IF you haven’t seen the aged parents for a while – shame on you. Do it now before they clear the attic, shed or basement and consign your childhood toys to somewhere the sun does not shine (you know where I mean…that sad shelf at the back of the charity shop).
If you are the elderly parent and you have an attic full of your children’s toys or your own – get them to auction now. Even if they are chewed by the dog, missing an eye or considered naff at the time (Pokemon cards to Polly Pockets) there’s been an unexpected surge in interest in ‘nostalgia’ toys which means an auburn haired side-part Sindy (1960s) can knock the smile from the face of a Victorian bisque face doll at auction.
Vintage toys can even trounce new. You can currently buy a new Hasbro Gaming Mouse Trap Game for £14.99 on Amazon. A 1960s version will cost you a little shy of £20 on eBay.
According to research by Liberty Games (a leading distributor of games rooms equipment), around 92 per cent of us are hoarding unused items which – as many of these are childhood toys – could be worth more than their original retail price.
Take an original 1960s/70s Hot Wheels cars. They cost around 48p new. In October 2019, a bunch of 23 play-worn cars (above) sold for £127 on eBay. That breaks-down at approximately £5 each. A tidy little investment on cars which have clearly been bashed against the skirting boards a few times.
Of course, there’s always been a collector’s market for toys; what is different about the nostalgia buyer is he/she is not looking for perfectly preserved pieces like Steiff bears, Victorian rocking horses or mint condition porcelain dolls. In fact, they are not overly concerned if the toy is ‘well-loved’ (knackered).
If you have the anorak, you might be already aware of the Toy Grader’s Association (TGA) which scores old toys on the condition of item (flawless – flawed) and the packaging. On this scale, a 100 per cent item would be a toy, in its original packaging, that’s been in storage since it was made; not even seeing the inside of a toy shop.
On the TGA scale the ‘worst of the worst’ toys suffer from ‘missing parts, cracks, mould and discolouration, crushed joints, broken pins, heavy overspray and even chemical melting [caused by improper storage]. (They) are not recommended for collectors wanting boxed or carded collectibles for investment value.’
In a nutshell; collectors will be looking for a toy with a percentage value of 80 and above. Nostalgia buyers want unboxed, pre-loved toys and games which means they are paying good money for items which score well below the entry level for collectors. Some (me) even prefer the ‘worst of the worst’; those toys scoring 50 or fewer on the worn-out/broken scale.
It must bring a tear to the eye of serious toy collectors to see a box of battered Britain’s farm toys (above) achieve £120 at a recent auction (Bamfords* in Derby) whereas a gorgeously preserved Edwardian Max Handwerck Bebe Elite doll (a proper antique) limped home with an opening bid of just £40.
And the reason for this topsy-turvy turn in the world of toy collecting is glorious. Quite simply, nostalgia buyers are not proper collectors – they just want to own their beloved toys again. You only have to look on social media to realise dime-store dolls and pink ponies are out and about having new adventures. They are also must-haves in vintage-themed homes. To be frank, you’ve not really got a vintage-themed home unless you have an old teddy in a metal cot or a deconstructed doll in a bell-jar ie: no arms or just arms.
Helen Owen, who runs the instagram account wernbach.shepherdess (a charming account of family life on a small farm in Wales) loves old toys – both her own and charity shop finds.
“This Britains cow (above) is 40 years old and part of a collection of farm animals collected over the years. It was my older brothers, then mine,” she recalls.
“When my little boy (now seven) arrived, my mum dug them out. It’s ‘rough round the edges’ appearance meant he was able to play immediately and let his imagination do all the work. Now my four–year old daughter also plays with them and she even gave this cow some ‘bovine accessories’.”
Helen agrees a mint-condition toy would not hit the mark; “If the cow wasn’t worn and used, it just wouldn’t feel as loved and comfortable to play with,” she says.
“Just looking at it, I can see all those little hands who have found joy in this simple farm animal.”
The toy to sell nostalgia buyers is invariably threadbare, knocked-about, hairless and well-loved. It is never in its original blister pack.
“Many of these toys would have been bought by people as ordinary, relatively cheap gifts,” says Stuart Kerr, of Liberty Games.
“If you’ve ever had one of these popular childhood toys it might be time to get in the attic and dig them out – you could make a substantial profit.”
Jolly Volley Vintage visited Bamfords Auctioneers and Valuers in Derby for the Specialist Toy and Junvenalia Auction (16th October 2019). The aim was to pick out eight childhood toys similar to ones she once loved and lost (they were thrown away – bad mummy!) to see how much they would have been worth today.
Please be aware the sold prices are not inclusive of the 21 per cent buyer’s commission and the VAT on each lot.
What: An Original Kenner Toys Six Million Dollar Man action figure with Bionic Transport/Repair Station.
Why? When Kenner Toys started distributing a Steve Austin toy – mid-70s – (complete with cyborg accessories) it quickly became one of the most popular action figures of all time.
Sold price? At auction the doll sold for £30. It’s not a bad return for your bionic buddy. However, there is a doll in this range which can out-strip the six million dollar man. An Oscar Goldman (Steve Austin’s geeky boss) sold on eBay for £175 in October 2019.
What: Tinplate jets including a BOAC Friction powered jet G-ARTA.
