The year these toys hit the market their marketing slogan was "fun to play with alone or together, fun to collect as a whole fleet". There were 10 original vehicles released in 1976 and manufactured in Japan for Tonka. Cabs were made of press steel and the rest of the vehicle were plastic. Later years the vehicles were switched to die-cast or a combination of metal and die-cast. Measuring in dimensions slightly under 4 inches and smaller than Tiny Tonkas, these were branded Tonka Mites. They were produced for a short number of years and then production ceased due to copywright issues. There are of course imposters of these toys out on the market that do not carry the Tonka name on the wheels. This is what defines an original Tonka Mites from a fake one. Also, the other distinction is that the vehicle will say made in Japan. The imposters are often made somewhere else.

In 1978 five Tonka Mites sets were released very similar to the sets found in Tiny Tonka's. These added some variation and interest to the product line. These sets were No. 301 Construction Set, No. 303 Suburban Set, No. 305 Airline Set, No. 306 Road Building Set and No. 307 Emergency Set. This site unfortunately does not have pictures of these sets. If you are lucky to have any of these sets please contact me..

Tonka Mites is dedicated to the collection of these toys and information sharing. Images are taken from multiple sources, some including my own collection. If you have an image to share please contact me. This site is a work in progress so kindly check back as I update and modify content, layout and imagery. If you have information to share I would welcome any input.

TONKA LINKS

There are many sites that feature various collectible Tonka toys. Many of these sites have detailed information along with photos hosted by dedicated Tonka collectors. Please be sure to visit these below to find what you're looking for.

Tonka Gas Turbines
The newest Tonka site to join the growing list of collectible sites. Features the Tonka Gas Turbine Trucks from 1965 o 1975. A great site for visual reference on this limited production toy.

Tonkatoys
Ray's speciality is the classic older Tonka toys from the 1950's to the 1970's. A great site for visual reference on these collectible toys. Be sure to check out the tonka museum section of the site.

Neat Old Toys.
Considered the premier website on collectible Tonka Toys. You'll find informative information covering many aspects of Tonka toys. A well organized site with history information to restoration tips with lots of photos.

Malcolm's Diecast Showroom
Featuring toys from his personal collection covering Hot Wheels, MatchBox and Tiny Tonkas.

Tonkatoys.com
Need parts for an old Tonka, this is the place to shop. Here you will find parts and Tonka trucks for sale. Also features a museum of collectible Tonka vehicles.

Rick's Toybox
Have a need for a decal for a Tonka you are restoring, this is the place to stop. They even carry Tiny Tonka Oval Door Logos. This is the only place to get these logos for now.