BAYKO - the 1933 Anomaly?

Common knowledge [or is it just a rather restricted urban myth?] has it that BAYKO building sets were produced, initially by Plimpton Engineering, then MECCANO, in Liverpool, for almost 30 years, between late 1934 and early 1964 - or was it‽ That statement begins to crumble under even the gentlest scrutiny. Don't you just love it‽

In 1994 a Diamond Jubilee BAYKO exhibition was held in Liverpool then, a couple of years later, another get together was held in Nottingham. In 2014, this was followed by a huge exhibition, back on Merseyside, in the Liverpool Museum, celebrating the 80th birthday of the world's first [and finest!] plastic construction toy.

At all three of the above events, Anne and Jean Plimpton, the two daughters of BAYKO inventor C.B. Plimpton, generously supported the BAYKO collectors Club by attending.

Although directors of Plimpton Engineering for many years, as adults they never played an active role in the company. However…

…they spoke of working at home, in the kitchen, packing BAYKO sets in time for Christmas, 1933!!!

To my mind there's absolutely no reason at all to doubt their account, but this 'domestic workshop' location is probably indicative of the comparatively modest scale of the BAYKO operation at this stage.

The February, 1935 edition of 'Games and Toys', the toy trade paper, says “…appearing as it did very late in 1934…owing to unexpected difficulties arising in the manufacture.” Personally I find it unlikely that the domestic contribution would have been particularly impactful in terms of national sales.

The probable explanation is that the 1933 efforts were effectively a local dry run before BAYKO manufacture was scaled up, not without problems, in 1934, to “…find its way into so many of the leading stores in the country…” as 'Games and Toys' put it.

Truth be told, there's a second, though less controversial question, this time as to the finishing date of BAYKO's life, but here the debate is not much more than semantics. Lines Brothers [TRI-ANG] pulled the BAYKO plug in January, 1964 in terms of marketing or advertising support, following their acquisition of MECCANO. They basically instigated a 'milk it' policy, for BAYKO, supporting it by little more than MECCANO General Products Price List entries, until 1967…

As a dyed in the wool mathematician, I love the symmetry of BAYKO's life spanning, almost exactly, the middle third of the 20th century.

If you have any further information on the true BAYKO start date…