Signature Store director Andrew Francis shares his investment tips

When it comes to slot cars, there’s no brand as big as Scalextric, and that’s created an interesting niche in the collectibles market. Toys have long-since been a collectible item. Perhaps it’s because of re-living childhood memories or finally getting something we always wanted that was out of reach. But either way, Scalextric will likely have been a big part of most car enthusiasts’ youth.

Starting with the classics, very early Scalextric cars were made of tin and are in demand, but they’ve become show items in the main and the conditions vary wildly. It’s a similar story with older boxed sets of cars and tracks, such as the 1970s or ’80s ones themed around Le Mans or F1. In many cases the products themselves will have degraded, so chances are they won’t work or will have become unreliable. It will of course still have value, but not as much as you’d think.

What Scalextric is doing though is currently making special editions. These are modern products, essentially scale models, with all the digital bells and whistles that come with new and improved sets. Every year a small number of boxed sets are released – Ford GT, Shelby Cobra, classic F1 rivals or even Jagermeister BMW touring cars. These are a different product, not really meant to be played with because they’re produced in high detail. Plus, they’re very cool – the sort of thing I’d buy and display, even though I don’t have a track!

There’s also a lot of low-volume unofficial efforts out there, where people take a chassis and re-body it to be a unique slot car. I’ve seen everything from Jaguar XJ220s to Austin Maestros. While quality varies, they still have an appeal and value.

It’s a broad market, but there is one tip that remains constant: keep the box, and keep it nice!

Andrew Francis is director at The Signature Store, thesignaturestore.co.uk