please vote at end of this review. thankyou. I am keith naylor.. 2 x eastern england darts champion/national finals/ news of the world etc/ many county titles etc. I have written for darts magazines, bbc book of darts etc. I have collected darts memorabilia for over 54 years and have sold many on ebay.The  pictures of darts

include the official collection of one each of every dart and flight.stem made by KWIZ DARTS in the 1960s/70s[all in official KWIZ presentation cases,and belonged to a national darts salesman. approx 125 different barrels.These are

priceless. Ive had £1750 offered. Mega rare are the early news of the world enamel treble 20 darts guild badges. . VV collectable are any promotional darts usually made in small numbers. a good start is to find a vintage darts checkout card which helps with all the finishes scores etc. unicorn made a v good one in the 1980/90s, but there were many other variations.

NELSON darts are rarely seen. g qual london made.. goose feathered.

dorwin did many esso/dunstans etc. A v rare dart is the Dandy adjustable made  by milbro london.

each barrel has 3 pieces,and you adjust the centre of gravity to suit you. I never got used to UNICORN DUM DUMS[strange 2 finger grip darts and now highly sought after. I saw a set @ £60 at 1 antique fair. TSL meteor darts were v good and engraved on each one c 1960s short barrels v long sharp points[v g for old elm  hard boards]. getting rare . Look out for news of the world darts memorabilia. especially the cases that were given to winners, made by GLYDA darts london

Welbeck made  g quality darts

popular in 60s now scarce.also programmes/tickets etc. UNICORN made tungsten darts depicting homer simpson. v good in case. Tom barrett darts were great. he was 2 times news of the world champion. some specialise in collecting advert darts ie castella/esso etc which were given away. The rare 1930/40/50s paper advertising dart flights for use with schofields are  hard to find. i have a few mint unfolded ones to list. buy  paper darts flights.[there are some nice  advertising ones that were given away in  1950s. never be  made again. Look out for rare on offs like apprentice piece large heavy single darts. these can weigh up to 500 gms[1/2 kilo each]. great centre pieces. darts books can be helpful and show differant games. boards etc, look out for signed copies. empty boxes are collectable pikes schofields etc/. paxman was another dart name not seen too often.

I DOUBT YOULL EVER BE LUCKY ENOUGH to  see a set[never mind own one] of THE TEX

DARTS made by magnatex bath road harlington middlesex in the 1950s.box reads finished in 8 beautiful colours streamlined in resilient plastic. What makes these unique. Unscrew the flights and the weighted points lift out and you turn them upside down and store the points in hollow flights/barrels and screw them back on.You could then put these in your shirt pcket safely without a case, amazing. PS I HAVE 2 BOXED SETS IN NEAR MINT CONDITION>               might list one after christmas 2010....................................... start saving up.

APEX wooden darts made in the usa are similar to our old fairground darts wood lead turkey feathers. lightweight and nice to look at they are easily damaged by oncoming darts.

DART BOARDS. many famous british makes. unicorn/winmau. much rarer were the nodor and halex boards usually bristle. g investments. look out for the rarer old london fives board and the lincoln and manchester small log end. plastercene and wooden soakers also. v g future antiques.

LOOK out for the  v  rare old cloth dart firm shirt patches. paxman/unicorn/trulon and others. They are part of our vintage darts history and then you can search for darts made by them. c 1950-present day. I occasionally put some on ebay to encourage collectors.

I would advise that you buy the best condition old darts you can afford. 1 good set is better than 10 damaged onesTry to get the old dull tungstens c 1970-80. better grip and good investment.I dont believe all these modern rare element additions to tungsten. ther a money making gimmick. If you average 60 with ordinary old darts you will not start hitting 180s because the darts are 20 times the price of yours.

To start buy a large collection of mixed old darts/study them and then specialize. Occasionally you see 4 or 5  sets + extras. flights/stems etc, listed together. snap em up. vg investment. Rarer than pikes or schofields are what we coalled in the 1960s CUPBS.[copper/lead chemical symbols]. these are hardly ever seen. with copper barrels and mini lead solder at point end,[they can have canes or feathers.

