Member Article

WORLD RECORD BROKEN AS TOY COLLECTION GOES UNDER HAMMER

A collection featuring more than 5000 toys and movie props has been auctioned for £130,000 at Anderson and Garland in Newcastle.

Previously displayed in a Toy Museum in Moffat, Scotland, the assortment of robots, film costumes, trading cards, oddities and more attracted international interest during the two-day sale, with bids from as far away as Australia and Peru.

A strong market for Star Wars merchandise saw this part of the collection sell for £24,400.

The top seller was lot 1232, a Star Wars Yan (sic) Solo for the French market in its original packaging, which went under the hammer for £1,090. The figure of Han Solo in a trench coat was placed on the wrong background card, making it both rare and highly desirable.

A Star Wars Ben Kenobi by Meccano, also for the French market and in its original packaging, sold for the world record price of £840 to an internet bidder. These could be picked up for as little as £15 just ten years ago.

The collection was built up over decades by owner Derek Payne. One of the highlights was lot 1070, an early Robby the Robot manufactured in Japan by MT Masudaya, which was estimated at £200-£300. After a bidding frenzy, it was secured for almost triple at £890.

A Doctor Who Dalek, scratch built and painted blue, sold for £445, while a Hornby Dublo Sir Nigel Gresley train set, with locomotive, tender, 3rd/1st and 3rd/guard coaches, track and transformer was picked up for £470.

Fred Wyrley-Birch, Director at Anderson and Garland, said: “The sheer scale of this collection was something else and it really did offer something for everyone. “Unsurprisingly we had a lot of interest in the room and the interest from around the UK and internationally was staggering.

“The appeal of Star Wars and Star Trek never seems to abate but clearly collectors have recognised that there is an emerging market for next generation toys like Skeletor and Transformers and have taken the opportunity to invest.”

Collector Derek Payne, added: “I’ve really enjoyed collecting these toys and movie props but it’s been great to see the interest in them and to know they’re off in safe hands to new homes. I’m really pleased with the result of the sale which will allow me to keep on collecting.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Astute.Work .