Nostalgia Done Right: Binary Arts Dimestore Dreams - Pt 1 Point-of-Purchase (aka Counter) Display

This is the first of a multi-part series chronicling the vehicles produced by Dimestore Dreams from 2000 to 2003. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

Usually, when we think of old toys re-made for the modern market, we think of companies (like hobby shops) that have acquired the old tooling, then had some manufacturer simply re-make the old toy - usually in colors that differed from the originals. These are called 'reproductions' or  'repo's' or 'repop's'. That was not the case with Dimestore Dreams. This was an all new product line designed from the ground up to have the look and feel of old toys without actually being reproductions made from old tooling. If you collect vintage toy vehicles you will instantly appreciate that nostalgic look and many a neophyte will tell themselves, "Geez, that looks familiar. Now where did I see that before?" 

Most of the vehicles are appropriately sized for O-gauge trains. Scale? ummm, I'd give them 1/43 but no need to haggle - they just look great on an Lionel or Marx train layouts, okay? The motorcycles are different in that they are quite a bit larger - akin to the old Auburn Rubber Co. cycles.

There's a reason these vehicles look that way: their designer was Bill Hanlon, himself a celebrated toy and game designer dating back to the '50s and - to a more modern audience -  author of the book "Plastic Toys: Dimestore Dreams of  The 40s & 50s" was quite familiar with the era he was designing for. The display itself measures 16 1/4" W x  14 5/8"D x 12 3/8"H.

"PLASTIC TOYS, Dimestore Dreams of the '40s & '50s"

by Bill Hanlon

Shiffer Publishing Ltd

Copyright 1993

This is a nicely detailed account of the Dimestore Dreams line

(These images can be found at: usdimestore)

The counter display contains thirty vehicles - more than the twenty-three vehicle's produced by Dimestore Dreams. read more about it below.

This one is hard to read

Photos of my display, complete with the entire range of Dimestore Dreams vehicles. You'll notice it's not as full looking as the photo above as there are no extra's on the display to make it full. Remember, this would have been in a store and would have been fully stocked for the customer's.

When delivered to the store, the display was already built up. The only thing the store had to do was attach the header card. All the toys were already on it. The following vehicles were included:

3 each of

#20000 Ambulance

#20010 Convertible

#20020 Fire Chief's Car

#20030 Police Car

#20040 Sedan

#20050 Sedan Delivery

#20060 Station Wagon

#20070 Taxi

#20200 Convertible with Speedboat and Trailer

#20210 Station Wagon with Speedboat and Trailer

None of the motorcycle's were included with the pre-packaged display as were none of the Military, the Rocket Ship or the Station Wagon with Camper

The separate header card