New arrivals

Greetings all you lucky fellows with their collections proudly displayed - even if space has become a problem. Never mind the space, use the rotation system. Send half out to me on loan, and problem is solved - temporarily! Just think how lucky you are that you actually have your collection on display. There are those who are reading these comments who do not have the same problem of space. Then there are those, this writer for instance, who do not have the luxury of being permitted to place one's collection on display anyway! Wish this house had space for a Man Cave! Here is the solution to my problem: 840 900 Keep them in four air-tight plastic lidded bins and the collection is safe from one's spouse, sticky beaks and little urchins with grubby fingers! At least I do have the luxury of looking at the photographs taken of each one as well as I can get them out when nobody else is around! I do have a number sitting on my computer desk that keep me company for a time and then these are replaced with others. Right now I have six 139a/170 Ford Fordor Sedans keeping an eye on things as well as my 344 Estate Car with spun hubs. Sorry Jan etal - I really like that model, and surprise, surprise, my first Dinky arrived in 1949 so I am of a similar vintage to those who think otherwise! I digress - like Richard, I really like the MG as well, Jonathon. Nice catch. Bruce H. (150) 20170429/1085/2236

Dave What can one say! You have picked up an excellent, diverse lot. You are especally fortunate with that Studebaker - an extremely difficult colour to obtain in any condition. Congratulations, and I can well imagine how you must feel, just waiting for that parcel to arrive! Like you, I am also an expectant Dinky collector! Just waiting for a number of acquisitions, a 170 Ford Fordor Sedan 'Highline' in pink and blue coming from the States, and another parcel from the UK containing two very special lots plus others. The 170 is of interest with perished white tyres and an early 170 box which does not have the later two-tone colour scheme drawings. I am hopeful that after a little careful cleaning it will come up a little better. Pictures of the 170 and the special ones are below. Kind regards Bruce H. (150) 20170429/1086/2358

I recently acquired another camouflaged 151b Transport Wagon. I was very surprised to find that I was the only bidder for this item and so managed to get it for a very small amount. These camouflaged items were only found in the Mechanized Army Set 156 which were specially made for the London toyshop Hamleys, for Christmas 1940. They were never advertised in a Dinky catalogue, but only in a Hamleys advertisement. Although this one is missing the tinplate insert and the canopy it still has its original small ribbed tyres. One thing I did notice was that there is a hole in the base of the rear tray and when I took the tinplate insert out of the other one I find that it also had the hole. I then looked at my example of the 161a Lorry with Searchlight, which is also pre-war, I found that this had a painting circle, so the hole was filled in. This must have been done about 1940-41. Chris

Hello Bruce, Two very rare acquisitions! I think the yellow Singer Vogue is one of the rarest post war Dinky cars. The 25x Breakdown Lorry trade box I have never seen before. It is very rare indeed! As the first individual 25x boxes do not carry any labels, it makes you think. Why was the trade box replaced by individual packing after such a short period? It did not happen with the trade box for the 25m Bedford Tipper, the 25w Bedford Truck or the 25v Refuse Wagon. Were the 25x models too heavy or too high for a trade box? Were the models damaged during transport? Was the individual 25x box introduced so fast, that there was no sufficient time to develop a label? As far a I know all other individual post war boxes have a label. Perhaps anyone knows a liitle more about this subject. Congratulations on your new additions, Bruce. I have added the 25x trade box to my wish list!! Kind regards, Rob

Hello Bruce, Here is a picture of the base plate of the dark blue Atlantic. It shows short front axle supports, for comparison a pink Atlantic with full length axle support is shown alongside. The dark blue Atlantic comes from the large train lay.out owned by the grandfather of the seller. Sofar I bought 34 Dinky Toys from this seller, including some rare variations. The grandfather was a railway enigineer, who also worked in South Africa and Rhodesia during the fifties. He died in the seventies and the Dinky Toys spend 40 years in boxes on a loft. The dark blue Atlantic could be a colour trial. Could even be South African. The only thing I know for sure that it is not repainted. Kind regards, Rob

