The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Wade Whimsical Collectables. 5th ed.

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

“Pocket money toys” were Sir George Wade’s solution to the problem
of how to keep his postwar work force busy. By the early 1950s, orders
for his factory’s traditional products were down and Sir George needed
to find work for his potters. Whimsies were the answer. These miniature
porcelain figurines were intended as inexpensive toys for children.
Adults and the collectables market soon took them over, driving up
demand and price.

This edition of the Charlton catalogue lists thousands of whimsies,
with over 400 illustrations and all the detail a collector
covets—model name, size, color, and price in U.S., Canadian, and U.K.
currency. This mass of data is organized by types (such as animals,
storybook figures, Walt Disney figures), reason for production
(collectors club models, commissions, fairs, events, etc.), or by date
of manufacture. Fourteen full-page color plates give even more detail on
color and mould variations.

Strong, if brief, introductory essays help the novice collector
understand the lure of these highly popular products and offer advice on
collecting via the Internet, pricing, condition, backstamps, and marks.

To collectors, this catalogue is a treasure-trove of endless
fascination. It’s an opportunity to ponder minute color variations,
examine tiny differences between models, and dream about the price
commanded by the elusive mint-condition figurine.