Dinky Toys Are Not That Dinky by Linda Rosenkrantz on Creators.com

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Dinky Toys Are Not That Dinky

In case you might wonder why a manufacturer would call his toy line Dinky, there is a simple etymological explanation. They originated in England, where the word has quite a different connotation. Whereas the American Webster's New World College Dictionary defines the word as "small and unimportant; of no consequence," the British Concise Oxford Dictionary characterizes it as "pretty, neat, of engaging appearance."

It was surely the latter definition that their creator, Frank Hornby, owner of the Meccano Toy Company of Liverpool, had in mind when he christened his year-old line of die-cast cars and trucks in 1934. Before that, they had gone under the considerably less catchy name of Modelled Miniatures, consisting of a set of six small accessories intended to add a touch of realism to the Hornby train model railway platforms, along with figures of people, domestic animals, mailboxes and railroad signals.

Like the two other major British brands of toy cars — Corgi and Matchbox — Dinkys have long been favorites of American collectors, with many of them selling well into the three-figure price range, with a few early rarities, when mint in box, bringing much more. The 2010 edition of "Schroeder's Antiques Price Guide" values, for example, the Horse Box Express at $850 to $1,000, and a Racing Gift Set at $1,450 to $1,750.

Almost from the beginning, Dinky Toys vehicles were made both in Liverpool and in a factory at Bobigny, France. Until World War II, the French and English models of cars, trucks, uses, aircraft, ships and military vehicles were occasionally identical, but more often generically similar. The war brought production to a halt until 1946, when the first entirely new postwar model, a Jeep, made its appearance.

The wide range of Dinkys provides what is virtually a history of half a century on wheels, beginning with the streamlined roadsters and touring cars of the '30s and ending with a 1980s Ford Fiesta.

In addition to passenger cars, there are racing cars, police cars, taxis, buses (advertising a wide range of products available in Britain, from Chiver's Jellies, Exide and Eveready batteries to Schweppes to Woolworths to Ovaltine), a huge variety of trucks, railway cars, motorcycles, such military vehicles as tanks, searchlite lorries, Jeeps, anti-aircraft guns and missile erectors, as well as ambulances and cranes. And on sea and in the sky: naval vessels and a full spectrum of aircraft.

There were various innovations over the years. Before 1946, plain cast wheel hubs and rubber tires had been used; British Dinky Toys then began to appear with more detailed and realistic looking cast hubs. In 1947, the first Dinky Supertoys were issued. Until this point, all Dinky tires had been smooth, but in the next few years, a variety of treaded tires were introduced for both tires and commercial vehicles. In 1956, cars with bright, two-tone color schemes proliferated. Clear plastic windows appeared in 1958 (following the lead of Corgi Toys, which came on the market — providing stiff competition — in 1956), suspension was introduced in 1959, fingertip steering in 1960, and many detailed and moving parts in the '60s — as well as an increased scale. In 1963, the first Dinky antique car appeared — a Model T Ford.

To the collector of vintage Dinkys, things went downhill in the late '60s, when Dinky Speedwheels were brought out in competition with Mattel's Hot Wheels. Many collectors were disappointed with the new larger-scale models and increasing use of gimmicks such as relation to Star Trek and other popular characters. Since that time, the name of Dinky Toys has changed hands several times, moving from Hong Kong to Tokyo and back to Hong Kong, with the products of more recent years fitting the American definition of the word "dinky" more appropriately than the British.

Linda Rosenkrantz has edited Auction magazine and authored 18 books, most recently "Beyond Ava & Aidan: The Enlightened Guide to Naming your Baby" (St. Martin's Press). Visit her baby names website at http://nameberry.com. She cannot answer letters personally. To find out more about Linda Rosenkrantz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.