I debated quite a long time with myself as to exactly where I should put this parts price list in this run of post-war Parts Price Lists. I settled on here, early 1949, for four main reasons : - |
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Its larger size and use of coloured paper point to its being an early, 'posh' post-war Parts Price List, an example of improved availability of such material as austerity slackened its grip. |
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There is a very careless error on the document [explanation below] which has been corrected in later documents. |
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We know from elsewhere that the increase in the range of 'Supplementary Parts' began in 1949. |
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There's another rather strange clue in that the Corner Bricks are only offered in White [possibly creating a range of 'fencing' with the Balustrades and Wall Bricks], Red not being offered until the April, 1949 Parts Price List [below]. |
I'm pretty confident that this is the right sequence, though it is feasible that this document was prepared for Christmas, 1948. |
So what was the error I referred to above? Well, if you look at the front of the document, [left, above] specifically at the “Price List of “BAYKO” Supplementary Parts (Not Contained in Standard Sets No. 0, 1, 2 and 3)”, the bottom half of the list includes the four different Turret pieces. |
Now turn over, as it were, and look at the rear of the document [right, above]. If you now look at the “Price List of BAYKO Separate Parts (Contained in Standard Sets)” you will see, just below half way down, that the four different Turret pieces are displayed there as well! Slide your mouse over the two images to highlight the 'Turret Trauma'. |
An interesting point, if you exclude the 20s series sets, in which they were launched, none of the Turret pieces were ever included in any of the standard BAYKO sets. |
For the record, there is actually a second anomaly. Domes are also mentioned twice- -just below the Turrets on side one, where both red and white availability is specified, and at the bottom of the list on side two, where no colour is specified. |
I like this document, not just for its rarity, but because in it you can see the germ of the format which morphed into BAYKO's international standard Parts Price List that then served until Christmas, 1952. |
This is also the first Parts Price List I've found so far which includes the ½-Brick Rods. |
This is the first of only two documents [to date] in which the wording on 'longer' rods has been changed to the rather clunky phrase, “Larger Lengths of Rods Can be Supplied to Order”. |
One final, rather strange detail, for some reason, no less that three times in total, Plimpton found it necessary to intimidate poor little Johnnie, or Jenny, into obeying the instruction, “When ordering Spare Parts state Colour required and Reference No.” |
Ja Vohl herr BAYKO! |