How your classic childhood toys could be worth a small fortune

When children across the country unwrap their presents on Christmas Day, family members will be left counting the cost of the latest expensive toys and gadgets.

According to NPD Group, a shopping research firm, the average child aged 11 will receive toys worth £110 this Christmas.  That might sound steep, but the youngsters of today may be unknowingly playing with tomorrow’s valuable collectables, which could command far higher prices in decades to come. 

Childhood toys from the Forties, Fifties, Sixties and later now attract huge sums at auction as collectors try to snap up their old favourites.

Whether it is toy cars, dolls or action figures, toy dealing has become a serious business and the...