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The vintage toy cars in your attic that could be worth thousands


The appeal of vintage toy cars is as great as ever and passionate collectors will pay remarkable amounts for rare models. Anybody who has ever watched an episode of Flog It, Bargain Hunt or Antiques Road Trip will know that when collecting diecast miniature vintage toy cars, condition is key and having the original box is the icing on the cake. Unsurprisingly, good examples of these much loved (and therefore much played with) toys of the 1950s and 1960s can command good money. However, few will know that the die-casting process (pouring molten metal into a mould under pressure to create an object with precise surface detail and strength) did not come about until the end of the Great War. The first toymakers to use this process were the Dowst brothers with their Tootsietoys range in 1920s Chicago.

By 1934, Dinky toys was formed as a Meccano spin-off owned by Hornby, with the first models designed to add realism to train sets; the initial range which included a tank, a tractor, a sports coupe, a motor truck, a delivery van and an open sports car, was an immediate hit with the public.

Today, the most familiar brand names, in addition to Dinky, are Matchbox, Corgi and Tri-ang, all of which were launched in the 1950s. Other names to watch out for from this period are Britains, Morestone, Budgie and Tekno.

The appeal for collecting vintage toy cars relies heavily on the nostalgia value. For many, it is the desire to reconnect with the faithful toys from their childhood that starts them off on their collecting journey. For others, it comes from the numbers and variants of colour that were produced. Dinky, for example, when it closed in 1979, had produced over 1000 models and colour combinations. Consequently, the ardent collector understands that it can become a lifelong quest to acquire every model out there! As a result of the choice available, collectors will often narrow their area of interest to perhaps factory, era, vehicle type, category or even a combination of these.

What to look for in a vintage toy car

Condition - As with any collectable, condition is important and even more so with vintage diecast toy cars as the strength and engineering of each piece was such that so many have survived. The description of condition varies from 'mint and boxed' referring to a toy without imperfections and in its original packaging, to 'mint' indicating an item with no wear or defects. Following on, you have 'near mint', 'excellent' and 'very good',  while the battered example that has survived the rigours of childhood play is described as 'playworn'. It is worth noting that only the rarest examples command good money even in the poorest condition.

Details - the most dedicated collectors of diecast vintage toy cars will look for the small casting details, variations in wheels and trim and also colour schemes to make the distinction between a standard model and a rare example. The Lesney range of Matchbox models, for example, was known as Models of Yesteryear and was the company’s flagship range. Within this one range, the Duesenberg Model J Town Car has 40 different versions, ranging in value from £5 to £5000. In light of this, it is important to refer to price guides and catalogues or consult an expert in the field.

Packaging – It is the belief that vintage toy cars in their original boxes represent the best investment that has led to packaging gaining in importance, with the original box in some cases being worth as much as the car! Corgi TV related toy cars are a prime example of this with the colour and condition of the box, complete with instructions plus easy-to-lose accessories such as missiles, being the distinction between an ordinary piece and an exceptional one.

Overseas manufacture – Models manufactured for the overseas market can yield great discoveries! In particular, the Dinky factory in Bobigny, France operated from 1954 to 1972, with their Spanish factories running through the 1970s until the early 1980s. Dinky was also manufactured under licence in South Africa, and in Hong Kong and India where old dies were used. In 2009, an unrecorded van, circa 1954, by Omnisport, a Spanish South American company, sold at auction for £6400 in East Sussex.

Pieces to look out for are those that connect directly to the collecting audience, with collectors of a certain age pushing prices up for the vintage toy cars they remember from their childhood. In 2003, for example, the bidding on a maroon 'first series' Foden chain lorry from this period reached in excess of £10,000. 

With enthusiasts for this area of collectables based in Europe, Japan and the United States, the novice collector should not be put off however. Generally speaking, the smaller the factory, the smaller the audience, hence the domination of Dinky, Corgi and Matchbox, and today, the majority of vintage Dinky cars, even with a box, can be bought for less than £200 and even the most well-loved, playworn pieces are between £5 and £50.

The earlier vintage toy cars that are beginning to pre-date the memories of collectors have seen a softening of prices, for just this reason. The one exception to this seems to be the pre-war Dinky delivery vans, advertising commercial brand names. ‘First type’ examples are rare in any condition but obviously, the better the state, the greater the value and their ability to hold and increase in value can be seen  in the auction house. In 2008, one of only two known boxed sets of six type 1 commercial vans with recognised trade name livery reached £30,000, with a one-off van advertising a 1930s London cycle shop realising £17,000. This was the first time that pre-war Dinky models had reached this type of figure since 1994, when a 1937 delivery van was sold for £11,000.

Whether you are a seasoned collector of vintage toy cars, or a novice, or if you have a collection to sell, an antiques centre such as Hemswell can provide the peace of mind that only comes with dealing with people who have a passion for their collections. With so much vintage toy dealing taking place on the internet, service can be impersonal and the often-anonymous buyers and sellers can be as truthful as they want regarding condition. At Hemswell, buyers can view items in person (when circumstances allow) as part of a wonderful day out, and the true condition of pieces can be seen accurately. Alternatively, our staff is happy to advise wherever possible via email or telephone. You can be confident that our dealers offer genuine pieces and a selection of vintage toy cars can be viewed online at any time.

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