Antique Meccano Toys

Meccano Ltd. was formed in 1908 in Britain by Frank Hornby. Meccano was first titled "Mechanics Made Easy" which was soon shortened to the name we know today. The first toy Meccano created was not even really a toy. It was a set to be used for educational purposes in school and came with a detailed handbook. Since it was not very popular in or out of the school system, it was discontinued a short time later. Today, one can find these sets under the name of erector sets and a vintage set could be quite valuable.

	Vintage Dinky Toys Gloster Javelin Plane Meccano Ltd England Metal #735 $8.95
	Antique toy triang airplane hangar metalcraft aircraft dinky Hornby Meccano $120.00 $160.00
	Meccano Road Wheels $1.95
	Meccano - Wood Roller $4.89
	Meccano - Large Toothed Quadrant Pinion $4.89
	Meccano - Gear Wheels $10.02

By 1914, Meccano had opened branches in five different countries and started to manufacture O Scale model trains under the name of Hornby Railways in the early 1920's.  In 1922, Mecanno set up a factory in the United States and manufactured trains from it, but sold it in 1929 to toy maker A.C. Gilbert Company. Within a year of the sale, Mecanno model trains disappeared from the North American market.
Though not widely known, there was a brand called Dinky Toys and it was created by Mecanno in 1934. As one would think, Dinky Toys were small cars and trucks that were made of die-cast metal. Many of these Mecanno Dinky Toys are still in the market today and are desirable to collectors.