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Thousands of rare and unique vintage toys to be sold at north-east auction

Dave Smith of Bervie Auctions in Inverbervie with tin plate1950s space rockets
Dave Smith of Bervie Auctions in Inverbervie with tin plate1950s space rockets

People in the north-east will get a rare opportunity to re-live their childhood at a special vintage toy auction on Thursday evening.

Bervie Auctions came across “one of the best” selection of toys dating back to as far as the 1910s, when clearing an estate in Edinburgh.

The two-bedroom house is said to have been packed “from floor to ceiling” with thousands of rare and unique toys, which may have been collected in the span of 100 years.

The collection includes some of the “best” and most popular toys for children in the 20th century – including a Bing locomotive, Shackleton trucks and Corgi boxed vehicles.

A ‘little museum’ for vintage toys

Bervie Auctions’ manager Dave Smith said acquiring the “incredible” collection was a one-of-a-kind experience in his 34 years in the business.

He said: “I’ve been doing this for 34 years and I haven’t seen anything quite like it.

“It’s just incredible – you rarely get a house with so many good-quality items, which have also been kept in a very good condition.

“The toys had basically taken over the two-bedroom flat with thousands of boxes from floor to ceiling.

“It’s one of the best collections we’ve ever had with an amazing selection of vintage toys, which haven’t been seen in the area for a long time.

“It’s quite overwhelming – there are just so many of them. The place at the moment looks like a little museum for old toys.

“There are Shackleton lorries, which are incredibly rare, enamel signs from an Edinburgh railway station and Edinburgh tram company, First World War tin plate tank, and thousands and thousands more.

“Even experienced dealers have been coming and saying they’ve never seen so many good quality items in one room for a long time.”

Holding a live auction for a special sale

The collection has gained a lot of public interest so far with dozens of people expected to try and get their hands on the rare vintage toys.

Due to the large amount of items, the auction house has decided to hold two separate events for anybody who would like to join them for a blast from the past.

The first part of the action offering a mix of toys and enamel signs will take place on Thursday June 17 at 6.30pm.

The second one, which will be dedicated only to toys will be held in a fortnight on Thursday July 1.

For the special sale of the rare collection, Bervie Auctions will also open doors to customers tomorrow evening for the first time since the easing of lockdown restriction.

Mr Smith added: “This is a special sale and we’ll probably revert back to what we were doing until all the restrictions are lifted, but we are definitely looking forward to the buzz of a live auction again – it’s been a long time.”