BAYKO Product Details - 1949 to 1959

This period contains not just the peak of BAYKO's popularity but also the seeds of it's ultimate downfall.

Annual sales regularly topped the 150,000 set mark, with up to 35% of them being exported.

Arguably this period could be split in 2 or more : -

The early 1950's when all BAYKO parts were all made from conventional plastic [left].

The later 1950's when several parts were changed to polystyrene [below, right].

However, the changes were phased over the period and not all pieces were actually changed, so it's easier to regard it as one.

Parts were now in a red, white and mid green colour scheme, with small shifts across the period.

The later red polystyrene bricks were a little less bright and the polystyrene windows and doors lighter and slightly brighter.

This later period also saw the introduction of Glazing Strips for windows.

Opening Gate & matching Balustrade.

Opening Windows.

Side Bricks.

Side Windows - Left Hand.

Side Windows - Right Hand.

Small Chimneys.

I suppose, in the interests of accuracy, I should point out that the actual peak was in the last 2 or 3 months before the MECCANO takeover, after the garage Doors launch.

The #4 set was now launched [February, 1952] and included all the newer, more exotic pieces, and was firmly established as every young BAYKO collector's dream. Surprisingly the #3X conversion set was actually launched in August, 1951.

The earliest Conversion Sets #3X [and possibly early Sets #4] didn't include the exotic roof pieces - Domes & Pinnacle Roofs and Platforms - [top, left]...

...however, it wasn't too long - I don't have an exact date - before they were included, along with the 'with compliments' type slip [right].

There is some debate over why the post-war BAYKO set structure changed so significantly from the pre-war structure...

The proliferation of TV aerials in the UK, after the launch of ITV, was reflected in the introduction of the BAYKO TV Aerial, the Chimney being modified to take it.

To enhance play value with DINKY Cars, etc. a Ramp was produced, which allowed you to 'drive' cars onto the Bases of your models - I don't know the exact date of this.

A set of Opening [or Garage] Doors added to this play effect a little later, on June 1st, 1959.

Immediately before the MECCANO takeover in 1959, although commercially under pressure from LEGO and the like, the BAYKO parts range was at its peak.

This next section is hedged around by question marks I'm afraid, but I'm now convinced that there is something significant here, even if I can't be certain what!

For the March, 2008 BAYKO Collectors Club meeting I built a large office block - 'BAYKO Buildings' - which, as you can see [right], used a massive number of Side Windows.

As I sorted through each piece, I noticed that occasional examples were a different [though consistent] colour from the familiar darker green - they were more akin to the green of Plimpton era polystyrene windows - 1957 to 1959.

With the model's deadline looming, I set them aside and did nothing with them for several months - I don't normally get excited about colour variations anyway.

However, I finally got around to looking at them again and was intrigued by what I found. Something approaching five percent of my building stock - including those in the model - were the paler colour. I wondered...

...I looked at my stock of Doors. There was the same colour variant, occurring in a similar proportion. Unsurprisingly that spurred me into action and I went through my stocks of Windows, Large Windows, Curved Windows and Opening Windows...

...with the same result!

I'm afraid I don't have a definitive explanation for you, but, by far the most likely answer is that they were intended to blend with the polystyrene Windows, Large Windows and, later, Doors - though why do it with the styles being replaced as well?

The five percent, maximum, proportion suggests that they were only produced for a few months.

The image [above left] doesn't do full justice to the colour variants, but the lighter parts, which match the polystyrene parts, are to the left - guess where the standard parts are!

This period covers a long a long period of time and was serviced by a number of different manuals...

...the first [left] was short lived and was produced in 1949 for BAYKO sets #0 to 3...

This was then replaced by the manual [right] which was re-issued in several versions during the 1950's...

As set #3X [1951] and set #4 [1952] were launched, additional manuals were needed to support them.

The set #3X manual [left] contained details of set #4's unique parts and the range of possible models...

Set #4 had a manual [right] which covered the full range of BAYKO sets - #0 to #4...