A category for the advanced collector: Presentation- & Giftsets for the 1-75 Series from 1959 to 1969. These sets were very expensive back then and therefore mostly only "gifted" for sprecial occasions like birthdays or christmas. And in most cases the outer giftsetbox was thrown away rather soon because it was the content that counted. Lesney's giftsetboxes in the 60's have set standards for graphic design that is still often unmatched today.
The "Presentation Sets" offered in 1959 were Lesney's first ever Giftsets. These "PS"-sets were only sold in 1959, in 1960 the design was changed dramatically and the sets were renamed "Gift Sets". The ( unfortunaly made from rather flimsy cardboard ) Presentation Set boxes were designed as a oversized "MATCHBOX" box with an similar design as the standard boxes from that period. The top lid was made foldable and could be used to create a small display to "present" the models. Unfortunaly this could only be done a few times before the boxes started to came apart and so most of these sets which are survived to today are damaged and having loose or missing top lids. Boxes in very good condition are rare and command very high prices.
From 1960 onwards Lesney named their sets "Giftsets". The 1960-61 issues are packed in large slide-out boxes with cover illustrations depicting the included models with similar graphics as on the standard series boxes, red & black line drawings. All 1960 sets are having the "A MOKO LESNEY" phrase shown on the front cover illustrations, that was changed to just "A LESNEY" in 1961 similar to the boxes from the 1-75 series.
From 1962 onwards the giftsets were packed in large cardboard boxes with colour illustrations of the models ( "D" tyy boxes ) and from 1963 on with fantastic background illustrations ( "E" type boxes ) which are the most attractive illustrations ever made for toys, todays designers should be ashamed of what Lesney did in the 60's! At that time Lesney started to put additional accessories in the sets to enhance the play value of sets like the large "Motorway" and "Race Track" set which makes these sets rare and expensive when still found today complete with all these additional accessories.
From 1966 onwards Lesney used shrinkwrapped boxes which enabled the customer to see the included models before buying the set. Naturally the shrinkwrap was destroyed first after the purchase and that makes set's which are untouched and still shrink- wrapped hard to find these days. All these shrinkwrapped sets were sold with an plain grey outer cardboard protective sleeve, these rather uninteresting looking transport sleeves are sought after by giftset collectors.