Treasure in the Sandpit: Pedal Cars are Racing up in Value
Global Courier ParcelHero says don’t junk old garden toys, it’s cheaper to ship larger items than you think – and that rusting pedal car could be worth surprising money
The summer holidays are over and it's time to pack away those garden toys for next year, and perhaps take the most damaged to the tip. But before you do that you should check to see if those items could make you some money, advises marketplace fulfilment specialists ParcelHero. ParcelHero’s David Jinks, a collectables expert and former Editor of Model Price Guide, says: ‘People often won’t bother selling relatively low value larger toys because they believe the cost of shipping them will be prohibitive. But in fact sending large items such as old pedal cars or toy prams by courier is a lot cheaper than many people think. And items like old pedal cars can be worth significant sums.’
Says David: ‘If you just take that rusty pedal car to the tip this autumn you might be throwing away a fortune. Some classic designs are worth serious amounts. The sturdy old Austin J40, which was actually made by the car company Austin from 1949 to 1971, is worth thousands today; one is currently selling on eBay for over £4,000 - and an absolutely mint original condition example will fetch even more.’
Continues David: ‘Even a rusting and dented example with missing wheels is worth many hundreds of pounds. And it’s not just classics like the Austin. Any old Tri-ang pedal car that has survived this long will be worth something, even if it’s little more than a pile of rusting remains. Collectors will either bring it back to life or use the remaining parts for spares.’
Reveals David: ‘The ultimate was probably a one-off 1956 Pontiac Club de Mer concept pedal car that recently sold in the US for nearly $34,000 (£22,400). At the other end of the scale it’s not just old metal toys that are collectable. Even some plastic pedal cars can be valuable. A worse-for-wear Noddy plastic pedal car you wouldn’t think twice about throwing out is currently selling on eBay for £100 because it’s already surprisingly rare. And 1990’s battery powered ride-on cars such as Jaguars are also fetching serious money.’
David adds that by being prepared to ship a pedal car to a buyer, sellers can raise more. ‘People will sell items locally, on Gumtree classifieds perhaps, rather than realise greater value on eBay through being prepared to ship the item. Of course shipping such toys would cost a lot if you were to engage a specialist heavy haulier in a dedicated same day delivery, but ParcelHero is the UK’s cheapest courier for large items because we offer an established service at a fraction of the price. We’re up to 60% cheaper than Royal Mail for items over 2kg and we can collect same day for packages under 50kg in weight, and a shipment of up to 50kg costs from just £24.75.’
Concludes David: ‘It’s not just boys' toys that can prove to be the treasure buried in the sandpit. Typical Tri-ang doll’s prams from the 1960s can fetch up to £100, and the Rolls-Royce of doll’s prams, the Silver Cross, can achieve £200 or more, even for 1980’s examples.’
For more information about shipping heavy items see: https://www.parcelhero.com/en-gb/courier-services/large-and-heavy-parcels
For more information please contact David Jinks, Head of PR, on david@parcelhero.com or by phone on 0208 7584962 (07772 055748 out of office hours)
Leading international online courier ParcelHero® strategically partners with the world's leading, logistics companies, including DHL, UPS and DPD to provide a flexible, cost-effective range of parcel delivery services to over 220 countries worldwide. Huge bulk purchasing power allows ParcelHero® to offer highly competitive pricing with no compromise in service quality.
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