A large single owner collection of Nazi toys sold at Vectis Auctions in Thornaby, UK on March 25.

It belonged to collector Richard Wilkinson, who began acquiring the lots during the 1930s. They included representations of Hitler, SS troops and military vehicles. 

The collection belonged to US businessman Richard Wilkinson

Simon Clark, a spokesman for Vectis, explained to the BBC prior to the sale: "People do ask how can we sell these things, but the fact is they are a part of history.

"They may certainly be from an unpalatable period but we cannot just take out and keep the pieces of history that we like, it doesn't matter if it's nice history or not, it still needs to be remembered.

"We are not glorifying it, we are just presenting it for what it is…

"They were incredibly accurate to the real things, the vehicles looked like the real versions, so did the guns, so there is a real historical interest in them as representations of the real world. It is an unusual collection, it is not everyday you see something like this."

A Tipp & Co Model WH 915 radio truck was among the highlights, achieving £580 ($857).

The trade in Nazi memorabilia remains highly controversial but Malcolm Fisher, a UK based militaria dealer, said that neo-Nazis were not representative of the market: "Nazi cranks go to websites run by other cranks and buy things like T-shirts.

"Those interested in these highly desirable items will be genuine toy collectors and specialists - they are after all made of glue and sawdust," he told the BBC.

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