Did you say "professional"? - Univers Autojaune

Discover a selection of models that will be on sale this week from tomorrow Monday September 15, 2025 until Thursday September 18 on our website AUTOJAUNE COLLECTION

en vente cette semaine: Spot On – ERF 68 G plateau avec chargement de planches de bois 109:2P – Corgi Toys – Volkswagen truck with trailer &Cooper GS6 – Spot On – coffret TOMMY SPOT at home 801 – Spot On AEC Major 8 plateau London brick company avec chargement de briques 110/02

i remember ...

…that in Great Britain, in the 1990s and 2010s, toy exchanges were held in medium-sized towns. I dared to make a comparison with the English football championship, and I called these events “second division” exchanges. They took place on Saturdays and often preceded the “first division” exchanges, which took place on Sundays, such as at the NEC in Birmingham, Donnington on the circuit, or Pickett’s Lock in the northern suburbs of London.

Our English friends even organized events during the week, in a suburban pub, a rural school hall, or a town hall in need of events. I, of course, saw them as “third division” exchanges. This was before the advent of the internet. I often participated in exchanges held the day before major events. I subscribed to the “Collector’s Gazette,” and depending on the schedule, I could take a ferry very early in the morning, sometimes into the night, to arrive at the opening on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. I was young and full of energy.

These small fairs served as a warm-up before the big day. I even sometimes held two in the same day, as long as they were on the way to Birmingham or Donnington. Other French collectors, Jean-Bernard Sarthe and Jean-Michel Roulet, did so before me.

I particularly liked the one in Maidstone, a suburb southeast of London, perfect for us continentals, an hour’s drive from Dover. I particularly remember one Saturday when a local enthusiast and specialist dealer in Corgi Toys and Spot On rented about ten tables on which he placed his entire collection of plastic toys made in Hong Kong: he was moving to Australia and was selling them.

Lincoln studebaker golden Hawk police Collection AUTOJAUNE

Lucky Toys Merryweather pompier Collection AutoJaune

A fan of beautiful Corgi Toys and new-in-box Spot Ons, he took the opposite approach by bringing together this incredible disparate collection, with garish color combinations, almost bordering on bad taste.

Clifford extraordinaire copie du Commer Écurie Ecosse Collection AutoJaune

The latter was not lacking in humor and hilariously presented his incredible display. At that time, in Great Britain, these objects were of little interest to many people. Only a few enthusiasts, like Mr. Dufour or myself, looked at them with questioning and respect.

Their commonality was that the vast majority of them were more or less faithfully inspired by models produced by major European manufacturers. They could have been scaled down to 1:75 or enlarged to 1:32 or even 1:24.

Sometimes, they combined elements inspired by two different manufacturers, like the Berliet TBO from OK, which borrowed the tractor from Norev and the car transporter from Politoys…! Or this fabulous set entitled “Safari,” where Lucky, the manufacturer, drew inspiration from the Land Rover Matcbox enlarged to 1:38, and the Corgi-Toys livestock trailer, also reproduced in 1:38.

Lucky toys Land Rover safari Collection AUTOJAUNE

The Asian manufacturer then swapped Corgi Toys’ pigs for an original hippo and rhino transport, all decorated with a decal “borrowed” from Mercury! I assure you, the box is a creation. I have never seen so many Hong Kong models at once! While talking with this English dealer, I understood that his friends took a malicious pleasure in finding some for him… it had become a game between them and him, these toys were worthless at the time. Last detail, he had them all with their box! I can still see the crowded tables, covered with hundreds of models.

modèle en vente cette semaine : Clifford – Land Rover 109 pick up bâché avec van à chevaux 434

modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Land Rover 109 pick up bâché avec van GS2

This week we have a few examples. The Clifford Land Rover with its horsebox is inspired by the Corgi Toys one. It is much more sensible than the one described above with its hippopotamus and rhinoceros. We are at the beginning of production, the plastic is of good quality and the finishes, grille and bumpers are made of chrome-plated plastic. I think this type of product was the starting point for this collection. A Corgi Toys enthusiast, he must have found it fun to build a collection of copies. I admit that it is also this collecting angle that motivated my acquisitions. The Jaguar E-Type, also offered, found its inspiration at Tekno.

modèle en vente cette semaine : Hong-Kong – Jaguar Type E avec hard top 6124

With the Jaguar XJ6 from Petrel, we enter the excess and the offbeat side of this collection. The “Pop” box, the apricot color, unexpected for a luxury sedan, contributes to the pleasure of ownership. The car is very well reproduced.

modèle en vente cette semaine : Petrel – Jaguar XJ6 9168

What about the “pop” Ford Capri from Scarlet Products, inspired by Dinky Toys? We are entering another aspect of this collection. I am indeed convinced that there were, as today, only two or three manufacturing units in Asia and that the markings on the boxes or chassis are in fact those of distributors. The Petrel firm only distributed on the American market. You can find the same model, the Ford Capri, under another name, but in another country. There is another possible case with these Asian products: creations. They are generally located in the 1950s, at the beginning of this Asian wave.

