CHILD'S PLAY
I have Britain’s biggest collection of Matchbox toy cars – now I’m selling them for tens of THOUSANDS of pounds
Scroll to see how much Terry Kneeshaw is selling 450 cars for
AN IMPRESSIVE Matchbox toy fan boasts one of Britain's largest collections of the toy car and is selling them for an eye-watering sum.
Terry Kneeshaw, from Darlington, County Durham, is selling 450 Regular Wheels cars that he's collected over a period of almost 50 years.
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He started to build up his collection in the 1970s and is flogging his toys for a staggering £21,000.
The collection focuses on the artwork for each box types - A to F - by model series one to 75 and even includes colour variations and rare issues.
Terry is selling his collection through Vectis auction house as he is retiring and moving on to new projects.
Artist Terry said he was attracted to the artwork on the boxes.
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He said: "I loved the paintings that came together on the boxes and I have some very, very rare ones.
"I started collecting variants and it became an obsession.
"For a lot of people the cars are the most important part of the collection but for me as an artist what was more important was the pictures.
"So when I collected, I collected all the box types.
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"It may be that you see you have three of the same car but I would collect every A box, every B box, every C box and so on.
"I collected them as sets, as a series of boxes, rather than as cars.
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He explained that he has been collecting the vintage toys since childhood, acquiring some of the rarest versions available.
"I think I have almost every single car that Matchbox put out between 1953 and 1969," he said.
The toys were first introduced by Lesney Products in 1953 and dominated the market until Hot Wheels were released in 1968.
Rick Harrison joked that it looked like the guest had "robbed a toy store" due to his extensive collection.
The man revealed that he had acquired "roughly a thousand pieces in 600 boxes."
He explained that since all his items are from before the 1970's, they are considered the most valuable collectables.
This is because Matchbox completely transformed their line to compete with Hot Wheels.
Vintage toy expert Johnny Jimenez Jr appraised the entire collection and determined it to be worth $25,000 to $28,000.
"It was an unusual way to collect.
"But that's me - I enjoyed it."
He added: "I'm a pensioner now but I've got a new mantra in life - don't retire, retire.
"I'm asking for another thirty years to do a completely new project."
Vectis Auctions is selling the collection on October 30.
How to make money from your old toys
Old toys can be sold on eBay, via Amazon, or on any number of specialist websites.
To find out how much an old toy might be worth do some research first.
Checking the same or similar games under "sold listings" on eBay.
On eBay in particular bear in mind that some buyers pull out after an auction has ended, so the game may not have actually sold for the price it says it did.
Compare your video game to other higher-selling auctions and ask yourself if it’s in a similar condition. Is it authentic? Does it have its original packaging?
If it’s in mint condition then it might be worth selling it through an auction house or directly to a collectables website.
If it’s not in mint condition, it’s probably worth sticking it on eBay for a moderate sum.
But in both cases check for any fees involved and find out what percentage of any sale an auctioneer may take.
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It's important to remember that your game is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay.
If you know you have something valuable, the best way to maximise your profit is through a specialist auction.
How to spot valuable items
COMMENTS by Consumer Editor, Alice Grahns:
It’s easy to check if items in your attic are valuable.
As a first step, go on eBay to check what other similar pieces, if not the same, have sold for recently.
Simply search for your item, filter by “sold listings” and toggle by the highest value.
This will give you an idea of how much others are willing to pay for it.
The method can be used for everything ranging from rare coins and notes to stamps, old toys, books and vinyl records - just to mention a few examples.
For coins, online tools from change experts like Coin Hunter are also helpful to see how much it could be worth.
Plus, you can refer to Change Checker’s latest scarcity index update to see which coins are topping the charts.
For especially valuable items, you may want to enlist the help of experts or auction houses.
Do your research first though and be aware of any fees for evaluating your stuff.
As a rule of thumb, rarity and condition are key factors in determining the value of any item.
You’re never guaranteed to make a mint, however.
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