Growing up in the south east of England, the most desirable toy for most boys and some girls was a Dinky Toy – 1/43 scale miniature cars. I started collecting them in the late 1950s. At the time, most Dinky Toy cars cost 2 / 6d (two shillings and six pence, about 25 US cents) and came in a distinctive yellow box. In fact, they had been around since the early 1930s originally called “Modeled Miniatures” and were primarily intended for use on trains, the BIG children’s toy of the time, but they took on a life of their own and were made in both England and France. . for many years.

Its heyday for me was the fifties and sixties. Compared to today’s high-end die-cast cars, they were, let’s face it, pretty basic. No windows, no interiors, no ‘suspension’, no steering, but to me they were the most precious and sought after toy of all!

With television in its infancy in the 1950s in the United Kingdom and much of the programming purchased in the United States, the appeal of the flashy American cars seen in police shows and films, compared to the Hillmans and Austins considerably more UK seriousness was reflected in choosing Dinky Toys where I would spend my hard-earned pocket money.

The Dinky Toys Dodge Royal, the Plymouth Plaza, the Hudson Commodore were all cars any self-respecting child should have! But there were other models that were also essential: the Observation Coach (bus), for example, with its strange-looking top deck was one of my favorites.

Gradually, Dinky Toys added new features, under competition from other brands, such as Corgi Toys. First it was the plastic windows, then the seats were gradually installed, the ‘independent suspension’ for all four wheels became all the rage, and finally the steering. My friends and I are happy to take advantage of all these new features!

But the days of the Dinky Toy were numbered and by the 1970s the end was near, caused in part by competition from the new Hot Wheels, and while the new owners made several attempts to revive the famous Dinky Toys name, they are now long. . since extinct.

Collectors, while still looking for toys and a good toy, preferably with a perfectly good box, can change hands for huge sums. Dinky toys, even in play condition, are one of the best sellers on eBay.

I will never have a complete collection; some are so rare that if it ever does surface, it will be out of my pocket, but I will always be looking for a good looking Dinky.