Romans march into Mullocks

Mullocks’ sale in July threw up a wide array of collectables, many of which didn’t quite fall under the wing of toys: paper ephemera, books, a huge collection of elephant models, WW1 and WW2 military souvenirs, antiques, jewellery, coins and associated notaphily, vintage glamour magazines… these were just some of the delights to go under the hammer. It’s worth visiting such sales, we reckon, just to get a flavour of what else out there is collected!

On the purely toy front, some of the better items included a duo of Astra Pharos models, that is to say the large searchlight, which was capable of projecting a beam for up to a quarter of a mile; and the impressively bulky anti-aircraft gun mounted on a cruciform cradle. The former was intact although missing some of the electrical components (and the extended handle for swivelling the affair up and down); whilst the anti-aircraft gun showed some paint defects, which is not unusual on models of this age. It was, however, in fully functioning condition. A good pair to improve upon, they were unboxed and sold for £110.

The Feine Compositions Figuren by the celebrated Georg Heyde were a rare and welcome delight: this set comprised six mounted Romans and a dozen on foot, mostly in good shape and with only minor paint damage. The box was less than wonderful but it was nonetheless a highly presentable lot, which marched off to make £160.

A number of Airfix boxed games and sets made up another interesting lot. Comprising the Gun Emplacement, a Pontoon Bridge set, the Coastal Defence playset, two Super Gyro Helicopters, a Fighter Command, a Traffic Control set and a Super Flight Deck, and with contents described as mostly complete, this varied lot climbed to make £60 for the seller.