Action men and Barbie girls were in seventh heaven at a West Cumbrian auction.

Mitchells, in Cockermouth, held its first vintage and antique toy auction on Saturday and its success means more will be held in the future.

Action Man, Sindy and Barbie took the sale by storm, fetching astonishing prices way beyond their estimates.

Online bidding was extremely lively with 163 people registered to bid from all over the world which resulted in just over half the lots selling to the internet.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises was lot 172, a collection of vintage Action Man outfits and accessories still in their original packaging.

With an estimate of only £40-60 there were several bidders for this lot on the internet, which eventually sold for £800.

The dolls themselves also sold well, particularly a collection of boxed dolls including Mary Quant, Dawn Majorettes and Dizzy Daisy which sold for £480 and five boxed Pedigree Sindy dolls which made £280.

Swedish-made Lundby doll’s house furniture from the late 50s and 60s in their original packaging were similarly stand-out lots from Saturday’s sale.

Though the dolls, accessories and outfits brought in high prices, lots of diecast and model vehicles also attracted attention in the saleroom and on the internet.

The highest selling lot of the day was a box of mixed diecast vehicles and wind-up toys, which finally sold for £980.

A box of military diecast vehicles was also one of the highest selling lots of the day, when it went for £380.

Before Saturday’s sale, it was the life-sized Dalek in black & silver, built from scratch and wired for sound, that captured the attention of bidders.

Expected to make between £400 to £600, it didn’t disappoint. After a bidding war between the internet and the telephone, it eventually sold for £680.

Both the model railways and the Airfix kits made respectable prices.

The boxed lots of Verlinden and Tamiya, especially, which sold for £110 and £55.

The several lots of unopened 1/72 scale Airfix kits also proved to be popular.