Shite in Miniature II

[Datsuncog]

1 hour ago, quicksilver said:

Wow, the infamous 'single decker coach' - first time I've seen a picture of it so the rumours are true! No wonder Dinky went down the pan if their product planners thought that crock of shit, an American transit bus in Liverpool Football Club livery masquerading as a coach, was a good idea. Now if they'd made a nice British coach like a Plaxton Supreme or Duple Dominant in OO scale to go with the Atlantean it might even have saved the company.

The illustration in the 1979 Dinky customer catalogue is even more risable, if that's possible - showing the coach being dwarfed by an overtaking Plymouth taxi.

You have to feel sorry for whoever was tasked to do the catalogue photography - that mix of scales could never sit together well.

Mind you, Corgi had the same range crossover problem in their mid-late 70s catalogues too - but they tended to show the smaller scale stuff in a separate inset photograph, or at least use creative camera angles to make it less obvious...

I wonder if the transit bus/football coach was an off-the-peg effort using an existing casting from a Hong Kong company like Lintoy (who were making the Big Cat and SD1 models) or Universal (responsible for the 'pocket money' range)?

Out of interest, here's another Dinky trade ad I came across recently (possibly the last before the receivers went in?), showing all of the Universal-made toys along with the rebadged Solidos, the ill-fated Mk2 Granada, and those weird space vehicle things...

Don't think any of these hit the shelves before the company went belly-up?

[andrew e]

These Dinky badged ones did!

 

[flat4alfa]

3 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Dinky trade ad I came across recently (possibly the last before the receivers went in?), showing all of the Universal-made toys along with the rebadged Solidos, the ill-fated Mk2 Granada, and those weird space vehicle things...

Don't think any of these hit the shelves before the company went belly-up?

That page is one of the four page leaflet produced for the British Toy and Hobby Fair, held at Earls Court in January 1980.  Binns Road factory closed its doors on November 30th 1979.

The rest of the pages are:

Notice the change of trade name 'Airfix Dinky' and the Airfix London address.

[flat4alfa]

Some of the Starchasers survive, and not just the resin prototypes.  Apparently none reached the store shelves, but pre-production diecast samples complete with packaging did reach sales teams.

 

I quite like this. This one is 811 Command Vehicle, which is yellow in the trade catalogue. Interesting cut-out/slot at the rear

 

The ambitious Firestar Cosmic Raider was also produced, in packaging too.  The sound/light effect electronics are missing though. 

[Datsuncog]

1 hour ago, andrew e said:

These Dinky badged ones did!

Yeah, sorry - didn't explain myself too well!

My understanding is that Airfix, the owners of Meccano and Dinky since buying them from Lines Bros in 1972, cut their losses on the Dinky range in November 1979, closing the Binns Rd factory in Liverpool despite a large shipment of toys already on their way over from Hong Kong.

By the time these toys landed, the company was effectively gone - along with the distribution network.  At that stage Dinky was effectively a 'zombie brand' (though Palitoy would later take over the name, and Universal would eventually acquire it by the late 80s). Airfix themselves were bought out by General Mills in 1982.

Most of the Dinky-branded toys made by Universal and Lintoy, as well as the Dinky branded Solidos, seem to have been sold on to wholesalers (probably at auction, and probably extremely vaguely worded as 'assorted toys' or something like that). 

These wholesalers then sold them on, by the case, to market traders and other independent shops - while larger stores that were used to ordering Dinky toys in specific quantities presumably wouldn't have been all that interested, especially given that the quality was pretty low.

I believe that some bigger models (like the Jaguar XJ12C) ended up being sold in plain bubblewrap bags rather than in proper branded boxes -  these probably represent models that were still rolling off the production line in the far east at the point Dinky went under, and then afterwards sold on cheaply to whoever would take them so Lintoy could recoup their manufacturing costs.

The model shop I worked in still carried a load of orange Dinky Volvo estates from this era, packed in plain buff cardboard boxes, well into the mid-90s. Wish I'd bought some now!

[155V6]

The XJ12C & SD1 I got did indeed come in bubble wrap bags from a market stall.From what I remember he had loads of them,& I think they were 50p each.

I also got 3 of the Solido Dinkys from the same stall,I'm sure these came loose,& were 3 for a pound.

