Don’t restore rare Dinky Toys
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/07/2006 (6982 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Dear Mike,
I found a very old Dinky Toy military set in my parents’ house recently. It must have belonged to my dad, yet I have never seen it before.
It is called “Mechanised Army” and has its original box. It looks as though it was never played with.
The tanks have metal treads, and some of the pieces have some cracks in the metal. Should I have them repaired or restored?
How old is this set and can you tell me what it is worth?
— Bob T., Winnipeg
Dear Bob,
You have found a very rare Dinky Toy military gift set. It was made from 1939 until 1941. It is common to find Dinky Toys from this era with cracks in the die cast: this is known as metal fatigue. This is because Dinky Toys were made using recycled metal, including sweepings from the floor. I would advise you to put the set on display and not handle it very much. If you tried to restore it you would reduce its value dramatically.
These pieces are somewhat common on their own but rare in the gift box. The set as you describe it would sell for $750 to $1,000.
Mike Huen is an antique dealer and owner of Mike’s General Store in Winnipeg. If you would like to have an item appraised, please include a photo with your question. E-mail questions to mike@mikesgeneralstore.com, and put ‘Free Press’ in subject line, or write to Mike’s Appraisals, 52 St. Anne’s Rd., Winnipeg, MB, R2M 2Y3.