Toy Collectors Price Guide 2015 preview: Tinplate

We’re pleased to report that the Toy Collectors Price Guide 2015 will be available to buy in stores and online from 14th November. You can pick up the Guide in store at WH Smith or order direct from Warners Group Publications… if you’re quick, you’ll be able to get it just in time for Christmas.

The 2015 edition is a bumper issue with 148 pages dedicated to the collectables sold at auctions around the globe during the past year. With selections from the likes of Wallis & Wallis, Cottees, Morphy Auctions, Vectis, Sheffield Auction Gallery and plenty more, it’s a handy field guide to help you put a valuation on your vintage toys or pieces you see at swapmeets.

To give you some idea of the amount of information contained within the Guide, there are more than 1,300 toys listed, totaling a whopping £292,000+. The diecast section alone has 324 lots, with a combined total of £61,190. What’s more, as eBay continues to play a bigger part in the collecting community, we’ve included more than 66 items sold on the auction website, with a total of just over £56,000.

Finally, there’s an introduction about how to buy at auction – just in case you’ve previously been daunted by the prospect – and we highlight some ways of spotting potential collectables of the future.

To give you a taste of this year's guide, you can see a preview of some of the items featured below:



Huntley and Palmer boxed Tribrek Motor Van tin, lithographed in royal blue with gold lettering to sides, Huntley & Palmers Ginger Nuts, Tribrek in black to front of roof, lithographed detailed front and driver to sides, HP 1937 number plates. Sold for £2,500, Bonhams, May.



Tin Litho Marx Wind-Up Tractor Toy, circa late 1920s. Very early version. Colorful original box. Marked 'Self Reversing Tractor'. Unusual original driver and key. Box has original inserts. Very little wear. Difficult to find in box. Sold for $1,140, Morphy Auctions, July.



Distler clockwork tinplate two door Sedan with electric lights, circa 1930. Lithographed in cream and red, hinged doors, seated driver, fair to good some dents and scratches, chrome rubbed, one light loose and spare wheel loose), 40.5cm (16in) long. Sold for £500, Bonhans, May.


Tin Litho Marx Super Streamline Racer, includes original box depicting race car driver in car. Some creasing and tearing to box. Flaps on one end are partially missing and detached. Tin litho car with plastic driver and original rubber bumper. Slight wear on wheels. Sold for $450, Morphy Auctions, July.



Schuco Kommando Anno Car No.2000, dark blue tinplate body, twin door bonnet opening, mechanism appears very clean but untested, surface rusting to grille, some losses to paintwork, in original box with end flaps missing. Sold for £70, Lacy, Scott & Knight, May.



Suzuki & Edwards (S&E) Tinplate Battery Operated Interceptor, 1960s boxed example, height 34cm, tinplate body and plastic blades. Sold for £100, Mullock's, July.



Schuco Garage No.1500, yellow walls, and two yellow double doors, grey roof with red Schuco transfers, black telephone, mechanism to open doors in working order, some surface losses and may require cleaning, in original box with end flaps missing and heavily torn. Sold for £40, Lacy, Scott & Knight, May.



Tinplate Stunt Plane, made by JTA ST Japan with battery operated automatic action, in great condition with illustrated box. Sold for £85, Mullock's, July.



Horikawa Mr Xerox battery operated robot, dark metallic grey body, gold feet, orange/yellow cap, some corrosion to body, clean battery box, some fading to finish. Sold for £60, Lacy, Scott & Knight, May.



Mettoy Twin Tunnel Trains, clockwork scenic railway with two trains and circling plane. Complete with original key and illustrated box. Sold for £40, Mullock's, July.