Thank you Brian
Ihave an incomplete collection of the 514 Dinky Toy Guy trucks which comprise five of the six available liveries of the 514 series, one of those I do have is the Slumberland model which was purchased along with its original box. The model can be described as near mint - being in very good condition and whilst having been played with the previous owner has clearly played with it quite carefully. The original owner has however written his name on the box twice and also ‘doodled’ on the top part of the label and on the ends, however in some ways this is quite nice that the owner was so pleased with the toy that he should identify so clearly in three places his name as the owner just so it was clear who’s toy it was. The idea that this boy, like me, enjoyed playing with his Dinky Toys with care so that they remain in near mint condition is a man who deserves my thanks! Not only because I now own his near mint box and mint toy but simply because his ‘play’ matches what was also my own careful playing with my own original Dinky Toys.
My other eBay or toy fair acquired Guy trucks are the 919 Robertson’s Golly version, 514 Ever Ready, 514 Spratts, and 514 Lyons Tea. The latter model was one of my original models but my mother gave it away (and a few other models) to my cousin which was apparently quite common practice at the time! I have replaced it since at a cost but I am happy to have one back in my collection. The upshot is I now only have one more to acquire, the Wheetabix version, although this does appear to be the most expensive and hardest to track down online, perhaps because it was not made in as large numbers as the rest of the series.
Getting back to my Slumberland and ‘Brian’, my bet is he may live in or close to Ely in Cambridgeshire, simply because I recall buying his ex-toy in the towns riverside antique centre! However I could be way out, wherever you are Brian thanks for looking after your toys so well, I can promise you I will continue in your footsteps and ‘play’ with your extoy very carefully… rest assured it is in good hands again! Given that giving away our toys to close relatives appears to be quite common there must be plenty of ‘cousins’ out there who are the proud owners of Dinky collections! If my cousin, or yours, reads this and feels inclined to pass them back to their original owners I for one would graciously accept… to be honest I don’t have much of an idea which Dinky Toys my cousin ended up with but whichever ones they were I would happily take back the J. Lyons Guy truck, provided it was still mint!
In any event the collections, wherever they may have come from, are hopefully still in good condition and being carefully looked after by somebody like you or I, lets hope all those cousins out there are not only looking after their inherited collections but may even have developed their own Dinky collecting habit! Who knows one day I may even buy online a boxed model with my name on the otherwise mint box, although thinking about it, it’s much more likely to have my cousins name on it rather than mine!
Playing the role of a good cousin if Brian is out there and would like his own model back again I am sure we could come to some mutually agreeable solution, the idea of it returning to its original owner is quite appealing and I would gladly play the part of the well behaved cousin!
PS I have recently purchased online the J.Lyons Guy van which means I only have one to go! Malcolm Gray, Northamptonshire If anyone can help reunite this much loved toy and its original owner, then get in touch with us here at Collectors Gazette and we can put you in contact... fingers crossed!