Buying Dinky Toys

Meccano first began to create die cast models in 1931 by issuing a number of railway model cars along with batik keris like passengers, track workers and station workers and the like. and it was in 1934 that they released the 1st set of "Dinky Cars" which were one 1:43 scale models. They made a delivery van, a tractor, a tank, a sports car, a sports coupe plus a model truck on earth and never been the same for collectors.

Unfortunately Dinky toys made before World War II are very rare and difficult to find. They were cast from an impure alloy and suffer from what is known as zinc pest. This is a destructive, intercrystalline corrosion procedure for zinc alloys that have lead impurities. Any diecast zinc models from the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s usually suffer from this malady which is a real threat for collectors of old model trains, radios or toys. Should anyone ever have the good fortune of finding one of these models in excellent for sale be aware that muggy and significant temperature alterations in the area where you maintain collection could be damaging.

As stated, the early dinky toys were created in England and became quite popular in the United Kingdom through the 1950s. But over the years they began to ship models to their old colonies  excellent Commonwealth wealth trade agreements. This is an important point since you can find some special or rare items which were manufactured designed for certain countries. Meccano produced a restricted edition set of military vehicles for your South African Defense force from the 1950s. The set included a van, a dispatch rider, a covered wagon, an ambulance plus a motor truck which are all painted military green. And many of the models made for South Africa into the 1960s were restricted and are a real find for almost any collector today.

With the 1950s French Dinky Toys started to reflect a European flavor and models for French brands like Citroen, Renault, Peugeot and Simca were produced as opposed to the UK models. With the 1960s pretty well only European [and some favorite American] models appeared to be produced in France and create a fascinating addition to the most common United Kingdom models for collectors.

By 1972 production of  dinky toys was stopped along with the English dinky toy stopped production nearby the end of the 1970s too. The dinky toys trademark passed through several hands on till it's now part of Matchbox International who generate the "Dinky Collection" today. But, to a collector, these models are not the same as the "real dinky cars". They are not as heavy and robust as the early Maccano models. But at the very least the dinky toy named continues and you can still collect a series of models with this name.

The gathering of Dinky Toys is definitely an old and beloved hobby. Some began by nostalgically looking for a model using their childhood and just maintained on collecting. Others simply fell deeply in love with these diecast models whenever they saw someone else's collection or even a display at a fair or even a museum.