VBD2 is closed. Please go to https://vbd3.co.uk instead.

I recently bought a group of four diecast figures, one of which I considered to be at least htf if not rare (since it’s almost always missing) and which I needed to complete a model in my collection. I could therefore have made this a simple “Spot the Gem” item, but I think it’s much more interesting (and informative) to turn it into a diecast version of “What’s my line?”. (Very Reithian!)

So, for each of the figures, two questions:
i) who was the manufacturer? and
ii) which model is the figure associated with?
If you are able to illustrate your answer with a photograph showing the figure and model together, so much the better.

Figure 1: Figure 2 (note that this is subtly different from Figure 1): Figure 3: Figure 4: (I'm confident of the identities of two of these figures, I think I know the third, but I have absolutely no idea about the final one!)

I am pretty sure that the final driver is from a Condon dumper. From my observations on ebay that makes him worth more than the average Condon dumper..........
As for the others, the first two look like Benbros tractor drivers to me - please enlighten us

Ewan wrote:I am pretty sure that the final driver is from a Condon dumper. From my observations on ebay that makes him worth more than the average Condon dumper..........
As for the others, the first two look like Benbros tractor drivers to me - please enlighten us

Correct - no. 4 is a Condon dumper driver (now reunited with his vehicle in my display cabinet).
No. 1 is a Benbros 'land girl' tractor driver, whilst (I think) no. 2 is a Charbens tractor driver.
Anyone able to shed any light on no. 3, the mechanic who looks like he's been flattened by a steam roller? (I assume he's that shape so that he can be slid underneath a vehicle in order to work on it.) In some ways, he reminds me of the German-made Prameta man-shaped keys which came with the silver-coloured clockwork cars, but he looks to be too crudely cast to be from that firm.

I think No3 looks like he has had enough of life and is trying to throttle himself!!

motorman wrote:I think No3 looks like he has had enough of life and is trying to throttle himself!!

Looks like Jimmy Hill to me.

My Sunday evening reading tonight was Mike and Sue Richardson's 'Dinky Toys and Modelled Miniatures' book which shows a Service Station Personnel set (#009). In the set there is a mechanic lying on a trolley looking very like your #3. The picture isn't good enough to be 100% sure though.

Ewan wrote:My Sunday evening reading tonight was Mike and Sue Richardson's 'Dinky Toys and Modelled Miniatures' book which shows a Service Station Personnel set (#009). In the set there is a mechanic lying on a trolley looking very like your #3. The picture isn't good enough to be 100% sure though.

Simiilar, but not identical.

Hi Hugh,
Is he one of the old slush cast Timpo figures from the set, there was a chauffeur too I think?
Chris Warr.

starni999 wrote:Is he one of the old slush cast Timpo figures from the set, there was a chauffeur too I think?

Bullseye! Most impressive, Chris.