Taking the bisque at Tamlyn's...

Just as we went to press, Tamlyn’s February sale results were announced. The auction had a small but interesting section on toys, which were included amongst other types of collectable articles. There was something to suit all tastes, though, from dolls and tinplate to diecast vehicles.

A Corgi Gift Set No16, comprising the ever-popular Ecurie Ecosse racing car transporter with three boxed vehicle load, certainly got the punters warmed up. This model can be found with minor paint variations but the key concern amongst collectors is finding an example that hasn’t suffered scratches from the sliding side door. The example sold was as good as they come and the cars attached (a Lotus X1, a Vanwall and a BRM) were all excellent, although there were some box faults. It was a presentable set and eventually sold for £320.

In complete contrast was the KO Mighty Robot from Japan: made from tinplate and plastic, this fellow was in excellent condition, albeit lacking a baseplate and showing signs of rust to his battery cover. His box was intact, though – always a bonus with robots. A transparent head gave him a slightly surreal look but glowing lights, together with that tried and tested “mystery action”, endeared him enough to those present to push him all the way to £500. There was lots of interest in the Minimodels Goldie Gardner’s MG, too. This delightful model was in its original (slightly soft) box and its red, streamlined shape was pretty much flawless. Clockwork-powered, and not often sighted on the swapmeet or auction scene, it sped off to a record-breaking £220. One other diecast worth mentioning was the Dinky Lawnmower, described as being in very good condition. An odd member of the Dinky catalogue, to be sure, this example was in a great box with a picture label and achieved £50.

Star of the event had to be the 19th century bisque head and shoulders doll. Maker unknown, despite this lady suffering a repaired leg, there were several in the audience keen to find her a new home and she finally sold for £1,150.