WHAT: When a set of toy soldiers made in 1897 sold for $15,600 this month in an Investment Rarities auction at Old Toy Soldier Auctions in Pennsylvania, collectors knew why. Considered the top of all toy soldier sets and made by Britains, the best of all lead toy soldier makers, the set in pristine condition sold with its original box, also in top condition. Adding to rarity, the set was made for Queen Victoriaβs Diamond Jubilee and came in a specially marked box.
Known as Britains Set #72 Life Guards Past and Present 1st version, the unit is considered the ne plus ultra
for any advanced collector of toy soldiers.
MORE: Founded in 1893 by English toy maker William Britain, the companyβs method of hollow lead casting changed the manufacture of toy soldiers. Family owned until the 1980s, Britains remained the standard through the Golden Age of toys up to the 1920s. After lead in toys was banned in the U.K. and after undergoing many changes, the company was sold in 1997 to U.S. toy company Ertl, in Iowa.
SMART COLLECTORS KNOW: Created to be played with, most toy soldier sets did not stay intact from one Christmas/birthday/gift-giving occasion to the next. Of course, collectors want only the best, and pristine condition is a must. All that makes high-grade survivors rarer.
HOT TIP: Never call items made by enthusiasts of military miniatures βtoy soldiers.β Miniaturists live to create replicas of exacting scale and detail, down to the warp and woof of fabric.
BOTTOM LINE: Enough private collections amassed over time have reached such value that boutique sales for the very finest are now warranted. In the same sale of just 167 lots, results on several hit $6,000 to $12,000.
