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I've been here for years, just not active. This popped up on OFAS recently.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Dinky- ... 5731.m3795
In my opinion, the seller is trying to intentionally mislead someone. They say "Mint, New in Box"; and then go on to state; hidden deep in the description "Professionally restored in reproduction box". So, put simply FAKE. And $477 is much too high. Compared to the original price of $795 it's such a steal, however! (sarcasm). I wouldn't give more than $50 for it. And, except with rare exceptions, aren't restored toys worth much less than originals? So, that throws the "investment grade" remark out the window.

''Professionally restored'' actually means...restored to a professional standard but Professionally restored Dinky Toys do not really have a place in the collecting community unless models are 'Restored' by owners to bring them back to a displayable condition as a gap filler until the genuine examples can be sourced.

No matter how rare the original castings may have been, they are not worth the sort of asking price shown in your ebay link by simply being repainted or re-trimmed to factory finish.

If the three models chosen for the set were the very last examples in existance on planet earth, then maybe after being restored, they may be worth some serious money!

Ghosthunter.

I don’t know whether they’re worth the asking price, but I don’t think there’s any intent to deceive. Right next to the picture it says “professionally restored” And then it says it twice more, once in red, a bit further down, as well as saying the box is a reproduction. Seems honest to me.

These restored models and reconstructed boxes are a work of art and really stunning!  I don't see anything about any of his/her sales that seem designed to confuse or that could be construed as attempting to deceive about what these sets are.  Beautiful work and I would love to be able to afford to own one of those sets.

When you visit any museum which displays historic items or any historic structure you are viewing restored, repaired and reconditioned things from the past. It's with thanks and appreciation to those who labor over all these things that we can have history to view and appreciate today.  

This set is wonderful and I would love to have it! You think the Record Breaking set was expensive, this one is nearly three times as much!

That is also one set I would love to own Joe.

If "fake models" were worthless I guess all of the MICA reproductions should be worthless or at best worth very little. But that's not the case. These models are not fake, they are original models that have been expertly restored and placed in expertly done reproduction boxes. If altering a model from it's original as made configuration and placing in a reproduction box is making a fake, then again, all the MICA Code 2 models should be worthless. They are not. The difference between a Code 2 model and a Code 3 is a piece of paper that, in essence, says: "We don't care what you do with our model's paint or logos." I see some double standards with the thinking about what is a fake and what isn't.