[Datsuncog]

54 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

That page is one of a four, from the leaflet produced for the British Toy and Hobby Fair, held at Earls Court in January 1980.  Binns Road factory closed its doors on November 30th, so almost a year had passed.

The rest of the pages are:

Notice the change of trade name 'Airfix Dinky' and the Airfix London address.

That's good to see the rest of the leaflet - though I think they'd been printed up for the Jan 1980 trade show just before the shutdown in November '79 (so only a matter of weeks?)

The big Mike & Sue Richardson 'Great Book of Dinky' seems to imply that this was one of many promotional pieces that went in the bin because parent company Airfix couldn't see the last-gasp revamped Dinky-not-Dinky range as viable (and, to be fair, I can kinda understand that).

In fairness, no-one really seems to know the exact chronology of what happened!

[flat4alfa]

Yes sorry, got myself timeline confused.  Duly edited

[flat4alfa]

April 1980 Airfix Dinky range trade price list.  I wish I could telephone that number now!

Custom Range Rover/ Land Rover /Stingray are on there.  But no Big Cats.

[flat4alfa]

I've just bought a copy of this.  Will post up the pages when it arrives.  Isn't this all so exciting.

[bunglebus]

Cor, red Jag and Granada!

[bunglebus]

I think I know which wheels to put under the Dinky Jag

 

 

Unfortunately I sold it after I bought this one

 

 

 

[andrew e]

I always wondered if the “34” on these Plymouth’s was a rip off of the “King” Richard Petty who raced under as “43” or an accidental reference to Wendell Scott who actually raced “34”. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendell_Scott

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Petty

[flat4alfa]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Unfortunately I sold it after I bought this one

You do know the one you sold is the error car collectable one, yes? 😉

[DoctorRetro]

Received a package from @Datsuncog today.

No photos as I was too busy marvelling at this - it's worse close up. The diamante fog lights are actually earrings. Eww. 

 

[flat4alfa]

DO NOT PAINT !

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

You do know the one you sold is the error car collectable one, yes? 😉

I'm sure you're pulling my leg but now I'm studying both just to check 🤔

[Split_Pin]

Very interesting on the Dinky 1980 front. I wonder if any pre-production Granada's survive as the Fire Chief one looks to be a proper model and not a resin mock up.

I have one of those orange Dinky Volvo 265s which up until now I always thought was a repaint of a previously blue model . The finish looks very amateur however there is indeed no trace of blue paint underneath the arches or in the shut lines.

 

[flat4alfa]

39 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Very interesting on the Dinky 1980 front. I wonder if any pre-production Granada's survive as the Fire Chief one looks to be a proper model and not a resin mock up.

Yes and look at the wheels - different to resin 'Professionals' resin Granada and same as fitted to Custom Stingray (non-catalogue)

[Noel Tidybeard]

erm.....

[Noel Tidybeard]

i do wish Tim the postie would stop it!

if i'm honest i didn't think i would win this job lot

[bunglebus]

Top o' the morning, it's Tat Friday!

 

 

Hopefully 

[bunglebus]

8 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Very interesting on the Dinky 1980 front. I wonder if any pre-production Granada's survive as the Fire Chief one looks to be a proper model and not a resin mock up.

I have one of those orange Dinky Volvo 265s which up until now I always thought was a repaint of a previously blue model . The finish looks very amateur however there is indeed no trace of blue paint underneath the arches or in the shut lines.

 

There are a couple of pictures of surviving Granadas on that thread I posted earlier. 

I didn't think the orange Volvo saw production but happy to be wrong.

[Datsuncog]

6 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Top o' the morning, it's Tat Friday!

Hopefully 

Well, you're in luck - it IS Tat Friday.

Another cold start this morning, with streaming windows and plumes of smoke from the Subaru at 7.30... the car's thermometer reckoned it was a bracing 4 degrees above freezing. I had my big coat on, but not my gloves. I should have brought my gloves.

Stopping at an ATM to pick up some of the folding stuff, I scooted in at about 8:05... things were pleasantly disorganised again this morning on the Tat Stall, so while Market Blokey sorted his wares out, I toddled over to the Charity Stall...

Charity Bloke was hoofing random diecast and tinplate onto the table, so I did my bit and set them out properly , neat and tidy-like. Once a shopkeeper, etc etc...

