Life-size Dalek signed by Doctor Who stars could fetch £3,000 at auction
The towering, working Doctor Who monster bears signatures from five stars and is expected to raise thousands for the 12-year-old daughter of late collector Tim Pollard.
A life-size Dalek is set to EXTERMINATE its £3,000 estimate when the terrifying Doctor Who villain goes under the hammer – with the proceeds helping a grieving schoolgirl.
The 170cm (5ft 6in) sci-fi monster boasts motors, joystick controls and signatures from five names linked to the legendary BBC series. It was part of an extraordinary collection belonging to Tim Pollard, who died from cancer aged 61 last year.
The Dalek is expected to fetch between £2,000 and £3,000 when it goes up for sale at Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall, Derbyshire, next Thursday, October 22. But fans could send the price soaring for the working replica, which bears autographs from Nicholas Briggs, the voice of the Daleks, Terry Molloy, who played their creator Davros, plus Barnaby Edwards, Jon Davey and Dan Starkey.
Most poignantly, every penny raised will go towards the care of Tim's 12-year-old daughter. The youngster suffered another devastating loss in 2017, when her mum, Sally Pollard, died from breast cancer aged just 39. Tim's father-in-law, Stephen Plummer, revealed the scale of the late collector's passion, saying his home had been packed “floor to ceiling” with collections, now moved into secure storage ahead of a series of auctions.
Auctioneer Charles Hanson said the Dalek was exactly the kind of object that made auctions fascinating, thanks to its personality, history and links to a television institution loved by generations. “A working Dalek is certainly not something you come across every day,” he added.
Pollard's treasure trove stretches far beyond Doctor Who, encompassing Gerry Anderson creations, Star Wars and Star Trek memorabilia, fantasy role-playing games, board war games and African artefacts. A rare, limited-edition 44-inch studio-scale Eagle Transporter from Space: 1999 is due to be auctioned next February, while his collection of Zulu artefacts is scheduled for sale on November 25.
Pollard began collecting in the 1980s while working in the gaming industry, including spells with Games Workshop and Citadel Miniatures in Nottingham. He was also a familiar face locally as Robin Hood, a role he took on in 1996 before later appearing alongside Sally as Maid Marian. The couple married in 2016. After losing Sally, he raised thousands of pounds for breast cancer charities in her memory. Now, his remarkable collection could help secure his daughter's future.