Monte Carlo Gift Set 38. Very valuable cardboard.

These three arrived on Monday and will be on their way to Church Gresley before long as a collector friend has already reserved them! These are three really nice examples of the 321, 322 and 323 models from 1966 which also comprised the Monte Carlo Gift Set 38.

The Rover is near perfect with just one small chip in the front bumper but a lovely shine to the gorgeous deep cherry paintwork. It has always been one of my favourite models. When I packed all my old models away many years ago the Rover was one I kept out to put on a desk or window ledge but, strangely, it disappeared at about the same time as I started doing this catalogue thing. I found another but reluctantly sold that and then found two more. One, with a few chips, has been sold but the other very good one I am hanging on to. This one, however, is the best I've seen for a while. It really shouldn't have the PLY 922 registration but that can be taken off.

The Citroen has a wonderful fresh look to its paintwork and is virtually unmarked with its original aerial still in place. Many have lost theirs! It has a slight crack in the rear screen but that is not very obvious.

The Mini has a small chip in the roof and its Racing No. 52 transfers have cracked. It is, otherwise, in excellent condition.

These three in an original Gift Set 38 box seem to be one of the collectors' favourites, making prices in excess of £2000! I might dream of coming across a decent original box one day but would probably have to wait a very long time indeed! Instead, there are one or two suppliers who offer reproduction boxes and inner display plinths. I am unsure of their quality, though, and would be interested to know who has bought any and what they have been like. One I've seen advertised looks as though it has been scanned from a somewhat crushed original.

I shall not now need the box for these three but I do have another set which I might put in a replacement box once I have established which is the best to buy. It may not add a fortune to the overall value - indeed it will only add the cost, £20-£30, to the value - but it might add a bit more to their appeal.

Looking at the prices the original sets make, I reckon that original box could be worth not far short of £2000 on its own!! Does that make it the most valuable of all of them? They do seem to make higher prices than even the rare military items and The Avengers, Bond etc. which is a little surprising.