Dinky toy van collection found by Stamford man makes almost £9,000 at Gildings Auctioneers in Market Harborough

A collection of toy vans found in a drawer has made almost £9,000 at auction.

The five rare die-cast vans, dating from 1934 to 1935, were discovered by their original owner’s son who lives in Stamford.

Each more than doubled their £800 upper estimates as the collection for £8,928 at Gildings Auctioneers in Market Harborough.

The standout lot was a pale green Palethorpes ‘Royal Cambridge’ van which sold for £2,108.

It was closely followed by a red ‘Ensign Cameras/Lukos Films’ van which went for £1,984 and a green ‘Wakefield Castrol Motor Oil’ van which made £1,860.

Completing the set, a yellow Kodak Film ‘Use to be Sure’ van sold for £1,736, and a blue Pickfords Removals & Storage van drew a top bid of £1,240.

The vans, based on 1920s designs, were bought by a collector in the United States.

“When our vendor came in for a valuation with these vehicles loosely wrapped in a shoebox, I had no idea what I was going to find,” said Gildings’ toys and memorabilia specialist Andrew Smith.

“So, when I opened the lid to reveal these very scarce vans by one of the iconic makers of die-cast vehicles, from arguably it’s golden age, I’m sure I audibly gasped!”

The remarkable result was achieved even though the vans were in ‘played with’ condition, having clearly been enjoyed by the original owner.

However, as early examples of Dinky Toys made from a lead-based casting, they had a much sharper definition than later alloy castings.

“Unlike later examples of Dinky cars where having the original box is highly-prized, this era of model didn’t come individually boxed – instead they were sent to retailers in trade boxes of six,” Andrew explained.

“This collection was also unusual in being fresh to market; usually these early Dinkys have been seen before.”