Monthly Archives: January 2013

Timpo MY PETS Series – Dogs

Pictured left is a Timpo Bulldog from the MY PETS Series.

Made in the 1960s by Scottish based Timpo these charming 1:24 scale hand painted hollowcast figures came in an attractive MY PETS colour box. There are 18 in the series as follows:

5000 Great Dane – 5001 Borzoi – 5002 Alsation (standing) – 5003 Alsation (lying)

5004 St Bernard – 5005 Greyhound – 5006 Pointer – 5007 French Poodle

5008 Chow – 5009 Cocker Spaniel – 5010 Fox Terrier – 5011 Welsh Terrier

5012 Scottish Terrier – 5013 Boston Terrier – 5014 Bull Terrier – 5015 Bulldog

5016 Daschund – 5017 Pekinese

Early Mettoy Plastic Petrol Truck – cigarette dispenser novelty

The picture shows a plastic Mettoy NATIONAL Petrol Truck with a lift-off lid to the top of to the petrol tanker suggesting it was a novelty cigarette dispenser, known to have been produced by the company c.1954

Mettoy Plastic Toy History

In 1933 Philip Ullman a Jewish settler who owned Tipp & Co, settled in Britain to set up the Mettoy Company and was joined six months later by fellow Tipp & Co worker Arthur Katz, a similar Jewish settler (originally from South Africa). With a factory based in Northampton within two years they were employing 50 staff however the onset of WWII in 1939 meant production shifted from toys to tin plated armaments, land mines and gun magazines as instructed by the Ministry of Defence, who in turn supplied Mettoy with a much larger factory in Swansea to be able to meet the increasing need for munitions production. Being situated further west it was more secure from German air attack, another bonus was the availability of local raw materials and labour.

By 1946 with a much increased factory, which was now over 200,000 square feet in size, toy production resumed however with premises too large for the original tin plate toy production they looked towards the successes of both Meccano with its Dinky Toys range and Tri-ang (and its subsidiaries) who were producing toys from a different materials in particular heavier pressed steel models and plastics. So the business venturing into new areas and in 1948 produced their first diecast models, an exclusive range for Marks & Spencer which was to be the forerunner for the Mettoy CASTOYS range (out of which Corgi Toys grew).

For more information see our Corgi Toys Price Guide

Mettoy Tin Plate History – Joy Town Fire Station

The picture shows a Mettoy Joy Town Fire Station made c.1949

Mettoy Tin Plate Toy History

In 1952 the factory installed a plastic injection moulding facility and was experimenting with plastic friction toys which it launched the following year within a shell company called Playcraft Toys Ltd. By the end of 1955 the company had perfected the difficult technique of precision diecasting and the following year launched the Corgi range together with its famous ‘Corgi Club’, the success of which together with changing demand from children for harder wearing toys spelled the end of tin plate model production.

A History of Britains Herald Plastic Figures – Polar Exploration set

The picture shows the rare Herald Polar Exploration set

The term Herald plastic figures is synonymous with the word quality in miniature. First released in 1955, with a range of plastic farm animals the success of the range was in the quality of the detail of each figure and this is attributed to Roy Selwyn Smith, who started his career in 1947 moulding and sculpting plastic at Modern Packages a company owned by Myer Zang. Zang spotted the talent of Selwyn-Smith and left to his own devises produced a range of highly detailed plastic figures. In 1949 Selwyn Smith left Zang to join a company who made metal hollow cast moulds for the Timpo range of metal figures and models.

Spurred on by the success both companies had enjoyed through his endeavours, he sought funding to set up his own venture and in 1951 he established Selwyn Miniatures. Money was always tight on the venture considering it was only 6 years after WW2 and sadly Otto Gottstein, one of his main backers committed suicide leaving the business financially bereft. This lead to the moulds being sold to W. Britain Ltd and Selwyn-Smith rejoining Zang (in 1953), where he developed the Herald Miniatures range using Britains as a distributor.

The lower cost of polythene and moulding in brass moulds allowed plastic figures to have greater flexibility and quality over metal figures, and all this was starting to impact on the Britains range of hollowcast figures and in 1959 the Herald trademark was purchased by Britains from Zang.

