Two rare pre-war Dinky trade boxes which had been in loft storage for two generations appeared for sale in Lincolnshire. Toy specialist M&M Auctions (21.6% buyer’s premium inc VAT) in Spalding offered them on behalf of a family who had owned the toys since new in the mid-1930s.
Prices have undoubtedly softened for some of the earlier Dinky toys that no longer connect so directly with the collecting audience. Nevertheless, the holy grail of Dinky collecting remains these 1930s No 28 delivery vans advertising commercial brand names. Surviving ‘first type’ vehicles are rare in any state but condition, as always, is key.
The highest price in the August 8-9 auction went to a box of six Dinky 28 series vans c.1935 bearing nationally recognised trade names: Oxo Beef, Kodak Film, Dunlop Tyres, Marsh’s Sausages, Wakefield Castrol and Crawfords. Each was considered an exceptional example with very minor fatigue crazing and minimal paint loss and they came in the printed yellow card trade box with dividers that had held them for many years. Estimated at £4000- 7000, they sold at £10,200 to a UK buyer via thesaleroom.com.