Collectables 1933 – 1980

Marx, MPC, Sinclair,Ajax

Dinosaur toys from this period are generally not to a fixed scale or painted.  The Zallinger Mural and to a lesser extent artists like Burien and Knight were the major influence. It is the age of Brontosaurus and Trachodon with dragging tails and kangaroo postures.

Ajax Plastic Corp 1950's toy company; figures strongly resemble Tim-Mee originals. Was known for using molds of other companies. Knock offs keep showing up.
Cherilea an English company. Stared in 1948 and purchased in the 70's by Sarna Ware. Dinosaur were made in the 50's. 
Chialu of Italy made a series of nice looking painted figures modeled after Rudolph Zallinger's "Age of Reptiles" mural that appeared in Life magazine in the early 1950s. They have not preserved well as they were made of a composite. The prehistoric flying squirrel is unique in toy lines, however; very collectable and rare. One of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis' "Dinosphere" exhibit highlights is a very rare set of Chialu dinosaurs made in Italy in the 1950s  collected by Pennsylvania collector Joe DeMarco.

Gordy Toy, Henry Gordy International sold a distinct style of figures notable for the Nothosaurus and Podokosaurus. They were replicated in several sizes in later time.
Inpro circa 1972, an English Company produced a line of Prehistoric toys some of which are still being marketed by Imperial Toys. The hard plastic originals are very collectable. 
Linde produced a series of dinosaurs in Austria originally as give-aways with coffee in the 50's. They were Made of a waxy green plastic that looks similar to Marx figures, only smaller. They are uncommon collectable; the Rhamphorhynchus being highly sought after. They are also recasts in bright colors.
Miller Company in the 50's produced a line of large and small Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Mammal figures. The figures were created in injection molds out of a waxy medium that has not proved to be very enduring. All the figures are collectible with mint figures often selling for several hundred dollars. Small Millers seem to have had a high extinction rate and are correspondingly highly valued. The mammals are exceedingly well done and current toy reproductions have yet to surpass them.
The Marx Toy Company produced many series of dinosaur play sets; arguably the best figures produced in this period. Complete mint play sets are highly sought after and the molds are still in use. The collecting of Marx figures is very detailed and complex. Colors and mold groups are important considerations in price. For detailed information, I recommend Mike Frederick’s book Dinosaur Collectibles, and reviewing specific articles from Prehistoric Times dealing with the Marx company.
Messemore & Damon from the 1933 World’s Fair Chicago and 1939 World’s Fair in New York and the traveling exhibit afterwards. These, which are the oldest known sets of prehistoric toy figures for general public, were made of pot metal. They are very fragile, very rare and super collectable. Made cheaply of pot metal, they are all decaying. These are the Collectors’ collectables, as they are not a good long-term investment unless you have some way of preserving the figures. These are only for the hard core hobbyist. 
Multiple Products Corp (MPC) made a series of Dinosaur Play sets in the 1960's similar to Marx, the molds of which are still in use. The figures were popular as premiums, and there was also a rare Dinosaur model kit.
Nabisco Lido in the late 50's early 60's produced a line of dinosaurs and another of prehistoric mammals used as premiums. The dinosaurs were small; about the size of Tim-Mee minis. The mammals were well done but less common. Molds are still in use (see Tootsie Toy). The figures themselves were made by Lido - a well know maker of toy soldiers.
Neoform was a Danish company which produced a series of very rare, very collectable, prehistoric animals.
Orsenigo from Italy made a series of ugly rubber models that came in 2 sizes and are very collectable.  The Marvel figures are thought to be knock-offs.
Ovaltine from France Starlux style figures made with a Linde looking medium, rare and relatively unknown.
Sinclair Gasoline produced and distributed several different original sets as well as Marx/MPC/Tim Mee figures to promote its gasoline products. The high point was the New York's World Fair figures produced in vending machines some of which still exist. Most are considered very collectable. Books can be written on Sinclair collectables. Major dinosaur Toys were World’s Fair figures made of a waxy material produced in a vending machine. Several of the machines still exist. The mini Tim Mee figures were given away as premiums at Gas Stations. The Spaulding Dinosaur Company (SDC) was a mixed group of MARX copies in blister packs. There was also a set of Zallinger style figures also from the World’s Fair that are often mistaken for Marx figures.
Sell Rite Giftware (SRG) 1940's and 50's metal figures (also some rare plastic and ceramic copies) were sold in Museums and came in two sizes. They look pretty dated now days but have preserved well and are a popular collectable. Molds may still exist and at one point were said to have gone to Japan.
Shreddies flats used as premiums in Germany and Austria for Warner margarine, Nabisco Shredded Wheat, Shreddies in the UK and tea Boxes in Common Wealth countries.
Starlux, then NEWSTARLUX, was the premier toy figure producer of France. It produced an extensive line of prehistoric figures in a brittle hard plastic.  Mint figures are hard to find as are the mini figures. Molds should still exist.
Timpo Toys The English company Timpo Toys 1938 - 1980. It was best known for toy soldiers as well as animal figures. In 1981 many of the remaining assets were acquired by Toyway. Timpo produced a line of collectable dinosaurs in a waxy plastic smaller but roughly similar to the Miller and Marx figures. Molds may still exist.
Tootsie Toy produced large hollow sand box style dinosaur and prehistoric mammal figures in the 60's. The dinosaurs are still occasionally used in play sets. The mammals are rarer. Molds probably still exist as recasts show up periodically. The company was selling a mix of Ajax and Nabisco recasts.
Tim-Mee started about 1948 as a subsidiary of the Anchor Brush Company through an idea to make toys to keep the machinery always in use. Figures were sold in bagged sets of varying sizes. They were mainly sold in grocery, drug and 5 & 10 stores. Tim-Mee still exists as Processed Plastic and sells a few lines in Wal-Mart and Toys R Us. There were 3 groups of Dinosaurs the Original, Smooth and the mini figures. Often all 3 are sold together in play sets along with Ajax, Lido, Marx and MPC recasts or copies.
Topps Dinosaurs 1980's were a small series originally created as candy premiums. There was also a new Jurassic Park line sold in eggs with candy.
White Post Dinosaurs were a set made and sold at Dinosaur Land in White Post Va. very ugly very collectable.