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Discover a selection of models that will be on sale this week, from tomorrow, Monday, April 27, 2026, until Thursday, April 30, 2026, on our website. AUTOJAUNE COLLECTION
en vente cette semaine: Cherryca Phenix – Volkswagen 1200’58 8 – Edil toys – Fiat 1500 6 – Corgi Toys – Austin Cambridge mécanique 201 M- Cherryca Phenix – Ford Thunderbird coupé 15
I remember...
…from an anecdote at the last classic car meet in Reims.
On Friday, the day of setup, a vendor who knew me called me over and invited me to open his boxes. He explained that he had brought in some Dinky Toys… I looked at the merchandise and immediately understood that he hadn’t been able to find them in France.
Indeed, this man, who lived in the Ardennes region, often scoured flea markets across the border in Belgium. His lot contained numerous models produced in Liverpool, never released here, including a Foden flatbed truck.
I opened the box, and, to my surprise, it was a different version, one equipped with a backrest, and, most importantly, in the rare and late blue and cream color combination… I explained the problem to him.
It was all the more frustrating because, exceptionally, Dinky Toys had printed a box featuring the new color combination.
This never happens; Liverpool simply liquidated its stock of boxes or reprinted its old box with the previous color scheme, adding only a small sticker indicating the new color.
So you can understand the importance of having the “right box.” The seller was completely unaware of this.
We made a deal; the Foden was part of the lot I bought from him. The next day, arriving at 7:00 a.m., I started walking the aisles.
Around noon, I came to a stand and saw a gentleman holding a box of Foden blue and cream backsplash trays… I initially hoped he would put it back, but he ended up buying it. Once he had paid, I approached him. He was a British citizen. I offered to buy the box from him, but he refused. He told me it contained a model.
As he opened the box, I explained that it wasn’t the right truck inside! His box contained the flatbed version, orange and green. I explained that yesterday I had bought a model with the box that matched his.
Unsurprising, and pragmatic, he offered to swap. I didn’t have the box with me. We agreed to meet an hour later, giving me time to go to the parking lot to retrieve the box. On the way, I thought I might have trouble recognizing him. But, miraculously, we found each other and swapped boxes.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys GB – Foden Mk2 plateau dosseret 903
I went back to see the second seller and asked him if he lived in the Ardennes.
My question surprised him, and he explained that he too was familiar with the flea markets of the Ardennes! I told him the story, and he understood.
He also knew the seller from Friday: both trucks came from the same place, having been bought at two different times.
It is this rare vehicle, with its fascinating story, that we are featuring this week.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys GB – Foden MK2 plateau avec dosseret 903
For those who appreciate variations, this color combination is available with a screwed-on tray or, even rarer, a studded one.
Let’s stick with the blue color and Liverpool. Our English friends seem to appreciate this color and know how to use it in shades found only in their country. Take this wartime Frazer Nash “38 A”. The violet-blue is superb. I’ve rarely seen this shade from other model manufacturers. Note the harmony with the light blue bench seat. In my opinion, it’s the most beautiful and one of the rarest color combinations for this model.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys GB – Frazer Nash roadster 38A
Also on the program this week are two British Salmson “36 G” two-seaters in two different shades of blue, one of which is a lavender blue, a popular shade of blue in the UK, particularly among Dinky Toys, who used it on many models.
This color is delightful.
Moreover, models from this post-war period are often finished in rather dull colors. The war has taken its toll.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys GB – British Salmson torpédo 2 places 36G
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys GB – British Salmson torpédo 2 places 36 G
Scandinavian colors
Let’s travel to Scandinavia, but let’s stay in the blue.
I think it’s worth explaining to young collectors one of the reasons why Tekno produced so many vibrant colors, even right after the war.
When collecting Scandinavian model cars, one factor to consider is the shorter days and the greater absence of natural light compared to our own.
This is felt in everyday life and is reflected in the design of the models.
Tekno and Vilmer models aren’t equipped with phosphorescent headlights by chance… children are used to quickly finding themselves at home in the semi-darkness. The beautiful and vibrant color harmonies compensate for the lack of natural light and have a positive influence on morale.
