Brad Kohler gave me this book because the ol' stroonad thinks that I used to line up my Dinky Toys along the side of my bath tub when I was a mere youf pretending that they were cars at the lake (my filled tub an' with me innit!) out on a summer lark or something along those typical kiddoid lines. Well, he was sorta right and sorta wrong...I mean, I used to line my toy cars up on the tub edge pretending that they were at the lake I was bathing in, but believe it or don't I did not own any Dinky Toys at the time! The sad reality was that NOBODY around here was sellin' em much to the relief of my parents who sure didn't want to be dishing out even more moolah for my toys! And besides, I was more concerned that my submarine didn't crash into the rocks just by the lighthouse or (worse yet!) ram into the SECRET UNDERWATER CAVE which could spell disaster for all involved!
It took me years to figure out why I was allowed to take all those cars and boats into the bathroom for my daily dip into cleanliness. The folk probably believed that if I were playing with these toys then well, that took my mind off other things that could easily enough be played with ifyaknowaddamean!!!! But as far as Dinky Toys go well...I remember when the fambly was out and about in Niagara Falls Canada and we just happened to drive by this department store which had a big sign advertising that they sold Dinky Toys, and seven-year-old me wanted so badly that we stop in there so the parents could buy me one or at least a dozen. No dice---they told me that we had to go through customs and if they saw anything like Dinky Toys in our luggage we could be in grave trouble. Years later I kinda get the feeling that they were pulling my leg...sheesh they'd do just about ANYTHING to save on a few bucks which makes me wonder why we were taking a vacation inna first place since if they stayed home and just bought me a few they could have kept a huge bundle of money to go towards them important things, like maybe an antenna onna roof so's we could get some decent reception!
I managed to get a few Dinky Toys via flea markets and garage sales so it was obvious that they were being sold somewhere in the vicinity, and to this day I find things like Dinkys not to mention the competition (Corgi Toys being the most well known of the batch) the highlight of an otherwise unimpressive growing into maturity time in my life. And lo and behold but this price guide sure brings back the memories of alla them toys I sure wish I coulda had but well, as you know we can't all be Richie Rich!
Nice selection of pix here featuring a bright bevy of scale model toys that woulda gotten any ranch house suburban slob all agog in blubberfarm glory. I think there may have been a few omissions, but nobody can be that perfect and besides seeing what is pictured sure dredges up more than a few turdler-era thrills when things like the grille on a 1959 Buick made me think it was some wild metallic beast just created to tear up the roads. Dinky also had a good sense of true Amerigan automotive pride and joy (despite being British and French, later on Hong Kong as well) what with their bright idea to issue the late-fifties Lincoln Premiere not to mention a whole slew of Studebakers and Packards which I gotta say shows a WHOLE LOTTA CLASS ON THEIR PART! Corgi might have been the first with plastic windows, interiors, opening bonnet and boots (as they say over there) and other neat gimmicks, but Meccano Ltd. led the TASTE IN AUTOMOBILES pack with their Dinky line!
And to show ya just how good enough a job at detailing the whole Dinky phenomenon they do there's even a section devoted to Dinky knockoffs from various entities that either bought up old molds or better yet just swiped the models for themselves! And if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery well...I dunno how Dinky would have been flattered by the models Nicky Toys in India released since they weren't quite up to the standards that Dinky had set, but eh, a diecast toy car in the hands of any eight-year-old is probably just good enough for them and why ruin the whole aura of it all?
So yeah, DINKY TOYS should dredge up a whole load of ranch house kiddie memories unless you're some sorta sick NYC sophisticate who grew up with Judy Blume books and if that in fact is the case boy did you miss out on some good lowbrow fun! I gotta admit that I still get a tingle up the ol' spine whenever I dig out my own Dinkys for a well needed visit, and at times I have been known to purchase such cars IN THE HERE AND NOW whenever I do hit an antiques shop or flea market and find some battered beaut just waiting to be restored. Anyway please excuse me...y'see I have to take a bath and wanna gather a few things before I take that big plunge...
lol 1996? lol right up to speed lol not!
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