Dealers' display cabinets

wow, so good to see all the different display cabinets, seen only a few not seen most so good to record. I to collect all the ephemra that relates to the Meccano company and in particular the Dinky ephemera. I do have three of the octaginal display but each slightly damaged, the plastic is very brital, especialy the black corner strips. There are two different tops pictured and I have an example of each. Not sure of the date these were used but guess mid 60's as the models sugest. All the best to all David

This Lines Brothers display with the anomalous Jaguar illustration appears to be their first U.S. effort, which indeed means that it dates to 1964. The other Lines Brothers displays that I illustrated appear to be from slightly later (1965?) based on the fact that several of the models have increased in price.

I have two of the octagonal displays, pictured here. Yes, the black plastic corner strips are quite brittle. Also, the yellow tape around the top tends to become brittle and perish easily. (Dealers could obtain this tape separately and use it to decorate their own shelves.) I believe the octagonal displays that I have were first released around 1967, but I know for a fact that they were still being used in 1971 (when I obtained my first one directly from the distributor). These displays also continued to be used post-1971, after Airfix had purchased Meccano Ltd., but the Dinky logos on them were changed to the later style, and the coloring was predominantly orange and black. As can be seen, one of mine does not have its original sign. Fortunately, I was able to obtain a rare 'motor show' sign to put on it -- anachronistic since it comes from 1963 -- so it does not so incomplete.

Jonathan. Thank you very much for elaborating these dealer displays by country and time and sharing this with us.I can add a folder below from Lines Bros regarding a display filled with Dinky Toys. The list with Dinky Toys in the dispay is included and I myself date it to about 1964. It is notable that No. 674 is not listed as Austin Champ, but Army Jeep.Displays were apparently often sold with a complete content of Dinky Toys. If the entire contents of Dinky Toys were purchased, a display was included for free.Also a letter from AVA International Inc dated August 1975, addressed to a dealer in Livonia, Michigan regarding Dinky Toys displays and added an order form from AVA International Inc. dated February 1, 1975 with in the bottom right corner prices of 4 display cabinets referring to the model numbers on the blue AVA display leaflets above.Jan Oldenhuis

