It has been Bondtastic fun over the last few weeks. Christie’s auctioneers hosted a celebratory sale of rare and iconic items from all the James Bond Films including the rather tight pair of swimming trunks worn by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale which sold for a staggering £44,450 and An Aston Martin DBS driven by Craig in Quantum of Solace fetching £241,250. Global Bond Day took place on 5^th October  with worldwide homage being paid to special agent 007 and now we are all packing the cinemas and enjoying the latest movie offering ‘Skyfall’ which is the 23^rd incarnation of Bond and has been voted as the best ever!

As Bond has grown in popularity over the decades so has the interest in associated memorabilia with rare items dating to the 1960s now worth a premium, so to celebrate here are my top three vintage Bond collectable items.

1. The Triang Underwater Battle Game released in conjunction with the 1965 film ‘Thunderball’ Bond’s fourth movie starring Sean Connery this game is a rare find especially if in undamaged and complete condition as it is worth £1,000. According to collector Daryl Burchmore (who kindly brought his huge collection of Bond Memorabilia to the ITV This Morning studios for me when I presented a Bond Collectables segment) Film Director, Quentin Tarantino owns one of these rare Bond battle games.
2. Corgi 261 Aston Martin DB5 Corgi Diecast models have also been associated with the James Bond franchise since 1962 and have over the years released many models of 007’s various cars. The most treasured of all being the DB5 which first appeared in the 1964 movie ‘Goldfinger’ and went on to appear in eight other movies, including the latest film ‘Skyfall.’ The original 1960s Corgi 261 Aston Martin DB5 from ‘Goldfinger’ has special features including machine guns, bullet proof rear shield and the ejector seat and if in original box with all accessories can be worth £80-£100 whilst the silver bodied 270 model with instructions, lapel badge, plates etc I have seen sell for £600.
3. First Edition Ian Fleming Bond Books(www.peterharrington.co.uk )  – a specialised market but a very interesting one collecting first edition books is rapidly on the rise as they really are a wise investment. It is recommended that you only buy from a reputable book dealer and never purchase first edition books off of internet auction sites. Condition really does determine the value, as does the colour pigment of the Dust jacket, condition and colour of the spine, whether the book is signed or inscribed by the author and of course the print run.

I was privileged to handle three Bond First Editions when presenting on This Morning, with the rarest being a first edition, first impression presentation copy of 1959 ‘Goldfinger’ from Fleming to Raymond Chandler, with Fleming’s signed presentation inscription to the front free endpaper “To Ray [Chandler] With much affection from Ian.” The dust jacket being my most favourite of all the bond books depicting the skull and rose designed by Richard Chopping, this rare book is worth £80,000. www.peterharrington.co.uk/store/modern-literature/product/goldfinger-12 but do not despair as if your pockets aren’t as deep you can still buy First Edition James Bond books from as little as £250.

Although vintage memorabilia is eagerly snapped up by Bond enthusiasts there is also an abundance of enticing modern merchandise that is definitely worth investing in. In fact for those that are just starting out as Bond collectors this is the perfect place to begin.

1. Taschen James Bond Archives Book (red cover) – £135 – Limited edition print run of 10,000 This stunning book comes with restored Dr. No film strip and includes photographs and information on all of the 23 films. There is also an Art Edition being released which has a gold cover is signed by Daniel Craig and has hand numbered drawings by Bond set artist Ken Adams. Limited to just 500 copies it retails at £650. www.taschen.com
2. Scalextric James Bond Skyfall set – £119.99 and Micro Scalextric Skyfall Set – £44.99 Both due for release on 9^th November 2012 these wonderful boys toys are perfect for any  budding Bond enthusiast and are sure to rise in value over the coming years as long as you can stop yourself from playing with them too much. https://www.scalextric.com/search/?q=skyfall+
3. James Bond Skyfall Corgi DB5 Diecast model – £14.99 Corgi has created yet another replica model of the official Bond ‘Skyfall’ movie car, the Aston Martin DB5 for its collectors and as we know they tend to increase in value really quickly its worth getting your hands on one. Although sadly they have already sold out on www.corgi.co.uk so its internet auctions for this superb piece of Bond memorabilia.