Early figures are easily identified by a ‘trumpeter’ logo on the base; this logo exists on figures produced between 1955-1959. The 1959 Britains catalogue showed, for the first time, both ranges within the same catalogue and this was the start of a 5 year merger bringing the figures under the Britains catalogue numbering system and over the period replacing the Herald ‘trumpeter’ logo with ‘Britains Ltd. England’ on the base.

More information can be found in our Britains Price Guide 2^nd edition

Taylor and Barrett history and the Trolley Bus

Pictured left is a rare boxed London Trolley bus with conductor figure produced by Taylor & Barrett c.1939

The History of Taylor and Barrett

Two years after being demobbed from the Army following WW1, Fred G Taylor and Alfred Barrett set up Taylor and Barrett in 1920. Taylor (a former lift installer & repairer) and his brother-in- law Barrett (formerly a lead caster employed at W. Britain Ltd) were later joined by Barrett’s brother who similarly worked for W. Britain Ltd. followed by two of Barrett’s sons.

During the first ten years as toy makers their efforts were focussed on perfecting their technique so they specialised in the production of toy soldiers, farm and zoo animal figures for their own distribution and also for 3rd parties including Skybirds, Charbens, Kay, Tri-ang, retailers such as Selfridges and local wholesaler Whyte Ridsdale. During the 1930s they managed to perfect the very difficult fine diecasting process well enough on larger products so widened their range to include drawn carts and vehicles, the earliest of which are the Governess Cart & Pony and a Coolie Rickshaw. All pre war models were marked T&B.

In 1940 their Schofield Road, London, England factory was completely destroyed by an air raid resulting in the Taylor and Barrett partnership relocating to new premises, producing munitions for the war effort. All salvageable moulds were put into storage and following the war end, in 1945, the pair decided to split the moulds and go their own way, setting up as F.G. Taylor & Sons and A. Barrett & Sons, to help demobilize their own families and provide employment.

F.G. Taylor & Sons (who sometimes marked their toys For Good Toys rather than using their company name) and Barrett & Sons both remained in business until the early 1980s, though more as component part makers to industry rather than toy manufacturers.

Some of the most sought after pre-war Taylor & Barrett models include:

Elephant Ride set – Visitors to the Zoo set – Elephant Hunting set – Tiger Hunting set

Chimpanzee Tea Party set – Horse Drawn Milk Float – Mobile Animal Trainer & Vet

Chinese Coolie & Rickshaw (extremely rare versions are with an African figure)

Brewery Drayman with horse, cart & barrels – Trotting Pony Racer

Fire Engine with Turntable Fire Escape – Horse Drawn Water Cart – Trolley Bus

Hornby O Gauge Trolley Wagon – NE livery with brown base and unusual blue bolsters

The picture shows an unusual variation of the pre war Hornby O Gauge Trolley Wagon in NE livery with brown base and blue bolsters. This version was issued between 1927-30.

There are 5 pre war versions in the NE livery as follows:

1923 version – grey base, black bolsters, NE and 50 TON TROLLEY in white

1923-24 version – grey base, red bolsters, NE (on left side) and 50 TON TROLLEY in white

1923-24 version – grey base, red bolsters, NE (on right side) and 50 TON TROLLEY in white

1926-27 version – grey base, red bolsters, NE (both sides) in gold and grey buffers

1927-30 version – brown base, blue bolsters, NE (both sides) in gold

For more information see our Hornby Train Price Guide 2^nd edition

Corgi 206 & 206M Hillman Husky

Pictured is a Corgi 206M Hillman Husky in grey issued in 1956 within the standard blue artwork box that was used throughout the life of this model/range.

Unmotorised versions (206) were introduced earlier the same year. Early issues have a WOW folded leaflet inside the box making them more valuable.

