In collecting Dinky Toys, one of the more useful things to seek out are the original catalogs published by Meccano. Books have been written on what was offered and when, but these catalogs allow you to date the toys using source material published by Meccano factory. With the catalog I am showing today, I also have the price list...so you can also get an idea of what the kids (and their parents) were paying in 1958 for these little gems.
Seeing this catalog makes me want to go back in time, order the complete catalog, and then return to the present! Above is a page out of the catalog that features some of the Dinky Toys available at the time. The catalog also shows Dinky Supertoys, Hornby trains, and Meccano erector sets. The 24A Chysler New Yorker (the convertible on the lower left of the left page) is a present day classic, and came in a number of color combinations. Collectors will pay top dollar for the rare colors. At 410 francs, it was one of the pricier models in its day (at least compared to the other cars offered here).
So...how much was 410 francs in 1958? Well, that's rather complicated as that is the year that the French re-valued their currency and went to the "new" franc. I looked for an answer online, but none was clearly available. If anyone has a good answer here, I would love to hear it!
Until next time...
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