Arthur also offers SpareSfor repairs - …

1 52 |may 2012 Arthur also offers a range of dials, globes, hoses and nozzles to restore Taylor & Barrett and Britain s petrol pumps.| spares/replacement parts updateNeed replacement tyres for a Tri-ang Minic model? Well, Arthur Clapp has a large listing of spares from which you can order. It s been two years since I looked at the toy spares market and there s been some exciting developments since then. More outlets continue to emerge, offering an even wider range of spares of ever increasing quality. Like it or loathe it, the main driver for this upsurge in spares has been the internet. Items that only 20 years ago would have found just a small audience now have a worldwide one, and are thus worth the investment. It s also heartening to learn that in these troubled times the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well!

2 When researching this article it also became apparent that many of these concerns are one man bands , which is worth remembering when it comes to office hours, lead times, emails and the Clapp Where would vintage toy collectors be without the venerable Arthur Clapp? Arthur is well known both as a highly skilled producer of spare parts and for his restoration work. Here is a brief recap on the brands and types of models he covers: Meccano Constructor Cars and Planes; Shackleton Fodens: Hornby O gauge; boats; Scamold and Tri-ang that caught my eye recently were the conversion kits to turn your Tri-ang Minic bus into the mythical Trolleybus and the unique tyres for the 100 Ford vans and cars. Also, how many of us have some old Taylor & Barrett or Britains petrol pumps in our spares boxes?

3 Well, Arthur does a comprehensive range of dials, globes, hoses and nozzles to restore even the poorest is the Meccano Constructor parts that are the stars though, both for the sheer variety of the parts available and for their consistent high details Tel: 01453 790654 Email: Flowers Model SuppliesSteve Flowers really needs no introduction, save for the fact that he is most certainly one of the founders of the toy restoration market. Flowers range expands almost on a monthly basis and it s easy to overlook some gems hiding in the listings. Interesting parts include items such as a tin door conversion for the EFE RT bus. And staying with buses, there s also a range of cast white metal grilles for Corgi s AEC Royal coach, enabling it to be changed to represent a Bristol Daimler or Crossley.

4 Just the thing repairsian McDermott provides a useful update on the spare/replacement parts market. So whether you re about to embark upon, or are in the middle of, a project that s going to require more than a just bit of TLC, or perhaps if you just want to make a note of what s available for future reference, read marks the Dinky Club spares out is the lightness and fineness of its castings, as evidenced here by the replacement chassis seen here. may 2012| 53for the chopper! For the Vanguards collector there are spare wing mirrors and windscreen wipers, almost certainly a God send to many. Amongst vintage toy collectors, Wells Brimtoys range of 1:60 friction Bedfords and Thames lorries are becoming more and more collectable. These diminutive 1950s vehicles feature a common cab and chassis with a multitude of different bodies - therefore a range of spare ladders, aerials and TV cameras will no doubt come in can also supply accessories such as Milliput files and computer matched paints.

5 This is good to know with so many high street model shops disappearing details Tel: 01162 332 288 Website: marks out Dinky Club spares is the lightness and fineness of its castings - no large blobs or clumsy moulding here. As the name suggests, there is a strong leaning towards Dinky Toys, but other makers such as Matchbox, Corgi, Britains and Charbens are also covered. The Club also occasionally offer bulk deals on tyres too, which is good for the restorer and toy dealer Dinky Club can also provide a range of white metal kits and built models and both rare English and French Dinky Toys feature, with some interesting variations. And if all this isn t enough, there s a forum, tin toys for sale and an extensive range of modellers details Tel: 07934 629975 Website: d love to hear from you if you have any replacement/spare parts suppliers you can recommend to fellow readers!

6 Over to you!top left The tooling room at Steve Flowers Model The firm also produces its own range of plastic mouldings. top right Steve Flowers takes a hands-on approach to his right Firemen at the ready! Some of the figures in Steve s Steve Flower s new 2012 catalogue, featuring a really comprehensive range of spares, is now available to and restoring old toys can be great fun, and if you need a replacement ladder for a fire tender project, Steve Flowers is your man!20th Century Box specialises in replica boxes for classic TV and film toys, and can even provide the vacuum moulded type so often missing, broken or very discoloured when these models surface. Cellophane window boxes were also very prone to damage and deterioration, and these are also offered by 20th Century Box.

7 (See next page for details) 54 |may 2012| spares/replacement parts updateRecover ToyRecover Toy is an on-line die-cast spare parts supplier from Australia. Its listings are pretty comprehensive, with quite a few items that I haven t seen elsewhere. Some items may appear a little pricey given the exchange rate but the Matchbox Gift Set box I received from them was first rate. What sets Recover Toy apart though, is the enormous wealth of info its site has to offer for the restorer, with numerous tips, articles and photos. There are also regular bulletins on the range and the business itself, along with a back issue archive that makes for fascinating reading. Contact details Website: 20,000 boxes in 10 years, with zero complaints , boasts the proprietor of DRRB, Rob Barlow, and who can argue with that?

8 When Rob launched his range of replica boxes many years ago he caused something of a stir. Out went the badly folded colour copies and in came a much more authentic-looking quality product. The reason for an update here isn t so much due to DRRB s ever expanding catalogue, of which I can particularly recommend the Tri-ang Spot-On boxes; no, it s for something else. Rob offers a service whereby if you supply a box currently not in his catalogue, he ll make you a free copy and add the scanned artwork to his growing pool of boxes. And before you ask, your original box is not harmed in any way during the process. So if you happen to have a rare box and would like a quality copy of it (possibly to put on display while the original is safely stored away with no risk of fading or other possible damage/deterioration), this is definitely a deal worth details Tel: 01204 845279 Website: Century BoxSometimes while surfing the internet in toy mode something just leaps out at you, and for me this company did just that.

9 Although there are a plethora of repro box producers, this company specialises in the TV-related market. What impressed me was the scope of production techniques involved, including vacuum moulding. Not your average cut and paste jobs then! It seems providing quality boxes for this specialist audience has paid off, as when Googled the company and its boxes were name checked on several internet forums. Contact details Tel: 07588 294 082 Website: Print and DesignI recently came across this company on eBay, trading under the user name of Timaru2 , and was impressed by its sheer creativity. The firm basically reproduces card display stands for vintage toys. These are either from originals or clever configurations made using period branding and illustrations and if you didn t know your onions you wouldn t know above Tri-ang spares, such as this replica grille, can also be you have an interest in large pressed steel toys, like this gorgeous London Transport bus, then a trip to the website will be right up your streetWe love these card display stands created by Munro Print and Design, a whole selection of which are available via eBay from the trader Timaru2.

10 Cleverly making use of period advertising, we think these card display stands would look fantastic in your display cabinet and would really brighten up exhibits and toyfair tables too. The website offers a vast array of transfers and stickers, such as the period advertisements shown here, and the quality is 2012| 55which was which. The Matchbox ones are particularly impressive. Price wise most start at around a fiver, plus p&p, and are perfect for the display cabinet or brightening up a toyfair table. Minimal construction is required, save for some weighting of the bases. This is inspirational stuff and I look forward to seeing more from this details Tel: 01253 863388 email: has to be one of the most visually attractive websites for vintage toys that I have come across for some time.