| Only Toys is owned and run by Robert Charrington. Roberts toy store in London is called Papillon Toys and was opened in 1982. In 2000 he launched his first online toy store and since then the business has grown in popularity and size.
Robert's experience in the toy industry (24 years owning retail shops in the West London area) enabled him to successfully develop, manufacture and launch the Diecast Milk Float in 1998, following which Richmond Toys Ltd came to be.
Since then there has been no stopping Robert Charrington, Papillon Toys and Richmond Toys.
In 1998 Richmond Toys Ltd obtained licenses from television companies and was able to start a new, now very successful range of TV emergency vehicles including die-cast London's Burning Fire Engines, Casualty's Ambulance and The Bill Police Car.
During 2000 Richmond Toys Ltd obtained licenses through the London Fire Brigade and were asked to produce die-cast liveried Fire Engines for London Authorities namely Bow, Euston, Heston, Ilford, Southwark and Sutton. These proved hugely popular with collectors, firemen and wannabe firemen young and old !
The floodgates were now opened. Richmond Toys Ltd blazed on to produce liveried fire engines for six more London Authorities (Bromley, Chelsea, Hayes, Hornsey, Leyton and Tooting) and 4 county regional Fire Authorities Somerset, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Strathclyde. The other Emergency Authorities jumped on board and the range now includes die-cast Ambulances for Great Ormond Street Hospital, St.John Ambulance, Birmingham Children's Hospital and London Ambulance.
The successful TV range continued in 2001 with the launch of a London's Burning Gift Set and The Bill 4x4 Vehicle. The icing on the cake for 2001 was the launch of the hugely popular 'The Sweeney' Granada Car, sales for which have surpassed expectations !
So will Richmond Toys Ltd pause for breath this year ? Not likely with a range of 8 Coronation Street diecast models getting launched in June 2007 !!!
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