Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2024 i Collectors Gazette

The Auction Centre’s last event included a kit built Basset Lowke 3/4" brass steam traction engine. The impressive model measured approximately 46x26cm and came with a Stuart pressure gauge. In relatively good overall condition, albeit being dusty, the model was mounted on a wooden stand. It realised £600 plus premium. A popular Roundhouse Engineering Company lot, an unboxed gauge 1, 0-4-0 Koppel style live steam locomotive No.4 Billy, attracted much attention. The gas-fired model was marked with the company logo and the loco showed signs of use, with surface marks to the body and signs of wear in several places. Nonetheless this was a well-engineered model and it finally sold for £480. Another interesting lot was the Markie Models 1/10 scale gas-powered live steam model of a Burrell Road Locomotive…

CORGI MODEL CLUB VW BREAKDOWN TRUCK Price: £39.99 Scale: 1/47 Release: out now Highly detailed, it could well be a flashback to your youth. The tail-gate has a winch and hook which is operated by turning a rubber tyre included. ›› www.corgimodelclub.com CULT MODELS MG METRO TURBO Price: £216.99 Scale: 1/18 Release: out now This is one Metro even Alan Partridge would be proud to own. The interior is sumptuously finished, and the form and stance of the car is precisely replicated. ›› www.cultmodels.com BRITAINS JOHN DEERE 4240 TRACTOR Price: £24.99 Scale: 1/32 Release: out now Largely metal, North American spec’d tractor with steerable front weight and Britains standard two-point linkage. Cab doors do not open. ›› www.britainsfarmtoys.co.uk CONRAD MERCEDES-BENZ LAK 1624 TIPPER TRUCK - ‘GILCH’ DECAL Scale: 1/50 Price:…

Cavallino, a well-known toy brand with a history dating back to 1959, has recently expanded its range with a new line of 1/50 diecast model trucks. Launched in 2023, this new addition to their product lineup offers enthusiasts of high-quality model trucks an affordable option with the trusted Cavallino quality. Originating as a leading toy brand in Italy and later becoming a respected name throughout Europe, the brand is renowned for its craftsmanship and dedication to quality. With the launch of these new 1/50 scale model trucks, Cavallino stays true to these core values. Developed in collaboration with partners from the logistics industry, the new model trucks feature detailed and realistic designs. Whether it’s collectors seeking unique pieces or businesses in search of corporate gifts, these trucks offer an appealing…

Greetings stop pickers, and welcome to the chart which counts down the ten best railway stations in the UK, from large London termini, to the remotest rural request halt. Britain has a total of 2563 railway stations. Well to be completely accurate, (and we all know how much collectors treasure accuracy) it’s actually 2562 at the moment. What’s that Sir Humphrey? Has the privatised-nationalised rail network managed to misplace a station? Well no, this is all rather embarrassing. There seems to be a dispute between Scotrail and the private individuals who own the station house as to who has access to the platform. We can get to the platform by train. (Well I should hope so.) But all our maintenance is done by road, and this station’s up the end…

Way back in the late 1990s, a man called Mike Becker wanted a bobble head. To be clear, what he sought was not a painful neck injury, but a figurine with a disproportionately large head, mounted on a spring so it could wobble back and forth. And he wasn’t after just any bobble head, either; Mike wanted a bobble head figure of the iconic mascot of the Bob’s Big Boy, a Californian fast food restaurant best known for its eponymous burger featuring two patties in a double-decker bun cut into three pieces rather than the traditional two. Dressed in checked white and red dungarees, sporting a stylised quiff and holding his burger aloft, the Big Boy had a ‘50s look that Mike and his friends, Rob Schwartz and John Wilkinson,…

TINPLATE RESULTS…

The most unusual lot in March had to be a scarce French late 19th century miniature cast iron cooking range. Marked ANGne Mon Godin, the range was 36cm long and was fitted with a lift off cover for water, a water tap, lift off hot plates, an opening oven and even a coal cabinet - it sold for £330. The sale totalled almost 400 lots in all, and aside from toys were collectables on themes such as taxidermy, stamps and even tools: truly, an eclectic mix. The railway contingent was well served, as usual, but strangely, not all the more attractive lots found buyers. Some lovely brass two rail locomotives refused to budge whereas more traditional rolling stock fared better. Of note was a kit built electric GWR 4-4-0 tender…

Packed with inspiring, in-depth articles and informative reviews which will keep you entertained month after month! ›› Get inspired with the latest auction, toyfairs and event news›› Handy tips and price guides›› The latest releases from all the major manufacturers in the industry including Corgi, Oxford Diecast, Matchbox, Hornby, Airfix and LEGO Scan the QR code today or go to https://ccofgb.uk/CGSummer2024 Just £3.99 per month saving 20%…

Every so often in the world of toy manufacture, something comes along that truly stands out. Such creations usually attract a following and, inevitably, once they cease production, they become highly collectable. Such is the case with Gonio/Kaden’s WW2 military models in 1/24 scale; the good news, however, is that they remain very affordable and seem to be in abundant supply. Toys from the Czech Republic possibly don’t figure too high up on many collectors’ wants lists. Language can be a barrier and now, thanks to Brexit, the whole process of buying anything from abroad has become complicated, not to say expensive. That said, there are plenty of these delightful tinplate models on the internet, and not all, by any means, reside in foreign climes. A BRIEF HISTORY You have…

