Why do we collect? Of course there are many reasons, but I think a prime motivator is being able, as a “grownup”, to obtain something that was scarce when you were a child.
Maybe you grew up in early postwar Britain, when “export or die” meant there weren’t many Dinkys in the shops. Maybe your family just couldn’t afford relatively costly toys. Or, horribly, maybe your parents gave away your Dinky Toys when you left home.
Born in 1956 in San Francisco, I got hooked on Dinky Toys at a young age. Dinky models just seemed more “crisp” and durable to me than their upstart competitors such as Corgi. At that time, however, I had no inkling of the fact that Dinky Toys would become steadily harder to get in the United States, eventually becoming almost unobtainable.
Dinky Toys had been distributed in the U.S. since 1938 by H. Hudson Dobson, which most readers will already be familiar with. (See Terry Hardgrave’s article at this site). H.H.D. did its utmost to contribute to the great postwar export push. Famously, various prewar models were reissued especially for the U.S. market, others were recolored for the U.S., and — most important — Dinky Toys were freely available in the States. Thanks to a great performance by H.H.D. salespeople, Dinkys could be found not only in toy and hobby stores, but also in department stores, gift shops, and even bookshops.
While Dinky never quite became the household name that it was in England, it dominated the diecast market, at least until Matchbox and pre-Corgi models made their appearance. Dinky Toys were advertised in national publications such as Life and Boys Life (the latter a magazine received by U.S. Boy Scouts). And I have attached a screen capture I made from the introduction to “Gumby,” a popular children’s program from the 1950s: this was not an early example of “product placement,” but simply a reflection of what toy cars the producers readily found in a local shop.
At the end of 1960, unfortunately, H. Hudson Dobson closed down. Exactly why is unknown, but at this time, its founder would have been of retirement age. Whatever the reason, Meccano Ltd. stumbled badly as a result: Rather than again finding a reliable national distributor (as Matchbox and Corgi had done), it appointed five different regional distributors for 1961.
Further increased to eight in 1961, these regional distributors did a poor job, probably because Dinky was only a minor sideline for most of them. The Northern California distributor, for example, was Keyston Brothers, a venerable supplier of upholstery supplies that still exists today.
I’ll never forget when, as an already committed Dinky collector at the age of five, I was told by my local toy shop in Palo Alto that they just could no longer get Dinky Toys. Giving my mother and me a 1961 catalogue, they could only suggest that we appeal to Keyston Brothers directly.
Image: Vectis Auctions
During this bleak time, Dinky Toys were “closed out” by many shops, since they could no longer get supplies. For my sixth or seventh birthday party, each guest received an unboxed Dinky — these were the final stocks that one shop had sold my mother out of their display case. And while Dinky Toys were never intended to be discounted, shops slashed prices to clear out their leftovers; this explains why collectors today find models from this period whose boxes are marked with dollar amounts lower than the official price.
Eventually, in 1963, Meccano Ltd. contracted with A. C. Gilbert to distribute Dinky Toys in the U.S. Display cases bearing the Gilbert logo and Dinky name were created, and a pared down range appeared primarily in department stores such as Sears, Roebuck, Inc. My illustration shows a Gilbert display case that I own today and have populated with the entire 1963 product line.
To enhance the time-travel qualities of this display, which originated in a family-run toy shop in Illinois, I provided each model with a price tag showing its 1963 price.
This display case is from the year 1963, when Gilbert briefly distributed Dinky Toys in the U.S.A. They offered a reduced range of models — strangely omitting some that would have done well, including the U.S. school bus — and as you will see from the price list, I have loaded the display with each one (except for two small airplanes, one of which I do not own).
In practice, of course, a given toy shop may not have stocked every model, or they may have had additional Dinky Toys in stock obtained from previous distributors. But this makes for an interesting look at the Dinky range in the year before the Lines Brothers takeover (and gradual introduction of bloated 1/42nd-scale models).
But, just like Meccano Ltd. itself, A.C. Gilbert was financially troubled, so the arrangement did not last long. U.S. distribution was taken over by Lines Brothers after it purchased Meccano Ltd. in 1964. Relics of this time include special four-page U.S. catalogue leaflets, new-style store displays, and the hated (by me, at least) “VisiPak” boxes (first in gold and then in yellow).
Unlike H. Hudson Dobson, Lines Brothers did quite a poor job of selling models to independent toy and hobby shops. Probably because of a reduced sales force, it preferred to deal mostly with the buyers for large department stores such as Macy’s, Marshall Fields, J.C. Penney, and Frederick and Nelson. That may have been fine if you lived near one of these establishments, but even then frustration could ensue. (I grew up bicycling distance from a Macy’s at Stanford, Calif. that never had any Dinkys, whereas another Macy’s in San Mateo had them but was frustratingly out of reach 13 miles away.)
