Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2024 i Collectors Gazette

There was no shortage of interest in the first part of a remarkable collection of antique toys and banks which had been amassed over half a century by the late Curtis Smith and his wife, Linda Smith. We’re talking proper, old–fashioned toys here, not the more usual diecast and railway items that dominate European auctions. However, such is the American interest in these antiques that there is plenty of competition amongst bidders when they come to market. Bertoia’s auction opened with a circa-1890s George Brown clockwork hoop toy with a suffragette theme. It consisted of a cloth dressed William Goodwin girl figure with a hand painted composition head, pushing a wheeled vehicle with a suffragette figure carrying an American flag. The toy was the actual example pictured in the reference…

At the last John Goodwin sale in Worcestershire, a huge £1,100 was the winning bid that secured a tinplate, early Mickey Mouse model, possibly the work of Distler. He was missing his organ but was accompanied by a lithographed Mickey with cymbals and saxophone, as well as another smaller Mickey Mouse. Retro gaming also got a look-in at the sale, with a Nintendo Gameboy in yellow with a carry case and various games, including Street Fighter, Alpha and Micro Machines, making £120. Also sold was a Sega Game Gear console, in blue, and contained within a Logic padded case with various games, including Batman Returns and Sonic the Hedgehog: this ensemble sold for £100. There was big money spent on plastic aircraft kits: one lot of 20 that included Wingnut…

Almost 450 lots were consigned to the May Wallis & Wallis sale. Stars of the event were arguably the Meccano Constructor cars: four open No.1 cars made on average around £150 each, with a roofed, blue boxed example tipping the scales at £420. As for the No.2 cars, also from the 1930s, these each roared away to close above £700 a piece. In all, three of these went under the hammer. Even an empty box for a No.2 car made £120: could Meccano cars be a future investment? Diecastss were abundant, but not everything was snapped up. Some foreign oddities didn’t tempt: one surprise was the rare Australian Corgi Routemaster bus, finished in pale green, cream and dark brown. Truly eye-catching in its New South Wales livery, it failed to…

Just started collecting? Then you’ll need to know some of the phraseology that you’ll hear at the local swapmeet. BETTA BILDA • A dyslexic craftsman approved by the Trusted Trader Scheme. • Airfix’s answer to LEGO was not as finely engineered, which often resulted in wobbly walls and some loosely fitting parts. The upside was its versatile roofing capability (albeit fiddly to construct), which relied upon individual tiles being pegged together. This architectural toy didn’t progress (unlike LEGO) and whilst it remained useful for basic house building, Bayko was far more realistic. QUADS • The occasional outcome following a course of treatment at a fertility clinic. • These are the big cinematic posters that would have advertised the latest film to be shown at your local cinema. This was all…

My introduction to Action Man came way back in the summer of 1967, when my dear Uncle Jack presented me with a wonderful birthday gift. It was an Action Man Sailor with a few added accessories thrown in. Uncle Jack had a good job in marketing at Cadbury Bros and always bought me great gifts when I was a lad. He had a speedboat and an Austin Healey Sprite before trading it in for a brand new Ford Capri. Wow! My Action Man was soon the envy of all my mates at school as most boys were pestering their parents for pocket money to join in the new craze for action fighting figures. Action Man was first introduced to the toy shops of Britain by Palitoy in 1966 following a…

To anyone growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, Lesney’s Matchbox range was as familiar fare as a Mars Bar or a Wagon Wheel. Quite simply, they were relished; every boy had some in their toybox and they were the stuff of playground comparison and swaps. But have you ever paused, when reading auction reports or articles on Lesney within this magazine, and wondered why they are now so highly collectable? Like many of my age group, when I became an adult and suffered the first pangs of nostalgia, I was able to indulge in reliving those golden years. Every swapmeet yielded these treasures and there were publications that helpfully listed the models and the varieties within the 1-75 format. All this, though, was before the fateful words “pre production”…

