Models, Toys, Dolls & Games

This rare bisque socket head doll was made by Kämmer and Reinhardt as part of its art character series, c.1910.

During the 19th century visitors seeking out idyllic lakeland views caused a mild tourist boom in the southwest corner of Ireland.

The latest Tinplate & Specialist Toy sale at Vectis (20.83% buyer’s premium inc VAT) in Stockton-on-Tees included this large-scale tinplate clockwork vintage car by the Gebruder Bing factory of Nuremberg.

With the advent of modern tournament chess in the Victorian era came the issue of game time.

If you cannot decide on whether to collect dolls’ houses or toy vehicles, try this lot offered at Lawrences (25% buyer’s premium) of Crewkerne.

Prices for more traditional toys such as dolls and teddy bears may not be at the heights of years gone by, but demand remains strong for the best items and rarities.

As in so many collecting fields, slight variations can be key when it comes to pricing of TV generation toys.

A rare large-scale Erzgebirge mid-19th century painted wooden market was one of the stand-out lots of the largest-ever Toys, Dolls, Dolls’ Houses and Teddy Bears sale to be staged by Special Auction Services (20% buyer’s premium) in Newbury.

Halls (23% buyer’s premium) offered the Enid and Bruce Moulder collection of toy teawares via a timed online auction that closed on November 23.

An English all-wooden doll originally presented by Queen Charlotte to her goddaughter sold for $200,000 (£148,000) at a US auction.

Described as being a little fragile but otherwise good, this Victorian transformation game was drawn on both sides of a single sheet of cut and folded paper.

A rare, early 20th century Fischer tin clown tricycle wind-up toy sold for a premium-inclusive $2300 (£1725) despite not being in working condition.

A new American firm, LCG (Legacy Collectibles Group) Auctions, sold what it described as “the highest graded Cobra Commander GI Joe action figure in existence” in a timed sale last year.

Pedal cars are regular visitors to salerooms but rarer powered versions were also produced for children to use, partly for road safety training

Before the crash of the R101 during its maiden voyage to France in October 1930, there had been great excitement around the potential of the airship.

Certain areas became hubs for the manufacture of toys, such as Nuremberg and Erzgebirge in Germany.

These days, marketing a doll as Sindy’s saucy sister would be problematic. And the less said about outfits titled Hockey Honey or School Days, the better.

Milestone Auctions recorded some buoyant prices for rare variants of toy motorcycles in its sale last October (see ATG No 2516).

An early Märklin Central Station dating from c.1901-10 and made for the English market was one of the top-sellers in the large autumn toys sale held by Bertoia (20% buyer’s premium).

This large-scale model of a late 19th century Australian stamp mill is signed for the Ivanhoe Gold Corporation Foundry.