How often do we yearningly say, "Oh, I had one of those when I was a kid"? For men, this frequently refers to something which needed to be wound up and went brrrrrrrrrrum, brrrrrrrrrrum, much to their delight!

Today, those little gems are highly collectable, particularly if the wind-up motors still work, all the parts are intact and most of the paint survived a generation or two.

Tri-Ang Works in London, England, made some of the most desirable of the wind-up or 'clockwork' toys sought after today.

In the very early years of the 20th century, the Lines brothers, William, Walter and Arthur, formed a partnership to carry on a family tradition of toy making which dated back to 1870. They intended, in their own words, to become "the world's greatest toy factory".

The competition was vigorous from within England, and also from Germany. For many years, Tri-Ang Works factory flourished on a 43-acre site in London. They produced many thousands of toys through the 50s and the 60s. However, as popular as their products were at their peak of production, they finally succumbed to the competition. Eventually, they realized a declining interest in the style of toys they produced and were forced to call it quits in 1971.

But just to back up a little, the "Minic Range" was produced in the 1930s to compete with Meccano's Dinky Toys. Meccano manufactured highly detailed tin-plate models and were extremely popular in the United States as well as in the UK.

The Minics were limited to 14 models and were essentially "impressionistic" models and did not necessarily bear resemblance to actual cars. They very often described their models as Rolls type or Diamler type. They held to their belief the models need not be copies of 'street' vehicles.

By 1948, Minic offered 40 different models to boys all over the world. The company grew into the 1950s; their catalogue illustrated 60 models and many other items such as electrically-operated models, ships, novelty toys and garages. The fact they did not produce models which could be considered replicas undoubtedly contributed to their downfall. Regardless of that arguably poor business decision, most of their models like the "Chrysler Airflow", the "MG Magic Midget" or the "Vauxhall" are cherished by collectors today.

Right from the beginning, their construction was not particularly revolutionary. They employed the traditional 'tab and slot' formula as all the other major tin toy builders of that day used.

A pre-war, all metal, Minic wind-up vehicle in excellent condition is not an easy find and costs something like a monthly payment on the average car today. One in good condition is attainable, but not inexpensive either, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $200-$250 - well worth the hunt if you are melancholic about your youth.

Tri-Ang first introduced their garages and service stations in 1936 to compliment the clockwork models. The garages command hundreds of dollars and are extremely illusive. For the most part, these were made by hand, out of wood and cardboard. All were painted and decorated with miniature advertising signs, lead "petrol" pumps and oil barrels. Many were fitted with electric lights in the shape of famous fuel company signs. Shell and B.P. were among the favorite ads used. Due to the fragility of the structures, few of the models produced in the 1930s exist today. These, naturally, command extremely high prices and are rarely seen for sale.

Packaging was significant to the Lines brothers. They realized the importance of good illustrations on the little paper boxes. They offered roadway scenes in beautiful colors suited to the model each contained.

The Lines brothers set up a production company in New Zealand in 1939 to increase their market. Despite their creativity and love of the toys they produced, demand fell away to the other more modern manufacturers of the 60s. In 1971, the Lines brothers were forced into liquidation.

E-bay is undoubtedly the most likely resource to locate these models today. But, the price will not be easily affordable to the casual collector's budget. Nevertheless, when you find one that you NEED, price is incidental, right?

He who dies with the most toys, wins!

You may email Rosemarie at lighthouse@greatlakes.net.