Why? Let’s leave this one to ardent toy collector Luke Jones. Luke has been hooked on tinplate toys since buying one at auction when he was just nine years old. Luke, who has published a book called ‘Australian Toys’, speaks for nostalgia buyers everywhere when he says;-
“While I strive to find the toys in the best original condition possible, I still enjoy the toys that show the signs of having been well loved and played with.”
Sold price? The assortment of four planes sold for £65.
What: Assorted doll’s house items including a Crescent Toys painted cast metal cooker and grill hob, a fridge and a tiny Father Christmas. Plus a German Edi (?) doll in a straw basket with handmade drapes.
Why? I must confess I had to go to my Instagram chum and miniature doll enthusiast Helen O’Brien to see if she could throw on any light on the little celluloid doll. Without being able to handle it – she’s not 100 per cent sure but thinks it’s ARI’s West German cousin ‘Edi’. If so, she’s not worth a great deal (Helen would pay no more than £10) and suggests the value of this miscellaneous lot may lie in the tin plate doll’s house furniture made by Crescent Toys – a British company founded in 1922.
Sold price? A whopping £30. A little eBay research shows the stove alone could be worth £15 if traded in – more if it has it’s original utensils. A set of pans alone could sell for £25-plus. Make no mistake, miniature dolls house dolls (and furniture) are the very definition of hot right now.
What: Extensive collection of hollow cast metal model farm toys by Britains and Crescent Toys. The assortment includes a 127F Fordson tractor.
Why? William Britain started making toy soldiers in 1893. The hollow cast method made them light and yet exceedingly durable – great for battle recreations. Understandably, the conclusion of the First World War crushed sales of soldiers. Britains – the firm and the people of the land – turned their attention to farming and food. In 1921, Britains Model Home Farm was launched followed by the firm’s first ever tractor (above) produced in 1948.
Sold price? Hold onto your flat cap – this lot sold for £120. Worth it? Well, those original tractors can sell for just shy of £250 on eBay depending on condition of toy and box. This is quite a growth in terms of value; when it was made, a Fordson Major cost five shillings and 10p. In today’s money that’s a little over £10.
But cute farm toys are beyond the pale for nostalgia buyers. If you avoid early and rare pieces, an investment of £10 on eBay should be enough to buy you a flock of sheep or some cute chickens/cockerels.
Buyer’s beware – there are an awful lot (and they generally look awful) die-cast fakes on eBay especially of the much-coveted, rare collections like ‘circus’. Always check with original catalogues;- there’s a really useful one printed on Brighton Toy Museum’s index. Also, be sure to check you’re buying metal and not plastic (Britains started making their toys out of plastic from 1966). Plastic toys are not as valuable so you need to check the eBay listings very carefully.
What: In the 1930s no self-respecting toddler would be without a walker (this beast is also a ride-on) and this beautiful St Bernard is remarkably well-preserved. Made by Tri-ang, it’s only missing the bottle of brandy around its neck (seriously).
Why? You don’t see doggie baby walkers any more. Blame Victoria Beckham and other celeb’ mums for the fact that children simply get carried everywhere until they are old enough to drink. However, walkers – especially terriers – are hugely popular with vintage collectors.
Sold price? How much is that doggie? The hammer fell after a relatively modest bid of £45.
If the doggie had been a Tri-ang furry fox terrier; it may have been a different story. A lovely little 1950s pooch sold for £395 on eBay (October 2019).
What: Another tasty offering from Crescent Toys – Garden Tea Party, four figures, original box and tea service.
Why? This set might look chipped and worn but Crescent Toys appeal to people of a certain age (me) who get misty-eyed looking at the 1950s world depicted in miniature die-cast figures.
This children’s tea party was part of a popular series of British life dioramas including a butchers, garage, barbers, fish and chip shop and milk bar as well as a children’s hospital and a classroom. Sadly, the metal used wasn’t meant to stand up to 60-plus years of hard knocks; many surviving pieces are crumbly, cracked and paint-worn. Anything complete – like this set – is rare and commands high prices.
Sold price? In spite of a missing pole for the umbrella and decidedly wobbly legs on the chairs, the set sold for £85. On-line shop Lilliput World Limited is offering a similar, albeit sturdier, set for £235.
What: A pair of Edicott-Johnson Official Lone Ranger Boots, with paperwork.
Why: Yeehaw! Not toys – they were real leather children’s cowboy boots as worn by The Lone Ranger.
Sold price? Someone walked away (maybe not; they were tiny) in these boots for £45. A snip as – on American auctions sites – they have been known to sell for 360 dollars (£277).
What: Telsalda Toys – a Japanese tin plate battery operated Mr Zerox Robot.
Why: It’s a 1960s space toy which walked, swung its robotic arms and fired missiles from the breast-plates. Japanese robot toys were desirable…and still are. ‘Telsalda Toys’ had the UK rights to distribute these robots in the late 60s but there are very few around. Okay, so the space-robot in every home future didn’t quite pan out but – it’s still very cool.
Sold Price: The robot sky-rocketed; this item was listed with no estimate and sold for £250.
Fancy having your old toys valued? Contact your local auction house for their valuation days. Many – including Bamfords, Derby – have toy specialists who will be able to put an up-to-date estimate on your toys (please be aware – prices can go up, and down in the blink of a doll’s eye).
For details of viewing days, email;-
