Classic 1960s TV and movie Corgi Toys to go under the hammer
Fans of 1960s TV and movies will be heading to Aylsham next week, hoping to get their hands on a collection of rare Corgi toys featuring some of the most popular characters of the age.
The very collectable toys will be going under the hammer as part of a two day antiques auction at Keys Fine Art Auctioneers, on Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th February.
With many still in their original boxes, collectors from all over the UK are expected to be paying close attention to the sale.
Amongst the collection of Corgi toys are:
- The Avengers Gift Set, including John Steed’s vintage Bentley and a Lotus Elan S2 with a free-standing Emma Peel figure. The pre-sale estimate is £120-£150.
- A 1967 boxed Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, marketed by Corgi as ‘ the most fantasmagorical toy in the history of everything’, complete with four figures. The pre-sale estimate is £120-£150.
- A ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ gun-firing Thrush-buster Oldsmobile, estimated at £60-£80.
“Corgi toys remain very collectable, especially when they are linked to popular TV series and movies,” said Keys toys and collectables expert Jill Holliday. “Many of the lots on offer in the sale are in excellent condition, complete with boxes, which makes them very attractive to collectors.
“For many collectors, toys from this era remind them of their own childhood, and because of that we are seeing keen interest from items from the 1960s and 1970s now. These are genuine classics.
The sale takes place on Tuesday 10th February and Wednesday 11th February, with the toys going under the hammer on the first day of the sale. Viewing is on Saturday 7th February from 9am-10m; Monday 9th February from 8.30am-4pm, and from 8.30am on sale day. More details, and a full catalogue, are available at www.keysauctions.co.uk.
The Avengers
The Avengers was a British ‘spy-fi’ TV series which ran from 1961 until 1969. Patrick Macnee played the lead male character John Steed, with a number of female assistants during the run of the show: Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman, Emma Peel (Dianna Rigg) and Tara King (Linda Thorson). The series was resurrected in 1976 as The New Avengers for one last series.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was an American TV series which ran from 1964 until 1968, and starred Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. James Bond author Ian Fleming contributed ideas to the show, and came up with the character Napoleon Solo (played by Vaughn). U.N.C.L.E. stood for the United Network Command for Law Enforcement.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was a 1968 musical film loosely based on Ian Fleming’s book of the same name, with the screenplay written by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes, with music by the Sherman Brothers; the film was directed by Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli, best known for the James Bond movies. The ‘hero’ car from the film was auctioned in California in 2011, and sold for $805,000.