 Some times you have to settle for less quality if the item is really rare. UNICORN comet darts were used by the wealthier type of poser player. each dart  had a patent number engraved on the barrel. original boxes are vv rare.. occasionally seen at antique fairs[ ive seen them at £60 in box]. THIS is a letter signed by leo newstead of jim pike darts one of my 1960s sponsors.

LOOK for old dorwin alums with paper flights in card holder. you see them vv rarely.TOMMY GIBBONS 1950s now champ rare pointed darts feathers or canes v scarce.

The best investments are JIM PIKE.[THE ROLLS ROYCE OF ACCURACY.[ To get these in v good condition is becoming harder, as every body is after them].If you ever see a set in a creamy box with news of the world captain on your made]. these are mega rare. i sometimes sell a set when needs must. Buy them when you have the chance. you can always sell them for a profit. just simply cut the wooden rattan cane stems to your size to adjust balance Occasionally a set appears with no printing on.  Also there are sets which have been professionally adapted with grips etc. this usually erases the pike logo,but the barrels are recognizable any where. These are vvv scarce.[same with newsteads]. JIM PIKES usually have 4 brass rings, If you ever see a set with 7[SEVEN] on buy whatever the price].[better than saving for a pension].????? LEO NEWSTEAD[made by pike]- These are mega rare and hardly ever seen in  superb condition..  PIKE FEATHERS WERE VERY GOOD> DORWINS[unique and deadly accurate]. Look out for V EARLY RED ALUMS[each dart is engraved] vv rare.[red lined centre grips]. DORWIN HEAVY 'SWIVELLERS'[ the 4 parts of the barrel  turn independently to prevent bounce out. + DORWIN MINIS.{these are v difficult to find. only 4ins long inc flight. brass barrel only 9 tenths of an in with  1/2 in grip and 1.2 in flts.}.  Also collect empty named boxes and cases [dorwin etc as many sets have lost their homes over the years.and put your old darts in of the same make.FAIRBROTHERS made fantastic flights. Johnny ross was a member of the pike/newstead team and had darts with his name on v rare. he was my eastern counties news of the world organizer in the 1960s,This is a letter from  mr lishman director of DORWIN darts another of my 1960/70 sponsors for darts equipment.  LOOK OUT for abbey regulation darts[ the best quality tooled barrels ive ever seen in 40 yrs]. Also  american 1 piece wood/three sided feather flights with lead base at point end of barrel. these had massive 1.5 inch points. v rare boxed. g future investment.

Not many people know, but jim pike used to do exibitions using DORWIN DARTS and i have the v rare jim pike booklet with all the info. I didnt know till last year and his firm helped me in the 1960/70s. you learn every day[amazing].

BEELINE darts vv accurate v rare in original boxes g investment. V rare are one o one darts especially with aluminium threaders and fibreglass stems. They take paper or modern flights.

WELBECK darts with wood.feather stems are v difficult to find. with their box they are a great investment.

KWIZ DARTS are becoming v rare, and i have  in my collection  2 of the original 1950/60/70 KWIZ  travelling salesmans MASSIVE cases which contain in MINT condition one of each of every darts barrel they made[well over 120], one hundred and twenty styles. I have had £1750 offered, but  not for sale. So if you collect old darts  why not specialize and see how many kwiz models you can get. I list sets of these from time to time to encourage younger players to see what us wrinklies used .. AND WE  STILL HAD PLENTY OF 180s with them.              This  picture shows me giving a darts exhibition at the brittania hotel scunthorpe lincs c 1971 with a brave volunteer. PLEASE DONT TRY THIS AT HOME. i once did it at a presentation night and just as i was to release the dart the volunteer moved his head forward. luckily the dart passed BEHIND his head.

SCHOFIELDS ARE VV  rare -  hand made at scarborough. light/med/heavy. [just a brass tube/]LEAD] wouldnt be allowed now[health/safety]steel point. get em if u can...... HEAVIES now MEGA RARE. buy all schofields. they fetch a high price at antique fairs.

[never saw one of these bounce out]. with rattin cane stems and paper flights. These will be the top inflation beaters for investment/collection.

