BAYKO Adverts in 'MECCANO Magazine'

Before I start on the details of BAYKO advertising in 'MECCANO Magazine' [MM for short], I should clarify that I am talking about direct advertising of new BAYKO to readers, there were also regular offers of 'pre-loved' BAYKO sets and collections in the magazine's classified adverts section. Also, regardless of the fact that it's not technically an advert, I feel I must begin this section by mentioning probably the best known 'BAYKO' image outside of company literature.
Front cover of MECCANO Magazine, December 1954 together with the BAYKO inset
The image [left] is a copy of the front cover of the December, 1954 issue of the 'MECCANO Magazine', and it shows a group of six young boys [note the short trousers - remember those!], all with their eyes firmly glued to a colourful shop window display. The display is composed, almost entirely, of the MECCANO company's own product range…
…the unique exception being a small display of two BAYKO items, which are clearly to be seen right in the middle of the shop window display…
…if you slide your mouse over the image you will reveal the enlarged BAYKO section, or click on the image to reveal a larger, full-page image.
A fascinating detail is the fact that almost the same image - minus BAYKO and with different products, but the same boys -- appeared on the front cover of the MECCANO 1955/6 general products catalogue [right], clearly suggesting to me that there was nothing accidental about the original BAYKO inclusion.
MECCANO 1965/6 catalogue with the shop window image
There are those who cite the 'MECCANO Magazine' picture as definitive proof of MECCANO's formal involvement with BAYKO and Plimpton Engineering long before the 1959 takeover.
Personally, I don't subscribe to this view, at all. I believe it is certainly evidence of the close working relationship between these two near neighbours [both companies being Liverpool based]. However, I am as certain as I can be that their formal professional relationship would have been restricted to Plimpton Engineering's role as a supplier of small plastic components to MECCANO.
 
MECCANO Magazine subscription order form
Using the word “subscribe”, in the paragraph above, triggered me to include the form [right] which is date coded August, 1960.
Very simply, it's an order form which enabled the young collectors [or mum and dad!] to order their subscription to 'MECCANO Magazine'. For a year's subscription, for example, all you needed was the inclusion of an appropriate postal order : -
U.K. - 18/- [90p]
Australia - 23/-
Canada - $1.95
U.S.A. - $2.38
This is surely indicative that MECCANO regarded MM as an important profit stream.
The eagle eyed among you may well have noticed that BAYKO is not one of the products mentioned as being supported…
…yet another indication of the lack of a coherent marketing strategy by MECCANO.
 
In the main table [below] is a substantial array of all the BAYKO adverts which appeared in the 'MECCANO Magazine' over the years. No other non-trade publication comes close in terms of the total number of adverts placed over BAYKO's life time.
To view a larger image of any of the BAYKO adverts, just click on the smaller image [below] to launch one in a separate window.
MECCANO Magazine BAYKO advert, Christmas 1935
The first 8 BAYKO adverts were actually placed by Berwick's Toys, who acted as Marketing Agent for Plimpton in their early years.
MECCANO Magazine BAYKO advert, February 1961 showing the 'wrong' design of Windows
The message “NO AD” [below] shows which particular 'MECCANO Magazine' issues don't contain a BAYKO advertisement. Ironically, most of these occurred when MECCANO owned BAYKO.
“NO MAG” [below] indicates that the August, 1959 issue of 'MECCANO Magazine' was never published. This was due to 'industrial action', and it is, perhaps, surprising that this was the only one, given the perception of volatility in the printing industry!
It has taken an age, but I've now included every single 'MECCANO Magazine' BAYKO advert - all 160 of them - hurray!
I hope you enjoy them, I particularly enjoy seeing how they evolved over the three decades of BAYKO's life.
The BAYKO adverts in 'MECCANO Magazine' have contributed information on BAYKO set prices over the 30 years the product was on the market.
 
There is more information on BAYKO which has been included in the 'MECCANO Magazine' over the life of BAYKO : -

1935
September
October
November
December
MM September 1935.
MM October 1935.
MM November 1935.
MM December 1935.
The above adverts were all full pages.

1936

1937
November
December
November
December
MM November 1936.
MM December 1936.
MM November 1936.
MM December 1937.
The above adverts were both full pages.
Click here to see a contemporary BOYS OWN advert.
The above adverts were both double full pages.

1949
January
February
March
April
May
June
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
MM May 1949.
MM June 1949.
MM July 1949.
MM August 1949.
MM September 1949.
MM October 1949.
MM November 1949.
MM December 1949.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all just quarter pages.

1950
January
February
March
April
May
June
MM January 1950.
MM February 1950.
MM March 1950.
MM April 1950.
MM May 1950.
MM June 1950.
MM July 1950.
MM August 1950.
MM September 1950.
MM October 1950.
MM November 1950.
MM December 1950.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all just quarter pages.