Meanwhile there was a parallel distribution effort for Mini-Dinky and the “big six” American cars produced in Hong Kong. Some shops had these models but no other Dinky Toys. (Of course, these products would presumably have come directly to the U.S. without ever passing through Liverpool.)
Dwindling availability and the Visi-Paks made the phrase “Lines Brothers” an epithet to me and my best friend, another avid Dinky enthusiast. They made less and less effort to sell Dinky Toys in the U.S.A., and the 1966 Dinky catalogue was the last to be printed in a specific U.S. edition until 1973.
In 1968, Lines Brothers did succeed in selling six different Dinky Toys in quantity to Post Cereals. Tantalizing an otherwise Dinky-starved public, the models were made available for $1.00 each, provided mothers could be persuaded to purchase two boxes of sugar-laden cereal. (This is how I obtained the Saab 96 I still have today.)
In Northern California during these bleak years, acquiring new Dinky Toys required a pilgrimage to the San Francisco branch of F.A.O. Schwarz (a chain that, I suspect, purchased its offerings directly from Meccano Ltd.), which had just a few models. I was also able to buy Dinky Toys during two different, fondly remembered family visits to British Columbia.
Of course, I was fortunate enough to have plenty of other toys in my life to play with, such as Matchbox models, Marklin model trains, and G.I Joe dolls (Action Men) — all freely available during the 1960s. But since Dinkys were so hard to find, each one I could find was put on a pedestal – or at least a secure bookshelf.
Dinky Toys would gradually return to the U.S. market following the 1971 collapse of Lines Brothers, thanks to new national distributors — Covell Management and then AVA International. However, their availability would only ever be a pale echo of the marque’s 1950s heyday. (As a result, if you find a Yank who has even heard of Dinky or had any of the toys as a child, he is likely to be well over 60.)
Also in the early 70s, my personal horizons widened in the form of my first visit to the U.K., plus the discovery of “Memorable Things,” a mail-order shop in Maryland whose owner obtained Dinky Toys directly from Liverpool and Bobigny. The latter would lead to fascinating discoveries of unknown Dinky Toys, since Lines Brothers had not imported French models to the States.
Eventually, I’d be able to study in Britain and even to visit Binns Road itself. But by then, the die had long since been cast (sorry!). Dinky Toys had gained a holy grail status that, for me, they’ve never lost.
My Ten Best Dinky Toys
I appreciate almost all Dinky Toys, but here is my selection of ten favorite models. You’ll notice a certain American bias, as well as the fact that most of them hail from the early 60s. These for me were Dinky’s golden years, because the models had become more detailed — with features such as suspension and steering — but hadn’t yet bloated into 1/42nd scale.
1 — 178 Plymouth Plaza
Released in 1959, this is the model that made me a Dinky collector. My family had moved to Oak Park, a Chicago suburb where one of the local taxi companies was Blue Cab (it still exists today). They employed Plymouth Plaza cars in — yes — two-tone blue.
When I saw the Dinky in a shop, by chance replicating the exact car and color scheme, I naturally had to have it. My mother kindly fashioned a taxi sign to glue to the roof.
On one of our mother-son walks, this time on State Street downtown, I spied a mobile billboard advertising a burlesque show. It consisted of a slowly-driving truck fitted with picture windows at the back, behind which stood two or three scantily-clad women. I cannot even find a Google image to prove that such a thing existed, but it did — and as family legend has it, I threw a tantrum, demanding “I want a Dinky of that!” My mum did not, however, find me any bathing beauties to glue to my Guy Warrior flat truck, another early acquisition!
Image: Vectis Auctions
2 — 265 Plymouth USA Taxi
Meccano Ltd. itself soon realized that the Plymouth Plaza would make a fine taxi, and I have to lavish another choice on the result. Nicely updated in 1960 with interior and suspension, this model is beautifully finished, and takes one right back to the New York of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
Image: Vectis Auctions
3 — 258 Ford Fairlane Police Car
If in 1962 you were an American child with any Dinky Toys at all, you probably had one of these. I know I and several of my friends did. With its shiny finish, antenna, and red beacon, it was just about perfect. The fingertip steering made it easier to chase the bad guys around the floor.
My only complaint was the two-door body style, since all the police cars I had seen featured four. I was unaware of the earlier De Soto and Dodge Royal versions of #258, since they had already disappeared from the shops.
