We often hear the comment . . . “This has been in the family for 100 years and I’ve no-one to leave it to; I just want it to go to a good home”. Well, I think we all realise that when something finds its way into an auction house, a charity shop or similar facility, there is no way of knowing where that pre-loved treasure is going to end up. You might get lucky and it finds a really good home, but equally, the chances are it’s going to a dealer who is hoping to make a quick buck on the deal with no interest whatsoever where it finishes up.
Last Monday’s auction included lot 499, a truly one-of-a-kind, exhibition-grade N-gauge model railway layout, created by acclaimed Devon modeller and engineer Graham Goodchild. Completed in 2016 after an extraordinary 3,000 hours of meticulous work over six years, this scenic layout stands as a showcase of master craftsmanship and technical ingenuity.
We, at British Toy Auctions, all felt that it deserved to be on display somewhere for people to see and admire – we even considered buying it ourselves, but unfortunately our reception area is too small to accommodate this miniature masterpiece.
So, it proceeded to auction to take its chances, and we are delighted to report that it actually has gone to a very good home . . . to a museum in the UK.
