THIS IS THE MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTION.HOW DO YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PRE-WAR TOY AND A POST-WAR TOY OF THE SAME TYPE?. MANY OF THE MOULDS PRODUCED PRIOR TO THE WAR WERE ALSO USED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WAR AND THE TOYS ARE THEREFORE IDENTICAL WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS:-

IN AUGUST OF 1945 JUST BEFORE POST WAR PRODUCTION BEGAN AN ORDER WAS ISSUED TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE AXLES FROM .062 TO .078.THEREFORE THE RULE IS THIN AXLES=PRE-WAR,THICK AXLES=POST WAR.THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.VERY EARLY POST WAR CARS HAVE SMOOTH HUBS LIKE THE PRE-WAR ONES. THESE WHERE USED FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF PRODUCTION IN 1946 BUT ONLY WITH THE THICKER AXLES.IF SOMEONE TRIES TO SELL YOU A SMOOTH WHEELED CAR OR TRUCK AS PRE-WAR ITS ONLY PRE-WAR IF IT HAS THIN AXLES.IF NOT IT WAS MADE IN 1946-7 AND IN SOME CASES AS LATE AS 1948 AS STOCKS WHERE USED UP BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW RIDGED WHEEL IN 1948.MORE TO COME ON THIS SUBJECT.

FROM THE VERY FIRST DINKY TOY ISSUED IN 1934 MOST DINKY TOYS WHERE PACKAGED IN QUANTITY IN BOXES OF 3-4-6 OR 12 KNOWN AS DEALER OR TRADE PACKS. THESE WHERE SENT TO TOY STORES AND THE TOYS REMOVED FROM THEM AS THEY WERE SOLD. THIS PROCEEDURE CONTINUED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GIFT SETS AND SPECIAL ITEMS (IE.TRAINS.FIGURES,SOME AIRPLANES.THUNDERBOLT AND GARDINERS RECORD RACING CARS.ETC).UNTIL 1954.
ALMOST ALL AUTOMOBILES AND TRUCKS WHERE TRADE BOX PACKAGED. THIS CONTINUED UNTIL AFTER THE WAR AS DID THE DINKY NUMBERING SYSTEM OF A LETTER PREFIX FOR THE SERIES OF TOYS AND A NUMBER FOR THE MODEL.
IN 1954 THE DECISION WAS MADE TO STANDARDIZE THE NUMBERING SYSTEM AND PROGRESS TO INDIVIDUAL BOXES AND THE TRADE BOX WAS SLOWLY DISCONTINUED (MANY TRADE BOXES APPEARED AFTER THIS FOR A SHORT PERIOD ON THE EXPORT MARKET WITH SPECIAL NUMBERING POSSIBLY TO SELL DISCONTINUED MODELS AND SAVE THE COST OF NEW PACKAGING FOR THESE ITEMS)
EARLY INDIVIDUAL BOXES RETAINED BOTH THE EARLY NUMBER AND HAD THE NEW PART NUMBER TO SAVE CONFUSION WITH THE DEALERS.(SEVERAL EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE EXIST.SOME 40 SERIES CARS AND 25 SERIES RACE CARS HAVE A BOX BUT ONLY THE EARLY NUMBER THIS WOULD LEAVE US TO ASSUME THAT THE DECISION TO GO TO A BOX WAS MADE BEFORE THE NEW NUMBERING SYSTEM APPEARED.THESE BOXES ARE A PREMIUM AMOUNG BOX COLLECTORS).
DURING THIS PERIOD TRADE BOXES WHERE ALSO DUAL NUMBERED TO SAVE CONFUSION AS THE NUMBERING WAS CHANGED.
AS MANY ITEMS WHERE DISCONTINUED AROUND THIS PERIOD MANY OF THE EARLY POST WAR TOYS DID NOT APPEAR IN THERE OWN BOXES.SOME ONLY BEING ON SALE FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD AFTER THE WAR USING PRE-WAR TOOLING AND THESE AND THERE BOXES ARE ALSO A PREMIUM.
TRADE BOX COLLECTING HAS BECOME A PART OF DINKY TOYS COLLECTING FROM THE FIRST DAY AND MANY OF THESE, DUE TO THERE LIMITED AVAILABILITY ARE VERY SCARCE. IT CAN ALSO BE SAID THAT THOSE MODELS THAT APPEARED IN TRADE BOXES ONLY ARE SOME OF THE HARDEST TO FIND IN MINT CONDITION AND IN MY ESTIMATION ARE VERY UNDERRATED IN THE COLLECTOR MARKET WHERE A BOXED TOY HAS BECOME MORE DESIRABLE.MORE TO COME ON THIS SUBJECT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN DINKY TOYS.

KEITH HARVIE

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