The iconic personal collection of the British expert behind Action Man has sold for over £26,000.
Bob Brechin was chief designer at Palitoy between the 1960s and 1980s and played a pivotal role in the creation of Action Man and Action Force toys.
The 80-year-old helped make the Americanised ranges suitable for the UK ensuring uniforms and vehicles reflected British regiments.
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He said he wanted to pass on his rare collection to people who would appreciate its value.
His collection of 106 lots was estimated to fetch about £7,000, but fetched a total of £26,300 including buyer’s premium.
It went for nearly four times more than expected.
The auction also included toys from the Star Wars and Tiny Tears ranges along with paperwork and other items reflecting Mr Brechin’s contribution to the toy industry
Among the items sold was a metal prototype of an Australian Jungle Fighter Series 1 figure, which was on display at the 1982 British Toy Fair and fetched £1,100.
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It was estimated to go for between £100 to £140 as reported by What’s The Jam.
After the sale, Steven Furlong of auctioneer, Vectis, based in Middlesbrough, said: “I enjoyed cataloguing this collection.
“As a fan of Action Man and Action Force, I was aware of the historical significance of these items.
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“We knew they would be popular as collectors recognise the value in the provenance and authenticity of them and the fact that they all came with a certificate and signed by Bob himself only adds to the demand.
“These are all unique, one-of-a-kind items and there will never be another auction like this.”
Mr Brechin got involved with the toy industry after graduating from a design college in Birmingham.
“I first worked for a company designing doors and I saw an advert for a toy designer,” he said.
“I thought it sounded a lot more interesting than designing door handles, so applied and I got the job.”
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