modèle en vente cette semaine : Scarlet Products – Ford Capri Pop A1

This week we have for sale an elegant Rolls Royce Silver Cloud from KN and a superb Jaguar XK120 from OK. Observe the rear bumpers, the treatment of the windshield… it’s fine and faithful

modèle en vente cette semaine : OK – Jaguar XK120 cabriolet

This miniature was designed by someone with extensive experience in the art of reproducing the volumes and shapes of a car. This manufacturer also offers a Triumph TR2 in the same vein. In this type of product, everyone must set their own criteria: originality, excess, and reproduction quality. Prices skyrocketed a few years ago, and I often think back to this collection when I see the amount of some transactions. At that time, low purchase cost was the primary acquisition criterion. Prices have finally become reasonable again. Everything is back to normal. Treat yourself, because finding them in good condition is far from easy.

the merchant

This week we have a nice selection of Mebetoys. Here too, the market had taken off. With the help of the crisis, the amount of transactions has calmed down. So much the better, I dare say. As professionals, we must look ahead and think about the sustainability of our business. These excesses only last for a while. We sometimes receive quite surprising customer comments. Recently, an American enthusiast found that we had sold an item for a small fee. He explained that on the other side of the Atlantic, this item was worth nearly three times the price we had sold it for. I told him that as a dealer, we had the courage to set a resale price. We must respect it. It is easy and always tempting to put our products up for auction and to play off competition between enthusiasts to get a better price for the items. It’s another way of doing things, and I sometimes participate in it as a buyer. But, I have never put an item in an auction room, considering that by essence my job as a trader consists of knowing how to buy at price A and resell at price B. Knowing how to set a resale price is part of my expertise. The purchase price is an important element in setting the resale price. It is not the only one of course, but if it is interesting, it allows me to benefit the customer and build loyalty. This has been going on for more than 42 years.

modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Lamborghini Urraco P250 A47

modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Lamborghini Urraco SP250 A47

The Mebetoys on sale this week are part of the end of a very large Italian collection. Once you’ve invested, it’s easier to reduce resale prices. This week, you’ll have a nice selection of Mebetoys at reasonable prices. Some may find that it’s still too expensive for their wallets, I hear and understand the comment perfectly. In this collection we had Mebetoys from all generations. I’m seeing a growing interest in the boxes from the mid-seventies, with their cardboard base and thermoformed bubble. Their lower price is perhaps a factor in their appeal. We also have some rare colors this week, such as the white Lamborghini Urraco, the electric blue Maserati Frua, or the metallic red Alfa Romeo Duetto.

Modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Maserati Mistral Frua A10

Modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys-Alfa-Romeo-Duetto-A18.

Through this collection, I discovered the great diversity of Mebetoys boxes. It is clear that production was significant. I would like to draw your attention to the models bearing old references, such as this Fiat 850, the very one that started the Mebetoys adventure, sold in the early seventies in a box with a white plastic base and a crystal plastic lid. The colors of the models are specific and also correspond to this transition period.

modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Fiat 850 berline A1

Hispanic

Let’s continue with three rare products made in Spain, but all three designed outside its borders.

Let me explain. We were under the Franco regime. As in many countries, after the war, the trade balance had to be carefully monitored, and imports of non-essential products were heavily taxed. The idea was to promote local industry and labor.

A few European manufacturers eager to establish themselves in Spain signed trade agreements, such as Meccano France with Poch, and Solido with Dalia. Tekno, linked to Solido through the reciprocal distribution of their range, took advantage of Solido’s agreement with Dalia to follow in the French company’s footsteps in Spain. This agreement involved sending the bodies and accessories to Spain. The models were then painted and assembled there and received a specific box with Spanish lettering, of course. They were distributed locally, often significantly cheaper than the “originals” in their country of origin. A joke of life, these models are now all significantly more expensive than the “originals”! The world is upside down! It must be said that at the time, few people thought of acquiring them. Enthusiasts preferred the originals.

This week we have three rare pieces. A Ferrari 156 from Dalia. The rarity of Dalias is measured by their limited number of color variations, a consequence of a short production run. This Ferrari is one of them. I only know of three variations.

modèle en vente cette semaine : Dalia – Ferrari 156 monoplace 1572

The Ford Mustang Tekno produced in Spain by Dalia is also a small rarity. The box is essential for this type of product. Note the chassis color specific to the Spanish production as well as a host of small details, including the shade of red very different from the Danish version. Note that there are at least two different boxes. This is the very first one, made entirely of cardboard and illustrated with photos.

modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno- Dalia – Ford Mustang cabriolet 833

The third piece is a case in point. Did Jefe de Valencia rent the molds for a short period from Lion Car in the Netherlands? I was told it was for three months. What the Dutch didn’t anticipate was that the Spanish would, during this period, run the tooling at full capacity without stopping to assemble the models. They would return the tooling in a very worn state, and only after it was returned would they begin assembling the models.

We have a beautiful DKW3/6. I dare say the finish is superior to the Dutch model. All the paint details are original.

modèle en vente cette semaine : Lion Toys – DKW 3:6

My favorite is this Solido display.

My favorite is this Solido display. Like many fans, I’m drawn to this type of accessory that showcases the brand’s miniatures by recreating the atmosphere of old-fashioned toy stores. The advantage of this display is its small footprint. It can easily be positioned in a window. The slogan “A new product per month” on the display takes us back to a time when waiting was part of the pleasure of novelty.