Judith Miller on vintage Corgi toys

A gift of a vintage Corgi toy could start a collection, says Judith Miller.

1 VW breakdown truck, 1967-69, £100-£150; 2 Midland Red Motorway Express Coach, 1961-62, £120-£180.

In the early 1930s, Phillip Ullman of the firm Tipp & Co left Nazi Germany for the UK; soon after, he founded diecast toy company Mettoy (‘metal toy’) in Northamptonshire. In 1956, he moved the production plant to Swansea, where he launched the Corgi brand (named after the Welsh herding dog) in order to rival Dinky’s already successful collection of vehicles.

3 Massey Ferguson 65 Tractor, 1959-1966, £100- £150; 4 Shell tanker in poor condition, 1963-64, £250-£350.

Corgi models were seen as different and more dynamic thanks to new features, such as plastic windows – and doors and boots – that opened. Cars replicated include Austins, Rovers, Minis, and VWs; you could also buy farm vehicles, rescue trucks, lorries and coaches. Other innovations, such as steering and jewelled headlights, were developed over the decades; for instance, faceted ruby rear lights were utilised on a Bentley Continental released in 1961; and two years later, ‘Trans-o-lite’ headlamps were designed to transmit daylight to give the appearance of illumination. Suspension, marketed as ‘Glidamatic’ was introduced in 1959; and the 1970s saw the launch of the larger scale ‘Whizz Wheels’ range.

5 Cadillac Superior Ambulance, 1965-68, £120-£180; 6 Heinkel Trojan car, 1962-1972, £70-£100.

In the latter part of the 1960s to the 70s, iconic vehicles were released to tie in with TV programmes and films; for example, Batman’s Batmobile, James Bond’s Aston Martin, The Saint’s Jaguar XJS, and the Ford Torino from Starsky & Hutch; these remain enormously popular with collectors today. In the 1980s, The Professionals’ Ford Capri or Buck Rogers’ Starfighter was the must-have gift for fans. Other coveted designs include the Chipperfields Circus range, and various boxed gift sets.

7 Near mint Mini Marcos GT850, 1968-1970, £50-£70; 8 Walls Ice Cream Van, 1965-68, £150-£200.

Tips for collectors

• Prices can start as low as a few pounds for an unboxed and play-worn example, or you can invest more than £1,000. Prices here are for mint condition models with original boxes.

• To fetch the best prices, models should be in mint condition and in their original boxes.

• The inclusion of the inner packaging or accessories where applicable also adds value.

• Repainting damaged models will not make them more desirable to collectors.

• Look out for variations of colour, decals and stickers, and features such as the interior and wheels; after model and condition, variations are the most important consideration.

• For dates of specialist auctions, visit vectis.co.uk. Buy online at vintagediecast.co.uk where you’ll also find details of diecast toy fairs at Sandown (Surrey), NEC (Birmingham) and Chipping Norton (Oxfordshire).

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WORDS JUDITH MILLER PHOTOGRAPHS VECTIS AUCTIONS LTD, WOOLLEY & WALLIS, SPECIAL AUCTION SERVICES
All valuations correct at time of publishing
Featured in the June 2011 issue of Period Living

Buy Judith Miller’s Antiques Handbook & Price Guide 2012-2013