1951
January
February
March
April
May
June
MM January 1951.
MM February 1951.
MM March 1951.
MM April 1951.
MM May 1951.
MM June 1951.
MM July 1951.
MM August 1951.
MM September 1951.
MM October 1951.
MM November 1951.
MM December 1951.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all half pages, except for January which was the last quarter page advert.

1952
January
February
March
April
May
June
MM January 1952.
MM February 1952.
MM March 1952.
MM April 1952.
MM May 1952.
MM June 1952.
MM July 1952.
MM August 1952.
MM September 1952.
MM October 1952.
MM November 1952.
MM December 1952.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all half page adverts -
except December which was the first full page BAYKO advert in 'MECCANO Magazine' for exactly 15 years.

1953
January
February
March
April
May
June
MM January 1953.
MM February 1953.
MM March 1953.
MM April 1953.
MM May 1953.
MM June 1953.
MM July 1953.
MM August 1953.
MM September 1953.
MM October 1953.
MM November 1953.
MM December 1953.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all full pages.

1954
January
February
March
April
May
June
MM January 1954.
MM February 1954.
MM March 1954.
MM April 1954.
MM May 1954.
MM June 1954.
MM July 1954.
MM August 1954.
MM September 1954.
MM October 1954.
MM November 1954.
MM December 1954.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all full pages.

1955
January
February
March
April
May
June
MM January 1955.
MM February 1955.
MM March 1955.
MM April 1955.
MM May 1955.
MM June 1955.
MM July 1955.
MM August 1955.
MM September 1955.
MM October 1955.
MM November 1955.
MM December 1955.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all full pages.

1956
January
February
March
April
May
June
MM January 1956.
MM February 1956.
MM March 1956.
MM April 1956.
MM May 1956.
MM June 1956.
MM July 1956.
MM August 1956.
MM September 1956.
MM October 1956.
MM November 1956.
MM December 1956.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all full pages.

1957
January
February
March
April
May
June
MM January 1957.
MM February 1957.
MM March 1957.
MM April 1957.
MM May 1957.
MM June 1957.
MM July 1957.
MM August 1957.
MM September 1957.
MM October 1957.
MM November 1957.
MM December 1957.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all full pages.

1958
January
February
March
April
May
June
MM January 1958.
MM February 1958.
MM March 1958.
MM April 1958.
MM May 1958.
MM June 1958.
MM July 1958.
MM August 1958.
MM September 1958.
MM October 1958.
MM November 1958.
MM December 1958.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all full pages.

1959
January
February
March
April
May
June
MM January 1959.
MM February 1959.
MM March 1959.
MM April 1959.
MM May 1959.
MM June 1959.
MM July 1959.
No magazine produced this month because of industrial action.
MM September 1959.
MM October 1959.
MM November 1959.
MM December 1959.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all half pages.
The “NO MAG” [above] indicates that, due to industrial action, no magazine was published that month.

1960
January
February
March
April
May
June
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
MM April 1960.
MM May 1960.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
MM September 1960.
MM October 1960.
MM November 1960.
MM December 1960.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all full pages.

1961
January
February
March
April
May
June
No BAYKO advert this month.
MM February 1961.
No BAYKO advert this month.
MM April 1961.
MM May 1961.
No BAYKO advert this month.
MM July 1961.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
MM October 1961.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all full pages.

1962
January
February
March
April
May
June
MM January 1962.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
MM April 1962.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
MM August 1962.
MM September 1962.
No BAYKO advert this month.
MM November 1962.
MM December 1962.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all full pages except August which was a half page.

1963
January
February
March
April
May
June
MM January 1963.
MM February 1963.
MM March 1963.
No BAYKO advert this month.
MM May 1963.
No BAYKO advert this month.
MM July 1963.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
MM December 1963.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above adverts were all full pages.
The eagle eyed among you will have noticed that the December advert is a general advert for MECCANO's whole product range - but at least BAYKO is still there!

1964
January
February
March
April
May
June
MM January 1964.
MM February 1964.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
No BAYKO advert this month.
July
August
September
October
November
December
The above BAYKO adverts were the last ever to appear, and were both full pages.
Gary Birch tells me that [coincidentally?] the February edition was the last to be printed under MECCANO's editorial control. The 'MECCANO Magazine' was taken over by MAP Magazines from March, 1964 onwards.
The introduction of adverts for CLIKI and CLIKI PLUS, together with their first mention in an October, 1964 article, further reinforced BAYKO's death knell.
 
Below here are links to related info : -
 
Click on any of the links below for related information.
 
 
 
 
   
 
   

▲ Return to Page Top ▲
◄ BACK to Prior Page ►
⊕ Add to Favourites ⊕
¿ ABOUT baykoman.com ?

The 'Flaming BAYKOMAN' site logo

Latest update - August 10, 2022
The BAYKO name and Logo are the Registered Trade Mark of Transport of Delight.
© COPYRIGHT - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
WEBMASTER - PETE BRADLEY.