Original toy boxes in good condition are sometimes worth more than the toys inside, a toys specialist has revealed.

The point was made by Halls’ toys specialist Stewart Orr after seeing a lot containing four space related boxed toys associated with Dan Dare and Dr Who sell for £620 at the company’s toys auction in Shrewsbury last week. A group of six empty Dinky and Supertoy Boxes also made £200.

“Boxed toys associated with Dan Dare are avidly collected because of the nature of the artwork,” said Mr Orr. “These toys had very colourful, classic boxes, which were in immaculate condition, whereas the toys themselves were very disappointing by comparison.

“All vintage space toys, such as flying saucers and rockets, are very collectable, but we have never sold Dan Dare items for this much before.

“In many cases, the original box can be worth more than the toy itself. For example I took in a batch of boxed Dinky and Supertoys models to sell only to discover that they had been overpainted, which reduced their value greatly.

“I took the decision to sell the original boxes separately to the models and it paid off, as the group of six empty boxes sold for £200. It’s a fact that only five out of every 100 Dinky models will survive in perfect condition and usually the first thing to be damaged is the box.”

A collection of around 100 Merrythought Teddy Bears and animal figures made in Ironbridge sold for £1,000. The collection, which included some prototypes, belonged to an elderly Shropshire woman who worked for the teddy bear maker for around 40 years and has recently moved into residential care home.

Rare Matchbox Toys models, which were consigned by a Shrewsbury collector, included a first issue Ford Zodiac Convertible model in its correct box, which sold for £200.

“The first issue model had a brown interior, which was quite different to all the later models and made it very sought after by collectors,” explained Mr Orr.

Similarly, a Matchbox Field Car model fitted with rare green hubs and a boxed Matchbox American Ford Station Wagon sold for £170 each. A group of 18 unboxed Dinky vehicles made £270 and the first Airfix kit assembled model of a Ferguson Tractor, which dated to around 1948, sold for £100.

In the model trains section, an entry from a Telford vendor attracted keen attention. An 0 gauge Whistler diesel locomotive by Skytrex made £230, a group of three Marklin and one HAG boxed locomotives sold for £180 and a model of a Great Western Railway Class 57 0 gauge locomotive by Tower Brass made £190.

The auction also included the second part of a huge collection of 1:50 scale model WSI Collectable limited edition articulated trucks, owned by a retired Shropshire lorry driver, who began collecting in the 1960s. Best price from the collection was £280 for a group of four models.