Discovery of 1930s toy vans in a drawer is a ‘Toy Story for the Ages’ at Harborough auction

Five rare toy vans more than doubled their estimated hammer price of £800 each at Gildings Auctioneers in Harborough.

The collection of rare Dinky Toys vans dating from the 1930s was discovered in a drawer by the owner’s son.

The discovery of the collection, sold for 9,000 at a recent toy auction, was described as a ‘Toy Story for the ages’ by Toys and Memorabilia specialist Andrew Smith.

He said: “This consignment has been a great joy from the very beginning.

“When our vendor came in for a valuation with these vehicles loosely wrapped in a shoebox, I had no idea what I was going to find. So, when I opened the lid to reveal these very scarce vans by one of the iconic makers of die-cast vehicles, from arguably it’s golden age, I’m sure I audibly gasped!

“My initial excitement carried through to selling them on the rostrum to our global database of clients, to start their new chapter on American soil – a Toy Story for the ages!”

The standout lot was a pale green van with a Palethorpes ‘Royal Cambridge’ advertising detail, which sold for just over £2,100. It was closely followed by a red ‘Ensign Cameras/Lukos Films’ van which sold for nearly £2,000 and a green ‘Wakefield Castrol Motor Oil’ van which sold for £1,860.

Completing the set, a yellow Kodak Film ‘Use to be Sure’ van sold for over £1,700 and a blue Pickfords Removals and Storage van attracted bids of £1,240.

All five lots were won by a collector in the USA.

The result was achieved in spite of the vans’ ‘played with’ condition but, as early examples of Dinky Toys made from a lead-based casting, they had a much sharper definition than later alloy castings which dent and deteriorate.

Mr Simth explained: “Unlike later examples of Dinky cars where having the original box is highly prized, this era of model didn’t come individually boxed – instead they were sent to retailers in trade boxes of six.

“This collection was also unusual in being fresh to market; usually these early Dinkys have been seen before. Also, as early models, they are stamped ‘Hornby Series Meccano,’ so it’s not obvious to the untrained eye that they are in fact Dinkys. The toys all looked in similar 'played with' condition, but to the specialist collector some were in slightly better condition than others, hence the variation in the final prices.”

Die-cast toy cars from more recent eras also performed strongly in the auction, with a 1960s Matchbox Series no.25 Volkswagen Beetle selling for £161, despite being scratched and chipped.

Mr Smith added the auction highlighted the strength of the market for toy cars and other nostalgic toys. He said there was also strong bidding for early computers and games consoles, Scalextric cars, Airfix sets and vintage dolls.

Visit www.gildings.co.uk for information on upcoming auctions and valuation bookings.

Gildings Auctioneers is featured in an upcoming episode of BBC One’s Antiques Road Trip on Friday March 10.