Toys at auction

Die-cast

Die-cast cars and commercial vehicles normally make up the largest section of our sales. They are great items to display, especially with some of the wonderfully colourful artwork produced by certain manufacturers.
Most popular makes for collectors are the well-known manufacturers such as Dinky, Corgi and Matchbox - with these models condition is really important as in some cases production ran into millions, but it is still hard to find really pristine examples.
Other makes that turn up less regularly include Tri-Ang Spot-On (Ireland), Budgie, Tekno (Denmark), Chad Valley, Crescent, Benbros and Britains.
Although condition is important for an item to command a premium price, diecasts in any condition will sell for surprising money.
It is also worth noting that even very modern die-casts are saleable, although in most cases they are not worth more as much as their original retail price.

Model Railways

Model railways also make up a large proportion of our regular toy auctions. Railway modelling can be a much more involving hobby than collecting just for the enjoyment of display, with many enthusiasts converting their lofts, spare rooms or whole houses into vast detailed working layouts.
Railway modelling systems are categorised by gauge (the size of the track) - the most common gauges are: OO, HO, O, N and G.
Manufacturers of most interest include Hornby, Hornby Dublo, Tri-Ang, Bassett-Lowke, Bing, Marklin (Germany), Lima (Italy), Heljan, Trix, Wrenn, Dapol, Graham Farish, Peco, Fleischmann, Jouef, Mainline, Airfix GMR and Rivarossi.
High quality early O gauge trains generally tend to command the highest prices at auction, but as with die-cast vehicles, even modern items and items in poor condition can sell well.

Toy Soldiers

These may be some of the smallest items we sell but that doesn't mean they are the least exciting or the cheapest!
Pre-WWII Britains lead soldier sets can make hundreds of pounds if boxed and in good condition.
There is also an emerging market for modern plastic toy soldiers and civilian models.
Collectors are always looking out for figures by Timpo, Airfix, Britains Deetail, Crescent, Cherilea, Lone Star etc.

Action Man

The English cousin of GI Joe began life in the UK in 1966 and he’s still fighting fit! Even though he did have a well deserved rest between 1984 and 1994. He has re-emerged to be voted “UK’s Number 1 Action figure” early in the 21st Century.
He is a great collector’s item as there are so many variants of uniforms and accessories to maintain interest and he can still be found with a little effort at car boot sales, toy fairs and of course Aston’s Auctioneers.

Sci-Fi

Although it’s highly debatable, the first Sci-Fi probably had it’s origins with Jules Verne, and clockwork tin-plate Nautilus submarines are still highly sought after today. But the real boom in the toy market can more logically be dated to the early 1950’s with the launch of Dan Dare - the Japanese and Germans were quick to produce a wide array of toys to satisfy the desires of young boys (and girls!) the world over. By the 1960’s puppeteer Gerry Anderson launched the phenomenon of Supercar and followed it with Fireball XL5, Stingray and Thunderbirds. The toy market went crazy and now a Dinky SPV or Lady Penelope’s car can set you back £200- £300

Slot Cars

Although usually referred to by the generic name Scalextric there are many more brands which excite collectors in this field including Revell, Strombeccker, Cox, Marklin, Fly, SCX, Airfix and many others
Scalextric was the first to hit the big time when launched in 1957.
A tin-plate Austin Healey recently sold for £1500 and James Bond sets regularly make over £1000 at our auction.

Dolls

The market here has developed radically over the past 10 years with a massive rise in interest for plastic dolls dating from 1950’s to 1970’s. Fashion dolls such as Barbie, Sindy, Pippa and Tressy (to name just a few) are now commanding the same prices or in some cases even more than the traditional “Bisque Head” porcelain dolls of the pre-war era!

Tin Plate

Back in the 19th century quality tin-plate toys were produced predominantly in Germany. But by the end of that century a few made their way to Japan and a new era in tin-toy production began. Japan was the largest volume producer and although WWII caused production to cease post-war Japan carried on where they had left off and a second “golden age” of tin-toys carried on through the 1950’s.

Other Toys

As well as the main areas outlined previously, there are many toys with their own, sometimes fanatical, following.

Subbuteo which began life in 1947 is a fascinating toy which has proved popular with three generations and the number of different teams and their small size makes for a fabulous collectors item, with a great following in Italy as well as the UK.

Meccano is another example of the longevity of a good toy with a vast range of parts and models. Originally patented in 1901 it has survived to this day and was the subject of James May’s Toy Stories on the BBC.
A boxed No.10 outfit can make over £2000.

Toys on YouTube

Visit our YouTube channel for some entertaining videos of clockwork and battery operated toys in action!

Aston's Auctioneers YouTube Channel