I didn’t play with dolls as a kid, albeit until the birth of Action Man in the mid-sixties, when a kind uncle treated me to one for my birthday. My sister, however, seemed to have hundreds of dolls of all shapes and sizes - small, medium, large and a few extra-large creations that were either big Christmas presents or acquired from jumble sales. To be honest I found some of them a bit spooky looking and often questioned her on how she could get to sleep at night with all those faces staring at her? One particular doll that sticks in my mind was her big Christmas present of around 1964 – a doll that was almost like a real baby. It did everything from eating and drinking to wetting…

Hans Christian Andersen, whose literary fairy tales include Thumbelina, The Emperor’s New Clothes and The Little Mermaid, is one of the most unforgettable writers for children, with his stories beloved by generations of readers. That’s why, since its inauguration in 1967, International Children’s Book Day is celebrated on or around his birthday on 2 April. International Children’s Book Day, designed to promote a love of reading in childhood and draw attention to books written for children, is a wonderful excuse to explore the way children’s books have been featured in philately. Children’s literature has included so many memorable characters and featured such iconic illustrations – think Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Winnie-the-Pooh for imagery you’d recognise instantly – that it’s no surprise to find them having a perennial appeal to…

Collectors all have great imaginations, or should that read flights of fancy? You know what I’m talking about, you’re at a toy show looking at stalls with a 1000-yard stare and you hear, “I’ve just bought this!”. Someone then produces an enormous remote-controlled Spitfire they’ve bought on a whim. For a moment you think that looks like so much fun I’d love it. After a while you concede that the novelty might wear off once you’ve flown it from your back garden into next door’s camper van causing untold damage and mayhem… but what the hell? So, with all the above in mind here follows a few flights of mine… The O gauge garden railway layout. Whenever I see one of these layouts on TV I think “How cool is…

A new Kenner-style vintage Star Wars collection pack is now available to pre-order exclusively via Amazon US, courtesy of Hasbro. Star Wars: The Vintage Collection - Escape from Order 66 features Clone Wars-favourite Ahsoka Tano in her Siege of Mandalore outfit and three droids: R7-A7, CH-33P (Cheep) and RG-G1 (G-G). Inspired by the classic Star Wars line, Escape from Order 66 comes in retro-style packing with all four card fronts visible. Priced at $69.99, the expected shipping date is listed as Summer ‘24. Calling back to the original 1970s and 1980s vintage toys, each figure features Kenner branding and package design with a VC Number for collectability. Order 66 was a secret command by Palpatine (Darth Sidious) turning the clone army against the Jedi, marking the near extinction of the…

Oh, to have been alive this year! It was all happening… Leisure technology was in the news. On the domestic front, Sony introduced a revolutionary new gadget: the video recorder was designed for use at home and would shape people’s leisure time for many years ahead. Not to be outdone, Philips introduced the first portable transistor radio, suitably named the Popmaster. Tech was also gaining ground: fuzzy logic was invented by Lofti Zadeh at the University of California and computer BASIC language was developed. Fashion was the other big buzzword. Mary Quant, with her Chelsea shop, Bazaar, continued to set the trend, and this year saw the outrageous miniskirt celebrate its second birthday. Radio Caroline and Radio Essex also started broadcasting this year, much to the annoyance of the establishment’s…

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Dioramas can vary greatly in size depending on your available space and budget, and can range from adding a few simple touches to a full blown layout with lighting and scenery. There have also been many partwork series released in recent years that come complete with a miniature diorama and at surprisingly affordable prices For the first part of my focus on cars, I’ll begin with a building close to my heart (and my home!) - I’ll investigate a few garage options and round up with a selection of my favourite ready-made partwork dioramas. If you’ve ever been travelling north up the A1 between Peterborough and Stamford then you’ll surely remember the wonderful art deco building at Wansford that had, until recently, been unoccupied since Little Chef abandoned it many…

Before we start, I should probably mention that I have included the Smiths Karrier models along with the Karrier Bantam vehicles. This is in order to emphasise the diversity of similar models that were available – even though the two appear to be different castings. The very first Karrier Bantam was released as a Mettoy model in 1955. It was available for just two years until 1957, and was issued with a red body and a grey covered (but open) flatbed. On the rear of the vehicle an advert promoting CWS Soft Drinks appeared in yellow and white. This pre-Corgi model had eyelet hubs and plastic tyres. In January 1957, Corgi released the Karrier Bantam 2-ton as model No.455. Changes were made to the base to indicate that this new…

Model vehicle collectors will, probably, all be familiar with Brooklin Models Ltd. They are the world’s leading manufacturer of 1/43 scale hand-built white metal models. The company started up in the small town of Brooklin, Canada, in the basement of the home of John and Jenny Hall. John was a design engineer who had long been interested in collecting American automobiles. In 1974 he decided to do something more tangible and actually hand-build his own range of vehicles. And so Brooklin (because that’s where he lived, presumably) was founded. John mainly built vintage American cars and trucks using white metal, focusing on American automotive history between the 1930s and the 1960s. To begin with they were made of resin, and as Brooklin say themselves, were crudely made to start with.…