Toy sales are bearing up at Special Auction Services

Special Auction Services marked the start of the 2011 sale season with its Toys for the Collector auction on 21st–22nd January. It was a very mixed selection of items on offer including dolls, figures, teddy bears, diecast, aviation and model railways of various scales and gauges.

Dolls’ furniture did well, while a Steiff bear made almost six times its top estimate! The dark golden plush standing circus bear with jointed arms, in good condition, sold for a hammer price of £1,700 against pre-sale estimates of £200-300.

Some plain wood dolls’ house furniture, including two beds (with linen), chairs, drop leaf table, two clothes airers, step ladders and rugs, in overall good condition, reached a hammer price of £1,100. A further selection of dark polished wood items with gold stencilled decoration made £580, while a selection of dolls’ house accessories, including a painted tinplate cooking range, sold for £500.

Among the road vehicles on offer, a Dinky Toys South African issue silver 552 Chevrolet Corvair, French factory casting, with off-white interior and white tyres, in original, good condition Afrikaans box, sold for £1,300 compared to pre-sale estimates of £300-400.

An A C Gilbert silver, battery-powered James Bond Aston Martin DB5, a fully licensed product, complete with Korean assassin in polythene packet, tag and instructions, in original box, went for a hammer price of £720.

This auction story was first published in the April isssue of Collectors Gazette. To see which issues of Collectors Gazette are available to buy online, click here.