Displays and displaying

Here is my collection of French Dinky military vehicles. Most are in excellent/mint condition with their boxes. I don't have every casting variation, wheel type or box type but hopefully will get them all in time.

Very nice Chris, and a beautiful display cabinet as well. That is a very nice collection you have acquired, and am sure you will be adding some more.Best regards, Terry

Here is my collection of English military Dinky Toys. There is a much greater range than the French military Dinky collection in terms of casting variations, wheel types, wording on the bases and box variations so I have a long way to go to find them all.

Very nice to see some more displays! Great military Dinky collection, Chris, never seen like this. Kind regards, Jan

Hi Chris. What do you think about this one ? Richard

Richard, Great display , how long did it take you to collect all those vehicles? Chris

Chris, Unfortunately, it's not mine ! I found it, ten years ago, in a little village in the Nottingham shire, close Matlock, named ROWSLEY. In a small commercial center, a guy had a toys shop, specialized in little cars. He had a small display with Dinky Toys to sell. Behind the shop, he had two or three rooms which he changed into a kind of museum. Everybody could visit it for 1 or 2 pounds (I don't remember) That's the place where I found these displays. I went several times in this shop, but now, it's closed since two or three years. Kind regards Richard

Browsing some older files of scans and pictures I came across this one, the Japanese collector Noboru Nakajima in his collection room. Now I realize that his very handy booklet 'Model Cars of the World', amply available around 1980, was one of the main reasons and inspiration for me to re-start collecting Dinky Toys in December 1979 and, especially, to take this kind of displaying as an example and goal for the future: a wall full of Dinky Toys. Now, almost four decades later, I am extremely happy to have reached that goal. Besides, this photo, too, made me constantly aware to avoid any overcrowding! Kind regards. Jan

As a collector you always look with full interest at the collection of another and can inspire you enormously. That gives a lot of collectors fun and collectors friendship, both for those who show his collection and those who comes to admire it. At the same time, you also look with interest at the way in which someone else has exhibited his collection and whether you can get any ideas about it. It can inspire you to follow such an example or not. As you yourself say, you want to be careful not to show your models as cramped as you can see on the photo of the Japanese collector Noboru Nakajima in his collection room in your contribution. Because I personally have seen your collection, I can say with full conviction that you have succeeded so far. You have a wide and attractive display of your collection in closed wall display cases. Not in the sun, but with enough (day)light to see everything properly. Museum worthy. You have the disposal of a number of walls where you have the models attractively and spaciously arranged, giving a good and pleasant overview in the type of models that belong together. In addition, you have provided a description for each model. It gives a very calm image and every model is easy to view. I congratulate and compliment you for having achieved this, because that can only be done with great care and passion for the models. You can be proud of this result and that may be said, but as you yourself say: you want to avoid any overcrowding! . Does this statement mean that you have come to a point where your spatial arrangement is almost full and you hardly have room to maintain it in the way that you like? Kind regards, Jan O.

Hi Jan, thanks for your comment. Yes, the more I think of it, the sight of this overwhelming (but admittedly far too crowded) display must really have been my inspiration so many years ago. The contents of my display walls have now reached the stage that I pursued almost 40 years ago indeed, still having the models displayed lengthwise. There is some space capacity remaining, however, before I would have to arrange them 'parking-place wise' (which I will not do). Another 10% as a maximum is acceptable. Keeping in mind that replacing poorer models by excellent models is more important to me nowadays than increasing the number of models, the capacity will do. Besides, I plan/expect to 'complete' my collection with the remaining models on my wishlist within 2-3 years from now and these additions will fit perfectly within that 10% capacity reserve. No, I will not try to add all colours and variants or unusual (and expensive) rarities. It must be a good representation of current models in fine condition. Enough is enough. Kind regards, Jan W

Summer is (almost) over so it's time to resume projects inside the house. This one is a recent embellishment of my displays, with some modest yellow Dinky Toys signs and well-known publicity statements. In the middle the scope of my collecting field: Dinky Toys & Dinky Supertoys, the first 25 years - 1934-1959.

Jan, a very nice embellishment of your displays. Very well done. That bright yellow and red does well on the white background. Kind regards, Jan O.