Leonard Joel toy auctions broaden services

Over the past two years, Leonard Joel has been busy developing monthly toy auctions as an important part of its broad portfolio of services to the antique, art and collectibles community.

Under the watchful of specialist Giles Moon, these monthly sales have become increasingly popular – particularly among online bidders who often outnumber those in the rooms at 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra.

“These are high calibre collections and they attract many international collectors who can now bid live online from anywhere in the world,” he said.

Giles Moon joined Leonard Joel in 2010 and soon after introduced toy auctions as specialised sales.

The collections are high calibre and, three years later, he is still off loading the highly prized items of one particular vendor whose collection ran into the thousands.

Among the cars and other vehicles that change hands, collectors particularly value vintage tin plate and die cast versions from the 1930s to the 1990s – especially classic cars made by English manufacturers.

While Australian collectors concentrate on well-known British brands such as Dinky, Corgi, Matchbox and Micro Models, Europeans tend to go for the French JRD and the Danish Tekno.

Construction sets of model cars and aeroplanes also are valuable, especially if they are unassembled and still in their original boxes.

For Leonard Joel, the monthly toy auctions have been particularly lucrative with more than $1 million in turnover since their establishment in 2010.

The next sale is from noon on Thursday July 24 and will feature a rare Japanese 343 Ford tin plate flower delivery wagon with the words “Flowers for Gracious Living” on its side panels.

Another important vehicle is the rare JRD 127 orange and white Camion Grand Routier double semi-trailer with “Transports Hambourg-Rome-Geneve-Paris-Bruxelles Internationaux” written on its sides.

Michel Aroutcheff limited editions white Canardo Cadillac and caprice Chevrolet police car, both with figures, make interesting viewing and the auction also contains an electronic Pelham puppet theatre that includes a clown, donkey, dog and foal.

The puppet theatre was made in England and used for a shop display as was a Meccano factory built electronically operated two-tower suspension bridge with the words “Meccano insist on Dinky Toys Meccano” on the front.

The 1960s bridge also features a wooden oval-shaped moving roadway for the display of Dinky toys, not included with the model.