Military Dinky Toys

Now well into their sixth decade, my collection of Dinky Military toys sit proudly on display. Great care through the years has ensured these awesome replicas have stayed in top shape! They may not be models, but they’re great display pieces, as this photo shows!

Dinky Toys were a long-produced line of diecast toys made in England. While they are now extinct, they are very collectible, especially in Europe. Lots of Dinky Toys were sold in Canada, too, though. I guess it was one of the advantages of living in the “colonies”! Dinky made a number of very sturdy military toys, and being a historian, I am very interested in them. While their detail and precision doesn’t match modern armour kits, these toys are definitely high quality items, and represent a pinnacle of a different time and place’s attempts at creating something that would appeal to both adults and children.

Most of my Dinky Toys were given to me by my Uncle, who was the original owner. Now they are on display here for everyone to see! If you have an interest in old toys, militaria or die-cast, you should find these military Dinky Toys as fascinating as I do.

One thing I love about these Dinky Toys is that they are all time travellers. They have managed to survive the passing of the decades to arrive here and tell a story of what play was like in the 1950s. We often get hung up on what’s new and what’s hot, and we forget that there was a simpler time when imagination made up for hyper-realistic detail or instant gratification.

These Dinky Toys will have none of that! To appreciate them, it’s necessary to think at their speed and in their time. It might sound cheesy, but take a look at them. Even if you weren’t alive when they were made, you can appreciate the values of ruggedness and pride that went into them. I find they can make you nostalgic for a time you might not have ever even known.

Click on any of the links below to see some pictures and get a feel for the subject; it will make you appreciate both the time whence the Dinkys came, as well as the time you live in now!

Dinky No. 697: 25-Pounder Field Gun Set: This is an awesome 1950’s gift set with three seperate pieces all in one box!

Dink No. 623: Army Covered Wagon: A great little replica of the Bedford QL that supported the British in WWII!

Dinky No. 661: Scammell Recovery Tractor: An excellently brutish replica of Britain’s 6×6 recovery vehicle from the early Cold War!

Dinky No. 666 Corporal Missile Transporter: Britain’s first tactical nuclear weapon system. Huge, heavy and green; the Halo product of the Dinky Military line!

Dinky 40Y: This is a custom-made gift set, you need to see it to believe it.	Dinky No. 667: Missile Servicing Platform Vehicle: This cherry picker is designed solely to provide logistical help to the Coporal missile. Talk about “niche”!	Dinky No. 749/992 Avro Vulcan: Dinky’s hyper-rare failed attempt to capture the majestic Vulcan; in ALUMINUM!	Dinky No. 665 Honest John Missile Launcher: A nuclear missile launching army truck! Gotta love Cold War toys!
Dinky No. 152b Six-Wheeled Reconnaissance Car: An interwar classic, and about the only Morris Commercial D/CD you’ll find!	Dinky No. 884 Brockway Bridgelayer: This river-spanning titan comes straight from France!