ACTION Men and Star Wars figures were the big draws at a vintage toy fair held at the County Ground.

Buyers and sellers came to meet collectors at the Swindon Toy and Train Fair to swap rare pieces of toy history and enjoy a bit of nostalgia from their childhood.

Collector Tim Norris-Jones, from Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, said: “It’s nice to see a few bits in the flesh – it’s more fun that buying on the internet.

He told the Adver he reckoned he had up to 400 mint condition Corgi cars from the 1960s and early ‘70s and managed to pick up a 1974 Corgi car catalogue to go with his collection.

“From around 1956 to the early 70s, that was their halcyon era,” he added.

“I think they’re little works of art, they’re too good to be toy cars. They’re beautifully made, they have moving parts on them, and I need a boost to my pension scheme.

“The ephemera is also worth lots of money, it’s quality that sells.”

Organiser Ronnie Davies, who founded Retro Ronnie Fairs with Tim Pearson in January 2014, said: “It’s been cracking. We opened at 8am to the traders and we were really busy from about nine onwards.

“You get people coming here for the nostalgia of the British toy trade, it was a massive world-wide industry at one time.

“For the collectors it’s usually driven by what they had when they were younger.”

Favourites at the fair this year, like most years, were Star Wars and Action Man figures.

“They’re both toys which move across generations,” added Ronnie. “Traditional toys like trains, they tend to be passed on from father to son.”

David Lebec, who has collected more than 300 Action Man which he displays at home, added: “I loved it as a child and I used to play with it the most.

"There were a lot of Action Man at the start of the day and helicopters and things, and they’ve all gone.”

Dealer Abid Khan, from Retro Collectables in Bristol, said: “It’s mainly for nostalgia. People used to own lots of these toys and they realise they can own it again.

“Some people are also buying toys as investments, if they’ve got savings, they’re not going to earn a lot of interest.

“But to be honest I’m not sure why people get their collections. We went to one guys house and he only collected ice cream vans. He had thousands in his home.

“This is quite a busy little fair for Swindon. We all have a good laugh. Some of us have known each other for 25 years.

“You should see David’s Action Man collection, - it’s like being in Woolworths in the ‘60s and 70s.”