BAYKO in THE LEBANON

I currently have no BAYKO documents from the Lebanese market, however, John C. Setrakian has provided some valuable information on this once thriving BAYKO market.

At the tender age of 5, John received his first BAYKO set, from the MECCANO era, as a Christmas present, in 1966, nearly 3 years after the product's formal death.

John can speak from personal experience that BAYKO was widely available in Beirut, where he grew up, for several years after that.

Not only that, John's brother, who is thirteen years his senior, also had a BAYKO set - in his case it was from the Plimpton era.

John further tells me he acquired more BAYKO from a cousin who [born in 1944] and so presumably acquired his set in the early 1950s [1952?].

John's initial recollection of this particular acquisition was that the Flat Roofs in his cousin's set were the early diamond pattern type…

…which would indicate that BAYKO was available in the Lebanon throughout the post-war production period and would beg the question as to whether or not BAYKO had made it's way there before the war as well…

…however, having now laid his hands on some diamond pattern Flat Roofs, John is less certain.

A valuable insight into this market and the sustained availability of BAYKO…

…and I'm sure you'll be pleased to know [indeed the photos now show] that John, despite the intervening years and a move many years ago from the Lebanon to Canada, is still an avid BAYKO collector.

If you've any info. on BAYKO in The Lebanon, I'd love to hear from you…