Hey Diddle Diddle Nursery Rhyme set by Phillip Segal, $10,000 (£7700) at Old Toy Soldier Auctions.
They were made by the Hampshire firm in two brief periods before and after the Second World War from 1938-39 and from 1947-51 when Segal died.
The charming nursery rhyme series covers the characters in many of the best-known children’s poems or songs including the Old Woman who lived in a Show, Humpty Dumpty, The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood. All are considered rare in good condition but the set for Hey Diddle Diddle has become something of a grail item in the collecting hobby.
Featuring four large figures – the Cat and the Fiddle, the Cow who jumped over the Moon, the Little Dog and the Dish who ran away with the Spoon – the only surviving full set is one pictured on the front cover of a past issue of Old Toy Soldier Magazine.
Unboxed but in good condition, it came for sale as part of the John Cullen Dimestore collection at Old Toy Soldier Auctions in Pittsburgh on July 12. It was estimated to sell for $4000-6000 by sold to an internet bidder via the LiveAuctioneers platform at a cool £10,000 (£7700) plus 23% buyer’s premium.
