BAYKO Exports

I am indebted to Geof Lilleker for some of this information.

Literature and anecdotal evidence (from former ex-pats) point to a healthy BAYKO export trade - post-war at least.

I'm afraid I've no direct evidence for a pre-war export trade, but there can be no question that BAYKO was intended for export...

...Plimpton advertised for overseas agents in 'Games and Toys', the leading UK toy trade publication, in May, 1939...

...of course there is the small matter of the second world war which might, just possibly, have had a dampening effect on Plimpton's export aspirations!

Post-war, the UK government was keen to actively support the export drive, as can be seen in an article in 'Toy Trader' in April, 1946...

The impact of this policy on BAYKO's availability for the U.K. market can be seen in a brief snippet which appeared in 'Toy Trader' in July, 1949...

The long term effects of this campaign were clearly visibly in a brief item on U.K. toy sales projections in 'The Times' on November 8th, 1960...

Slightly more seriously, the early registration of BAYKO's French Patent, on August 17th, 1935, shows that Plimpton were interested in exports markets from the very beginning...

...click here for more on the French patent.

Domestic and export product was identical, despite global variations in building styles, perhaps indicating that ex-pats were the key target.

Geoff Handford made a strong case to me that a selection of the models in the various BAYKO manuals, such as the Colonial Bungalow, Large Bungalow with Verandah, Country Chalet and the Mosque are all likely to have been targeted at a market which was more familiar with them than U.K. based, 1930s, '40s or '50s modellers...

From Chris Reeves, I believe that, at least immediately post-war, export manuals were basically the standard UK version but with no price on the front and and parts price lists excluded.

Similarly, literature supporting the export markets was a direct copy of UK literature, translated where appropriate, and including local currency prices.

BAYKO's export drive was aided by the Board of Trade and Trade Delegations attached to British Embassies and Consulates.

Quality assurance slips, in the appropriate language(s), like Bill Foote's bilingual, Belgian one above, were included in export sets.

Some retailers were supplied directly from the UK, others via local Import Agents.

The use of agents is clear if you look at the range of markets covered [below], but there is, perhaps, a little evidence for the direct supply route.

The main piece of evidence I have for direct supply of overseas stores, apart from some anecdotal evidence, is this document [right], which was to be used by the overseas retailers to replenish their stocks of BAYKO spare parts.

I assume that the difference in the colour of this document from domestic ones was intended as an administrative safety device, to help ensure that Plimpton's clerical staff carried out the appropriate procedures for the export markets.

Apart from the colour, this BAYKO Parts Order Form is identical to those in use for the domestic market and was in service for most of the 1950s, probably between 1951 and the MECCANO takeover in 1956, with the exception that there are no prices!

I suppose it is possible that the form could also have been used by those retailers who were supplied via a local agent, though I would have expected those agents to have their own documentation.

The definitive proof that it was intended specifically for export use is incorporated in the printers code [bottom left of the image] which actually specifies that it was meant for "Export" use.

The ratio of two white to one red for Corner Bricks, Domes, Pinnacle Roofs and Pinnacle Platforms, within the Retail Cabinet contents, conforms with the standard domestic market figures.

Click anywhere on the image [right] to see a slightly larger version.

I like the self perpetuating neatness of the form carrying its own reorder section.

Patents weren't the only mechanisms for protecting a product, and various commercial / legal steps had to be taken to support and protect the export business...

In the 1950s exports peaked at 35% of total production which was more than double the percentage achieved by U.K. toy manufacturers over all.

Surely there weren't that many ex-pats so BAYKO's appeal must have been truly international.

This is an interesting document, from the MECCANO era, dated May, 1961, shown courtesy of the Liverpool Maritime Museum.

It's a multi-lingual BAYKO export document printed on thick paper.

Apart from the occasional dual language document in French and Flemish for the Belgian market, this is the only BAYKO document I know of with more than one language...

...it's also the only mention of German I've ever come across in BAYKO...

...and the only printed reference to Spain.

I presume these documents were meant to be included in export BAYKO sets, adopting the 'general export' approach to overseas markets, still common today.

The English inclusion in the parts list but not the product explanation is slightly confusing, perhaps it was to help non English speakers relate to English script in the BAYKO manuals.

Finally, a small news item from 'The Times' on March 26th, 1962 tells us that the world's finest construction toy had made it behind the iron curtain - to Poland to be precise...

Unlikely as it may seem, in October, 2012 a MECCANO era general products leaflet, clearly targeted at the Russian market, appeared on eBay which, amazingly enough, included BAYKO...

...click here for more information.

If you have any other MECCANO era BAYKO export documents, I'd love to hear from you...

U.S.A.

There is also information that BAYKO was also available in the British influenced areas of East Africa.

Given that South Africa is on the list, it is likely that Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe were also covered.

If you've info on these or other BAYKO markets, I'd love to hear from you...

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