The image [above] is an official photograph, probably intended to be used by MECCANO's BAYKO salesmen to show toy shop owners and toy department managers exactly what was available to them to help drive sales of the world's first, and finest, plastic construction toy. |
I can't be certain about the timing of this, but you would hope that it dates from 1960, as the relaunch finally got under way - but Mr. MECCANO never proved himself to be an efficient administrator! Based on the full range of both sets and Shop Display Models on show here, I think that somewhere around second quarter 1961 is most likely. |
Similarly, I have no idea as to what the financial implications of this wall display unit may have been, however, the phrase “Free on Loan” was applied to other, smaller pieces of BAYKO related equipment, though usually insisting that the retailer satisfy what seems, to me at least, to have been a comparatively modest minimum purchase requirement. |
If you ran a toy shop or toy department back in the day, and have any memories of the cost and conditions applied to these Shop Wall Display units, then I'd love to hear from you… |
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It's not particularly easy to see, but if you look at the translucent sign at the top, the word BAYKO is underlined - uniquely as far as I'm aware. |
As a final comment, while I don't think that black and white photography shows the unit at its best, that was all that was cost-effectively available at the time, I do think the unit would, without doubt, have attracted lots of attention, which has to be a good thing. |
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