BAYKO in CANADA

This document [left] is unique, as far as I know, in that I believe it is the only BAYKO manual, of any kind, specifically printed incorporating any export market specific information…

…in this case it is the importer's contact address details which is clearly visible across the bottom of the image of the front cover.

Apart from these contact details, the rest of the front cover is identical to the U.K. version…

…whether the 'Canadian address addition' was done in the U.K. or Canada is unclear - however, cost and logistics considerations would suggest the U.K.

The front cover image [above] logically fits in here.

The spelling mistake which appeared in all three U.K. versions of this document is also still present here. The word 'showing' in the first paragraph of page 3 [above] is misspelled as “shewing”. Perhaps the typesetter haled from 'Shrowsbury'‽

A further detail, in the 'where was it printed' debate, is the fact that the rear cover, which, in the U.K. version shows the BAYKO Spare Parts price list with £.s.d. prices, has here been left completely blank - it's no good clicking on the image [above], in the time-honoured way, to see a larger version of that page!

There were three different versions of this manual in the U.K. domestic market…

This is a basic double sided Flier from the Canadian market. Dating from 1946 it is interesting, not least because there's no remotely comparable U.K. document - as far as I know! I mention this because most other export documents tend to be copies of U.K. originals.

Personally, I have no doubt that this document was printed in Canada, but, of course, I can't prove it!

The first point to note is the penultimate line “Suitable for Children, Adults, and the Incapacitated”. I'm unsure whether the “Incapacitated” reference is to sick children, or recent injured returners from the [then] recent conflict.

I also find the phrases above that interesting - “Educational, Challenging, Constructive” and then “Develops Patience and Perseverance” - BAYKO Model Sales were certainly keen on the educational aspects of BAYKO as they continued to demonstrate in the next document [below].

It is far from immediately obvious as to whether BAYKO Model Sales was an toy importer or a toy retail outlet, or, of course, it could have been both.

However, given this document was part of a collection of immediately post-war BAYKO, it is quite possible that BAYKO was tiptoeing into the post-war Canadian market via the retail route. Then again, BAYKO Model Sales may just have been a department of a larger toy retail/importer, but only BAYKO is mentioned in the contact information.

This is a simple Canadian BAYKO flier, dating from 1946, with a single vertical fold, which sits at the left hand edge of the folded document.

I've decided to include [below] pretty well all of the script from this document for several reasons : -

Firstly, and by far the most significant, is the mention, on page 2 and again on page 3, of the full range of BAYKO sets as being from “No. 0 to No. 6”, supported by “Conversion” sets “No. 0c to No. 5c”.

Of course we all know that the post-war BAYKO set range eventually reached set #4 and they didn't get there until 1952…

…however, there's also a slightly later, 1946/7, U.K. market document which restricts the range to set #5, all of which suggests there was a somewhat protracted period of indecision, possibly exacerbated by the illness and ultimate death of BAYKO inventor, C.B. Plimpton…

Then there is the different interpretation of the standard BAYKO scripts in trans-atlantic vocabulary [e.g. “erecting” not “building”] which makes for interesting reading. n.b. - also note the 'American spelling'.

Next, the heavy repetition of branding - “BAYKO BUILDING SETS” - is very noticeable compared to the more reserved British norm.

Marketeers across the atlantic have always been much more heavily focused on the protection of brands, something on which the U.K. has only really caught up in the last decade or two. In the 1990s, Kellogg's instructed all employees to ensure that all such brand related labels should always be printed in capital letters in all communications, including emails, demonstrating the importance of such labels - here we have BAYKO Model Sales, Canada doing exactly this, well over fifty years earlier.

Almost as an afterthought, the very last line at the bottom of the rear of this document, reads - “Importers and Distributors BAYKO MODEL SALES”. This certainly reads like a company name, and there's nothing anywhere else to suggest otherwise.

It amuses me to think that someone who surfs the internet using the phrase “models with beauty” will be directed here!!!

Please don't shout at me for the occasional non-UK-standard spelling.

It should be easy enough to read the slightly truncated list of available parts directly, so I haven't typed that out - as usual, if you click on the page image, you will see a slightly larger version which will make reading it easier.

To me there's an almost naive enthusiasm about this document, which definitely appeals to me…

…this helps point me to the conclusion that this document was also printed locally.

