Category:Dinky Toys Dollhouse Furniture: Difference between revisions

July 1936: Dolly Varden and Dinky Toys Dollhouse furniture [image info]

1936: Advert in Meccano Magazine [image info]

Meccano Ltd launched their range of Dinky Toys Dollhouse Furniture in 1936, and kept it going until 1940.

Meccano Ltd. were rather late to the "dollhouse furniture" game, with Lines Brothers having been selling their doll furniture since around 1930, and Bassett-Lowke producing a Nuways catalogue in 1931.

The Dinky furniture range was launched with a little bit of hyperbole, and was perhaps received with some puzzlement – it's scale size didn't correspond to anything obviously used in existing dollhouses, Meccano Ltd. had a very male-oriented user-base, anyone wanting to put the furniture in some sort of context was advised to buy the Dolly Varden slot-together dollhouse, which seemed to have a rather cheap cardboardish construction, and whose interiors were not shown in the advertising (which may have suggested to some potential buyers that perhaps there was a reason why the company didn;t want to show them).

1936 promotional text:

The extension of the range of Dinky Toys to include true-to-scale modern Furniture will be welcomed by all who know the charm of these perfect miniatures. Much care and thought have been given to the design, finish and presentation of every article of this Furniture series. Each piece is based on a typical example of modern design, and all are actual scale models made to a scale of 7/16 of an inch to one foot. There is a tone and individuality of style about Dinky Toys Dolls House Furniture which cannot fail to appeal. Among the most attractive features are the opening doors and drawers. This furniture is far superior to anything of its kind that has ever before been produced for the delight and pleasure of young people.

The Dinky Toys Furniture is now ready. See it at your dealer's.

— Meccano Magazine advert, 1936

The Dinky Toys dollhouse furniture sets

The Dinky furniture sets were numbered 101-104 (Dining Room, Bedroom, Kitchen and Bathroom), with the individual items also available separately.

• Dinky Toys Furniture, set Nos. 101-104
• Dinky 101 Dining Room Furniture (1939 catalogue).jpg

  Dinky Toys No.101, Dining Room Furniture

• Dinky 102 Bedroom Furniture (1939 catalogue).jpg

  Dinky Toys No.102, Bedroom Furniture

• Dinky 103 Kitchen Furniture (1939 catalogue).jpg

  Dinky Toys No.103, Kitchen Furniture

• Dinky 104 Bathroom Furniture (1939 catalogue).jpg

  Dinky Toys No.104, Bathroom Furniture

In the museum

The museum has almost the full range of furniture ... the exception being the "armed" version of the kitchen chairs. We're also missing the lid of the bathroom linen bin.

Template:1930s Dinky