Collectables

Being a devil is profitable for a Pelham Puppet.

Showing little sign of their huge popularity slowing down, Star War figures made a significant contribution to a two-day TV and film-related auction.

Novelty biscuit tin toys delivered a number of tasty sale successes for South Yorkshire auction house BBR (15% buyer’s premium).

When the (Louis) Marx toy company produced a friction-drive model Batmobile in the 1960s the plastic car that resulted was really a model of the 1951 General Motors Le Sabre concept show car designed by Harley Earl.

The first lot in Pook & Pook’s (25% buyer’s premium) May 4-5 sale was also the top result. And if you follow the toy boat market, it was also strangely familiar.

It is not just Star Wars figures or film posters bringing the big bucks.

Widely varying plans outlining a faraway harbour and a slice of rural Yorkshire bring saleroom surprises

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

A stellar collection of rare Japanese robots and space toys featured in the Milestone (20% buyer’s premium) sale in Willoughby, Ohio.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions

The Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA) has launched a new two-day premier book fair to take place in Preston this summer.

While the achievement of Manchester City players in winning three titles in consecutive seasons – with a treble – is certainly admirable, spare a thought for Tom Wilson, a footballer of a much earlier era.

Despite its many shortcomings in terms of accuracy and reliability, the flintlock Long Land Pattern smoothbore musket – or Brown Bess to give it its more familiar nickname – remained in use from 1722 until the introduction of the percussion cap in 1838.

Illustrious names feature under portraits in a book about flying heroes from the Second World War

These two archival prints of David Bowie dressed in a striped bodysuit he wore during the 1973 Aladdin Sane tour were part of Chiswick Auctions’ (25% buyer’s premium) sale of 19th and 20th Century Photographs on May 31.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions

A 1954 edition of 'The Mousetrap' play script offered on June 6 at the Cotswold Auction Company (24% buyer’s premium) was inscribed by the author “For James Grout on our 6th birthday, Agatha Christie”.

Queen singer Freddie Mercury’s art and antiques collection is coming up for sale in September.

A print commemorating an 18th century example of British and American military cooperation was given as a present 200 years later to mark another joint success.