Launch of the BAYKO Garage Doors

When, on July 1st, 1959, BAYKO launched the new Garage Doors [officially referred to as Opening Doors, at least initially] they decided that they would include this potentially popular new part in the larger sets.

BAYKO included one in both set #2 and set #3 and two in the biggest set, #4. This naturally means that they should also included one in the corresponding conversion sets #1X and #3X, however, for some reason, they also added 1 to set #2X. Were they assuming the young collector's older set #2 wouldn't have one‽

The Garage Doors did make the illustrated parts list at the back of the final Plimpton era catalogue.

This, of course, left their retailers with older sets which didn't include the new Garage Doors.

To solve this problem, BAYKO wrote to all their retailers, asking them how many old sets they had and thus how many Garage Doors they needed to bring these sets up to the new standard.

The retailers filled in the form, and sent it off to Plimpton - I wonder if companies would be quite so trusting today‽

Plimpton then simply posted the required number of these attractive Garage Doors to their retailers who then, of course, just slipped them, loose, into the relevant set boxes, in the same way that Plimpton themselves did with their new sets, at the factory. But what if some sets were sold in the middle of this process(‽)…

…the cynics among you may point to the “1/6”, [1 shilling and 6 pence or 7½p] hand-written price on the box in the image [right] to suggest profiteering by the retailer - such unworthy thoughts!!!

The picture [right] shows the 'full set' - the original Plimpton letter; the Garage Doors; and the packaging just as they were received by the BAYKO retailers.

To throw a small spanner in the works - a card, sent to retailers, showing price increases from April 8th, 1959, also refers to the Garage Doors as still being included in set #2X…

…this letter says the same thing…

…this must have been a 'deliberate mistake'!!!