FAQ’s

I often see these toys listed on Ebay as diecast, is that correct?
A common mistake by individuals that are listing toys. The toys were never produced as diecast but were made out of sheet metal.

Do you know of a GE Calendar Semi and Trailer?
Another limited run private label toy produced for GE in 1979-80. Sports a calendar on the trailer and was given way in a white box. Recently was added to the site.

What would you consider the Rarest Tiny Tonka’s to find?
This is only my opinion but I would rank the Minnesota Zoo Van listed on the Private Labels page as #1. I’ve only seen this unique toy once. Outside of that any of the private label vehicles would be highly collectible.

Were Tiny Tonka’s produced in Eastern Europe?
Toys were sold in Yugoslovia, Bulgaria and Russia and other countries. However the metal used was of a cheaper grade and the toys are much lighter that regular Tiny Tonka’s. They still had the snub nose design but these toys were fake and never licensed by Tonka. They were later shut down in international courts for copyright infringement. Tiny’s were only produced in USA, Canada and New Zealand.

Did Tonka make a Stake Truck in Green?
For one year only the No. 904 Stake Truck came in a green cab and a white bed. See Trucks for an example of this Tonka State Truck.

I have a set of three cars with big chrome wheels, are these Tiny Tonka’s?
Yes they are. In 1973 Tonka came out with a line of cars they called the Wheeler assortment. They were fashioned to look like hot rods with big tires and chrome hubs. They were only released 3 successive years starting in 1973. Unfortunately, these are not part of this collection here.

Does Tonka toys have a Patent?
Yes they do. The patent was filed Nov 12, 1968 for the truck cab. It was issued on June 16th, 1970 and was valid for 14 years. On the boxes of Tiny Tonka toys you will find this called out at Patent D-217,825.

I’ve often seen Tiny Tonka’s referred to as Mini Tonka, is this correct?
No it is not. It is often a mistake that individuals make but these are two separate line of toys manufactured by Tonka.

I’ve notice a series of numbers on the bottom of some Tiny Tonka, what does the number mean?
This is the die number used in the making of the sheets of press steel. For example (“55010” in the bottom plate of many Tiny-Tonka)

What year did Tiny Tonka cars first appear?
In 1970 five cars were released, No 450 Mod Rod, No. 452 Draggin Wagon, No. 45 Scorcher, No. 456 Stinger and No. 458 Flivver. Four of the cars were packaged and sold as No. 825 Crazy A’s Set (See Sets for an example).

When did the first sets appear?
In 1969 Tonka released 3 new sets. Each set comprised of 5 different vehicles and these were No. 815 Construction Set, No 810 Transportation Set and No. 820 Gift Set.

What were the years Tiny Tonka’s Toys were produced?
The first toys came out in 1968 and production ceased in 1984. The following year the Tiny Tonka product line was sold to Hasbro ending the production of the toys. However, the snub nose toys ceased production in 1982.

What was the first Tiny Tonka Toy?
In 1968 Tonka started the Tiny Tonka Series by offering 9 toys. These were No. 515 Pick-up, No. 535 Dump, No. 555 Wrecker, No.575 Cement Mixer, No. 595 Pumper, No. 615 Sanitary Service, No. 635 Car Carrier, No 675 Aerial Ladder, and No 655 Bottom dump.

Where can I collect Tiny Tonka’s from?
There are multiple places to collect Tiny Tonkas. Number one of course is Ebay, then there are garage sales, auctions or estate sales. However bidding on Ebay is fierce among collectors so expect to pay a premium.

I have a Tiny Tonka toy in a box, how much is it worth?
There are a many factors that determine the worth. The condition of the box, the rarity of your Tiny Tonka Toy and year it was manufactured. A general rule is that a toy with the original box is always worth more than one without. The box adds 100% to the value of the toy. Pricing is always determine by market conditions and collectors. A general pricing range can be $25 to $100 or more depending on rarity.

Where can I find information on my Tiny Tonka Toy?
There are many sources of reference material but you will have to be patient in finding them. Some items as look books, dealer catalogs and ads provide valuable reference material. However, they are hard to come by since they are from the late 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s and since you are looking specifically for Tiny Tonka’s that makes it a little tougher. The best place to look for such material is Ebay of course or consult this site.

Are there private labels Tiny Tonka Toy?
Yes, but let me define first what constitutes a private label toy. These were Tiny Tonka Toys that Tonka added customer specific colors and graphics. They were only available through the customer thereby making production numbers difficult to determine. One such example of a private label vehicle can be found in the van section. The Detroit News vechicle is a private label toy. Private label vehicles are by nature rare and often will not come with a box or if they do it’s just a plain box.

Were Tiny Tonka Toys produced in other countries?
Yes, I have discovered so far that Tonka had patents in Canada, UK, Australia, France, Spain, Argentina, Russia. In the truck section you will find a rare fire truck from Argentina.