I found a pair of Minic toys...

A few years ago, I had to sell many models from my collection, as a matter of fact, there's not much remaining of the models there's nothing left from the articles published before 2018 but the Birk yellow Bus I had the chance to buy back a few years after I had sold it.

An early Dinky Toys 24h

This one came from California after a long long swap, the former collector and I were both very found of this 24h. He used to own it for several decades but didn't really recall where and when he purchased it. At the time he didn't even know how rare this copy was (and still is). I first saw it on a web forum, and I couldn't believe it, a real 1934 24h with the early Tootsietoy type hubs finished in the same colour as the body and base painted on the upper side only.

24f Sportsman Coupé & Franco-British blend

In the last article, I showed a rather interesting 24f. This reference will have been manufactured with three different body including in fact four variations in casting...

The indisputable truth about the grilles of the Dinky Toys Series 24

Sue and Mike Richardson, made a mistake in the late 70's about the 24 series grille chronology. For some reason I don't know, they believed that the French grille (aka diamond grille), was the very first one manufactured at Binn's rd. This information is still sometime copied and can be found here and there in articles, books or listing on eBay or auction sales.

Dinky Toys 24c : Bright Lights, Big City

having already a copy of a Royal blue Town Coupé, I considered skipping this one at an auction recently. There was a few other very interesting models and as the prices were going a bit high, to make sure I'd be able to purchase those other models, I left this one.
After all it only was the same model with different grille and hubs, wasn't it ?

Dinky Toys 24g : On the other side

Living in France should have allowing me to get many incredible pre-war French Dinkies... Well I don't know if there were much more models made on the other side of the Channel, but during those past years I came accross many top British models for so few french ones.

They are so hard to get in near perfect condition that I quickly quit trying to collect them, for the benefit of their Liverpudlian counterparts.

A few months ago I've been involved in a long deal with a very long time collector, I had some very special pre-war French Plaster & Flour and Lead models, and part of that exchange was this incredible French 24g Four seater tourer finished in grey over deep red chassis.

Dinky Toys 24c : From Town to the City

It's really been a very very long time since I didn't had the time to write anything on that blog. So much has happened in those few years... In fact I had to sell my whole collection and finally became a vintage toys professional dealer, which is cool but when I have to sell pre-war models...

I recently had the chance to come accross some wonderful Dinkies that I'm glad to present here.

On the beach

I've always brought some models in my luggage on holidays generally the favorites of the period. This time I took some pictures while I was on the beach...

Flared Wings V/S Rounded Wings

The two main books about Minic are quiet confusing about the first and second series. Sue Richardson in her 1981 self published book writes that flared wings came first but in his book "The Minic book" published by New Cavendish in 1987, Peter Bartok claims that rounded wings came first.

So basically, one of the two authors was wrong about that question but which one ?

Minic 34M : Open tourer with passengers

I think the only way to see a Shell petrol can on the running board of a flared wing is to find a 34M Open Tourer with passengers. Indeed, on all other cars I've seen with flared wings, there was no can. It may partially be explained by the fact that most of them might be from the first series (1935-1936). As the tin petrol can appeared on the 2nd series as well as the rounded wings, it could easily be said that the matrix wouldn't allow to set a can on the flared wings unlike the rounded ones. 

DC Peugeot 302 : Love is blue

Picture taken from Vincent's Auto jaune
blog, my father's model was like the
the bottom one.

When I was a little boy I used to fancy light blue model cars.

I remember my dad had two models which I use to like a lot, a sedan Peugeot 402 mase of 'Plaster & Flour" made by J.R.D. in the thirties, and a light blue Citroën 15-6 by Norev from the late fifties (in fact the rarest issue as they were normally issued in black or grey only).

Minic 58ME Daimler sunshine saloon with electric headlamps and battery : I see the light

 From all the Minic line, the electric ones are the top collector items, they were more expensive than the others at the time and they still are. I've been told by Parisian shop keeper Vincent Espinasse some MIB sedancas had sell for 1500 euro in the late eighty's; at the time it was a very huge price, it would be something between 3000 and 4000 euro. In fact prices have dropped rather than increase and even if their price are the same than ten years ago, the cost of living increases year after year and that's a good thing for collectors.

Dinky Toys 25F Market Gardener's Van 1934

From the early years of production, this lovely example of the Market gardener's van has got the very first tin radiator grille type.

