BAYKO Sets #0 to #3 Instruction Leaflet -
1946 - Version 1

This Instruction Leaflet, unusually stapled at the top in terms of seven of the pages, even though they are landscape orientation, was produced by Plimpton for their first post-war BAYKO sets in 1946. None of the early post-war manuals has “How to Build with BAYKO” instructions, this document fulfilled that role. This is the original version of this document, and is shown courtesy of Ian Cole.

This period after the war was chaotic in many ways. Materials shortages lead Plimpton to be modest in their printed matter, and as economical as possible, and, as part of that, this leaflet is printed on a very basic newsprint paper. Set contents and the instruction manuals were printed as separate documents at various stages, and there is a table of links to all the various versions of these in the navigation table [below].

Altogether, for product change, Purchase Tax hikes, and marketing requirements, there are five domestic versions of this Leaflet and one Canadian.

When set #3 was introduced in 1948, this leaflet, or rather one of its successors, was still being included, in that instance, along with a specific set #3 manual.

It comprises just 8 pages, printed in black on cheap, off-white, newsprint type paper.

Page 8, [below] is obviously(!) the same size as the other pages, but I have deliberately displayed it in its correct portrait orientation. Also, uniquely, page 8 of this version bears the Plimpton company address details 'printed' in white against a black background.

As a piece of trivia on page 3 [below], the word 'showing', on the second line of the first paragraph, has been misspelled as “shewing”, an error which Plimpton never corrected.

By far the most interesting page of this original version is page 5 [below], which has three small diagrams which are unique to this issue. The Roof End shown [upper, second from the right] bears no relation to the actual piece that was sold, and is a basic, schematic version, presumably drawn before production samples were available. The “Method of assembling sectional roof.” drawing [upper, right] also, I suspect, predates production samples and is less than clear to the uninitiated, at whom it was aimed. Drawing 12 shows the Canopy 'incorrectly' supported by the wall, rather than Pillars.

Size 178mm x 124mm = 7.0 x 4.9 inches.

If you would like to see the manual almost hot off the press, as it were…