990 Pullmore Car Transporter Set (1956-58)

A superb set and what rare condition. Any child who got given this set would have been very fortunate. Still the bright two tone cars, rare enough themselves, make the transporter look almost dowdy. I have just three Pullmore transporters now, the first bought box less and pre loved in the bazaar in Ankara, Turkey.

Morning Dave K (and Al K.) This Post is also incomplete. I wish now that I had retained a copy when I first Posted it! (I am doing that now with all my Posts just in case the unimaginable will happen with this new site!) Kind regards Bruce (150) 23 December 2015

For those who may be slightly interested, my Post Number 5 above is incomplete, and in the words I made on another incomplete Post in the 900 Site Building Set topic, the missing part most likely became 'a victim of some sort of 'electronic conspiracy' before or during the transfer process from the old website to this site.' The following is that Post in its entirety: Greetings Adrian The Best Man won!! The story behind your set is very unique. Possibly it was wrapped, hidden and then forgotten and no doubt his nephew received a different Dinky Toy for that Christmas! Although how anyone can forget something that cost 2/10/6 is difficult to believe! With something a little cheaper, the same happened to me. I bought a 'Little Miss Make-up' for my youngest daughter in 1990 or 1991 with she being about 7 or 8 years of age, stored it in the garage for 'safe-keeping', where it stayed until I had a clean-up in 2011. By then she was a little too old to be given it, so it has been hidden again if she has a daughter! Continuing with your excellent treatise there was very little, if any fanfare from Meccano with the 990 Gift Set. It was indeed an expensive set in any man's language, as in Australia it was priced at 2/10/6. Just why Meccano priced the set at 1/8/11 in the UK when one could buy the five models individually for the same amount is strange to say the least. (982 17/11, 154 2/6, 156 3/-, 161 2/6 and 162 3/-) The wholesale price of the set in the United Kingdom was 16/2. It may not have been all that popular, apart from it being the highest priced Gift Set available at that time, for the simple fact that it would have been one present, rather than five that could be wrapped individually! Not to mention that the recipient may already have had examples of the four cars. Unique colour schemes for all four cars could have been a better selling point, although the paint run would have to have been great, but surplus could have been sold later. Anyway that is all conjecture like most things dealing with Dinky Toys. From a marketing point of view the set did not make much sense, and no wonder it was only around for two or so years. Of course it was a stop-gap set of a transporter that was already showing its age until the more modern 983/984/985 Car Carrier and Trailer arrived in July 1958 and had established themselves. This may account for the lack of publicity, although with no mention of the set in Meccano Magazine, when Meccano owned that publication is strange, when one would have thought this would have been an excellent vehicle in which to promote and sell this set, at no great cost. The date of introduction is still somewhat cloudy, as the 990 Gift Set is listed in the Meccano Toys of Quality leaflet, although dated 1st February 1957 it has the print code of 16/157/100M, (January 1957). It is therefore possible the set could have been available in time for Christmas 1956. The last leaflet appearance of the 990 Gift Set in my collection was the Meccano Toys of Quality price list with a date of December 1958, with print details of 16/1258/70 (6th Printing). The various price leaflets in January 1959 16/159/100 for the UK and 16/159/6 for Australia do not include the 990 Gift Set. 800 483 If I thought the 990 Gift Set was expensive in Australia at 2/10/6 just look at the price of the 983 Car Carrier and Trailer without any cars! A whopping 3/10/-!! In the UK, it was priced at a mere 1/18/6!! Kind regards Bruce (150)20160305/823/0247