21 October 2009
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The 'Saint's' Volvo
For those of us who grew up in the 1960s, the icons of TV and film have a special place in our hearts and our collections, if we are lucky enough to find them. Jim Stevenson rounds up some of the most iconic diecast delights of the era. ...
The fabulous 1960s gave us many memorable icons from cinema and television. Most are as popular today as when they were first created. Toy manufacturers, such as Corgi and Dinky, soon saw the diecast model potential in movies like the James Bond films and television series such as Batman, Thunderbirds and The Saint. Consequently the diecast toys made by those two companies have become icons in their own right.
These toys were collectable from the moment they were available in the toy and model shops of the day, and are even more highly prized today with collectors looking to replace long-lost childhood toys or completists looking for their next item to fill a gap in their collection.
Today, collectors will spend hours searching toy fairs, auction houses, the internet and specialist dealer ads in the hope of finding their next new addition.
In recent years the value of some of these models has risen so dramatically that they are now considered to be excellent investment items. However, only items in tip-top condition fetch the highest price, but even pieces of lesser-condition can still change hands for good money. Here’s a selection of film and television diecast doppelgangers for you to enjoy.
Probably the biggest icon of the 1960s has to be James Bond and, of course, his famous DB5. Here we have Corgi’s version of the famous gadget laden sports car.
This is Corgi No 261, the first issue gold James Bond 007 Secret Agent Aston Martin DB5 from 1965. This is just about as iconic as you can get and was the best-seller of its generation. The model features a passenger ejector seat, a bullet-proof rear shield and front machine guns. As a bonus you also get a sealed envelope with secret instructions, a peel-off lapel badge, a spare bandit for the ejector seat and a colour folded leaflet showing a range of their other diecasts.
An example like the one shown here has been known to sell for close to £900. Realistically, a figure of around £500-£600 should get you a very nice example.
This next piece has its place forever in the annals of Corgi history. This is Corgi No 258, the first issue Saint’s Volvo. Why is it so special? Well this was the first ever television-related diecast car produced by Corgi and made its debut back in 1963. It has always been a popular piece, and its resale value remains pretty constant. A nice mint-boxed example will set you back around £250 plus.
There are more televisions and diecast items in out TV Film Memorabilia Annual for you to enjoy... order your copy today!