Captain Scarlet Pursuit Vehicle

Captain Scarlet Pursuit Vehicle with original box. Estimate: £70-100. Hammer price: £875.

Ewbank’s Auctions in Surrey, who took over £200,000 in a unique auction of original puppets, props and scenery from dedicated Gerry Anderson’s productions of original Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Terrahawks programmes in November, have scored another hit with their February 24 Toys sale.

Among the top lots were a Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle, with its original box that took £875 against a guide of £70-100, and a Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons Spectrum Patrol Car, which sold for £525 against the same estimate.

A toy Thunderbirds 5, in its original box, sold for £212 against hopes of £40-60, while a Joe 90 car with original box made £200 on a low estimate of £70. Even toy models of Lady Penelope’s pink Rolls Royce were going for £100 or more, while Sam’s car from Joe 90 got up to £200 – over double its top estimate.

Joe 90 Car

Joe 90 Car. Estimate: £70-100. Hammer price: £212.

Captain Scarlet Patrol Car

Captain Scarlet Patrol Car with original box. Estimate: £70-100. Hammer price: £525.

“Few children’s TV series are as iconic as the Supermarionation series for Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90, as well as Fireball XL-5 and Stingray that came before them,” said Ewbank’s specialist Alastair McCrea.

“The great thing about original toys that sprang up from these programmes in the 1960s and ’70s is that they have what we call crossover appeal: fans of the programmes will find themselves bidding against collectors of rare toys and people who are just into all things retro. This helps push up the prices for the rarest and the best.”

Condition is vital, McCrea advises, and the all-important original packaging can make the difference between a low bid and something really special.

But it’s not just Gerry Anderson related toys that are doing well. Tin-plate models of cars and lorries by Dinky and Corgi – again with the original boxes – are also going way above expectations for hundreds of pounds.

“We have also noticed that some toys have even wider appeal as Folk Art,” said McCrea. “Our top lot in the auction was something really special: a Lines Bros London Transport six-wheeler Omnibus by Tri-ang Toys.

“At 41cm high and with fantastic detailing, from the inside staircase to the red steel disc wheels with rubber tyres, we knew it would be a target for interior decorators or Folk Art fans. As suspected, the bidding was furious, and it left its £200-300 estimate way behind to sell for £1,375 hammer.”

McCrea believes that this area of the art and antiques market could become a phenomenon post-Brexit.

“There has been a lot of talk about looking for new opportunities within the British market because of bigger challenges now importing and exporting,” he said. “Anything that has an attractive design element to it and the potential to capture the attention of people of various ages and interests should start to do really well. These sort of toys have just that sort of potential.”

Images courtesy of Ewbank’s Auctions.

Captions

Thunderbird 5

Thunderbird 5 toy with original box. Estimate: £40-60. Hammer price: £212.

Sam’s Car from Joe 90

Sam’s Car from Joe 90. Estimate: £50-80. Hammer price: £200.

Bus

Lines Bros London Transport six-wheeler Omnibus by Tri-ang Toys with inside staircase, red steel disc wheels and rubber tyres, and standing 41cm high. Estimate of £200-300. Hammer price: £1,375.

Dinky

Dinky Supertoys No. 501, Foden Diesel 8-wheel wagon. Estimate £100-150. Hammer price: £275.