Auction news
Highlights and previews.
sale held by Wallis and Wallis on 28th June featured plenty of excellent diecast lots, including several that contained vintage Dinky aircraft. Four lots that got plenty of attention were a group of gift sets and all achieved high hammer prices.
Lot 486 was a rare pre-war Dinky Toys No 60 British Aeroplane Set - a second issue example comprising a gold No 60a Imperial Airways Liner (G-ABTI), green No 60b D.H. Leopard Moth (G-ACPT), white No 60c Percival Gull (G-ADZO), red No 60d Low Wing Monoplane (G-AVYP), silver No 60e General Monospar (G-ABVP) plus No 60f Cierva Autogiro in gold with dark blue rota and rear wing tips. All complete with their propellers and all restrung onto their original card insert, in very good condition. Pale blue box, with crisp and undamaged label, lid also very good, but does have two splits to face. Aircraft very good to mint, all with no signs of fatigue, minor wear showing to Monoplane and minor paint issues to Imperial Airways Liner. A very good example of a rare set. Estimated at £700-1,000, the hammer price was £900.
Another rare pre-war Dinky Toys No 60 Aeroplane Set was on offer in lot 487 - the harder to find second issue comprising a gold No 60a Imperial Airways Liner with dark blue sun ray pattern detailing, green No 60b D.H. Leopard Moth with yellow wing tips and tail plane/rudder, white No 60c Percival Gull with mid blue wing tips and tail plane/rudder, red No 60d Low Wing Monoplane with cream wing tips and tail plane/rudder, silver No 60e General Monospar with dark blue wing tips and tail plane/rudder, plus a gold No 60f Cierva Autogiro with dark blue rota and rear wing tips. All complete with their propellers and all restrung onto their original card insert, in very good condition. Deeper blue box, with crisp and undamaged label, lid also very good but does have some age discolouration. All complete with propellers in good to mint condition, although two show signs of fatigue (Low Wing monoplane and D H Leopard Moth). Still a very good example of a rare set. Estimated at £800-1,200, the hammer price was £850.
Next up, as lot 488, was a rare war-time issue Dinky Toys No 66 Camouflaged Aeroplane Set. This seldom seen issue comprises No 66a Heavy Bomber, No 66b Dive Bomber Fighter, No 66c Two Seater Fighter, No 66d Dive Bomber, No 66e Medium Bomber, all in camouflage livery, plus a silver No 66f Cierva Autogiro.
All complete with propellers and all restrung onto their original card insert, in very good condition. Light green outer box, with undamaged lid, dated 5-40 (May 1940), lid does have some age discolouration. Box base has some age wear overall. Aircraft all in very good condition, with only minor wear/chips
- a very good example of this rare set. Estimated at £700-1,000, the hammer price was £1,200.
Finally, lot 489 saw a rare Dinky Toys No 65 Aeroplane Set up for grabs - the most impressive of all the aircraft sets – comprising eight models (seven civilian airliners and one RAF bomber). It includes a No 60c Douglas DC3 (PH-ALI), No 60r Empire Flying Boat (G-AEUB),No 60v Armstrong Whitworth 'Whitley' Bomber with RAF roundels, No 60w Clipper III Flying Boat (USA NC 16736), No 62n Junkers JU90 (D-AURE), No 62p Armstrong Whitworth 'Ensign' (G-ADSX), No 62r de Havilland 'Albatross' Mail Liner (G-A EVV) and a No 62w Imperial Airways 'Frobisher' Class Airliner (G-AFDI). All in silver livery and complete with propellers, and all strung onto their original bright blue card insert, with crisp silver lettering, in very good to almost new condition. Light blue box with crisp and undamaged label, lid also very good, but does have some age discolouration. Box base does have a split on the bottom edge. Aircraft mint, with no signs of fatigue. Estimated at £1500-2000, the hammer fell at £1,850.
For more information about future diecast auctions at Wallis & Wallis, the next of which is 6th September, visit the company's website at www.wallisandwallis.co.uk.
Lot 486 Dinky Toys No 60 British Aeroplane Set Estimate: £700 - £1,000 Sold For: £900
Lot 487 Dinky Toys No 60 Aeroplane Set Estimate: £800 - £1,200 Sold For: £850
Lot 488 Dinky Toys No 66 Camouflaged Aeroplane Set Estimate: £700 - £1,000 Sold For: £1,200
Lot 489 Dinky Toys No 65 Aeroplane Set Estimate: £1,500 - £2,000 Sold For: £1,800