Written by David Hunter, Auctioneer and Valuer. ANAVA
Over the years of cataloguing and auctioning toys, I have seen a pattern of buyers bidding for toys and models from their childhood, normally 30-40 years ago. Most tell me they enjoyed playing with the toys or could not afford them, so they have decided to buy them now. But where does a new collector start? Here are some examples of items that perform well at auction.
Electronic toys from the 1980s are very much sought after now. Nintendo handheld games, Sega Mega Drive consoles, and ZX Spectrum Computers are all very popular. Condition, as always, is important, along with original boxes and instructions.
Console Games are also sought after. Nintendo’s Super Mario Brothers from 1985, Legend of Zelda from 1987, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out from 1987, Final Fantasy from 1987, and Sega Sonic the Hedgehog from 1991 all appear in the Top Ten selling prices of all time.
Die-casts are always sought after, and now I am seeing great interest in 1970s and 1980s Matchboxes. They seem to be getting close to Dinky and Corgi prices.
Matchbox is a toy brand introduced by Lesney Products in 1953 and is now owned by Mattel, Inc., which purchased the brand in 1997. The brand was named because the original die-cast “Matchbox” toys were sold in boxes similar to those in which matches were sold. The brand grew to encompass a broad range of toys, including larger-scale die-cast models, plastic model kits, slot car racing, and action figures.
During the 1980s, Matchbox began to switch to the more conventional plastic and cardboard “blister packs” used by other die-cast toy brands, such as Hot Wheels. By the 2000s, box-style packaging was re-introduced for the collectors’ market, such as the 35th Anniversary of the Superfast series in 2004 and the 50th Anniversary of Superfast in 2019.
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