Ryedale Auctioneers on the hunt as collectors go crazy for Lilliput Lane cottages

The attractive and accurately modelled miniature buildings and chocolate box cottages of Lilliput Lane are instantly recognisable, having been displayed in thousands of homes across the UK since they were first introduced in the early 1980s.

As trends have changed many collectors have relegated their models to the attic or garage but an upsurge in overseas buyers has sent auction prices for Lilliput Lane soaring, with limited edition models frequently fetching hundreds of pounds at auction. Previous collectors are now raiding their storage spaces to find their old collections, turning them into windfalls of cash.

All Lilliput Lane models are based on real buildings, with many being historical or listed buildings.They were very popular in the 1980s and 1990s, and at one point the Lilliput Lane Collectors Club boasted 50,000 members. In the 2010s their popularity waned and the factory closed in 2016.

Valuer Vanya Slater, of Ryedale Auctioneers in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire said: “In the past couple of years Lilliput Lane models have become really popular with Chinese and Korean buyers, who buy the models from us at auction and ship them overseas for their own collections or to resell.

"We’ve been surprised at the high prices some models have achieved, and we recently sold a single limited edition model for £1,000 plus auction fees.”According to Vanya, these are what Lilliput Lane buyers want to see:

• Mint condition models with no colour fading or damage
• Must have their original boxes
• Limited editions, particularly editions with very low numbers
• Larger sized models tend to fetch a premium
• Christmas and winter-themed editions are popular with buyers

To discuss consigning a collection with Ryedale Auctioneers, email [email protected] or call 01751 431 544.