BEELINE darts are v seldom seen and are v collectable. They had push in feather flights[no threads] and were made in small numbers,and sold at selected stores. The rarest is i think with the HARRODS label on the box. vv accurate.

UNICORN LIMPETS are rarely seen. [single steelspike shaft].

V rare items to look for are SWIFTSURE DARTS with the RAF roundel on the box[ strange shaped barrels with wood stems and real turkey feather flights]. made by sports and games ltd COVENTRY england.

Also SPALDINGS special wood darts[ lead balance and feather flights]. made at pitt st NORWICH england.

This picture show some of the items received from appx 20 distillers etc sponsors in the 1960/70s.

SERVICE brand ERA,s are hardly ever seen. brass barrels/rattan wood canes with steel rings and paper flights.

Old unicorn darts were very well made ,[ LOOK OUT FOR THE RARE TOM BARRET DART made by unicorn 2 x newsof the world champion.}. i played  in the now 1969 finals as did tom. nice bloke.  MAKE SURE his name is on the box or case  as there are many copies. ORIGINALS are well worth collecting[try to get them with original feathers and box{ also make sure they are 1/4 bsf thread]. many had rubber washers at screw in area. If you can get a set of UNICORN SILVER COMET DARTS.. CHECK they are genuine .[they will each have a patent mark or number on the barrel]. HIGHLY COLLECTABLE.

       The picture on the left shows a rare collection of c 1900 -1920 FAIRGROUND DARTS.. shaped wood with either turkey feather or paper flights. waxed goosefat thread was often used to secure. LEAD was fastened to make point end heavier. Snap these up in ANY CONDITION. they are priceless darting history. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANY MORE. USA  had similar darts- deco etc and many of these styles didnt have as much lead in the point weight bands. still v collectable though and usually vv light.

 

I bet 1 in the single 20 was game shot. YOU GOT A KNIGHTHOOD FOR A 180?????

I had a liking for the early MY darts, and these are now becoming collectable. KWIZ and SILVERTRIM were good workmanlike darts ,and these are getting harder to find.[I corresponded with KWIZ  quite a bit  40 yrs ago].

 letter from unicorn director another of my 1960/70 sponsors.

I have been searching  a set of the MEGA RARE  victory spring flight darts made in perrenporth cornwall. I believe they were made around the end of ww2 and are called the victory set . They are made from steel coil springs  and have 1red/1 white[clear]/ and 1 blue flight to commemorate i think the rafs battle of britain victory.

below letter from MY darts who offered me a touring exhibition trip to USA.

WELL BINGO I have now got a fabulous boxed set[ albeit the springs are a bit rusty,but after 40 yrs searching i now believe in miracles. There are many types of old scoring systems. one of the rarest is the 1930s KANYO KANDO which was usually wall mounted.and had bakelite/hard plasic holes[APPX £60 gc]. other later ones were the 100s/10s/units telephone system{60 gc] and then rubbish electric things[wouldnt have one given.. you cannot beat chalk. its helps maths plus you can tell if a player is on form as all scores are visible. on automatic types you could be on a 9 dart 501,and unless fans saw all the game they wouldn't know.

Advertising promotion darts are now expensive ie dorwin ESSO.  CAPTAIN morgan rum did a fabulous set which look just like LEO NEWSTEADS and these had sturdy plastic  screw flights with morgan on them. i played on indoor league[its on u tube now]..BLACK stemmed vv rare.

LOOK OUT FOR THE APEX no 1 FAIRGROUND DARTS made in usa.  vv rare in good condition. They have a lead weight at point end  long 1 piece wooden stem with hand attached feathers. v light and delicate.

That was the trouble with early feathers[ along came a robin hood shot and your flight would split. later they put a metal cap on each flight to deflect oncoming darts. KWIZ feathers were superb.[look out for g condition ones].

A basic rule of collecting darts[ and anything else is condition-condition-condition]. some times if v rare you have to settle for less unfortunately.

 I have found that being honest and truthful with descriptions, and offering an answer service breeds success,as  i would be nowhere without my customers. Good photos are essential  as is all helpful information and proof of who or what you are. I include a photo of one of my  darts exibitions from circa 1969[which i use in some of my listings]. Hope this review is interesting and i,ve enjoyed submitting it. REGARDS to all the ebay family. keith

I used Leo newstead darts for most of my career which were made by jim pike darts.

