Not just nostalgia: Your old toy cars could be a secret goldmine

Many car enthusiasts fondly recall memories of their Holdens and Fords from the 1960s and ’70s. While few held on to these prized automobiles, considerably more still have the model car taking pride-of-place on their shelves, recalling a time when drivers such Peter Brock and Allan Moffat took out titles on the racetrack at Bathurst.

These miniature toys, often diecast, still hold memories as well as their value – many toy cars are priced in the hundreds and, occasionally, in the thousands of dollars.

For Daniel Parsons, who owns Car Models of Braidwood, a historic township in the Southern Tablelands of NSW, it’s the adults rather than children coming into the store or buying online.

“The Holden VF Commodore toy cars are popular. Take the Ford Focus RS WRC08 for $230 or the Chevrolet Camaro for the same amount. It’s a healthy sum given the Chevrolet is a re-release of a 1968 model,” says Parsons.

Some prices of these toy cars can also be attributed to models, such as the Holden and Ford, that are no longer manufactured in Australia. “The saying ‘once they’re gone, they’re gone’ applies to the toys as much as the real thing,” adds Parsons, who sees the choice of toy car as often responding to either the owner’s present car or something they experienced driving as a young adult.

The word “vintage” in the toy world is often used to describe toys only a few decades old. Take a Holden VK Commodore Group C. The winner of the Bathurst 1000 in 1984, driven by Brock, can even be more valuable if the owner has the entire series (each car driven at Bathurst came with a set with numbers emblazoned on the hood and car doors since Bathurst started in 1938) – upwards of $10,000.

Peter Neagle, who owns Paul’s Toys in Niddrie, Melbourne, has been surrounded by vintage car toys since his late father, Jack, opened the store in 1953. There are Matchbox cars, Dinky vintage diecast cars as well as Corgi, many from the 1960s through to the ’80s.

One of Neagle’s prized cars is his Corgi Batmobile from around 1966, with its fin-like tail lights, with a price estimate of $200 if it comes with its original box. He purchased this from a friend who bought it from a market in Geelong for $120.

“I paid $200, but I estimate this is now worth between $300 and $400.” Those collectors who may have the accompanying Bat Boat could, according to Neagle, be holding something worth an extra $300.

Others who prefer to search for their next acquisition online might be tempted by the Corgi Toys NMIB Rov 90 Saloon on eBay for $615. “Prices for certain models can rise quickly if they’re produced in limited quantities,” he adds.

Many shops have run dry of vintage car toys. Frank Parker’s shop in Ararat, which he runs with his wife, Denise, has sold most of the vintage toy cars from the 1920s and ’30s. However, he still has a 1970s Monaro, a car that was often raced at Bathurst.

Parker still has a healthy stash of toy cars from the recent past, estimated to be between 4000 and 5000, with about 1000 on display in his shop – many from the 1970s when Moffat and Brock were at their peak, each winning the race several times.

Memories of seeing racing heroes drive at Bathurst, or simply being a young adult behind the wheel of a Holden or Ford, certainly forms an important stimulus in the price paid for toy cars.

“I can still recall when my father opened up the world of Corgi diecast cars to me and the Dinky toys, produced in London. It’s not really about the price but the memory of seeing them for the first time and the magic in opening the car doors,” adds Neagle.

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Stephen Crafti is a specialist in contemporary design, including architecture, furniture, fashion and decorative arts.