Transport to delight!

Notable was a Dinky Triumph Spitfire in purple, which realised £160. This soft-top vehicle was in excellent condition and came with a good box, which is exactly what collectors want these days. The purple variety was the last issue and is considered scarce (the silver and gold colours are much more commonly found). Although the colour looks wrong (ie too early) on the Spitfire model in question, a bit of digging reveals that purple was indeed offered for the real Mk111 car. The price paid was also arguably under the odds, given the model’s condition.

Bigger spenders were attracted to a impressive Hornby O gauge Princess Elizabeth loco and tender in maroon and gold LMS livery. This was a real beauty, highly collectable although, surprisingly, it does turn up on a regular basis. Complete with original box, it was knocked down at £1,550.

Another lot to do well was a Sutcliffe boat, which closed on £480, while an uncommon Britains (French cavalry) Dragons Set, No 140, in a slightly tatty box, galloped off to make £360. Tinplate, though, is still exerting a pull: a very pretty splitscreen VW van in a fetching combination of pale blue roof with mid-blue upper bodywork and pale green lower, decorated with twin white stripes, had bidders on the edge of their seats. This boxed example from the famous TippCo stable was still in lovely condition and featured mid-opening “barn doors”. At £700 (plus 21% commission, as with all the prices listed), it would have taken pride of place in any collection.