W H Smith Die cast model kits, Transit etc

[old thumper]

A quick question. Does anyone recall seeing diecast model kits on sale in W H Smiths during the 1970's and if so what manufacturer were they from?

I have this memory from when I was about eight or nine of seeing these being sold in plastic bags, I seem to recall a Ford Transit van being part of the range.

 

This memory has sort of stuck in mind as I have always wondered what they were and how the parts were joined together.

From memory the bags were mostly split with the parts loose on the floor.

[Pete in Lincs]

Dinky did various of their models as self assembly.

I remember the Transit and a London bus.

I'm sure that Dinky were the only ones to make a Transit.

I think they were in bubble packs though.

They screwed together through the chassis.

[malpaso]

Dinky made kit versions of their die casts.  It came as the separate parts of the model in a folded card so it sort of looked like a book.  I remember building the Jeep, 109 and the Sea King.  The Tornado I built is still in the children's toy box at my Mum's, available for playing with by grandchildren and small neighbours - the swing wing action still works with the undercarriage!

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-us/auction-catalogues/special-auction-services/catalogue-id-srspe10053/lot-38790351-0670-4bb5-9d3c-a43200312ac0

I guess they were cheaper than normal Dinky cars as if I got the bigger cars more usually they would have been Matchbox or Corgi.  I must have built and enamel painted these around age ten or so because I'm still bitter that the Sea King was nicked at junior school.

Cheers 

Will 

[old thumper]

6 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Dinky did various of their models as self assembly.

I remember the Transit and a London bus.

I'm sure that Dinky were the only ones to make a Transit.

I think they were in bubble packs though.

They screwed together through the chassis.

 

6 hours ago, malpaso said:

Dinky made kit versions of their die casts.  It came as the separate parts of the model in a folded card so it sort of looked like a book.  I remember building the Jeep, 109 and the Sea King.  The Tornado I built is still in the children's toy box at my Mum's, available for playing with by grandchildren and small neighbours - the swing wing action still works with the undercarriage!

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-us/auction-catalogues/special-auction-services/catalogue-id-srspe10053/lot-38790351-0670-4bb5-9d3c-a43200312ac0

I guess they were cheaper than normal Dinky cars as if I got the bigger cars more usually they would have been Matchbox or Corgi.  I must have built and enamel painted these around age ten or so because I'm still bitter that the Sea King was nicked at junior school.

Cheers 

Will 

 

Thanks very much. I have just googled these and they must be what I was thinking of. It looks like I got the packaging wrong as they were blister packs not bags. Whether blister packs or bags the contents were still on floor though, probably through kids breaking them open to look at the parts. Second thoughts maybe they repackaged them in blister packs because kids were busting the bags open.

 

I of course never opened boxes in model shops to look inside as a kid.