A Conpendium of Dealer Displays I recently sent an email to several DTCA members with pictures of Dinky dealer displays I have collected, and some information about them. (That is, I've collected the pictures -- though I have collected some of the displays too!) Their enthusiastic response convinced me that this should be shared with all Forum members. Some of these displays have already been shown on the Forum in this or other threads, so forgive the duplication! Others have not, however. And if any members have encountered displays that I have not pictured, kindly add them to the thread. As will be shown, there was a wide variety of dealer displays supplied by Meccano Ltd. In addition, because of the expense of shipping, U.S. and Canadian retailers tended to use locally produced displays rather than the ones shipped from England. (There were exceptions to this, however.) First, here again is the 1957 Dinky Sales Aids Flyer showing typical English displays of the 1950s. U.S.A displays of the 1950s I am unaware of any of the displays shown in Meccano Ltds Sales Aids flyer having been used in the U.S.A., though I cant prove it never happened. What is certain is that U.S. distributor H. Hudson Dobson produced its own displays and also promoted them in its advertising. Canadian displays of the 1950s and 60s I know a lot less about Canadian displays of the 1950s, and its definitely possible they made more use of displays imported from Britain. However, surviving Canadian displays from the 50s and early 60s were locally produced.They are typically stepped displays made of blond wood with white shelves and a glass cover. (This contrasts with the H.H.D. displays, which appear to have had no dust protection for the models.) These displays were offered in the single-width version I show first, as well as a massive double-width version and another version with integral drawers below. They all feature signage that looks as if it was painted by hand, a centered Dinky Toys logo at the bottom, and the indent at the top allowing for the glass to be pried up with a finger. The display below must date from 1966 or 1967, since it advertises the 'Big 6' -- the six Hong Kong-made American cars that had been derived from Spot-On tooling. Later in the 1960s very professional-looking displays appeared in Canadian shops, featuring glass shelves and internal illumination. They were available as a free-standing unit, or in a version with shelves below. Without any way to know for certain, I presume these were again Canadian-made, since it appears shipping would have been prohibitive. U.S.A. displays 1960-1962 Following the unfortunate closing down of H. Hudson Dobson, many U.S. toy stores probably kept using their existing displays. This was a confused period, with multiple regional distributors in the U.S. and Dinky Toys becoming hard to get. One of the distributors, Keyston Brothers, devised a cylindrical display that was used by them as well as some of the other distributors. I personally remember seeing this display in a toy store, circa 1961. U.K displays early 1960s For whatever reason, Meccano Ltd. was experimenting with a wide variety of displays in the early 1960s. Most can be recognized by the arrow emblem that was employed (per Meccano Magazine advertising) from March 1963 to June 1965. The open display with flags on top (pictured in the first image below thanks to David Busfield) seems to come from this period too, since this is when the 'Always Something New' slogan first appeared. It is unique among all displays in being marked 'property of Meccano Ltd.' -- strange when displays usually seem to have been sold outright to Dinky stockists. Most of these displays were probably U.K.-only, but they could be exported if small enough. For example, the flagged display cropped up in the U.S.A. via at least one distributor. During this period Meccano Ltd. unusually promoted Dinky Toys to girls, with displays advertising A Motor Show for Girls and Boys. I have pictured several such displays here, but there was also a free-standing, rotating display with this slogan. (I own a sign that came from the top of one.) Canadian-style stepped displays were also offered in Britain: The case below was made from vacuum-formed plastic; thus it was light but easily breakable. Gilbert (U.S.A 1963) Meccano Ltd.s one-year arrangement for Dinky Toys distribution with the moribund Gilbert company resulted in a selection of co-branded display cases. In addition to the upright and stepped cases pictured below, there was a rotating rectangular case I have been unable to find a picture of (but recall seeing in person at a Sears, Roebuck department store). Later 1960s cases (U.K.) In the years following the Lines Brothers buyout, Binns Road turned to offering display cases that were mostly made of plastic. These cases were significantly lighter and relatively easy to ship, and therefore turned up in a variety of export markets. (The French had their own equivalents, branded Meccano-Triang.) Lines Brothers displays (U.S.A., mid 1960s) In a period I still wince to remember, Lines Brothers took over U.S. distribution from 1964 on, and Dinky Toys became harder and harder to find. Operating with a reduced sales force, Lines Brothers spurned small toy and hobby stores, and preferred to deal with large department stores. Adding insult to injury, it decided to pare down the variety of Dinky Toys that would be sold in the U.S. U.S.A. displays 1971-1979 In Lines Brothers hands, imports of Dinky Toys dwindled to almost nothing. Following the 1971 purchase of Meccano Ltd. by Airfix, however, U.S. imports of Dinky Toys began again, first by Covell Management of California and then by Texas-based AVA. These new importers first used the British-made octagonal and cruciform stands pictured earlier. These were eventually modified to incorporate an orange-and-black color scheme and the new-style Dinky logo. AVA then commissioned its own display cases, massive weighty affairs with glass shelves and fluorescent lighting. Eventually, AVA was purchased by Airfix and became known as Airfix U.S.A. Most Dinky stockists retained their large AVA cases the large ones are a major challenge to move. The final known U.S. display was a self-service design offering a simplified range of models. French Displays <div> What I do not have is many pictures of French displays, since they are rarer to find on the web. Many of the displays are shown in JMRs last book (published by Atlas) and in Claude Wagners book on Meccano France publicity, but I am uncomfortable with scanning images from copyrighted books. (In addition, many of the images in the Wagner book have unfortunately been reproduced with poor resolution.)</div> <div> </div> <div> Most of the French displays were unique to France, but in the late 60s Dinky France offered octagonal and cruciform cases made of plastic that look very similar to the Liverpool items, and may have been produced in the same factory.</div> <div> </div> <div> It is interesting that during that period, the French emblazoned Meccano Triang both on the toys themselves and the displays. In Britain, the factory was of course also owned by Lines Brothers/Triang, but Triang was never mentioned. I presume this is because in the UK, Meccano and Triang maintained separate sales forces and Meccano considered itself a cut above.</div> [img]/images/sites/default/files/u187/IMG_3455.jpeg' /> [img]/images/sites/default/files/u187/DSC_8923_3f5a6d2c-0ba2-470a-8eb8-2ddf0ab37dc3_DxO.jpg[/img] [img]/images/sites/default/files/u187/IMG_3479.jpeg' />

