I am delighted to have this complete Daktari Gift Set 14 for sale.
This is something that is hard to find these days, the 'big' Daktari Gift Set from 1969. This was expensive at the time as Corgi hoped to cash in on the popularity of its Gift Set 7 by adding revised versions of the Bedford Giraffe Transporter and Kew Fargo Beast Carrier but it didn't sell particularly well and complete sets, never mind boxes are scarce.
Here the Giraffe Transporter is in very nice condition with very good fawn and cream paintwork and an undamaged plastic rear unit with opening ramp. There are a mother and junior giraffe figures included which are original. The mirrors, often missing, are present and intact, with clear screens, later style truck wheels and good tyres.
The Land Rover has very good green and camouflaged paintwork and clear, unmarked screens. This is an early edition with shaped wheels and they have good tyres. There are original animals and characters included: the tiger on the bonnet, doctor seated in the rear with a stethoscope and monkey and the lady character seated on a lion with glasses. The lion's glasses are a replacement part and I have yet to figure out how to attach them so they stay in place.
The Kew Fargo is in good condition infor the blue paintwork and brown carrier section. It has original decals in place and good wheels and tyres. The screens are clear and clean and the ramp folds down. These Kew Fargo models had a strange system to provide suspension which relied upon the transmission shaft being correctly aligned with the axles. This often led to the suspension ceasing to work or the model rocking from side to side but this one is good. The decals are clean too, often these get worn or discoloured. The bonnet also opens but seldom stays upright for long.
The Kew Fargo has the mother and baby elephants which are both originals. The baby elephant is particularly hard to find now as it was easily lost by mothers packing away sets and would often be put in with other sets' animals never to be associated again with the Corgi set. This baby elephant was also unique to this Gift Set, not included in any others. You will often see these sets featuring a different pair of elephants or, possibly one from the Chipperfields Gift set 19 which is not correct.
All the items are displayed in a superb reproduction box made to the highest standards and using the correct type and weight of card and carefully constructed.
This is a magnificent item to have on display. It is not cheap as the components are not all easy to trace and as a complete set this is scarce.