I have the largest collection of rare toy cars and I’m selling it for a HUGE £46,000 – it took me 50 years to build it
AN incredible hoard of rare toy cars has sold for an eye-watering £46,000.
Terry Kneeshaw, from Darlington, County Durham, began his collection of Matchbox Regular Wheels in the 1970s.
It has grown to a whopping 450 cars over the years.
The eagle-eyed collector has categorised the artwork of each box from type A to F, as well as by model series from one through to 75.
It has been dubbed Britain's biggest collections of Matchbox toys, and was expected to fetch £21,000.
But, with the help of Vectis Auction House, Terry sold his 50-year-old collection for £46,000.
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Ahead of the sale, artist Terry 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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The auction, which was held online, saw buyers from across the world bidding on 445 items.
All of them sold on the day.
Interesting cars included a Matchbox Regular Wheels 55a DUKW Amphibian.
It sold for £760 in a rare late issue type D1 box, printed by Pembroke Abbey with matching model artwork.
A Matchbox Regular Wheels 33a Ford Zodiac pair, which was estimated at £40 to £60 also sold for £539.
Suprising household items that are worth a fortune and how to find them
Experts believe the average UK attic hides valuables totalling a staggering £1,922, and around £33billion worth of “junk” lurks in our cupboards and drawers
Antiques expert Charlie Ross, who regularly appears on Bargain Hunt and Flog It!, has listed several items to look out for in your home.
'90s vinyl
“Records made from about 1992 to 1999 are especially valuable as not a lot was made at that time. Vinyl from bands like Mansun might sell for £80 or Kula Shaker, £65," said the expert.
Star Wars
“What really sells well is carded figures, One auction recently sold a rare character called Yak Face, from Return Of The Jedi, for over £1,500," said Charlie
Fountain Pens
The Bargain Hunt presenter said: “A rare Namiki fountain pen once sold for £6,000 at auction, while auction house Dreweatts sold a limited-edition Montblanc for an incredible £14,000."
Old mobiles
“Even if they are not worth a huge amount now, there is no doubt that they will become valuable, so they are worth keeping. The first one of any particular series might also be worth something in years to come";. said Charlie.
Autographs
"If you have a collection of all the Beatles’ autographs, you are sitting on a fortune!" Charlie added.
“I recently met a chap who had a book full of cricketers’ autographs - even that was worth £100."
Comics
"A Batman Adventures Comic from 1993 could make you around £800. Comics are valuable as they are typically limited edition and quite rare," explained the expert.
For more information on hidden valuable items, read here
This comes as a superfan who collected every copy of NME magazine for 52 years is selling them for an eye-watering £3,000.
Tony Howard's attic nearly collapsed under the weight of his massive magazine hoard - which started when he was just 12-years-old.
Elsewhere, a vintage Star Wars toy hoard found at the back of a cupboard is set to go under the hammer for an eye-watering £600,000.
The over 400 near-mint figurines - including Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader - are still in their original packaging.
Dating from the late 1970s and early 80s, the plastic toys had been stashed in a carboard box for 40 years by a pensioner.
In Livingston, , a dad-of-two hopes his giant collection of Pokémon cards will be worth more than a quarter of a million pounds.
Gordon White, 58, has been hoarding the rare trading cards for 16 years and has amassed thousands.
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He has already cashed in by selling half of his collection, which fetched a whopping £200,000 when it went under the hammer in November last year.
And, a collector who found 1,246 coins over the last 45 years sold the lot for £2million.