 I met LEO when i played in the 1968 nodor national finals. LEO sent me canes/darts/flights throughout my career and personally signed the letters. I have recently obtained LEO NEWSTEAD TUNGSTENS[ which i never knew existed[superb investment for the future..] If you EVER see a set snap them up. the balance is fantastic,. wish id had them 40 years ago.. they know where to go on their own[well nearly]. Had 2 x 180s the other night with them[nov 2008].

 letter from editor of darts world magazine tony wood. 1970s who i devised games for. many also appeared in sid waddells bbc book of darts.

Try to find darts with really long barrels as a future investment. They were usually v poor balance and never caught  on, so unusual items to collect. I tried them a couple of times and used to hit myself in the eye on the back swing.

I was sponsored by ZEBRA flights[the paper ones] I also had help with equipment from. DORWIN/MY/HARROWS/UNICORN.. many letters from kwiz/frostys darts and dozens of firms. Some times you come across unusual items. i have a set of darts made in solid brass,inc the stems/flights. these were apprentice made and not for throwing. i listed these on ebay july 2009.

In  the 1970,s i broke the world 12 hr record scoring 203,000 at an average of 70.3.[ retrieving my own darts].[180s x 12] 3x t19- 17 times. Must have had some bad uns to lower the average.Try it for 1 hour and see how you can do.

I won holidays etc. I also received help from such firms as WRIGLEYS/IRISH MIST/VASELINE/MANY WHISKEY firms  etc.

I  wrote games for many publications inc darts world magazine and a full chapter in syd waddels bbc book of darts.

I will offer any advice i can on darts  providing i have the answers.

 A good tip. NEVER polish  brass darts. they are hard enough to throw without making them slippery.[ THE VARIOUS GRIPS ARE THERE FOR  THE REASON INTENDED.

 If your darts dont grip these modern bristle boards,carry a small piece of COARSE ABRASIVE with you.  a touch on each point will save you  a lot of darts coming out.

When at work as a shift chemist i used to aim at a hole in the door and one day stuck a dart in the bosses safety hat as he walked past.

I once played a guy who threw underhand[ no one would mark], and also an ex circus knife thrower who threw from 12 feet...............................................................................................................

# get your mate to hold a metal tray upside down below double 3 and you will get 3 in most times bouncing the darts off.

 hope this is interesting. happy darting to all keith.

 To get 3 in bull, put a pigeon ring round the points  to lock the 3 darts together & practice/practice.

I once had 5 darts in a row bounce out off the wire.[ must be a record]

We used to use boards made out of elm,which were soaked over night. They used to make your dart points rusty.

# They would dry out as the evening progressed as most boards in old pubs were over fire places.

 We also used plasticene boards which were rolled out and the wire pressed on. If you ever see the mega rare GOLF DART BOARD made by nodor pay whatever it takes.[wonderful item]

Questions. What is the lowest score you CANNOT GET with 1 dart on a standard treble dart board... YES CANNOT GET.

 ans you can get 0 and 1-20 on singles/treble 7 is 21/ double 11 is 22 , so 23 is the answer.

 more memories soon. keith.

I was asked how to put paper flights in canes. I f you have trouble,carefully insert a nother dart point in  one of the cane splits and gently

prise apart. its easy with practice.

If you want to beat any opponent for a small wager, simply tell them they can DOUBLE any score they get. They can then NEVER get the odd number off,therefore unable to finish. Even if you get stuck on double 1 you can take as long as you like to beat them. I've known players get down to requiring 3 before they realize.. more soon keith.

I won a holiday at pontins[lytham st annes nr blackpool] 1n 1969 for winning the news of the world eastern england title at ipswich baths hall in front of 12oo spectators.

I had to play in the pontins darts comp as part of my prize. It was 1 game of 101 start and finish on a double.

I was drawn on at 0930 hrs in the morning[yes am].  After a few 1/2s the night before my unknown opponent got off on a double 1st dart and left 32. I got off with my 3rd dart and left 61. He finished 1st dart and i was out.

