Pre-war delivery vans advertising commercial brand names have long been the kings of the Dinky collectors’ market. This was reinforced on March 10 when Vectis of Stockton-on-Tees sold the so-called 5th Avenue Collection, which included examples bearing well known and long-forgotten brands.
The highest price went to a box of six Type 1 vans bearing
nationally recognised trade names. This passed its £18,000-22,000
estimate to fetch £30,000.
It was one of only two such complete boxes to come on the
market. Each van was individually branded for Hornby
Trains (No.28a), Pickfords (No.28b), Manchester
Guardian (No.28c), Oxo (No.28d), Ensign
Cameras (No.28e) and Palethorpes (No. 28f).
Apparently much rarer was a single Dinky No.22d van bearing the
name W.E. Boyce, a cycle shop on the Archway Road in
Highgate in the 1930s and still trading under this name into the
early 1960s.
This achieved £17,000 against a £7000-10,000 estimate. It is
thought by Vectis to be the only one of its kind.
Dinky prices have not been seen at this level since 1994 when
Christie's sold a 1937 Bentall's delivery van for £11,000.
A few months later, in December 1994, a previously unrecorded
c.1938 280 series Fenwicks van achieved £3200 at Anderson
& Garland of Newcastle.
Surviving examples of these vans are rare in any state so the
excellent condition of both Vectis lots made them particularly
desirable.
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