I thought it might be interesting to start a thread about Dinky Toys boxes. Although boxes are of secondary importance - and were often disposed of very quickly - they tell their own (hi)story. There is a distinct development to be observed in their design and their construction, the materials used. It may be important to know if a box is complete, with all inserts. A model can never be called fully 'mint' if there is no box (if it has to be present) and if not all additional inserts are present. If it can be established that a box really belongs to the model inside it may be of help in dating the model inside. The illustrations are sometimes real pieces of art, done by special artists. Boxes sometimes tell about the numbers produced, and often some more information about the model and the real-world prototype is printed on it. Some boxes (should) contain leaflets with instructions regarding the functioning of the model, replacing parts, like cords for hoisting, ladders etc. Some boxes are very common and some are very rare. A box is always scarcer than the model inside, because indeed they were disposed of first.

Some randomly chosen French boxes for a start:

The box for the no. 550 Chrysler 'Saratoga'. This one and many similar contemporaries show the little lozenge, unveiling the colour if the model inside. The instructions for steering are very common in those days.

The flaps tell what replacement tyres are needed, which are the white medium sized ones. The flap on the right says that the colour of the model inside may differ from the illustration. Well, you bet it does, the colour illustrated has never been adopted to this Chrysler.




For this no. 70 Covered Trailer 'Remorque bachée', the colours are quite correct. It is the same box but with the two existing colour schemes on each side. Even the differing shades of green are reasonably well reproduced. The boxes bare the old number, which was changes into 810 in 1959. So these boxes, and most probably the models inside are pre-1959.






And finally two examples of boxes for French military models. Both are pre-1959 because they bear the old 80-series numbers. The one for the Camion Berliet is the oldest because it doesn't show an illustration. A little later, but still pre-1959 is the box for the E.B.R. Panhard, because that addition to all military boxes took place slightly before 1959. Jean Massé signed for the illustration. He made many illustration for the French boxes. Sometimes the initials J.M. are found only (see the Chrysler box).
I hope some of you can add some other interesting box pictures and/or descriptions, or simply comment on the boxes above!
Kind regards, Jan

Jan-- A wonderful and interesting topic to pursue for sure!  And thanks for starting it off with some very good examples of the French Dinky boxes.  Over the years, I noticed a big variation in many of the boxes....how they appeared, how they were numbered, the colors shown, etc.  And you are right, many of them did have little printed instructions or just information added.  Fortunately, I still have most of my boxes from Dinky's bought new in the 1950's, although many are somewhat worn or have missing flaps, but the artwork is still there, along with the information given.  I will have to go through some of mine and make some comments.  Thanks for starting a new and unique topic!


            Terry

Some boxes for the family of 18- and 25-pounder Field Gun Units, from the 1930s, 1950s and later 1960s:


Later 1950s and early 1960's below, later 1930s early 1940s in the middle and later 1960s on top. The first couple true presentation boxes, the latter the well-illustrated heavier cardboard end flap box. And below open and with their contents (pre-war box with early post-war model):

Jan--Those are very nice photos of the military boxes and how different they could be.  I love the illustrations that they used, and to me, the paintings or renderings always looked the best.


  I decided that I could quickly post some interesting Supertoys boxes, showing some of the history and how they changed over the years.  First of all, I am not an expert at all on boxes, and secondly, I  am not at home with any of my reference material, so this is being down "on the fly".  I was fortunate to have representative Supertoy boxes of Foden's, that appear to cover the time from from 1947, when the Foden's were first introduced, to about 1957.  I came up with 5 distinctly different box types, with the first one being the plain card construction with a simple label on the top.  The second type had a green top with a plain card bottom, that had green taped affixed around the perimeter....apparently so that when the top was on, it looked all green.  The third type was all blue, with the label again on the top.  This was the last of the "old versions" before the fourth type appeared.....the famous and well-kown blue and white stripped box.  When this was introduced, Dinky had quit using the Supertoys name for awhile, so this shows that.  The last, and fifth version, is basically the same, but now labeled Supertoys.  One other note:  The Supertoys that were introduced in 1947 were the first Dinky's to use a separate box of their own.  Passenger cars and other small vehicles continued to use trade boxes containing multiple models for some time.


       Terry


  this shows all 5 different Foden boxes, in order of use, with the oldest at the bottom

  This is the 1st type, with plain card stock and a simple label

  This shows how crudely it was stapled together

  The second type, with green top box and green tape on the lower.  The green tape appears to have been applied by hand...very uneven!

  This shows the bottom section with the green tape applied

  The third type box, now all blue with the top label

  You can now see that the lower section of the box is solid blue...no tape!

  For the first time, Dinky used foreign language on the end panel

  The fourth type box, now the familiar blue and white stripe, but just labeled Dinky Toys....Supertoys had disappeared for awhile. 

