These unboxed Action Man figures sold for £320 at Vectis in September, well above the estimate
From Star Wars AT-AT’s to Action Man, Pippa to plastic bags anything associated with iconic British company Palitoy could be worth serious money to collectors – but do you have cash in your attic? You could find out next week, at a Valuation Day provided by the world’s leading toy auction company Vectis at the The Many Faces of Palitoy exhibition, currently running at the at the Heartwood Conference Centre in Coalville, Leicestershire, Palitoy’s former home.
It is thought that 92 per cent of Brits have unused items stashed away in their homes, with toys – such as dolls, teddies and board games – being the most held onto items. Why not find out their worth? Free valuations and information will be provided by Vectis on Tuesday 5th November from 10.00am until 3.00pm, as part of the exhibition, The Many Faces of Palitoy.
Palitoy’s friend of their Pippa doll, Tammi, could be worth more than you think. Vectis sold this boxed figure sold for £130 back in 2015
As we previously reported, the exhibition celebrating 100 years of Cascelloid and Palitoy, running until Sunday 10th November, is the work of the Coalville Heritage Society, who are leading a wider project devoted to the history of Palitoy – a major employer in the town for decades – in partnership with North West Leicestershire District Council, Leicestershire County Council and the National Trust Museum of Childhood was awarded lottery funding to enable it to go ahead.
The free exhibition features 100 toys for 100 years and the story of Palitoy is told through a selection of iconic toys including pre and post war dolls, Girl’s World, Tiny Tears, Care Bears, Action Man and hobby ‘toys’ such as Mainline Railways. It includes information on how the company was established, the growth and popularity of each of the toys – plus historical dolls and toys from the 1920s up to when production stopped in 1985. It’s also the opportunity for visitors to hear some of the key people at Palitoy telling their story of the work they did, as well as offering an activity area for children to play with modern representations of the historic toys.
Vectis will be sending not just one but three specialists with a combined knowledge of over one hundred years of handling and cataloguing all types of toys. They will be able to advise on Palitoy items but also trains, tinplate, diecast models, lead and plastic figures in fact any type of collectable toys and associated juvenilia. Vectis hold over 80 toy auctions per year and regularly achieve world record prices. In the next two months alone, they will handle over £1 million worth of toys more than most general auction houses will handle in several years.
Vectis sold this Kenner Palitoy Star Wars Return of the Jedi Bib Fortuna Prototype sold for £30,000 back in April 2019
There’s good reason to consider popping along if you’re in the area. One of the most valuable lots recently sold by Vectis was a Palitoy (Kenner) Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Bib Fortuna Prototype Resin Master Tooling Aid. This vintage figure was in excellent condition and was a unique item sent by Kenner (the company that has the licence to sell Star Wars in the United States) to the then Palitoy/General Mills European Tooling Manager, at Coalville in the early 1980s.
This master model was used in the production of Beryllium Copper castings, which were then used in the manufacture of production injection moulds, and sold for a world record figure of £36,000 against a pre-sale estimate of £6,000 – £12,000.
In May 2017, a Palitoy Star Wars Vinyl Cape Jawa vintage figure measuring 3 3/4″ on a 12B un-punched card back sold for £21,600 against a pre-sale estimate of £8,000 – £10,000.
It is not only the toys that achieve excellent results but what seems mundane items have a value too. A set of Palitoy plans for a Earl’s Court Toy Fair Exhibition, dated 1978/9, including outlines of areas for Star Wars, Action Man, Strawberry Shortcake, Mainline, Dolls, and more sold for £960 and a Palitoy vintage carrier bag, which had originally came from Palitoy’s Staff Shop over on Baker Street in Coalville sold for £240.
“Vectis have recently seen an increase in prices realised for toys that are within living memory,’ notes Star Wars specialist Nick Dykes explained. “The toys that tend to reach the highest price are in good condition and unusual but you could be surprised that the contents of your general toy boxes could be worth so much. A tiny, loose Star Wars gun from the 3 ¾” could fetch as much as £100 on its own.”
• The Many Faces of Palitoy Exhibition runs 10.00am – 4.30pm until Sunday 10th November, 2019 at the Heartwood Conference Centre, Rothley House, Coalville Business Park, Coalville Business Park, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 3NR | Admission Free | More details here on the Coalville web site – and our news story is here
• Victoria and Albert Museum – A History of Palitoy
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Auctions, downthetubes News, Events, Exhibitions, Other Worlds, Star Wars