Wikicollecting's Top Ten Most Expensive Classic Toys As Christmas approaches, it's impossible not to think of toys.
So to celebrate the festive season, Wikicollecting presents a list of ten of the most expensive classic children's toys ever sold.
late 1950s/early 1960s, and are regarded as some of the most sought after vintage toys in the world.
The most valuable of the five is ‘Machine Man’, of which only 10 – 15 examples are known to exist. One of them was sold at auction by Sotheby’s in New York in 1997 for a still-standing record price of $74,000.
Toy boat - $194,500
The world’s most expensive toy boat came from the remarkable collection of the late publishing billionaire Malcolm Forbes. A 37-inch model of the ocean liner The Lusitania, the boat was built by the German manufacturer Märklin in 1912 and included features such as working anchors and chains.
It was sold by Sotheby’s in December 2010, as part of a sale which included the earliest-known Monopoly set, for a record price of $194,500.
Doll house - $256,500
The world’s most expensive doll house may cost less than an average life-size two-bedroom property, but not by much. Tatania’s Palace was created by the British author Sir Nevile Wilkinson, and took 25 years to build. Completed in 1922, it contains 18 rooms filled with hand-carved mahogany furniture and 3000 miniature works of art from around the world.
In 1978 it was sold at a Christies auction in London for a price of $256,500, a record that still stands today. It was bought by the toy manufacturer Lego, and displayed at their Legoland attraction in Denmark until 2007.
Lego - $27,000
The most expensive Lego kit ever sold stands more than 6ft tall and wears a rubber cape. In 2009, America’s oldest and most celebrated toy retailer FAO Schwarz offered a life-size Batman Lego statue for sale at its famous New York store.
Standing 6” 6’ in height and weighing 500lbs, the plastic Dark Knight came complete with a cape, an age recommendation of “9 and above” and a price-tag of $27,000.
For more articles and info on vintage toys, dolls and games, visit http://en.wikicollecting.org/.
