOLIDO ASTON MARTIN DB5 1964 - GREEN Price: £55.99 Scale: 1/18 Release: out now What a gem! Sleek lines and design, along with superb finish will make this replica a sumptuous addition to any collection. Get yours before you miss the chance. www.solido.com ESVAL MODELS 1938 INTERNATIONAL D-300 ICE DELIVERY VAN Price: £90.00 Scale: 1/43 Release: out now Lovely model of this specially commissioned van, designed by Brooks Stevens. The livery adds to the Art Deco appearance. Has the rear shutter closed. www.promod-diecast.co.uk BRITAINS CASE IH FARMALL 1206 TRACTOR Price: £42.99 Scale: 1/32 Release: out now Limited to a 2,500 run this special anniversary tractor has dual rear wheels, steerable front wheels and Britains’ standard working rear linkage. www.britainsfarmtoys.co.uk CORGI MODEL CLUB HQ STAFF CAR Price: £31.99 Scale: 1/49 Release: out…

I have been collecting vintage Corgi Toys for twenty-five years. With every model that I purchase, the condition of the box and plinth, or inner tray, is equal in importance to that of the model itself. For me, the box is not merely an accompaniment to the model; it is part of the overall package and deserves the same status. ‘BOXED’ One of the most common words in auction catalogues and dealers’ stock lists is ‘Boxed’. While on its own this term tells you nothing about the condition of the box, the fact that the model is accompanied by a box can add up to an extra 200% of value to the otherwise unboxed model - although it is often less than that. (The assumption being that the model is…

In 1993 a phenomenon began on US television: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Based on Japan’s Super Sentai series, the Power Rangers show and associated merchandise were so successful that the Power Rangers were catapulted almost immediately to fame and became 1990s icons! The premise was that the world was under threat by Rita Repulsa and her Evil Space Aliens. Five teenagers were selected as elite resistance fighters, and with Power Morphers, they were able to draw on the powers of spirits of prehistoric creatures (represented on Power Coins bestowed on each teen). This transformed them into Power Rangers, which enabled them to call upon Power Zords (Dinozords), prehistoric-creature-like battle machines. The Dinozords were able to physically combine into larger fighting machines. MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS FIGURES Bandai produced a range…

The internet may be a great place to look up images and find the latest info on collectables, but let’s face it, you can’t beat the printed word. Well, I’m biased of course but then I would be writing this wouldn’t I? I’m also possibly showing my age, but we won’t go into that. So, what has brought all this on? Well, I came across a haul of early price guides the other week that’s what. They were all small softbacks on Dinky, Matchbox, Spot-On and Corgi all dating from around 1980. They took me right back to when I started collecting which was around then. I recalled too that there was precious little in print at the time around collecting toys, so I seized on anything I came across.…

Hi folks! I’m pleased to say that my brilliant new knee is doing well and I’m back out on the search for goodies, as eager as ever but very much slower off the mark! It’s just great to be out bargain hunting once again, being laid up for those few months has made me realise just how much I miss being out there buying. You seldom find much for a pound these days (even in the pound shops!) so I was more than happy to hand over a quid for one of those old enamel swimming proficiency badges they used to hand out to kids who were learning to swim. It’s something I would never have been presented with myself as I always hated swimming, usually being relegated to a…

A boxed limited edition 1/4 scale collectable figure of The Vampyre, based on Count Orlok (Max Screck) from F.W. Murnau’s classic horror film, Nosferatu, was a more unusual lot in the recent British Toy Auction sale. However, it seemed that several people were keen on this slice of gothic fiction, and it made £190 plus buyer’s premium. A boxed Dinky Guy Van, with the first type cab and fitted with grooved hubs, was certainly not mint (the model exhibited some degree of small chipping) but carried the iconic Weetabix livery and was bid to £230. A boxed Foden Flat Truck, in the very rare colour scheme of yellow cab and chassis with mid green back and wheel hubs, raised £420. Another Foden Flat Truck with tailboard with an orange body…

What about paint eh? We have a sort of love-hate relationship with the stuff. It’s often the only thing standing between glamour and squalor. It’s become hideously expensive, and when you’ve finished with it, the leftovers are impossible to dispose of. And there’s always leftovers. Honestly, can you ever claim to have finished a painting job with the final tin empty? It’s estimated that we are currently hoarding 55 million litres of unwanted paint in our homes and garages. The council won’t take it at the tip. When you ask what you should do with it, they get quite shifty, muttering about licensed hazardous waste disposal. One operative even suggested it would be quite helpful if I wouldn't mind painting my paint onto some scrap wood and throwing that away…

In the early to mid-1950s, Triang greatly expanded the Minic range, introducing generally smaller Push & Go plastic models. These were catalogued alongside the more prestigious tinplate vehicles. An early entrant into this new sector was a little BOAC Commer coach with Harrington dorsal fin bodywork. It was originally clockwork-powered and appeared under the Rovex name. This company was acquired by Lines Bros in the early 1950s and the model joined the developing plastic Minic range, albeit for a short period, initially with a clockwork motor but later updated with a ‘push and go’ mechanism. Tri-ang also introduced a rather poor quality, roughly 1/76 scale, Push & Go London Transport RT style double decker (always red) and an equally disappointingly proportioned coach. This did at least appear in a variety…

Item: Taylor & Barrett 1930-40s aircraft set No.306 Condition: near mint, with all original figures, planes and accessories. Sold for: £1,250 (2 bids) Item: Disney Volzaper Donald Duck 3D puzzle Condition: good - white plastic has yellowed with age and outer box has splits Sold for: £701 (17 bids) Item: Dinky Toy Oldsmobile No.39BU Condition: very good US/Canada export issue, some small paint chips and tarnishing Sold for: £586 (43 bids) Item: Marx Toys Japan Hootin Hollow Haunted House Condition: excellent with all 8 battery operated functions in working order Sold for: £920.70 (29 bids) Item: Matchbox Superfast Pontiac GP Sports Coupe No.22 Condition: excellent model although missing outer box Sold for: £797.77 (35 bids) Item: Kenner Six Million Dollar Man Bigfoot Condition: mint inside an original factory sealed box…

This month we meet the Midland Meccano Guild, which was formed in 1967 and recognised as being one of the earliest Meccano clubs around. The club has its headquarters in Baginton Village Hall on the outskirts of Coventry. They run two major exhibitions a year – one in March, the other in October plus other events during the year. This year for example, they were also at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon in July. Collectors Gazette went along to their last meeting in Baginton to find the hall packed with tables displaying all kinds of Meccano creations and working models. The place was buzzing with atmosphere as members chatted to old friends and talked about their latest projects. We bumped into the club President Jim Gamble, who is a founder member…