Image: Vectis Auctions
4 — 181 Volkswagen Beetle
An older, simpler model — but again, I had to have one early on, since the Beetle was America’s most popular imported car. The Dinky version was affordable and durable, just like the real thing. No wonder the model was produced until 1969 – perhaps it would have endured even longer if Meccano Ltd. had been able to enlarge the rear window (as Wolfsburg had done in 1958).
Image: Vectis Auctions
5 — 949 Wayne School Bus
Based in Indiana, Wayne was one of America’s leading manufacturers of school bus bodies. It probably paid Meccano Ltd. to produce this extremely accurate model, which represents the company’s “Super Custom” body installed on a rear-engine “pusher” chassis.
Once again this was one of my earliest Dinky Toys, and I still consider it one of the most pleasing and accurate ever made. But perhaps many children did not want to be reminded of school, and avoided the model? It was only made from 1961 to 1964, and Gilbert did not offer it as part of its pared-down 1963 range.
The later “Dinky Continental Tours” version seems particularly unrealistic, since these school buses were spartan and not geared for high speeds. However, vintage illustrations show that Wayne at least tried to market a luxury version.
Image: Vectis Auctions
6 — 275 Brinks Armored Car
Meccano Ltd. collaborated with the Brinks company to produce this model, which was eventually produced in U.S. and Mexican promotional versions as well as the standard article. I consider it “peak Dinky” because it offers both realism and play value, yet it is still in scale with older models.
Yes, the opening side and rear doors are a little flimsy. But along with the two crates of “gold” that were included, they provided the ideal means for the Armored Car to be “robbed” over and over.
Image: Vectis Auctions
7 — 448 El Camino Pickup and Trailers
Here, Meccano Ltd. missed an opportunity to work with one of the big American hire companies such as U‑Haul. Perhaps they had a deal planned and it fell through. “Acme” was a feeble name to apply to the box trailer, since it inevitably reminded children of the fictitious products used by Wile E. Coyote to attack the Road Runner on Saturday morning cartoons.
Despite the unrealistic branding, I badly wanted one of these sets, since trailers like the ones modelled were so common on American highways. I never found one as a child, but have made up for it since!
Image: Vectis Auctions
8 — 137 Plymouth Fury Convertible
In the early 60s, the American automotive scene featured huge V‑8s, convertible tops – and drastic styling chances every fall. Meccano Ltd. released this model of a 1963 Plymouth Fury Sports in October of the same year, at which time the 1964 versions were already appearing in U.S. showrooms.
It hardly mattered, though, because the Dinky – mercifully still very close to 1/43 scale – is so evocative and cheerful, with its removable top. It comes in several different colors, of which I like the pink best. (I’ve never cared much for the revamped #115 version, however, because its white color is bland and the wheels seem too large.)
Image: Vectis Auctions
9 — 263 Superior Criterion Ambulance
An ambulance is a key part of any child’s collection. My first Dinky ambulance was actually the French #556 Citroen; I also had the Corgi #437 Cadillac, which had pipped Dinky to the post in 1962 (by a few months at least) by including working flashing lights.
My favorite ambulance, however – and in my opinion one of the top Dinky Toys ever – is the Superior Criterion. This is an exceptionally accurate model of a 1961 Pontiac with its customized body, so different from the ordinary vans that are used as ambulances today. Meanwhile, the opening rear door, driver and passenger, and patient-equipped stretcher provide a textbook example of “play value.”
For the variations collector, this model is one of the most challenging Dinky Toys. The plastic interior was made in five different colors, while the sides can be marked by one thick red stripe, two thin stripes, or no red paint at all. Also, the “bullet” lights at the front and rear became joined up as the result of tooling wear.
10 — 434 Bedford TK Wrecker
Everyone also needs to have a tow truck. My first was actually the classic #430 Commer, but this was replaced in 1964 by the more modern-looking Bedford TK, which I have preferred for my top ten because it represents the time period when Dinky Toys were becoming so hard to find – and also because it acts as a stand-in for the other excellent TK models Liverpool produced.
Lines Brothers does seem to have imported the first “Top Rank” version to the U.S., since these turn up in the gold or yellow Visi-Pac export boxes. As a child I was unaware of it, however, and had only the more generic “Auto Services” version.
Today I much prefer the “Top Rank” livery, so evocative of the early days when motorway travel seemed exotic and glamorous. Incidentally Dinky used this model for a miniature motorway services area, created for one of its only advertisements. This advert was never seen in the States – do any UK readers remember it?
