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PRE-WAR
OR POST WAR THAT IS THE QUESTION ?.
THIS IS THE
MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTION.HOW DO YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
A PRE-WAR TOY AND A POST-WAR TOY OF THE SAME TYPE?. MANY OF THE
MOULDS PRODUCED PRIOR TO THE WAR WERE ALSO USED IMMEDIATELY AFTER
THE WAR AND THE TOYS ARE THEREFORE IDENTICAL WITH THE FOLLOWING
EXCEPTIONS:-
CARS
AND TRUCKS.A QUICK AND EASY METHOD.
IN AUGUST
OF 1945 JUST BEFORE POST WAR PRODUCTION BEGAN AN ORDER WAS ISSUED
TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE AXLES FROM .062 TO .078.THEREFORE
THE RULE IS THIN AXLES=PRE-WAR,THICK AXLES=POST WAR.THERE ARE
NO EXCEPTIONS.VERY EARLY POST WAR CARS HAVE SMOOTH HUBS LIKE
THE PRE-WAR ONES. THESE WHERE USED FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF PRODUCTION
IN 1946 BUT ONLY WITH THE THICKER AXLES.IF SOMEONE TRIES TO SELL
YOU A SMOOTH WHEELED CAR OR TRUCK AS PRE-WAR ITS ONLY PRE-WAR
IF IT HAS THIN AXLES.IF NOT IT WAS MADE IN 1946-7 AND IN SOME
CASES AS LATE AS 1948 AS STOCKS WHERE USED UP BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION
OF THE NEW RIDGED WHEEL IN 1948.MORE TO COME ON THIS SUBJECT.
EARLY
NUMBERING AND BOXES
FROM THE VERY FIRST DINKY
TOY ISSUED IN 1934 MOST DINKY TOYS WHERE PACKAGED IN QUANTITY
IN BOXES OF 3-4-6 OR 12 KNOWN AS DEALER OR TRADE PACKS. THESE
WHERE SENT TO TOY STORES AND THE TOYS REMOVED FROM THEM AS THEY
WERE SOLD. THIS PROCEEDURE CONTINUED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GIFT
SETS AND SPECIAL ITEMS (IE.TRAINS.FIGURES,SOME AIRPLANES.THUNDERBOLT
AND GARDINERS RECORD RACING CARS.ETC).UNTIL 1954.
ALMOST ALL AUTOMOBILES AND TRUCKS
WHERE TRADE BOX PACKAGED. THIS CONTINUED UNTIL AFTER THE WAR
AS DID THE DINKY NUMBERING SYSTEM OF A LETTER PREFIX FOR THE
SERIES OF TOYS AND A NUMBER FOR THE MODEL.
IN 1954 THE DECISION WAS MADE TO STANDARDIZE THE NUMBERING SYSTEM
AND PROGRESS TO INDIVIDUAL BOXES AND THE TRADE BOX WAS SLOWLY
DISCONTINUED (MANY TRADE BOXES APPEARED AFTER THIS FOR A SHORT
PERIOD ON THE EXPORT MARKET WITH SPECIAL NUMBERING POSSIBLY TO
SELL DISCONTINUED MODELS AND SAVE THE COST OF NEW PACKAGING FOR
THESE ITEMS)
EARLY INDIVIDUAL BOXES RETAINED BOTH THE EARLY NUMBER AND HAD
THE NEW PART NUMBER TO SAVE CONFUSION WITH THE DEALERS.(SEVERAL
EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE EXIST.SOME 40 SERIES CARS AND 25 SERIES
RACE CARS HAVE A BOX BUT ONLY THE EARLY NUMBER THIS WOULD LEAVE
US TO ASSUME THAT THE DECISION TO GO TO A BOX WAS MADE BEFORE
THE NEW NUMBERING SYSTEM APPEARED.THESE BOXES ARE A PREMIUM AMOUNG
BOX COLLECTORS).
DURING THIS PERIOD TRADE BOXES WHERE ALSO DUAL NUMBERED TO SAVE
CONFUSION AS THE NUMBERING WAS CHANGED.
AS MANY ITEMS WHERE DISCONTINUED AROUND THIS PERIOD MANY OF THE
EARLY POST WAR TOYS DID NOT APPEAR IN THERE OWN BOXES.SOME ONLY
BEING ON SALE FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD AFTER THE WAR USING PRE-WAR
TOOLING AND THESE AND THERE BOXES ARE ALSO A PREMIUM.
TRADE BOX COLLECTING HAS BECOME A PART OF DINKY TOYS COLLECTING
FROM THE FIRST DAY AND MANY OF THESE, DUE TO THERE LIMITED AVAILABILITY
ARE VERY SCARCE. IT CAN ALSO BE SAID THAT THOSE MODELS THAT APPEARED
IN TRADE BOXES ONLY ARE SOME OF THE HARDEST TO FIND IN MINT CONDITION
AND IN MY ESTIMATION ARE VERY UNDERRATED IN THE COLLECTOR MARKET
WHERE A BOXED TOY HAS BECOME MORE DESIRABLE.MORE TO COME ON THIS SUBJECT.
THIS IS A NEW PAGE
AND IT WILL BE ADDED TO AS TIME PERMITS.KEEP AN EYE ON IT FOR UPDATES
AND MORE INFO.I WILL GLADLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ON DINKY
TOYS EMAIL ME AT
KEITHHARVIE@KEITHHARVIE.COM.
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR INTEREST IN DINKY
TOYS.
KEITH HARVIE
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