Steaming along
According to Chris Maulkin of John Goodwin Auctions, live steam, Mamod and similar models did particularly well at the recent sale.
He adds: “Attendance on sale day is moving slowly towards pre-Covid levels but it was noticeable that many of our old regulars are now using the internet, something that they have become accustomed to during Lockdown - and they are perhaps enjoying bidding from the comfort of their armchair in their slippers! We have also seen far more overseas bidders than previously, particularly for the small, more specialist lots.”
Chief steam lot of the day was the Code 3, heavily modified, Showman’s Locomotive, the Prince Albert. Stunning in its detail, and one of just two, it was contested to £500. Elsewhere, £350 was bid on a Mamod Steam Post Office van, with a lovely French blue Le Mans racer from Mamod settling on £450. A steam-powered London General Bus was just the ticket at £350 whilst at the other end of the scale and unboxed TE1A steam Showman’s engine sold for just £55. There were also static steam models, trailers and even a lumber wagon up for grabs.
Two Charlie Weaver bartender litho printed toys went under the hammer for £20 each: neither had a box and these Japanese models probably required restoration. If you check online you’ll see that several varieties of Charlie were made – they could form a collection on their own! Five boxed Pelham puppets (comprising three Pinky but no Perky, the Big Bad Wolf and a Caterpillar) fetched £80, with £88 being the winning bid on another selection, which included a Simple Dancing puppet, a Cat and Bengo.
Someone was lucky enough to bag six unmade flying model kits from Guillows: with balsa and plastic parts, good decals and evocative box art, the Spad, Nieuport 28, Sopwith Snipe, Bristol Bullet, Fokker D7 and SE-5 made for a great haul. a huge (around 240) number of the ever-popular boys’ comic, the Victor, dating from the 1960s, made £70.
Finally was the useful lot of Bayko pictured above: like railway tracks, you can never quite have enough... ■