Collectables

Some of the most eagerly contested lots in the Aynhoe Park: The Celebration of a Modern Grand Tour sale held by Dreweatts in Oxfordshire on January 20-21 were those created by the owner of the property himself.

One of only a handful of known examples of Henry III’s gold penny – one of the most fabled coins in all of British numismatics – sold for $720,000 (£554,000) at auction in Dallas last week.

This charming early English-style station below was produced for the export market by German toy manufacturer Märklin.

As with so many other collecting areas recently, the conditions of lockdown – meaning spare money and time for the fortunate – have led to buoyant demand for toys, models and collectables.

Cases of Australian animals stand out among a family home taxidermy treasure trove

A 1640, first English language edition of Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince, in a translation by Edward Dacres, was bid to $38,000 (£29,010) in a US sale.

An extensive selection of Pelham Puppets came up on the first day of the Piers Motley (18% buyer’s premium) auction in Devon on January 18-20.

Models, props, scenery and scripts linked to Gerry Anderson emerged for sale at Ewbank’s (25% buyer’s premium) in Send, Surrey at the end of last year.

The collecting market for dolls’ house furniture has been enjoying a boom period if recent prices have been anything to go by.

The British Toy Auctions (18% buyer’s premium) sale on January 8 in Runcorn included several Pelham Puppets rarities.

The final part of dealer Jack Webb's collection displayed his passion for military photographs, especially daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and cartes de visite.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions

It was not uncommon in the 18th century for a doll to be presented within its own miniature doll-scaled world.

Auction house H&H Classics (15% buyer’s premium) is best known for selling full-sized vehicles but a smaller model impressed in a recent automobilia sale.

A Dinky Supertoys 935 Leyland Octopus flat truck with chains in its original box sold for £8200 at Kent saleroom C&T (22% buyer’s premium) on January 14.

Presented on vellum with luxury colouring and illuminated with silver and gold, this is a rare first edition of Theuerdank.

The strong level of prices being paid by collectors for dolls’ house furniture was underlined at a recent C&T sale.

How did toy manufacturers get boys in the rather less PC 1960s to play with dolls?

This Volvo PV 444 diecast toy is by the Swedish toy distributor Gösta Norén.