£20,000 Action Man Judo Outfit to be sold at Vectis Auctions

A collection belonging to an ex Palitoy sales rep has uncovered some incredible finds, including a piece dubbed the ‘holy grail’ of Action Man collectables. 88-year-old Doug Carpenter had previously worked at the company until the 1980s and had no idea the toys he was keeping in his loft could potentially be worth thousands.

One of the most incredible finds is a rare Action Man Judo Outfit that could sell for as much as £20,000, when it goes under the hammer at Vectis Auctions. Many Action Man experts thought the Judo Outfit may never have existed because it’s considered to be so rare and they hardly ever appear for sale.

The collection also includes clothing for the Battle of Britain pilot, Royal Hussar, Commando and Deep Sea Diver. What’s more the Judo Outfit isn’t the only sporting item and the auction, which is expected to take place in May or June, also includes Liverpool and Everton football strips, an Olympic Champion and Grand Prix racing car. Thankfully though, despite being kept in the loft and attic for decades, the condition of the items is superb, with many coming straight from the trade boxes kept by Doug.

Kathy Taylor from Vectis said: “There has been considerable interest already and a fever is building up for it. A lot of the value is down to the packaging and these are very scarce because they’re in shop stock condition.”

Read much more about collectable vintage toys in the latest issue of Collectors Gazette. Order the print edition right here, or download the issue using the links below…