Toy soldiers, marbles, lunchboxes score big in Morphy's $1.8M Toys & General Collectibles Auction

DENVER, Pa. - June 9, 2026 - PRLog -- A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card and a circa-1893 W Britains Germanic boxed set of royal fusilier soldiers brought identical selling prices of $51,660 to share top lot honors in Morphy's Toys & General Collectibles auction held June 2nd and 3rd. The sale was packed with 1,362 lots of rare and desirable antique and vintage toys and totaled more than $1.8 million.

The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card, an absolute must-have for serious sports memorabilia collectors, was a recent find from a 50-year collection and had not yet been submitted for grading. However, the card displayed well, with strong color and corners, and the centering was fantastic for a Mantle card from this elusive year of production. The selling price of $51,660 was within estimate.

The W Britains Germanic boxed set of royal fusiliers is one of the best sets of Britains known -- so important that James Opie pictured the set on the cover of The Great Book of Britains. This is the only known boxed example and its condition was outstanding. The set contained eight foot figures and a mounted officer. The final selling price of $51,660 easily bested the high estimate of $15,000.

That wasn't the only Britains set to make the list of top lots. A first-version 275-piece set of W Britains' Types of the British Army No. 131 lead toy soldiers, which included both cavalry and infantry figures, was housed in a wooden box measuring 45½ inches by 24 inches by 6 inches, with two trays that could be lifted out. The set changed hands for $41,820, which was within estimate.

Leading the way in the marbles category was a Christensen Agate No. 1 guinea box set containing five blue base guineas, seven amber guineas, and 13 clear base, nine of which were cyclone guineas. "This was the best box set of guineas we have seen," Dan Morphy said. "The marbles were hand-selected to make this special grouping of killer examples." The set brought a record $49,200.

A stunning circa-1974 Leonard TTV metal Underdog lunchbox in fantastic condition, showing some extremely mild surface scratches but still nearly mint overall, found a new home for $22,140, nearly tripling the $8,000 high estimate. The Thermos-Sew brand Thermos wasn't original to the lunchbox.

To discuss consigning to a future Toys & General Collectibles Auction, or other auction hosted by Morphy's, call Dan Morphy at 877-968-8880 or email info@morphyauctions.com. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential, and there is never an obligation to consign. Online: www.morphyauctions.com.