Huge hoard of matchbox toy cars that took half a century to collect goes up for sale at huge price

A huge collection of matchbox cars that took almost 50 years to build has gone up for sale at a staggering price.

Artist Terry Kneeshaw started his Regular Wheels collection, which now numbers 450 matchbox-shaped cars, back in the 1970s.

His life’s work pays special attention to the artwork on each case from type A to F, as well as model series one to 75.

Now one of Britain’s largest collections of Matchbox toys, including several colors and rare editions, is up for grabs for the steep price of £21,000.

With the help of Vectis Auction House, the artist is selling his 50-year-old collection so he can move on to new projects.

The collection of 450 pieces will be auctioned for between £16,000 and £21,000.

Terry, a native of Darlington, began collecting matchbox cars because he was attracted to the artwork on their boxes.

“I loved the paintings that came together in the boxes,” he said: “And I have some very, very rare ones.”

‘I started collecting variants and it became an obsession.

He added: “For many people the cars are the most important part of the collection, but for me, as an artist, the most important thing was the photographs.

‘So when I collected, I collected all types of boxes.

‘You might see that you have three of the same car but I would collect each box A, each box B, each box C and so on.

‘I collected them as sets, as a series of boxes, rather than as cars.

‘It was an unusual way of collecting. But that’s me, I enjoyed it.”

Although he has loved “every minute” of growing his unique collection over the past 50 years, he believes now is the perfect time to call it a day.

“I’m retired now, but I have a new mantra in life: Don’t retire, hire again,” he joked.

“I ask for another thirty years to do a completely new project.”