  This was also a "dual numbered" box...showing both the old and new numbers

   The fifth type Foden box, now labeled Supertoys and with the newer numbers

  The end panel of the later box

DINKYFAN,        Your FODEN boxes are beauties. My original FODEN flatbed, green and orange with grey tires, purchased in 1953 I remember was in a box. I think it was the blue and white striped one. The picture was exactly of what was inside. I was so excited to get that truck home and out of the box. Because it was so expensive, around $3.00 or so and I would only purchase one FODEN, I had to choose correctly. It could haul anything while the others were sort of limited because of the chains, side and rear boards. It was the logical fit. I remember cutting the end flaps, removing the bottom and keeping the top, sort of a garage and garage door.  A day or so later, the box was gone but then, not an issue.The truck was what was important.


                Now, folks make very good copies, and a little dirt rubbed in and across the corners then wiped clean, "Original' claim. Suckers go for it............ let the buyer beware.


                Thank you for sharing those great pictures and comments of your originals. I luv it.


dinkyboy

Nice Foden boxes Terry. It is obvious - and fortunate - that there are more pristine models than boxes, if boxes at all. The boxes did what they had to do: protect the as new models inside!
I am especially fond of those green boxes. I presume they have been used in the period 1950-1951 and the blue Foden Tanker is most frequently seen in those boxes. I guess it's the unusual appearance and the 'primitive' glued around thin paper with a the faint striped structure that pleases me. Some nice examples:





Regards, Jan

Where did this box fit in Terry/Jan, as we have been discusing this on another thread.

This box shows that the change from Dinky Supertoys to Dinky Toys took place slightly before the change from 1st type cab to 2nd type cab Fodens. Ist must date of about mid-1952. Kind regards, jan

Jan--To follow on what you have shown, here is one last glimpse at the two early, plain Foden tankers, both with the early type box.  The Type 1 tanker has the early, green, Supertoys labeled box, and the Type 2 has the blue, Dinky Toys labeled box.  Of course we know that the correct box for this Type 2 will show the later cab, but for sure some of these were issued with this older illustrated box.  Below this I will show some pre-war display boxes.............


      Terry


  Foden Type 1 Tanker with early green Supertoys labeled box

  Foden Type 2 Tanker with later blue Dinky Toys labeled box

    By the way, my early "green" boxes do not show the faint stripping that yours do...I only have a few, but either they used a couple of green paper sources, or they might be from a slightly different time frame.


     Here are some sample of Dinky pre-war "display" type boxes.  I am calling them display, as these appeared to be designed to both house and protect the model, but could also be opened up and displayed, with some sort of decorative scene printed in the background.  And this scene was always somewhat appropriate with the models.  These are wonderful looks back into another era and none of these survived after the war.  It was obviously more costly too produce and pack these, so they disappeared when Dinky halted production during the war.


   This is the RAC Motor Cycle Guides and Patrol set, with hut

   This is the AA Motor Cycle Guides and Patrol set, with hut

  This one is the Police Motor Cycle, Hut and Patrolman

    And some of the pre-war boxes told information about the model...how it worked or what accomplishments it had made.  Here are two of those:


  This is the box that the Dinky Thunderbolt record car came in

   This one is from the pre-war Mobile Anti-Aircraft Unit, and it discusses the range finder and capability of the gun.

By the way, Terry, there are some pre-war boxes for single models, like this one:

A random chosen other model's box, the no. 956 Turntable Fire escape:






This is not the fully correct box, as it as it should state: 'with windows'.
And this insert should be included:

Hi Terry, our postings crossed, so you corrected the Thunderbolt box before I added it.


Perhaps it's best to show the boxes as complete as possible, for the record, like this:






















Regards, Jan

Hi, I hope to see some nice box examples from other contributors. In the mean time I found some photographs of the remarkably packed no. 564/964 Elevator Loader. It has so many swivelling and movable parts that quite some inserts are necessary in order to keep the model in place and the parts protected during transport:













Regards, Jan

Jan,

great photos and stories about the boxes. I cannot contribute, for I have only 1 original box (964) in a scruffy condition, and you just have showed your prisine example.

Hi Theo, everyone here has his own 'specialization', your restorations are true marvels!
Some more boxes:

The no. 150 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith, the French no. 551 included, came in four boxes altogether:



Quite recently I bought a very nice boxed no. 661 Recovery Tractor, the box with all inserts and a quality control label included:






So the previous boxless one (on the left) can be sold again on one of the future Houten meets! Regards, Jan

One of the most voluminous boxes ever for this no. 752/973 Dinky (Super) Toy, h x w x l = 10,5 x 12 x 22 cms! It had several variations but these are the basic two versions:

Basic box 1953-1954


Basic box 1954-1959 (this one actually 1957-1959, as is the model, brand name in italics and with the new dark blue colour of the base of the model inside).


Short sides.



And the remarkable way the model was supported inside the box! Regards, Jan