Vectis Auctions starts the year with a fabulous collection coming up this week. As part of their Auction on Thursday 16th January they have items from the personal collection of Palitoy Chief Designer, Bob Brechin. Bidding on some items is already pretty fierce, reflecting continued keen interest in Action Man, Action Force, and other legacy brands.

Here is a brief overview of the auction and some highlight lots. The full catalogue can be found here
The Bob Brechin Collection – Thursday 16th January 2025 10.00am (Lots 1 – 106). You must be registered to bid
The Bob Brechin collection, to be held as part of the wider auction on the 16th January features items from the personal collection of Palitoy chief designer Bob Brechin. Bob served as the Chief Designer at Palitoy from 1967 to 1984, and played a pivotal role in managing the iconic Palitoy Action Man and Action Force lines.
This auction provides a rare opportunity to bid on items from Brechin’s personal collection, which features a range of unique items that reflect his significant contributions to the toy industry. Among the highlights of the auction are prototypes that offer a glimpse into the creative process behind Action Force and Palitoy.
The auction also features ephemera and paperwork with original ideas and notes, and includes ranges from Action Man, Star Wars, Tiny Tears and Model Trains. For anyone interested in the history of toys and the legacy of Palitoy, this auction promises to be an unforgettable event.
Highlights include:
Lot 28 – Palitoy Action Force photographs, showing figures, vehicles, action scenes and concept sketches, some are loose and some are sealed within 2 photograph albums. This lot is from the personal collection of Bob Brechin – Manager and Lead Designer of Action Force, and includes personally signed certificates of authenticity Estimate: £80 – £120

Lot 34 – Palitoy (Sealed) Action Force vintage German Stormtrooper figure – Mint, within Good sealed original carded packaging, personally signed by Bob Brechin (some scuffs and scratches on the card). This lot is from the personal collection of Bob Brechin, and includes a personally signed certificate of authenticity
Lot 45 – Palitoy Action Force Metal Prototype Australian Jungle Fighter Series 1 figure used on the display diorama at the 1982 British Toy Fair. The figure was sculpted in clay and then a rubber mould was taken. Metal castings were taken from the mould and the figure was assembled and hand-painted.This lot is from the personal collection of Bob Brechin – Manager and Lead Designer of Action Force, and includes a personally signed certificate of authenticity, with a short statement regarding the creation and development of the figure

Lot 46 – Palitoy Action Force Resin Prototype Australian Jungle Fighter Series 1 figure used on the display diorama at the 1982 British Toy Fair. The figure was sculpted in clay and then a rubber mould was taken. Resin castings were taken from the mould and the figure was assembled and hand-painted. Another lot from the personal collection of Bob Brechin and includes a personally signed certificate of authenticity, with a short statement regarding the creation and development of the figure

Lot 78 – Palitoy Action Force Test Shots of component parts of the Space Force Space Engineer figure. Test shots would be taken from the injection moulding tools to check the mouldings before full production. From the personal collection of Bob Brechin

Lot 84 – Kenner Star Wars vintage loose figures to include Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, plus others – generally Fair to Good, some discolour and scuffs, but the limbs are still very stiff, the C-3PO and R2-D2 are very clean and could be rated as Excellent, not checked for completeness. From the personal collection of Bob Brechin
• The Bob Brechin Collection – 10.00am Thursday 16 January 2025 (Lots 1 – 106) | The full catalogue can be found here – you must be registered to bid
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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.
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