Some interesting stuff this week -Corgi Citroen DS 'Le Dandy' (missing its spotlight pods and jewelled headlights); a fairly worn Dinky Clubman peelermobile; plus a De Agostini GS Birotor in so-so shape (chips to the edges and missing the wipers and aerial, and which was then nabbed by one of my nemeses before I could make my mind up).

Superkings race transporter missing its cover and ramp, but otherwise good. Majorette Jeep alongside also lacking a canopy, but otherwise quite minty.

Huge fire appliance is a recent Corgi, apparently, though missing quite a few bits sadly.  It also seems to have a battery hatch, so presumably has some form of parent-torturing light and sound function. Corgi Berlioz tractor unit may have originally been found pulling the Dolphinarium?

Lotsa Tonka today too, ranging from very good to just ok.

Coupla Corgi Scania bulk transporters from their budget 'D-range' as well.

These fantasy styled Lone Star 'Top Boy' trucks crop up from time to time; not really my bag, but I hadn't noticed before that they have two steering wheels...

Superkings Miura is a bit borked, but the Datapost Racing Metro was ok. TWA Airport Coach was unfamiliar; made by 'SVZ Toys' or something like that?

Unusual cement mixer by JOAL, with a LAD cab - so could be a Leyland, Albion or Dodge. No model name on the base, or insignia on the casting. I probably should have picked this up, but the lack of mixer on the back put me off... ah, regets...

I'm surprised these Buddy L pickups are still around - he may be looking unreasonably high prices, or maybe there's just not so many tat hunters these days. Big plastic Corvette C4 with a friction drive motor was very nicely rendered, including a super-detailed base, though no manufacturing name or even country of origin mentioned anywhere on it.

While waiting for Market Blokey to sort himself out, I also mooched past Paddy's Antiques, where the somewhat optimistically-priced models from last week were still, shockingly, unsold...

It's all about the presentation when you're dealing with top-end prices, I find.

The eponymous Paddy was nowhere to be seen, so I couldn't even find out if he'd wised up any from last week.

The Buick Regal might have appealed, if the price was right...

...and the Superkings Leyland Ergomatic tipper (though the rear tipper door's missing and the side was bent a bit)...

...and the camper body for the Mazda B1600 pickup. But no stallholder = no sales.

Got a positive ID on that garage ramp, though...

Definitely Fisher-Price.

So a wander back round to the Tat Stall revealed not very much new, other than some boxed Corgis - £12 for the Bedford/Thames trucks, and £10 for the Minor/ Morris J vans.

Loose stuff pretty much the same as last week...

Big tinplates still around too.

While the 50p Tat Box had limited new additions.

(More in focus in real life, I promise)

Some other boxes remained behind the stall, so naturally I had a rummage...

Mostly stuff we've all seen before, though.

Lesney funny cars not in outstanding nick, but an oddity to the right hand side..

Very large cement mixer by Crescent Toys - the use of plastic for the base makes me think 1970s.

Never seen one of those before. Well-used, but not trashed.

Unlike this...

Concave roof and missing rear lights meant I had to say no to this otherwise nice Rekord all over again.

So! That was that, pretty much... I did grab a few things, though, which may be familiar to a few folks on here - I have to scoot right now, I'm afraid, but more pics to come when I get home!

[flat4alfa]

Looks like the donor Corgi Ghia L6.4 has gone then.  Poor doogie.

[Datsuncog]

15 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Looks like the donor Corgi Ghia L6.4 has gone then.  Poor doogie.

Well, you may be in for a surprise later...

[Noel Tidybeard]

imp & mgmgmgb/c? price- are they worth it?

[flat4alfa]

55 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Well, you may be in for a surprise later...

That's the sort of thing my Wife says

[Split_Pin]

That ramp is part of the Fisher Price Garage and is the noisiest toy ever!

 

I'd be interested in the Dinky Clubman! I sold mine a few years ago for a quid and regretted it.

[Datsuncog]

39 minutes ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

imp & mgmgmgb/c? price- are they worth it?

Pricing up top seemed to be between £5 and £10 last week, but may have decreased (market a fair bit quieter this week, probably due to local lockdown restrictions in Belfast) - Imp probably not worth top dollar, as it's a glued together repaint with replica stickers but, for some reason, there's no flexomatic suspension mounts so it's slammed flat to the ground...

MGC is a wee bit playworn, but maybe ok if he'd take a fiver? I think this one has been hanging around since March; I'll check my Tat Archive to see if it's the same one (as I may have better pics if it).