05/12/2025 General News
They say that nostalgia ain’t what it used to be, and yet it remains a powerful motivation for buyers in the saleroom, writes Emily Turner. Most of us love to hark back to more innocent times, and this is the reason for the surge in demand for vintage toys and games, as buyers seek to own toys they loved in their childhood – or ones that they aspired to own when they were young, but didn’t manage to.
Next Friday sees a Vintage and Modern Toys, Dolls, Games, Video Games and Computers Sale at Keys in which some 480 lots offer grown-ups of all ages the chance to rediscover their childhoods.
Launched in 1966, Action Man was an instant hit and remains a saleroom classic, with early examples making good money at auction. The original Action Man was a 12-inch action figure modelled on the American GI Joe, and was first available as a soldier, sailor and pilot, along with various accessories and vehicles.
It was inevitable that such a successful toy would lead to range extensions, and one of the more unusual ones was the Action Force line, a range of smaller, 3.75 inch figures which were created to compete with the wildly popular Star Wars toys. Action Force was initially a military line, but it soon transitioned into a fantasy-based, story-driven brand, which even had its own accompanying comic series.
The range was nowhere near as successful as the original Action Man models, and as a result fewer were produced, so they command a rarity value today. But those who were fans retain an enthusiastic fondness for the series, and they perform well in the saleroom.
Our sale next week has a lot which is attracting very great interest. Consisting of a pair of Action Force playsets with their original boxes, along with other vehicles and figures, pre-sale online bidding has already, at the time of writing, exceeded the original £40-£80 estimate several times over – this is set to be a highlight of the sale.
A more gentle toy from yesteryear were Pelham Puppets, first created by demobbed serviceman Bob Pelham immediately after the Second World War. From there, until it ceased trading in 1993, the company produced a huge range of stringed puppets (marionettes).
Rarer models are very collectable today, and one of the most sought-after ranges is the Alice in Wonderland collection from the 1950s. Models in good condition, especially if they are in their original boxes, are highly prized.
Our sale next week includes a particularly good examples of the March Hare puppets from that Alice in Wonderland collection. One of these puppets is actually in the collection at the V&A Museum in London. The example which goes under the hammer next week is being sold alongside a second puppet, Bengo the Boxer, both in excellent condition and in their original boxes.
This is another lot where online advance bidding has already outstripped the original estimate of £30-£60; at the time of writing, the highest bid is £95, and it seems certain to go much higher.
Finally, vintage computers are still amazingly popular in the saleroom, even in ‘as found’ condition. A 1980s Commodore computer set-up including monitor, keyboard and a quantity of games already has a bid of £140 on it more than a week on advance of the sale, while a Commodore Amiga 2000 of similar vintage – with no monitor, and listed as ‘for spares or repairs’ – has a bid of £160.
Keys Vintage and Modern Toys, Dolls, Games Video Games and Computers Sale takes place on Friday 12th December. A full online catalogue is available at www.keysauctions.co.uk.