DIECAST RESULTS FIGURE RESULTS…

GOLDVARG 1948 BUICK ROADMASTER COUPE – ALLENDALE GREEN Scale: 1/43 Price: £110 Ref: GC 058B The other version of the new Buick from Goldvarg, this time in 2-tone green. Extremely good detail inside and out once again, also sports an external sun visor. ›› www.goldvargcollection.com CORGI MODEL CLUB AUSTIN A60 DE LUXE SALOON MOTOR SCHOOL CAR Scale: 1/47 Price: £39.99 Ref: 236 One the most iconic Corgi Toys of the 1960s, the car features a red wheel on its roof that helps the model to steer, along with miniature instructor and driver. ›› www.corgimodelclub.com More releases iewed at ccofgb.co.uk SOLIDO PORSCHE 911 RSR YELLOW LAFOSSE / ANGOULET TOUR DE FRANCE 1973 Scale: 1/18 Price: £65.99 Ref: SOL 1801118 What a stunning replica! The colours really pop, highlighting the detailed graphics…

The diecast section of the latest Warwick and Warwick toy auction saw a bidding war with Lot 202, a collection of modern vehicles selling for £1,800. Lot 204 contained examples of Corgi, CIJ, EFSI, Matchbox, Solido, Siku etc and sold for £1,550. There was a very attractive Corgi section within this auction including lot 230, an Avengers vintage Bentley and Lotus Elan S2 No.40 selling for £170. Lot 231, a Batboat on Trailer No.107 sold for £130 and lot 232, a Volkswagen 1200 in safari trim No.256 sold for £130. Lot 246, was a collection of earlier boxed Dinky cars and included Sunbeam Alpine Sports No.107, Rover 75 Saloon No.156, Ford Zephyr Saloon No.162, Sunbeam Rapier Saloon No.166, Singer Gazelle No.168, Studebaker Golden Hawk No.169, Studebaker President Sedan No.179. This…

News this year concerned Europe, when the European Economic Community, better known as the European Common Market, commenced operation. The UK, though, was very much in the centre of things as technology progressed. Demonstrators were demanding that nuclear weapons be banned, and there was a protest march for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, beginning in Hyde Park and finishing in Aldermaston, Berkshire. British artist Gerald Holtom came up with the Nuclear Disarmament logo, based on blended semaphore signals for the letters N and D; it would later become an international peace symbol. Road users had both good and bad news this year: the United Kingdom’s first motorway, The Preston Bypass, opened to traffic for the first time, paving the way (literally) for an extensive network. On the negative side, the…

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. In this latest instalment, I turn my attention to the wonderful variety of options for displaying commercial vehicles, including some free downloads from the internet. As ever, the multitude of card kits from the likes of Metcalfe, Superquick and Kingsway provide plenty of food for thought here, but another area that lends itself more to commercial vehicles than any other area is the world of model railways, expanding the horizons of any prospective diorama constructors greatly. Model railway scenery at N gauge (1/148 scale), OO gauge (1/76), O gauge (1/43) and even 16mm gauge (1/19) all lend themselves perfectly…

The Land Rover was used a great many times by Corgi, not just as an individual model but in numerous gift sets - it was quite a prolific casting. Accordingly, some of the more significant releases have been selected in order to show the changes and progress made by this outstanding toy. The first Corgi Land Rover (a Series I) was released in August 1957, as model No 406. This version was issued in two different colour schemes - metallic blue with an off white cab roof or yellow with a black cab roof. This early model had a tinplate base, a spare wheel on the bonnet, a metal hook but no suspension or interior. It was available for six years until 1963. Unlike all the other Corgi Land Rovers…

If you look at all the headline-making prices reported for vintage diecast, it would be easy to think of our hobby is an exclusive one. It’s true, some rare and coveted models do routinely make remarkable prices but not everyone can, or even wants to, own these models. I chatted recently with a fellow collector over what you could collect on a budget. Obviously, most people have a budget to some degree but I’m referring to those who may only have limited funds with which to collect. With the cost-of-living spiralling ever upwards this is a concern for most of us. It’s always an interesting conversation to have because it usually opens up so many possibilities. Let’s start with the deeply unfashionable. I’m thinking of those continental diecasts that were…