The above document, dated March, 1949, is basically a straight copy of the domestic documentation of the same date with prices in Canadian dollars and, of course, the address of the importer - no less than MECCANO!

The list of available parts and sets identical to those shown on the domestic equivalent Parts Price List which was printed a month later.

This leaflet was printed in England.

The above document is again a straight copy of the domestic documentation of the same date with prices in Canadian dollars and the new address of the importer, MECCANO!

The printer's code gives the date as July, 1953 - it was printed in England.

These two documents are almost identical in terms of content - strangely, apart from the colour change, the key difference is the way in which BAYKO is referred to! The BAYKO references are both in the bottom right hand corner - if you slide your mouse over either image [above] you will see them highlighted. That on the earlier, coloured paper version [left above] is : -

The later, white paper version [above right] bears the legend : -

A simple, structural change, but given that the latter makes more sense, I concluded this is the later version, and layed them out accordingly.

These sheets cover the period 1952 to 1956 or thereabouts [when this particular locomotive model was on sale]. Clearly this is well before the MECCANO takeover of the BAYKO business, and indicates that MECCANO Canada took an inclusive view of BAYKO despite the fact that their role was as the BAYKO importer, not manufacturer.  Clearly there was a healthy, friendly relationship between the two companies.

I should just point out that the paper colour of the earlier version [left above] is something of a guess as the original suffers from a significant degree of 'foxing', i.e. in patches there is oxygen/acid damage causing a browning of large areas.

I've actually got a real soft spot for this particular BAYKO Flier format - it's very simple and compact, yet it communicates all the necessary BAYKO product details - and, of course, it gives me a chance to have a bit of a play with the images!

This English language, Canadian Flier is a single sheet, with an off-centre fold across, leaving the logo and “Perfect Child's Play” tag still visible when it is folded.  Slide your mouse over the interior image [below, right] to see how this works.

Sadly, this particular document has no printer's code [it drives me mad!] to help with the date, however a near identical, uncoded, U.K. version of the same flier can be pinned down to 1955, so…

There are actually just four simple differences between this Canadian version and its U.K. equivalent : -

I suspect this means the Flier was printed in the U.K. [no printer's code, remember] and this was a deliberate ploy for easy identification, in the packing / despatch departments.

The two exterior parts [left] are printed differently - i.e. the prices are inverted compared to the model - making both 'the right way up' when folded. Slide your mouse over the image to invert it.

Since this document first emerged, a similar document has been found enclosed in a letter to India, suggesting this may possibly be a 'General Export' version, without set prices…

This document, date-coded August, 1961, is a 6-page document created by folding a single sheet of paper, twice, with evenly spaced vertical axes.

The contents are market dependant, but the basic format stood MECCANO in good stead over several years, both domestically and across the world.

The BAYKO entry, as was the norm for most of the early MECCANO era, was to be found on the front page, in this particular case as the bottom entry.

Click anywhere on the image [left] to view a larger image of the BAYKO section.

This document is clearly marked “Canada/English” which strongly suggests that there may well also have been a French language version of this document, recognising the fact that Canada is a bilingual country.

Taking into account their current absence from my collection, if you have any information on this, or any other French Canadian BAYKO related documentation, then I'd love to hear from you…

This document was actually printed in England, probably in-house, by Mr. MECCANO.

Let's just hope that all the four standard sets and three conversion sets listed were actually available, in Canada, by August, 1961 after all the delays.

I feel rather confused at including this item, but there is some interesting information to be gleaned from it. The catalogue [above left] is the Canadian, 1964, MECCANO products catalogue, which is for a very much reduced product range - and excludes BAYKO.

An unusual inclusion on the site, I agree, but at least it gives a clear pointer to the decision to ditch BAYKO, at least from the Canadian market. The catalogue is date-coded September, 1964.

This is in contrast to the second catalogue shown [above right] which was intended for the New Zealand market. This catalogue includes BAYKO and there are other clear differences in the range of MECCANO products covered. This catalogue, just like its Australian counterpart, is date coded May, 1964.

Whilst recognising the need to be cautious, I don't think it's too unreasonable to use the removal of BAYKO between these dates as a pointer to the 'death' decision.

The front cover is marked “Canada/English” which strongly implies the existence of an equivalent French document.