Märklin

The first lot in Pook & Pook’s (25% buyer’s premium) May 4-5 sale was also the top result. And if you follow the toy boat market, it was also strangely familiar.

Some serious bidding action took place in the room when Lankes (25% buyer’s premium) sold tinplate toys in the small Bavarian town of Döhlau.

Rated a museum-quality piece, this rare c.1902 spirit-fired Märklin fire engine led the field at toys specialist Wallis & Wallis (24% buyer’s premium).

This charming early English-style station below was produced for the export market by German toy manufacturer Märklin.

This clockwork monoplane manufactured by Märklin in 1914 was one of numerous early 20th century tin toys made by German manufacturers to celebrate the achievements of the early pioneers of flight.

Rusty, dusty and damaged, but bearing the magic of Marklin, a pre-First World War toy train emerged from the garage at a local house clearance. It starred in a collectors sale at the Cumbrian saleroom of 1818 Auctioneers (20% buyer’s premium inc VAT).