Hey, hey, we’re the Monkees!

Remember the lovable quartet who stormed up the hit parade in the 1960s? Well, they didn’t disappoint the audience at the recent February Vectis sale, when a Corgi Monkeemobile in excellent condition, in a faded box but with the scarce inner pictorial header, came under the gavel. A lovely item, it sold to the tune of £624 – surely a record (ha ha) for the Monkeemobile?

Another lot to do well was the Dinky No.101 Thunderbird 2 (first issue) in sea green, with yellow legs, red and chrome thrusters, and which was complete with the Thunderbird 4 pod. The metallic blue version is easy to find but the early green variety is much less so. This example was generally excellent and came in a good outer carded picture box. The upper estimate of £140 was easily passed and it realised £456: FAB!
Still on Dinky, a 28 Series (Type 3) Hartleys Jam van in cream, with black ridged hubs and tyres, was in fair to good condition. It made an unexpected £600; but that was cheap compared to No.513, the Guy (1st type) Flat Truck with tailboard. With a yellow cab and chassis, a mid-green back and Supertoy hubs with black smooth tyres and metal tow hook, this was an excellent example in a generally good blue lift-off lid box. Vectis cautiously tipped this at £140 but bidding was fierce and didn’t stop until it reached £2,520. Yes – two and a half grand.

An empty box anyone? A Spot On (Tri-ang) No.156 Mulliner Coach example lacked its inner packing but still realised £288: if you had the vehicle, then this was highly desirable. Otherwise, how about the golden age of racing? The Scalextric set (No.V3) “Vintage Motor Racing” comprised green and black Bentley cars, which were generally good to good plus. Nostalgia propelled this set to £312. Elsewhere, a Schuco pre-war tinplate clockwork Donald Duck in cream, with deep yellow feet and beak, a faded blue jacket with yellow buttons and (sadly) lacking one foot, had the audience on the edge of their seats. A scarce example with clockwork motor in working order and a quacking action to his beak, this fellow was bid to just over £200.