And now for something completely different .... ... If I may be permitted an excursion, after the work of assembling all the DInky Toys displays. In 1963 and 1964, the Midway Company of Chicago, USA produced two different pinball machines that employed Dinky race cars. 'Raceway' and 'Winner' had similar backboards (as the display area at the rear is called) but different playing fields. In both cases, the cars would move around the track as the players scored points. As you'll see, both machines featured colorful graphics that illustrated the Dinky Toys. I first encountered one of these machines as a child a few years later, at which time the racing cars themselves had long since disappeared from the shops. I did not have either of the models and wished that I could liberate them from their servitude, though they were already sun-faded ....

Here is my collection of pictures of displays : First some improved photos of displays already seen above : animated display This is an un-opened display like the one above. Rotating display for card trays. a picture of this display with a few models would be welcomed. 1973Now some of the British small card board displays, There must be more but I have not found them yet. 1938 19?? 19?? 1968 1969 649 395 1976 19?? and now the French displays all together : Tinplate display with electric light 110 or 220 V. 1937 1938 probably a single one made for an exhibition 1955 1955 1956 1959 hey italiano 1960 collection Vincent Espinasse 1961 This is a trade box used as a display. It is the only one of this kind, the other Dinky Junior must have been packed in heat shrink film. 1961 1965 It is the same as the British one except that the header card and the cellotape around the top are in French 1968 This one is very peculiar. 1965 There must be more but where ?

Wonderful additions, Jacques! I think that we have now pictured almost all official dealer cabinets, though I will not be surprised if more crop up. I believe the 'As Seen On TV' display is from 1964. A close look shows models such as the Bedford TK Tipper and Vega Major Luxury Coach which were new that year. Now if only the TV film itself, featuring this beautiful, ambitious model of a motorway service area, could be found! Meantime your display described as 'rotating display for card trays' is missing the sign that should be on top, and is certainly earlier than 1973. It does not have the newer Dinky logo, and appears to be made for holding the crystal boxes that had been discontinued. I would date it as being from 1966 or 1967 at a guess.

Johnnyangel's photos of the Midway pinball machines brought back long-forgotten memories for me. In the summer of 1967, our family had a holiday on a large caravan site at Gronant, near Prestatyn in North Wales. Near the site entrance was a small amusement arcade - which contained one of the 'Raceway' machines. At the time, I wasn't very interested in it - I already had the two racers in my collection, but more so in a large coin-operated slot-car style scenic racetrack in a large glass cabinet, around which were dozens of vintage Minic tinplate and a few older Dinky Toy vehicles. The caravan site is still there, but the amusements have gone, replaced by a small camp shop, proprietor of which has no knowledge of what went before.

Recently some one wrote above that the double arrow Dinky logo was like the clearway sign. As far as I know, this is the only clearway sign. It was unknown on the continent until about three years ago and now it is used everywhere as a no parking sign.

To me the double-arrow Dinky logo always more remsembled the signs indicating a motorway (autoroute). These were still a pretty new and glamorous thing in the UK in 1963, hence a logical thing to catch the interest of children. Meanwhile, following up on my efforts to date this logo via Meccano Magazines, I also note that the only Dinky catalogues on which it appeared were the 1963 edition (US/Canada) and 1964 edition (UK/Italy/South Africa/probably others). Given that it was around for approximately a year, it is amazing how many varieties of store display in my list featured it. Dinky did return to using an arrow logo, but only for this window sign released in 1972.

As far as I could find in Meccano Magazine, the double arrow was used in Meccano Dinky Toys advertisements from March 1963 through June 1965.The double arrow also appeared on many Gift Sets from that period. Photo by courtesy of Vectis Auctions. And also on my 289 Routemaster box.Jan O.