The John Gurney collection

Attention all diecast lovers! Over 24-25 January 2018, Vectis will be selling the lifetime collection of John Gurney who, it is claimed, first started amassing miniatures at the tender age of seven… His recent death has robbed the collecting world of yet another character, although his legacy will live on.

In excess of 600 models will be going under the hammer and they encompass a wide range of manufacturers, underlining John’s varying tastes. There will be examples of Matchbox, Dinky and Corgi, as you’d expect, but also Franklin and Danbury Mint miniatures as well as subjects from Gems and Cobwebs, Milestone, Brooklin and Minimarque. Everything is boxed, it should be noted.

It’s invidious to highlight anything in particular from the collection but amongst the lots are some excellent Daimler and Jaguar models, along with racing cars from the 1930s to the early 1990s. The collection also includes a large quantity of police cars and television and film-related items, such as The Saint.

According to his wife Ann, John was an avid collector of most things: trains, comics, hub caps - and anything to do with Wallace and Gromit. “He was one of life’s magpies!” she says. “We, his family, hope the models find good homes and will be treasured as much as they were by John.”