Introduced in 1934 the model shown here could be from 1935 as it's fitted with blue smooth hubs, the first issues having the Tootsietoys style hubs this one might be a later first type issue.

Minic 7M town coupé : Chocolate city connection

The town coupé was miscalled cabriolet in the first Meccano magazine ads in 1935. The name were reversed between the cabriolet and the town coupé. The original colours announced by Tri-ang were Ivory and green with plated mudguards, which is confusing, one could infer that two tone bodies could have been made, in fact it must be understood ivory or green. The first is what has been called Beige on the tags glued on the flaps of the boxes, regarding the green color, unfortunately I do not know what is the exact tone. Red with Ivory mudguards must be the deep red close to the burgundy used on the £100 Ford.

Minic 4M cabriolet : I can hear the grass grow

From the Second series introduced in 1936, this splendid cabriolet (originally miscalled town coupé) in two tone green has got, on the running board, the lovely tin Shell petrol can which made these models famous.
This is a rare  colour scheme, a two tone blue exist also seen twice in auctions. The first colours given by Tri-ang where new blue with plated wings, light brown with black wings and ivory with red wings.

40M Minic Mechanical horse and trailer with cases : From London to Bombay

I recently got into Minic's.
I had seen some examples at the Galerie du jouet ancien in Paris several years ago when the owner had bought a collection of pre-war models in Brittany. There were of course several Dinky toys, Tootsietoys, some rare Taylor & Barrett and other slush cast from both sides of the Atlantic.

Waiting for the bus

Surfing on the internet, I suddenly discovered there has been a life in the north... I'm terribly ashamed, I must admit I had once or twice been told about danish toys, but except for some Tekno which I didn't really like, I had seen nothing until this incredibly stupendous bus from the Metallo K.A. Birk company.

Where everything started

God bless America and the Dowst industry...

Tootsietoy their toys brand was the first to produce O gauge model cars with grille, base & body assembly and rubber tyres, those where the first diecast models.

The Dinky toys resulted from this assembly system, it is said that Frank Hornby copied without the authorization which prevented the export of his miniatures to the USA until 1945.

It is in 1933 that Tootsietoys launched by agreement with Graham Paige the Blue Streak, available in several versions, four bodies were made using one or two spare wheels and three of them were also provided with a touch of tan on the roof simulating a soft convertible top.

Dinky 24g Tourer

Switzerland and Belgium despite their common boundaries with France, imported more british Dinky toys than French ones. In the fifties those countries even had special catalogues with both sides of the pond's material.

Carter Paterson covered wagon

I got both at the same period last autumn. First the black hubs one which I acquired from an eighty years old english boy on the  internet. This used to be one of the best pieces of his collection. And... indeed, it's a very nice one, really fresh with hardly minor scuffs. The decals are intact and despite a part of the hook missing and a small crack at the cabin, it's free of any fatigue...

Dinky 24g Tourer

Introduced in 1934 with the seven other models of the glorious 24th serie, the tourer (aka four seater), reproduces perfectly the spirit of the pre war sport car which  remained untill the MG T was deleted in the 50's

That 24g is believed to be based upon the Morris Sports special Four-Seat relaesed in 1934 althoug it's commonly admitted that the 24 serie never tried to reproduce existing cars, therefore one can imagine everything about the brand of this one.

Ovaltine for health

This was my first original delivery van, as many others I got it from eBay, pre war Dinky toys rarely come in the shops in France...

Another van ...

... Came in with the Crawford's biscuits van. I think I won't have any words to describe my feelings when I held this one in my hands, after a speed dating with a picture I 'd felt in love "at first sight". But when I received it, I couldn't believe my eyes, super bright color, free wheeling (which is in fact quiet rare for an almost eighty years old Dinky toy), decals on the top and ... Blue hubs !!! Yes you know how to make me sell my soul now.

As the Crawford's biscuit van, it comes from a #28/2 trade box (I'll write something about trade boxes soon), and had a "long life" from the early 1935 to late 1939. It's an impressive exemple in a really near mint condition, the mix of the colours is just splendid...

The original Pickfords removals van

I recently had the chance of buying a very rare original Pickfords van... 

Introduced in early 1935, available by june but discontinued in the early weeks of 1936, the reference 28b Pickfords van was soon replaced by the new 28b Seccotine van. Available in february 1936 the Seccotine van stood until the third casting in 1939...