Preproduction Samples and Mock-ups

While viewing some old pictures I downloaded from eBay 10 years ago, I came across the following. Other members may have better quality images of these as well as other mock-ups. Does anyone know who the eBay seller was?

The seller was Chris Wade from Liverpool. His mother bought a second hand puzzle from a charity shop in Liverpool but on opening the box, it contained fourteen Dinky Toys mock-up. A tractor was added to the Brockhouse trailer and a ladder to the unknown fire engine, the lot was presented in a case as seen on this picture. As Chris is not a collector, he had the lot auctioned by Bonhams, it was won by Jean Marie Gianni from Paris for what I think was a very low price. The fire engine still remains to be identified, after a long discussion on TMT and contact with the Liverpool Fire Brigade we still do not know what the prototype for this model is. Jacques.

Great find.The Bedford Van and the Car Transporter are in my collection

So Gianni sold them again.

If the original collection was bought by Jean Marie Gianni as a set in a carry case, my photographs came from six eBay auctions in December 2004 so that confirms that he did dispose of most if not all of them at that time and most likely 'Finja' was the successful bidder for two at that time. If I only knew then what I know now!! Bruce

A pity/shame that these historic models have been scattered too, this is no commerce, this is heritage. How to get them all together again? The only solution I see is that the present owners show us much better photos than the rather poor ones published so far, and made from as many points of view as possible. Even two of them deserve a well illustrated article on their own, here or in print. Finja? Kind regards, Jan

The mock-ups and the pre-production samples are two different things. Wooden mock-up of the Studebaker Commander ref 24 Y. Note that this car is the 1953 type, the production Dinky Toys is the type 1954. Cr

janwerner wrote: 'A pity/shame that these historic models have been scattered too, this is no commerce, this is heritage. How to get them all together again? The only solution I see is that the present owners show us much better photos than the rather poor ones published so far, and made from as many points of view as possible. Even two of them deserve a well illustrated article on their own, here or in print. Finja? Kind regards, Jan' Interesting to see that the final comment on my introductory post is of the rather poor images published so far, without considering the fact that 10 years ago, I had the foresight to copy the photographs that appeared on the eBay auctions. Had I not done so, and then put those images onto the DTCA site this discussion would not be taking place. There was another image of a wooden mock-up that was posted on another thread. Anyone going to transfer a copy to this thread?

Bruce, If you want me to transfer a picture, please either send me the picture or tell me on which thread it is. Jacques.

Hi Bruce, I'm not sure if I fully understand what you mean to comment, but that may be my language problem. The only thing I can add is that of course virtually all mock-up photos ever shown anywhere have been recorded by many of us. I count some 60 in my own image folders. We had quite a few published, and discussions about them on other forums (indeed, not on the DTCA yet, because that was non-existent or just starting then). As I am concerned, it's rather the problem of the average limited quality and many one-sided views of them. In my opinion they have mostly been made in order to sell and not to help research, which would demand much more views and details to be shown. Kind regards, Jan

I have sympathy with Bruce. Thinking he is saying he has gone to the trouble of capturing the pictures and all he gets is disappointment at the quality of them. Anything is better than nothing and they look ok.Thank you for capturing them Bruce ( ps. I used to subscribe to your Dinky newsletter!). Regards, Finja

Hi Bruce and Finja, I guess we have a communication problem. If so, I'm sorry for raising confusion, my attitude is positive, as always. I am not disappointed in Bruce's pictures, but apparently I am not capable of exactly explaining my point. Let it be so ... Kind regards, Jan