Dimestore Dreams

(USA)

The Dimestore Dreams range of plastic road vehicles was created by Bill Hanlon, author of 'Plastic Toys - Dimestore Dreams of the 40s & 50s'. The vehicles are recreations of those available from American dimestores in the post war years, when the then new plastics industry enabled the production of cheap yet accurate models. Hanlon was supported by Binary Arts, a games and puzzles company.

Dimestore Dreams vehicles were launched in February 2000, at the American International Toy Fair held in New York. Production continued for three years, during which time a total of twenty-three different vehicles and/or sets were produced. Nineteen of the twenty three models were to 1/43 scale, the three motorcycles being larger. Who knows the scale of the space ship - who measured the original?

Binary Arts announced the ceasation of the line at the end of 2002. Bill Hanlon was able to purchase all of the original vehicle moulds and manufacturing rights in May 2004, and reintroduced the models as American Dimestore in July 2005, and expanded the range available.

Full details of all the models realesed, both Dimestore Dreams and American Dimestore, including production numbers and prototypes, may be found at Bill Hanlon's US Dimestore site.