Classic Dinky Toys Collection

[Butler Henderson]

Picked up the first edition of this on Satutrday - in the theme of such DeAgostini magazines it was £2.99, the next is £7.99 and then £9.99 thereafter so probably will not buy any others. The model is a copy of Dinky 111 Triumph TR2 Sports, together with a box. The car might be passable on a 7mm layout. The £7.99 issue on sale on 10 Jan has 480 Bedford 10cwt van 'Kodak' and then the first three £9.99 issues are

24 Jan 555 Ford Thuberbird

7 Feb Volkswagon Beetle

21 Feb Jaguar XK120

Subscribers get a Dinky Toys Club keyring, reproduction 1959 catalogue, tin poster and Esso filling station pumps and sign. Those subscribing to the premium subscription also get a 785 service station.

Website is deagonstini.co.uk/dinkytoys

 

No doubt some collectors will be less than amused at these "fakes".

 

Mike

 

Merry Christmas

Edited December 25, 2017 by Butler Henderson

[Robin Brasher]

Thank you. In appendix 2 on pages 293 and 294 of Dinky Toys and Modelled Miniatures by Mike and Sue Richardson there is a list of scales of Dinky Toys. The TR2 is 17/64" to one foot which works out at 1/45 scale. This is fine on its own but looks a bit small compared with a 1/43 scale car.

 

Atlas and DeAgostini have already done these models. There is no danger of confusing these models with Mecanno Dinky Toys because the boxes are different and are the markings on the chassis and the TR2 had the competition numbers in the wrong place. Lots of people bought these and then tried to sell them at a profit at toy fairs but with little success.

 

They are very useful as background items for vintage Hornby layouts as the originals were made in the same factory and often used the same shades of paint. 

 

I would prefer models of lorries, taxis and horse boxes as they go better with railway layouts than Ford Thunderbirds.

[plarailfan]

Looks as though there's every chance that before long, the market will be saturated with these reproduction models, which is pointless, as with many of the, Lledo and Matchbox "yesteryear" models, that end up struggling to sell, for £1 each !

[andyman7]

Looks as though there's every chance that before long, the market will be saturated with these reproduction models, which is pointless, as with many of the, Lledo and Matchbox "yesteryear" models, that end up struggling to sell, for £1 each !

The Atlas/DAgostini models have been in production now for around 4 years and due to their relatively high quality and the fact that they are properly licensed and authorised they have actually held their value well - indeed many of the regular price releases are freely sold at quite a bit above their issue price. They are reproductions rather than fakes and certainly in relation to some of the rarer Dinky and French Dinky models where pristine originals command hundreds of pounds they have filled a gap.

 

If you subscribe, you cannot pick and choose which models you get, you can cancel at any time but not 'pass' on a release. I have subscribed to several of the series and have sold on every single one that I did not want at a price that covered my costs including the selling costs.

[Robin Brasher]

The quality control of these models needs to improve. My TR2 is leaning to the left because the chassis is not straight.

 

It is also not to 1/43 scale. On page 2 of the leaflet it said "Built to a scale of 1:43, the model Triumph TR2 Sports measured 84mm in length. In the technical specifications on page 11 it says the length of the real car was 3,840mm. 3,840 divided by 84 = 45.7. This does not matter by itself but 1/43 is the normal scale for model cars now and this TR2 will look out of place beside them.

 

Having said that if you get a good model it represents excellent value for money at £2.99 and would make a welcome addition to a Dinky Toys collection or as an accessary for a vintage 0 gauge layout.

[andyman7]

The quality control of these models needs to improve. My TR2 is leaning to the left because the chassis is not straight.

 

It is also not to 1/43 scale. On page 2 of the leaflet it said "Built to a scale of 1:43, the model Triumph TR2 Sports measured 84mm in length. In the technical specifications on page 11 it says the length of the real car was 3,840mm. 3,840 divided by 84 = 45.7. This does not matter by itself but 1/43 is the normal scale for model cars now and this TR2 will look out of place beside them.

 

Having said that if you get a good model it represents excellent value for money at £2.99 and would make a welcome addition to a Dinky Toys collection or as an accessary for a vintage 0 gauge layout.

It's a copy of a vintage Dinky Toy so matched the original. The originals were approximately O Gauge (1:43) but not absolute. When you subscribe they will automatically replace any model that is not satisfactory so you are not stuck with the one you're sent if it's not perfect. The finish is actually far superior to the originals which is the quickest way to spot the reissues without checking the baseplate. 

[Robin Brasher]

It's a copy of a vintage Dinky Toy so matched the original. The originals were approximately O Gauge (1:43) but not absolute. When you subscribe they will automatically replace any model that is not satisfactory so you are not stuck with the one you're sent if it's not perfect. The finish is actually far superior to the originals which is the quickest way to spot the reissues without checking the baseplate. 

W H Smith has replaced my Triumph TR2 although I had lost my receipt. The magazine is very interesting.