This week, we have a stunning Ford Taunus Transit “USA legetoj” (USA-style model).
modèle en vente cette semaine: Tekno – Ford Taunus Transit USA Legetoj 415
The “French blue” is vibrant.
It’s the same blue that adorns the rare Scania CR76 Air France bus, produced in part for the French market. I appreciate the “Orly” inscription on the bus’s destination sign… perhaps the Chausson Air France coach by Solido inspired the Danish company.
In fact, at the time of its release, Solido was the distributor of Tekno buses in France.
To my knowledge, barring any exceptional discoveries, this is the only advertisement featuring the colors of a French company produced by the Danish firm.
modèle en vente cette semaine: Tekno – Scania CR76 bus Air France 851
This week we also have a Unic “Hafa” truck in lavender and salmon blue…a color combination that Tekno himself would have admired!
JRD exported very little…except to French-speaking countries. Fifty years after acquiring my copy, I remain in awe of this rare “made in France” model with its beautiful box.
modèle en vente cette semaine : JRD – Unic Lautaret fourgon tôlé Hafa 126
measured desires
I’m not a big fan of gift sets, unlike many miniature collectors.
At the mere mention of the word, I often see eyes light up.
As a child, they never appealed to me in front of toy shop windows. I think my parents taught me a certain restraint and made me understand that a child’s desires should be measured and proportionate to the family’s financial means.
This was conveyed without much fuss; a few words were enough.
I think I’ve retained this sense of reason throughout my life. So, even today, I’m sometimes amazed by the price of certain gift sets, now on the secondhand market.
Back then, their retail price often put them well out of reach for most people. It’s surely this childhood frustration that gives them their current allure. They also present another problem for collectors: the space they take up in the display case! I calculate ratios based on the attractiveness, size, and price of the gift set!
So I like small gift sets because they’re easy to display in a shop window. This week we have two very nice Studebaker Nestlé dairy trucks.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys France – Studebaker camion laitier Nestlé type 3 25 O
This is exactly the kind of little set I love.
Moreover, Dinky Toys sets are generally easy to display in a showcase. Cleverly, Bobigny and Liverpool knew how to save space and, above all, optimize it to reduce manufacturing costs and, let’s not forget, shipping costs as well.
With Corgi Toys, excess is often the order of the day. Lower production costs allow for more extravagance in terms of size and the number of models included.
I can imagine what a wonderful gift this milkman set must have been for children. The quality of the cardboard used, the harmonious burgundy and yellow color scheme (on the first sets, the color scheme was burgundy and pink), and the attention to detail (the wedges used to hold the milk cans upright) made this set a treasured item.
Personally, I think the Studebaker truck, with its long hood, is a better fit than the version based on the Ford truck.
The balance between the boxy body, identical on both models, and the cab is better. It’s simply a matter of taste.
The Ford truck, initially sold in the same box but fitted with a spacer because it’s shorter, is slightly less striking.
This week, the two Studebaker models stand out; they were produced at two different times. The most interesting, in my opinion, is the one made with the first cab, with its cruder details (hood trim, windshield cutout, toolbox on the right footwell, etc.) but already equipped with rims and tires.
It’s therefore an intermediate version, produced for a short time.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys- Studebaker camion laitier Nestlé type 1 25 O
It is decorated using pad printing, while the other model, a later version, is decorated with Nestlé lettering applied as a decal. I advise you to consult the books by Mr. Roulet or Mr. Gougeon. The latter has provided a meticulous description of the details.
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You’ve surely recognized the color scheme of the “Mobel Transport” version.
Whether at the request of importers or on its own initiative, I can’t say for sure, the Danish firm, which has a strong export presence, created a version of its Volvo N88 box semi-trailer trucks listed in the catalog: the Mobel Transport, the Lama (two shades of blue), and the Rosendahl (blue and white), bearing the laconic English text “International Transport.”
From an aesthetic point of view, it’s far less successful than the versions bearing the names of the Danish companies described above… but in terms of rarity, it’s a different story!
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Volvo N88 semi fourgon International Transport 435
These versions are rare, especially the one offered here. A box was even printed with this information in English. For collectors, be aware that there is an even rarer version, painted green.
I found my copy in Turin almost forty years ago. It will be returning home.
also on sale this week