 On leaving the hall a lady asked me what time the news of the world national finalist was due on[ME]. I quietly said im not sure and went back to bed[well i was on my trial honeymoon.]. more tales later. cheers keith.

I once played in a very important super league match and won my singles comfortably 2-0. When i came to play my doubles match,i couldn t find my darts. A young lady who shall remain nameless yelled 'there they are'. I picked them up and burnt my hand. She had put them on top of a wood burning cast ironstove. She was the guys[whom i beat in the singles] girlfriend and this was her revenge. We still won the doubles 2-1 at

a BLISTERING pace..................................... more later.

I dont see players with beer on the stage nowadays[good]. i once played had a half too many and

got in the wrong car. people looked for me 2 hrs after closing time. i was asleep. What odds on 2 identical cars being parked next to each other and  one with the door unlocked. Stay sober stay focused and select the correct darts that suit YOU, not branded ones that charge double for a name. more later.

I saw a guy in 1968, who said he could go round the board on doubles in under 2 mins. I bet him  10 shillings he couldnt[weeks wages then]. He took the board off the wall,put it on the floor,and walked round the double wire,in appx. 3 seconds. He then told me he made £5 a week with this con. Moral[if it sounds impossible its probably a con].

If you get a chance to obtain a set of throwing nails[4.5 or 6 inch], get them, and practice in private,then thrash your mate with his £50 titanium ceramic  carbon fire gold plated swivel top case hardened miracle darts.

happiest moment. becoming the only player to win 3 successive scunthorpe titles[and each time representing a different club.

saddest. wanting 118 to reach the 1969 news of the world final, i hit TREBLE 20...TREBLE 18 and then hit the wire of double 2.

1 once set off with 3 double tops using 6 inch nails on a doubles board.

We got plenty of 180s and big finishes with our old newsteads/pikes/schofields. Its the players skill and practice that wins, not the equipment.[ ie would you knock 20  shots off your score using tigers clubs, or win  wimbledon using nadals racquet. Just practice/practice/practice, theres no easy way. more soon. keith. hope you find this interesting,because i like sharing my darts memories.

SOLID SILVER darts were awarded to very special players by news of the world in the 1930s/40s and later silver plated ones. The original hallmarked ones are priceless and seen once in a blue moon, and fetch up to £300. I have a set and who knows may sell one day. CREDIT CRUNCH RULES OK. I  remember when credit crunch was a breakfast cereal.

I recently was asked about strange stances/styles. i remember in the 60s a guy  who lined up his dart left handed, 2 up and down motions then changed hands quickly to throw. HE WAS absolute RUBBISH. keep your action as simple as possible.. less movement the better. You will get better.. keep keep at it.

 Never share a set of darts in a game[ let them become part of you]. walk round with them in your hand 15 mins before a match.[ and have a good practice session pre match] You would never see tiger woods or any pro sharing equipment or starting without a warm up.

Try to get a set of throwing nails. they are great fun and aid co-ordination.

 ALSO keep a sharp eye out for the c 1940s/50s 5 and even 7 sided brass darts[ the brass used in these was top gear.

 The grips is amazing[just slips into the correct hand position.

 Try different types of darts/flights. Find the one that suits you not one just because a top player uses it.

You will know when you find your 3 friends and they will become part of you. Handle them regularly[ie watching tele etc], and youll then feel great on the oche.

I think many of the modern tungstens although  great for the 180s etc will never have the charisma or presence of the old brass characters with their early papers. and feathers. Collect all you can now before they all become unaffordable.

I was in conversation with an antique dealer at a large fair the other week and said darts people were asking him on a regular basis for DORWIN DARTS. i have letters from them[1960s] signed harold lishman director. These darts were made in light/med/heavy , by the dorwin pencil co of slough bucks. brass barrel and a pointed plasi cone shaft. These often carried adverts in ie. esso/st dunstans  etc. I think the ones with clear dorwin graphics are best. models inc. 712. 722 etc, early ones came in flatpack dorwin cases, then leatherette and cardboard boxes. They all had a super grip.the real early ones had solid ivory colour stems with paper [1] coloured flights and came in flat cases or card packs. later boxed with see through stems for advertising etc.[ESSO ONES  v rare in good cond.].