The US sale at Milestone in May featured (literally) tons of tinplate, pressed steel and other metal toys - and plenty of money was being spent on these bygones. A mint 1955 Tonka Road Builder Set with a tractor and lowboy trailer, steam shovel and road grader was sold in its original, correctly partitioned box. It more than doubled its presale estimate to make US$5,000. A 1959 Hi-Way Construction Set with a lowboy truck and trailer, dragline, road grader and dump truck in its original box also did well, making US$1,000. Star lot, though, was Yonezawa’s tin friction Atom Jet Racer. Wildly futuristic, with super graphics, a toothy chrome grille and distinctly 1950s/60s graphics and colours, this 26 inch vehicle is very sought after; it finally settled on a staggering…

Railway enthusiasts were out in force at the last Wessex Auctions sale. All the manufacturer names were present and the array included 30 lots of boxed Graham Farish locomotives and carriages. Most lots comprised three to five N gauge examples, and they evinced much interest, typically making £150-260 each lot. These were complemented by numerous Farish by Bachmann examples, all of which sold well. In fact, over 300 lots were dedicated to model rail, the highest selling lot being 74 items (again by Graham Farish) that included rolling stock, carriages and a Virgin Train: they realised £550. A good number of LEGO playsets (buildings, Star Wars, ships and other themes) also found new homes, with prices ranging from £90-240, this latter bid on an Imperial Shuttle set. Elsewhere, a Tri-ang…

Bandai UK has interactive gameplay. announced the return of the iconic Tamagotchi Connection. The brand is excited to reintroduce this fan favourite, which allows users to connect and interact with other devices through infrared technology. Set to captivate both loyal fans and a new generation of enthusiasts, the relaunch of this handheld virtual pet promises an immersive experience packed with classic features. Originally introduced in 2004, Tamagotchi Connection quickly became a cultural phenomenon, captivating audiences with its adorable characters and Now, after years of build up, Bandai has unveiled the next chapter in the Tamagotchi legacy. By feeding, playing and nurturing, users can forge a connection with their digital companions, which, while reminiscent of valued mementos from years past, unlock a new level of interactive companionship. For details on Tamagotchi…

Quentin Crisp once said; ‘There is no need to do any housework at all. After the first four years the dirt doesn't get any worse.’ It’s quite possible he was in charge of British Rail’s cleaning regime in the 1970s. To be fair, trains and rail infrastructure are inherently dirty. In steam days we had smoke, soot, oil, cigarette ends and general dirt. And that was just in the carriages. Add a sprinkling of ash and brake shoe dust and you have a perfect storm of filth. Even diesel, it has to be said, is not the cleanest fuel. As well as particulates (which we conveniently didn’t know about until around 11.55 on the 1st April 1985), there was the black oily mess made by spilled or leaked diesel, which…

Item: Mattel Hot Wheels Drag Team Ed Shaver AMX Condition: excellent to near mint, with a couple of dark spots/toning and age-wear Sold for: £4944 (54 bids) Item: Alps Revolving-Flashing Door tinplate robot  Condition: sold for spare parts as the hand controller was broken and hands were missing  Sold for: £421 (30 bids) Item: Matchbox Models of Yesteryear cardboard shop display Condition: good for its age, however edges show a lot of age-related storage wear Sold for: £631 (21 bids) Item: Hot Wheels Redline Heavyweights Moving Van Condition: excellent, sealed in original blister pack including the collector’s button Sold for: £770 (21 bids) Item: Hot Wheels Rumblers RRRumblers Bold Eagle and Rider Condition: scarce version with red rider, excellent with only very slight tarnishing  Sold for: £824.89 (27 bids) Item:…

Hi folks! I’m kicking off this month’s roundup of recent finds with a bit of a sad story really relating to an item I discovered at a car boot sale a few weeks back. When I initially saw what looked like the cab of a pre-war Britains Mechanical Transport truck being carefully lifted out of a Tesco plastic carrier bag and gently placed on a somewhat unstable looking paste table my heart almost missed a beat as my hand instinctively grabbed it and I waited excitedly for the rest of it to emerge. Slowly the underslung trailer came out the bag with its white rubber tyres gleaming in the early morning sun all intact which was a good sign. I duly held on to them with both hands waiting for…