Prices & values
There are two different ideas here: a historical UK price guide from 2020, and how to judge what a piece might fetch now. The first is an archive. The second is a way of thinking.
UK bands at 2020 levels
The figures below are a historical reference from collector material compiled around 2020. They are not current market prices and should not be quoted as what a piece is “worth today”.
| Band | 2020 UK indication |
|---|---|
| 5 | The most frequently seen pieces — typically the lower end of the market. |
| 4 | Common but a step up in desirability or size. |
| 3 | Mid-range collector pieces. |
| 2 | Scarcer models, often in the low hundreds of pounds in 2020. |
| 1 | The top of that guide — including pieces talked about at £500 and above in 2020. |
The original lists also used an A–E rarity scale (A the scarcest, E the most often found). This catalogue maps that scale onto four labels so cards stay simple: A and B as Rare, C as Scarce, D as Uncommon, E as Common. A dash in the source list means rarity was not given — we do not guess “Common”.
Those rarity letters and 2020 value bands were not imported as today’s asking prices. Browse the catalogue for the model; treat any old band as context only.
Rarity is not the same as price
- Rarity is not value. A scarce model nobody wants can stall; a common rabbit in a loved glaze can sell quickly.
- Condition matters. Chips, cracks, restoration and heavy wear move the price more than a letter grade.
- Colour and finish matter. Matt, gloss, cellulose and unusual colourways are not priced the same.
- Demand changes. Fashions among collectors move. What was hot in 2020 may not be now.
- Country affects prices. UK, European and overseas markets do not always agree.
- Original packaging can matter when it survives, which is rare.
- Auction prices can mislead — a quiet room and a bidding war are not the same data point.
- Recent sold prices (not asking prices) are the better guide to current conditions.