Many old sets 1950/60s have rattan canes  are are v scarce. The accurate dart player would ruin his paper flights regularly. I was lucky to have pike and zebra flights supply me free. Other players used to jump in the ash trays to get my discards. Wish id saved them now, but who knows the darts valuables of the future, so save all darts stuff, and it will reward you in the future... Players in the 60s nearly all wore ties and cardigans or suits. Must be easier nowadays with the special loose darts shirts. Among my early sponsors were hush puppies/strad[anagram of darts] trousers. wrigleys/nesquick/vaseline/red hackle/irish mist  who sent me items. I still have the letters MEMORIES??????. more later keith.

We once c 1969 had a semi final team game 5 miles away, and set off at 7pm as the fog began to come in. 1/2 hour later it was that thick you wouldnt have seen a dart board from the oche.  Well we decided to sit it out as we were not sure exactly where we were. We were worried we would be left out the match. After 40 mins the fog cleared  v quickly.Guess where we were.... in the middle of a farmers yard 300 yds from the pub we were due at.

No sat nav in them days. We arrived .6 darts practice.and yes we won the semi 2-0 and the final 2-1.

Im seeing jim pike darts at antique fairs occasionally fetching up to £ 50 in complete g condition].

If you cant get sets of paper flights for your pikes etc use an old one as a template and make your own from thin craft card[loads colours], and personalize your own.

try and get old copies of darts world magazine edited by tony wood. ps yours truly did a darts game series for them[ i modestly admit].

The old 180 certificates are v rare. they were given by unicorn darts for a 180 in an official match.

Another little tale. On holiday at skegness in 1964 i would spend 2/6d each night on the pier stall. score over 50 in 3 darts to win. By wed  i

had taken all their tickets with 1 win on  and had to lend them some back. i went home with appx 60 prizes. a poor man had 44 goes to win a football for his lad. he could have bought 10 with what he spent. I also won 33 coconuts at  darts at a local gala and sold them to the coconut shy man at double price. recycling even in those distant days.. mor later. happy christmas to all, and good darting. i met a guy the other day who said he could give phil the power 100 start at 1001. im sure he could but would lose by 600 instead of 500.

HOW MANY WAYS ARE THERE OF FINISHING ON 101[double finish] with either 2 or 3 darts. on a standard  double/treble board.  i cant remember the answer. ill have to work it out again.

I hope you all enjoy this info and a positive vote makes it really worthwhile. thankyou.

There were many types of paper flight. The best are ZEBRA stripes[green/black red.] they sponsored me in the 1960s. V collectable are abbey stripes and unistripes[unicorn] which were a slightly differant shape[pear]. Breweries used to advertise and give them away. Manns beer ones were vv sturdy. Tobacco george a deadly shot made his out of WOODBINE packets  and when foil came out used it  for balance.

I once saw an exibition where a guy threw 12 sets of darts at the board and hit 9 x t20/ 20 s20 and5dt + 2 s5.[ no bounce outs].

TRY THE GAME OF ODDBALL.................................... IN YOUR LOCAL.

  To raise money for your local darts team, get the three most differant darts sets  you can find, then change stems/flights/barrels from 1 of each. making ODDBALLS[ unbalanced darts]. Each player throws  the 3 darts 10 times and the highest total score wins. Ive only once seen  a total of 700+. 400+ is pretty good. Keep a record of your totals and when played on a regular basis its amazing how you adapt. Plus when you return to your own darts its a doddle[assuming you could play before].

I should have mentioned earlier that there are many types of miniature dart ,the most famous  being the gold plated unicorns [quite common]. The rareset is probably the FAREBROTHER concentric cocktail dart. appx 1.5in barrel. Make sure the name farebrother is on each flight  in a brassy colour[the last set i saw DID NOT HAVE ORIGINAL FLIGHTS]. I shall be listing a set of 100% originals in A1 cond in their original box on 15.02.10.

Id love a positive vote if you enjoyed the review. thankyou keith.