These little cast metal toys have become extremely collectable. Many are very rare - it could pay you to know which ones!

Contents:

• Chronology of the history of Meccano Ltd and Dinky Toys
• Dinky Toys - 'A fascinating hobby'
• The Pre-war years
• The ones without windows
• The final years
• Further reading
• Places to visit
• Collectors clubs & other organisations

On The Back Cover:

Dinky toys were introduced in 1931 as 'Modelled Minatures' and these delightful diecast metal toys instantly became bestsellers. By 1941, when production temporarily ceased because of the second world war, over sixty sets and series had been issued, each containing up to eight seperate items. At first they were made of lead, but later the use of Mazak, an alloy of aluminium and zinc, together with improved diecasting techniques, produced finer and more complex castings until the company's demise in 1980. More than one thousand different subjects have been modelled, mostly transport related; they include cars, vans, lorries, buses, trains, military & farm vehicles, aircraft, ships and figures. The toys are 4 inches long on average, at an approximate scale of 1/48th of the actual vehicle. They were created by Frank Hornby, a Liverpool entrepreneur, and Dinky toys were part of the successful Hornby empire, which also manufactured Meccano and Hornby trains and established factories in France, Germany, Canada and other parts of the world. Dinky toys still give pleasure to both children and adults, and this appeal and their increasing rarity value will ensure they will remain popular with collectors well into the twenty-first century.