The hidden treasures of Wales

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**reds8n**

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/treasure-trove-untouched-old-toys-8972742?ICID=FB-Wales-main

From Star Wars figures to Action Man and Barbie, a treasure trove of old toys and games has been discovered in a shop which has been closed for years.

The Frank Beech Toy Shop first opened more than 70 years ago and was well-known in Holywell in North Wales for its vast array of toys and popular window displays.

But in 2009 it closed its doors to the public, bringing to an end many decades of service since its opening by Frank Beech in the 1940s.

Amazingly, though, the contents of the store remained untouched and an auction house has now recovered 120 pallets of toys dating back to the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

These include boxes of Star Wars figures, Action Man and accessories, trains, Dinky cars, Timpo toys and Britains soldiers, dolls, tinplate and plastic, Airfix and many board games.

All the items are expected to appeal to collectors from across the country when they go on sale later this month at Vectis Auctions in Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees.

Despite damp creeping into the shop and damaging some of the boxes, the company said the items remained in great condition.

A spokesman from the auction house said: “The items are likely to appeal to collectors and dealers as the toys have stood in the closed-up shop for many years.

“Our specialists are working through the collection one pallet at a time and so we could find many hidden treasures as the sale is uncovered.”

Last month a collection of 3,000 toy cars, trucks and trains went up for sale at the toy specialist auction house and fetched a total of £227,000.

And in February, £18,000 was paid there for a pristine Star Wars Boba Fett figure.

.. someone is going to be well off then !

... never anywhere local is it eh ?

**Ouze**

Oh man, that's awesome.

**squidhills**

Do they have the old Y-Wing toy? I miss my Y-wing....

**Necroagogo**

Those old Subbuteo boxes!!!!! Instant flashback Friday!

**Manchu**

Gosh looking at that bonanza ...

I was born a little too late to enjoy the RotJ marketing frenzy. By the time I was old enough to play with them, the last of the Star Wars toys had drained out of the stores. But because we were pretty poor and went to flea markets, I was able to buy the occasional loose figures for what little pocket money I may have scraped together now and again. One day, I came across EV-99 still on her card. In fact, the peg hole had not even been punched. Amazingly, the seller only wanted a pittance. I still have that figure on the card with the unpunched hole.

The picture of all those figs really takes me back. What a find!

**timetowaste85**

If anyone wants to buy me that Star Wars collection, they'd be my best friend.

**streamdragon**

One thing I constantly tease my mother about is her throwing out our complete collection of Star Wars action figures, vehicles and play sets. Everything. All of them, with multiples of some. "You grew up so I threw them out."

**Tannhauser42**

Am I the only one wondering if maybe they have some NIB copies of Adeptus Titanicus, Titan Legions, boxes of plastic beakies, and other wonderful old GW products?

**djphranq**

Double sad from this thread...

1. Sad that it isn't a thread about great things/places of Wales.

2. Sad that I had to be reminded of all my old Star Wars toys that are long gone.

**Ensis Ferrae**

While this is cool and all... I think that some collectors are groaning internally.

See, the market may be about to see a miniature "flood" of some of these toys, which is going to negatively impact the value of the items. At the very least, I would expect there to be a dip in value, and it will probably recover that value once this lot has been bought up.

I recently discovered a "vintage" toy store near me, and have begun recollecting the old Micro Machines "Action Fleet" series of Star Wars space ships. The nice thing is, apparently they were never very "collectible" and so most vehicles, aside from the X-Wing and Millenium Falcon are all selling for what they were when they were first released

**reds8n**

Tannhauser42 wrote:
Am I the only one wondering if maybe they have some NIB copies of Adeptus Titanicus, Titan Legions, boxes of plastic beakies, and other wonderful old GW products?

I did wonder about maybe things like Battlemasters or the the Heroquest/Space Crusade boxes.

.. was also overcome with a near psychotic urge to play Subbuteo again too -- but only after constructing a full stadium with spectators, an outside broadcast unit etc etc ....

....guess that game though was probably not too bit in the USA.

Strange how just the packing can instantly evoke so many memories. I'd totally forgotten about the INT-4 Interceptor, which was probably no great loss, but upon seeing it was instantly reminded of the pretty god damn awful homebrew 40k RT edition vehicle we converted out of one

.

I hope no future archaeologists dig that monstrosity up or they'll have serious worries about the people of that era.