… the happiness I felt when I saw the neon lights of the Holiday Inn hotel located on Interstate 90 in Elgin, a suburb of Chicago, one evening in October 1995.

It was the first step in a great adventure, the discovery, alone, of the USA. It was a dark night, I had picked up a rental car equipped with an automatic gearbox from a parking lot, and I had to ask for explanations to get it started and running. GPS did not exist, you had to use a paper map, which could be folded out. These are things I will not forget.

At that time, the Chicago toy fair was the largest in the world. Two days before it was held, a first event took place in this hotel, where the rooms were transformed into pop-up stores. Everyone had their own organization. Impressive.

Despite the fatigue and emotions at the exit of Ohare airport, I began to walk around the three levels of the hotel, the rooms and their stalls of toys. I remember the friendly atmosphere, everyone had to wear a badge with their first name. I also remember my deplorable accent which immediately betrayed my origins.

I was stunned by the diversity of the material offered and by the fact that toys with extravagant prices rubbed shoulders with objects worth a few dollars. The pleasure of these sellers who came from the four corners of the planet consisted in selling an object, any object. It was their challenge. Everything is money in this country. I was impressed by the fluidity of the currency. Everything was in cash, credit cards were very rarely used. Another era.

I remember that on the first evening, I discovered with astonishment several boxes of 24 pieces, filled with Tootsietoys from the GM series of the 20s. They seemed to come from the stock of a store. They were stacked on top of each other in the corner of a room. I thought about that when I saw this week’s program.

These models do not meet with the esteem they should arouse.

Let me explain. These miniatures are a hundred years old. A century. A bit of history. Ford was the first to mass produce an automobile, the Ford T. The customer had a limited choice of variations. Shortly after, GM, Ford’s competitor, went further. From the same chassis, the customer could opt for a body of different shapes: torpedo, coupe, sedan, van, open-top sedan, limousine…

A second revolution in the history of the automobile, which has been somewhat forgotten. These Tootsietoys called “GM” series are representative of this revolution: five grille acronyms (Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, “no name” (generic) and six body styles. 30 different models!

Personal collection: display Tootsietoy avec GM et Ford Woody

 

 

 

We understand that the no name model allowed the father of a family who owned a car brand different from the four mentioned above, to offer his children a small car resembling his own.

These lead-injected miniatures are very carefully manufactured. The engraving is fine, the casting superb. We are far from the average and sometimes artisanal quality of the “slush” (see the blogs devoted to the subject).

Logical. Tootsietoys will borrow from Ford and GM the techniques inspired by Taylorism (organization of scientific work). In the history of the miniature, they have a first-rate place. Know how to appreciate them.

 

on sale this week: Tootsietoys buick fourgon tolé – Tootsietoys Oldsmobile berline brougham

Other beautiful Tootsietoys are planned.

Later models, manufactured more economically. You must also discover them. The modest prices are a significant asset. Three other models, produced just after the war, are planned.

A special mention for the final version of the Ford Woody station wagon. We are in 1950, the model is now single-color and receives monobloc wheels. Less aesthetic certainly than the two-tone version but much rarer!

The fluid line of the Chrysler Windsor is a success.

Like the Ford truck also offered, we are dealing with early versions that are distinguished by their stenciled finishes (grille and other details).

Later, in a concern for large-scale economy, these models will be devoid of this silvering. You will now be able to better appreciate these beautiful toys.

on sale this week: Tootsietoys chrysler windsor

Every collector uses their criteria when acquiring a model.

To what extent does the choice of color play a role in the purchase of a miniature?

If I ask the question, I know that the answers will be very varied.

You can choose a color because it is flattering or favor it because it is rare. This of course requires knowing the rarity indices. So you need a little experience.

This week I will recommend the little Hillman Imp. The subtle harmony of color, dark metallic red with the medium blue interior deserves praise. It is also a late and rare variant.

Two superb and rare first generation Guy Otters are also scheduled.

Seeing them, one with its brown dress and the other burgundy, I can’t help but think of my friend Charles who loved these two color combinations for their realism. They are very much like the colors of English industrial vehicles from the 1940-1950 period.

