Roswell UFO incident anniversary: UFO price guide

Have you seen today's fantastic Google Doodle (or check the archive if you're reading this at a later date). It's a great littie point and click adventure game starring an alien looking for the parts of his crashed spaceship. Google has made the Doodle to celebrate the anniversary of the Roswell UFO incident, in which a flying saucer is alleged to have crashed outside the New Mexico town in 1947 before being covered up by the US government. It has become one of the most famous alien conspiracy theories, inspiring a huge range of films, books and even collectables.

So, in the spirit of the Google Doodle, we've trawled through some of the UK auctions over the past year to look for little green men and have put together a price guide for some great tinplate and plastic flying saucers. This is probably the nearest many of us will get to a close encounter of the third kind!

Modern Toys (Japan) Space Lab M-50 - orange/white, with astronaut figure to clear plastic visor, includes wire antenna, battery operated, comes with hand-held controller also with antenna, 8"/19cm in diameter - Excellent in a Good illustrated box made for the Japanese home market. Sold for £45, Vectis, April.

Nomura (TN Toys Japan) "Solar-X" battery powered Space Rocket - 1960s large tinplate example with wheels, folding plastic wings, yellow boosters, light age wear but generally Good Plus to Excellent for display in a Good Plus illustrated box, 16"/40cm high. Sold for £110, Vectis, April.

SFA (France) "Terre-Mars" tinplate Spaceship - tinprinted detail, free-wheeling example - Good, 7"/18cm. Sold for £30, Vectis, February.

Modern Toys (Japan) "Space Capsule with Floating Astronauts" c.1960s - battery operated tinplate model with some age wear to the plated finish, clear plastic cockpit with 2 x tinprinted astronauts, includes red plastic rear booster, and card astronaut figure with polystyrene stand - otherwise Good, 26cm/10" in a Good card box. Sold for £60, Vectis, November 2012.

Italian made plastic "Lunik 2000" Space vehicle - large scale battery operated example is blue, white, with cock-pit and pilot, lacks the small plastic battery compartment cover otherwise Excellent for display still with a Good illustrated box., 29cm. Sold for £190, Vectis, September 2012.

Marx Toys (USA) "Buck Rogers" Spaceship - scarce tinplate clockwork pre-war example in working order lacks tail fin but does have tinprinted detail and is generally Good, 30cm. Sold for £140, Vectis, September 2012.

KO Toys (Japan) Flying Saucer with Space Pilot: tinplate model with clear plastic dome, revolving antenna, and mystery action. Diameter 20cm approx. G/displays well, corrosion to battery compartment. Contained in F box. Sold for £55, Aston's, March.

Modern Toys (Japan) USAF Gemini X-5 Spacecraft - plated finish with astronaut pilot and separate "floating" astronaut figure, some fading of the plated parts particularly at the rear otherwise Good Plus to Excellent in a Good Plus illustrated box with inner packing piece, 24cm/9.5". Sold for £90, Vectis, November 2012.

Modern Toys (Japan) battery operated "Moon Rocket" - colourfully tinprinted with cockpit containing pilot, comes with separate astronaut accessory with periscope - an Excellent bright example in a Good illustrated box with inner packing piece, 24cm/9.5". Sold for £100, Vectis, November 2012.

Modern Toys (Japan) UFO X05 Battery Operated Spacecraft - tinprinted upper detail with red plastic base, clear plastic dome with astronaut pilot, circa 1970's - light storage wear to dome otherwise Excellent Plus to Near Mint, 19cm, in a Fair to Good illustrated box (one corner of lid is split). Sold for £30, Vectis, November 2012.

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