Known variations are as follows:

206 – brown, grey & metallic blue versions

206M – cream, blue (shade variations exist), turquoise & grey versions

For more information see our Corgi Toys Price Guide

Corgi 208 208M & 208S Jaguar 2.4 Litre

Pictured is a Corgi 208 Jaguar 2.4L in white issued in 1957 within the standard blue artwork box that was used throughout the life of this model/range.

The model was later introduced with a motorised version (208M) and later still with suspension (208S). Early issues have a WOW folded leaflet making them more valuable.

Known variations are as follows:

208 – white only

208M – metallic blue

208S – yellow (shade variations exist)

For more details see our Corgi Toys Price Guide

Dinky Toys 28 & 280 Series Delivery Van – Pickfords

Pictured is a very rare 1^st type Dinky Toys 28b Delivery Van in blue Pickords livery which recently sold for £1800. This is the 1^st type version cast in lead (and prone to fatigue) and is easily identified by its two piece casting.

Three casting variations of the 28 & 280 Series Delivery Vans exist, explained as follows:

1933-35 (1^st Type) – two piece lead cast model; either HORNBY SERIES or DINKY TOYS cast inside the cab roof, square diamond pattern tin plate radiator, brightly plated or coloured solid metal wheels. Measures 84mm

1935-39 (2^nd Type) – one piece diecast model, vertical ridge shield shape radiator, smooth wheel hubs usually with white tyres, In general all 2^nd type models show advertising. Measures 81mm

1939-41 (3^rd type) – one piece diecast model, impressed squares within radiator, open rear windows, smooth wheel hubs usually with black tyres. In general all 3^rd type versions show advertising. Measures 83mm

1947-54 (3^rd type) – slight variation from above, the same one piece diecast model, impressed squares within radiator but with closed rear windows, ridged black wheel hubs with black tyres. No advertising. Measures 83mm

For more information see our Dinky Toys Price Guide.

Tri-ang Minic Clockwork Model – 34M Tourer

Tri-ang launched their the Minic Clockwork range (1^st Series) in 1935 to supply a gap in the toy motor vehicle market for models between large scale German tin plate toy imports and the smaller Dinky Toys range of diecast models produced by Meccano. Whether by planning or sheer coincidence the Minic range made a perfect accompaniment to Hornby O Gauge model railways. Initially 14 models were released and the range quickly established itself enabling Tri-ang to launch a 2^nd Series in 1936 with a further 20 models. By 1941 the range consisted of 84 models.

Part of their appeal was their eye catching bright colours, shiny metal radiators and wings, and their ability to travel with their clockwork system, in reality though most body shapes were very similar and it was left to differing radiators styles to make them resemble the real thing.

As a rule models fitted with tin plate wheels and white tyres were produced pre WWII with diecast wheels and black tyres after the War, however nothing is simple in collecting and some models pre war models can be found with black tyres. Further identification can be found in cars fitted with Shell petrol cans and luggage racks tend to be pre war, with number plates containing the registration number LBL 194 tend to be post war.

Some of the rarest Minic models are the camouflage military issues produced during the early part of WWII, which utilised models from the commercial range with a camouflage finish. 6 wheel lorries with tilt were introduced into the military range during the second world war along with the Balloon Barrage set, which is one of the rarest and most sought after of all Tri-ang models.

In 1941 the factory was requisitioned for the war effort and production didn’t return until late 1946. In 1948 plastic models were introduced under the Penguin Series and then issued under the Minic trade mark at a later stage, however things had changed, money and materials were in short supply and although the Minic range expanded in part using different materials (and running mechanisms), stiff competition from cheap German and Japanese tin plate imports and competition from the dozens of diecast companies that appeared after the war heralded a slow decline for the Minic range, and for Tri-ang Toys in general who could not come to terms with these small, low cost competitors together with the change in workplace practises.

In 1971 Lines Bros (Tri-ang’s parent company) called in the receivers and the company was declared bankrupt. Many of the trademarks were purchased separately; however the Minic name was absorbed by Rovex/Hornby and sadly disappeared within 10 years.

Pictured is a pre-war Tri-ang Minic 34M Tourer with its original 4 seated diecast figures (made by Taylor & Barrett)

More information can be found in our Tri-ang Toys Price Guide.