Collection AutoJaune Austin-Devon-Saloon-Dinky-Toys -40D extrai du blog Swinging London

In this context, this week’s Simca 8 sport, pale blue with red interior, is almost daring.

If you only want one Austin taxi FX3, then we have the one for you! The rarest and perhaps the most beautiful: the purple blue, produced for a short time. We find this very particular shade on a few Foden and Leyland Comet, all rare!

on sale this week: Dinky Toys Austin FX3 Taxi purple blu bleu violine 40H-254

At this point, how can we not mention the variations in shades throughout production.

Here we enter another specificity of Dinky Toys GB.

Let’s take this beautiful Rover coupé 36D. Its elegant blue dress suits it very well. Be aware that over the course of the long production, 5 different blues ranging from midnight blue (rare) to a very pale blue were used.

This is one of the exciting aspects of the collection: the search for all the nuances of a model that we love.

on sale this week:  Dinky Toys Rover Coupe 36D

If acquiring a color by type of reference is enough to make you happy, then opt for this caramel-colored 30 D Daimler. In my eyes, it is the most successful and one of the rarest!

on sale this week:  Dinky Toys Daimler berline caramel 30C

Finally, a word about the Austin A105.

This miniature has a special place in the collection. It marks the end of an era. It is the worthy heir to the 40 series. It does indeed have glazing, but its foundry, its design with its painted zamac rims, its two-tone finish, its reproduction scale make it a very beautiful model that one does not hesitate to place in a display case after the aforementioned miniatures.

With its blue French flag matching the side flame, the proposed example is the most beautiful. There are four color variations for this model: the whole constitutes a beautiful palette.

on sale this week: Dinky Toys Austin A105 176

A final model, also on the program in an uncommon finish. A Ford 40RV…for road version. John Wyer, sidelined by the Detroit management after the failures at Le Mans in 1964 and 1965, was entrusted with the production of the road version of the GT40. After the introduction in 1968 of the new regulations governing sports prototypes, he was able to compete “his” GT40 produced in sufficient numbers to be homologated. We know the rest and the many successes of “his” GT40 in Gulf colors. This Dinky Toys miniature is a variation of the racing version released a little earlier. The classic livery is silver.

on sale this week: Dinky Toys Ford 40RV 132

 

At the end of production Liverpool offered an improbable variant, on sale this week: yellow and neon red. There was indeed a neon red fashion in Liverpool and several miniatures received this finish: Alfa Romeo Scarabéo, Alfa Romeo 33 longue, Lamborghini Marza and this ultimate Ford 40RV. I like the offbeat and improbable side. Another rare version came out at the same time borrowing the metallic turquoise blue of the Cadillac Eldorado…and also the bright yellow plastic of the interior of the latter.

Personal collection: Dinky Toys Ford 40-RV 132 

My favorite for this atypical Japanese-made toy from the immediate post-war period.

The context, the history, contribute to the pleasure of acquiring a toy. Let’s go back in time. More than a century ago, Japan began to industrialize. With its small semi-artisanal workshops, Japan was a fertile ground for the toy industry and more particularly for bazaar toys.

It was not the local market that was targeted but the export market. For obvious geographical reasons, it was first the West Coast of the USA that was targeted. The small Japanese units found their inspiration in the toys sold in America, imported from France (SR) and especially from Germany (Fisher, Meier, etc.) and which had flooded the American market.

Personal collection: US BUS made in occupied japan

Made of lead or sheet metal, these toys found their place thanks to very low sales prices. Japan acquired real know-how. Quality was then there.

Later, they will use plastic with the same dexterity.

This little car is located at a time, let’s say it, critical. The wounds of the Second World War are there.

After 1945, the humiliating mention “made in occupied Japan”, appears for a while on a certain number of toys and boxes. Business will pick up again and these mentions will disappear.

The toys of this period are witnesses to this painful history.

My granddaughter Perla also had a crush on this model, it is the color that she liked. Each to his own criteria!

on sale this week: car Japan