C&T is a top British auction house, with specialist departments coins, militaria and antiques. Founded in 2013, C&T has built an impressive reputation which attracts an international client base. C&T’s Vintage Toy department, headed up by specialist Glen Chapman, hosts regular auctions of all kinds of rare and collectible vintage toys.

Having built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading toy experts over a lifetime of dealing and valuing, Glen’s knowledge of the toy collecting world is extensive. Here, he has shared some of the knowledge acquired through years of industry experience to help you identify the hidden treasure in your own collection.

Read on to learn all about what makes a toy collectible, what toys have fallen out of favour and where the strengths of the toy collecting market currently lie, as well as how you can get involved in selling and buying at auction!

What makes a toy collectible?

In the dynamic market of collecting, tastes and fashions are always changing. As such, there can be surprises in store for collectors. Read ahead to get an insight into what makes a vintage toy sell, and why some collectibles aren’t as valuable as once thought.

The value of collectibles is driven by 3 core principles: scarcity, demand and condition. Scarce items - those that are rare and of which only a few exist, often command more interest and higher values at auction. Similarly, the physical condition of an item, which includes the original box and packaging, hugely impacts its sale value, with mint, original condition items reaching a premium. Item value also comes down to interest from buyers - the demand. Specifically at auction, two interested bidders can enter into a bidding war and drive the hammer price up to and above the top estimate.

The changing market - why collectibles aren’t always investments 

Unfortunately not everything marketed or purchased as a future collectible has maintained its financial value. A famous example of an item which has not reached its anticipated value is Beanie Babies - the colourful and cute toys of the 1990s and 2000s which were marketed as wise investments. Although appealing, Beanie Babies were not a financial investment. With relatively cheap production and materials, their image as collectible items relied solely on a public perception of value. Today, Beanie Babies rarely hold high value and are typically not suitable for entry into auction with specialist auction houses. Instead, the value in these toys is mainly sentimental and personal.

The current market is poor for other collectibles too, including Lledo models, Matchbox Yesteryear, as well as Corgi Classics produced after 1980. Many of these models were produced on a large scale, meaning they lack the rarity which drives value. Having already found their way into many private collections, the market also lacks the demand which is key to the value of an item.

What collectibles are valuable? 

Vintage toys which currently occupy a strong position in the toy collecting market include tinplate toys. While there has been a recent downturn in the prices achieved by the early, turn-of-the-century tinplate, later items from the 1950s and 1960s are still holding their own and achieving remarkable prices at auction. Specifically, Japanese tinplate toys of the 1960s, which were more novel to the European market, are still holding their own. An excellent example of such toys are toy robots, whose rich graphic design and engaging movement mechanism spark nostalgia and make these toys as appealing today as they were when first produced.

Having established that there is demand for these fairly scarce items, once again everything comes back to item condition. Ultimately, the auction results of two of the same item, produced at the same time, can be vastly different depending on the condition of each item when it arrives at auction. 

Get involved

If you’re considering selling at auction, follow the link for a free valuation now!

Alternatively, you can get in touch with our friendly team at enquiries@candtauctions.co.uk or by phoning our office on +44 (0) 1233 510050

Learn more

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• Buying at auction
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