Delivering the goods

Here’s a result to make you sit up and pay attention because Special Auction Services has just sold a Dinky Gift Set for a cool £11,000… we’ll race you to the loft to see if there’s one lurking away up there.

Unfortunately the chances of you finding this particular set are exceptionally thin, as it was a rare pre-war Dinky Toys No. 28/1 first issue set of six first type Delivery Vans, including: 28a Hornby Trains, yellow body, blue wash wheels, very good; 28b Pickford’s, royal blue body, purple wash wheels, very good to excellent; 28c Manchester Guardian, black/red body, purple wash wheels, very good to excellent; 28d OXO, blue body, purple wash wheels, very good; 28e Ensign Cameras, orange body, gold wash wheels, very good to excellent and 28f Palethorpes Sausages, grey body, blue wash wheels, restored, slightly bent, resulting in a crack to the chassis, plus repainted throughout. Made between 1934 and 1940, the gift set came with its original yellow trade box with replacement dividers. Despite all the numerous problems listed, the sheer rarity of the piece ensured it exceeded the £7,000 to £10,000 estimate.

Also on the gift set theme was a pre-war Hornby Series (Dinky Toys) No. 22 Motor Vehicles Set including 22a Open Sports Car, red body, cream mudguards, unpainted wheels, very good; 22b Closed Sports Coupe, yellow body, green roof and mudguards, yellow wash wheels, very good; 22c Motor Truck, blue cab, red truck body, purple wash wheels, very good to excellent; 22d Delivery Van, orange/blue body, purple wash wheels, very good to excellent; 22e Tractor, yellow/blue body, red wheels, very good to excellent and 22f Tank, green/orange body, red tracks in very good condition but the tracks were perished. Estimated at £2,000 to £3,000, the set realised £3,200.

Finally on the gift set front was a very stylish French Dinky No. 24-58 Touring Car Gift Set, including 24d Plymouth Belvedere, grey body, red roof; 24c Citroen DS 19, green body, pale grey roof, 24e Renault Dauphine, brick red body, 24b Peugeot 403, blue body and 24z Simca Versailles, light blue body, white roof. All in excellent condition with a very good box, the snazzy set sold for £1,200.