Collecting Corgi Toys

"With updated price guide and consolidated Mettoy era variations list"--Cover.

The surge in the market for Corgi die-cast collectible toys has caused a demand for accurate, updated information on them - with Collecting Corgi Toys, readers will find everything they're looking for. This reference documents the history of the company and the evolution of its products from 1956 to 1984, and provides essential data and pricing for every toy produced in that time.Over 600 listings for toys and full sets include catalog number, year of introduction, last year produced, colors, identification notes, and current market value in British Pounds and U.S. Dollars. Corgi fans will find all their favorites inside, including racecars, service vehicles, military models, film and TV models, special models and much more. Nearly 150 full-color photos detail the most rare Corgi toys and sets on the market.·

Although the name "Corgi Toys" was not introduced until 1955, the roots of the original holding company, Mettoy, go back to 1932 when a German toymaker called Philipp Ullmann arrived in Britain to form a new toy manufacturing company. This company produced many types of toys, both before and after the Second World War, mainly in tinplate. In the 1950s Mettoy began to produce diecast metal toys and hence, in 1956 the first Corgi Toys were released to the children's toy market and proved an immediate success. Over the next 30 years hundreds of miniature vehicles would be modeled on contemporary vehicles such as Vauxhalls, Rileys, Hillmans, Standards, Commers and ERFs. Corgi also made daring and successful ventures into film-and-TV related toys with their versions of James Bond, The Saint and Batmobile cars selling millions. Life-long collector David Cooke explores the history of Corgi Toys, describing the various models and illustrating how these simple children's toys became valuable collectables. He also charts the recent financial problems faced by the company, and their resurgence based upon Limited Edition collectors' models sold direct to an adult market.

Corgi Toys – ‘the ones with windows’ were the toy cars to have in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s. This is the ideal introduction to these toy vehicles, made in Swansea until 1983.

Every model of Corgi toy is shown in 128 color group photos with the history supplemented by detailed descriptions of all the models and their known variations. Includes up-to-date price guide.

A guide for collectors discusses the history of die-cast toy cars of the 1950s and 1960s and surveys the companies that manufactured the toys around the world, including such major names as Dinky Toys, Corgi Toys, Solido, Tekno, and Tootsietoy.

The rise, fall and rebirth of Corgi Toys is explained and illustrated with hundreds of color photos of toy models and memorabilia never before seen in print. The smaller Husky and Corgi Juniors lines are also covered. Most importantly, this encylopedia presents the most complete variation listing and values guide for Corgi toys published to date.