Hello Rob You are 100% correct on both accounts. The yellow 145 Singer Vogue is indeed an extremely uncommon post-war model. The competition I experienced during that auction bore that one out! It irks me to learn of a Dinky collector down south in New South Wales, having a near mint and boxed example!! The 25x trade box is a very strange fellow, with the only reference I have seen being in Ramsay's British Diecast Model Toys Catalogue, in the latest 15th Edition, page127 it states 'first issues in trade boxes of four then individually in orange card boxes.'. To be honest, I thought Ramsay's mention of a trade box was the figment of someone's imagination! Based on Inspection Stamps I have gathered, it appears as if BOTH BOXES were used simultaneously, if Ramsay is correct, as I have a large collection of stamped data on the base of the first plain orange box and these start in August 1950, the month before the model was released. In fact, all the plain orange boxes carries an inspection date of 850 (August 1950) with two in September 1950 with at least four initials of inspectors. One then has to wonder why Meccano issued the 25x in two different styles of boxes, one with the model in its own box and the other being sold unboxed (except possibly the last model as the sole inhabitant in the trade box. I am therefore very much looking forward to the arrival of my auction winnings from this auction house to see what the Inspection data has on the base of the box. One possible explanation is that the orange box was late in coming with Meccano falling back to a trade box, as it appears the box has a label pasted on at least one end. The plain orange box is also unique in that it does bear the hallmarks of something rushed. I have made a note that this trade box is on your wish list! Perhaps in time we can come to an agreeable arrangement if by then you are still on the hunt for one! Thank you Rob for noticing my Post, as I was starting to wonder if anyone has read it! Kind regards Bruce H. (150) 20170205/1087/1929

Bruce, you are right, I should count my blessings for how much of my collection is actually on display! Also, if I could find a place for another display case, I would not need spousal permission. Rotating my display is unfortunately not an option because the poor models are so crammed in on each shelf they are practically touching one another -- with my poor vision and unsteady fingers, the risk of damage would be too great. That yellow Singer is indeed quite the find -- I have never seen one! Meantime I have acquired one more model, though not a Dinky. It is the Premier Jeep, pictured here with the Dinky that so obviously inspired it.

Johnny-interesting Jeep comparison. What is the brand name of the 'not Dinky' Jeep and in which country is it made? it's just not good visible on the pictures. Many thanks. Regards, Jan Oldenhuis.

Jan, I did mention the brand (Premier) but without further explanation! This copy was made in Japan. According to Jacques' Dinky Toys Encyclopedia, they made four other Dinky copies: an Armoured Personnel Carrier, a Scout Car, a Austin Champ, and a Centurion Tank. My Jeep came without a box, but here's a picture of what the box would have looked like:

Here are some photos of some of the other Premier copies of Dinky Toys. The first photos show the Premier models by themselves, and then with the Dinky Toy that they were copied from. The Premier Centurion Tank has a completely differnt turret from the Dinky, with the ability to fire 'shells' through the barrel. It also has all the road wheels, which would have been nice to see on the Dinky. The other models vary in detail from the Dinky Toy but are on the whole good copies. I do not have an example of the Premier Austin Champ. Chris.

While on the subject of Dinky Toy copies here are a couple more by Kemlow. They were mainly known for their range of railway accessories, but did make a small range of military toys. The Bedford truck (or 3-ton Army Wagon) is a good copy of the Dinky toy but does not have a spare wheel under the tray. The ammunition limber is completely different from the Dinky model but the 25pdr gun is reasonably similar. The Armoured Car is also a good copy of the Dinky toy but has no base. Chris

Hi Chris, very interesting information and pictures of these Premier copies of Dinky Toys. In order not to get 'lost' in this 'New Arrivals' thread, you might consider to open a thread dedicated to this brand in the Other topics>Other diecast models section. Kind regards, Jan