THE good news is that your childhood toy cars and spaceships could be worth a bob or two.

But the bad news is if you ever took them out of the box and actually played with them, the chances of them making you rich are seriously diminished.

The past few years have seen a dramatic increase in the level of interest in die-cast toys, according to Andrew Reed, cataloguer for Vectis Auctions.

Vectis, based in Thornaby, near Stockton, is one of the world's largest specialists in die-cast toys - models made by Corgi, Matchbox and Dinky.

He said: "For some people it is collecting something that was part of their childhood.

"But sometimes it is just what appeals to an individual that can make it worth a lot of money."

The increasing demand for the toys, as well as the increasing prices, has prompted more people to search their attics.

"It is surprising how many times you go to look at a collection and there is a crate of toys that are still in their original boxes," Mr Reed said.

At one time, almost every child had a model Batmobile, but they can still fetch between £150 and £400, depending on condition.

Rarer toys include a Morris Minor from the late 1950s, originally bought for 2s 6d and now going for about £3,500.

Eagle Freighters from the Space 1999 series sell for about £100, with the highest prices for the blue and white models.

Thunderbird Two models were originally painted green, but it is the blue version which is more appealing to collectors and so has the higher value, about £250.

And Vectis sold a 1964 gold James Bond Aston Martin earlier this year for £820.

Pre-war Dinky toys are prone to metal fatigue and can still fetch high prices, even if they are not in good condition.

But for most toys, unless they have their original box and are in pristine condition, they are unlikely to be worth much.

"Eight times out of ten it had to be in good condition to be worth something," Mr Reed said.

"Although a box of 100 toys that are only worth £4 or £5 each could still make a bit of money.