The purpose of this section is simple, and covers the way that BAYKO sets were sent out to the different export channels, certainly where businesses were supplied directly, by Plimpton, from the U.K. |
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It's also possible that they were also used for shops which were supplied via Import Agents… |
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It's probable that similar arrangements were made for major toy shops in the domestic market, though, of course, I can't prove that. |
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All the information here is taken from a January, 1956 letter sent to Bepin Behary Das & Grandson, in Kolkata [Calcutta], a wholesale business in India… |
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The letter lays out that “All Sets are packed in Verified Fibreboard Export Cartons ready for shipment in standard quantities…” all of which is easy to understand, if not actually guess at, but at least we now have chapter and verse. |
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An interesting detail - an April, 1950 Quotation document asks the retailer to return these cartons, with the offer of free carriage to do so… |
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The full Carton details of the letter, complete with added metric equivalents, are laid out in the table below, which is fairly self explanatory, so I'll leave you to read as you will : - |
Plimpton Era Wholesale BAYKO Carton Dimensions |
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Set # |
Quantity |
Width |
Length |
Depth |
Gross Weight |
Nett Weight |
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0 |
24 |
15½ in |
394 mm |
13 in |
330 mm |
10 in |
254 mm |
34 lbs |
15.4 kg |
31 lbs |
14.4 kg |
1 |
8 |
18 in |
457 mm |
12 in |
305 mm |
10¾ in |
273 mm |
21 lbs |
9.5 kg |
18 lbs |
8.2 kg |
2 |
5 |
15¼ in |
387 mm |
14 in |
356 mm |
11 in |
279 mm |
20 lbs |
9.1 kg |
17 lbs |
7.7 kg |
3 |
3 |
15¾ in |
400 mm |
12 in |
305 mm |
11½ in |
292 mm |
20 lbs |
9.1 kg |
17 lbs |
7.7 kg |
4 |
3 |
18 in |
457 mm |
16 in |
406 mm |
16¾ in |
425 mm |
36 lbs |
16.3 kg |
32 lbs |
14.5 kg |
0X |
24 |
19 in |
483 mm |
16 in |
406 mm |
14 in |
356 mm |
23 lbs |
10.4 kg |
20 lbs |
9.1 kg |
1X |
12 |
18 in |
457 mm |
10¾ in |
273 mm |
13 in |
330 mm |
18 lbs |
8.2 kg |
15 lbs |
6.8 kg |
2X |
8 |
18 in |
457 mm |
10¾ in |
273 mm |
13 in |
330 mm |
20 lbs |
9.1 kg |
17 lbs |
7.7 kg |
3X |
6 |
19 in |
483 mm |
16 in |
406 mm |
14 in |
356 mm |
37 lbs |
16.8 kg |
33 lbs |
15.0 kg |
Mixed Converting Sets* |
18 in |
457 mm |
16 in |
406 mm |
16¾ in |
425 mm |
38 lbs |
17.2 kg |
34 lbs |
15.4 kg |
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Set # |
Quantity |
Width |
Length |
Depth |
Gross Weight |
Nett Weight |
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* The Mixed Converting Sets carton contains 8 x 0X, 6 x 1X, 4 x 2X, 2 x 3X. |
I also had an Australian market “Wholesale Catalogue Price List” issued by Oswald-Sealy of Sydney which supports most of the above, with one contradiction an s one addition - shown in the small table immediately below. |
The carton contents for set 0 is shown as 12, not 24. |
There is a second conversion set option, probably a legacy from before the launch of set #3X and set #4. The carton held : - 12 x 0X, 6 x 1X, 6 x 2X. |
Another way of looking at this shows that there were actually seven different carton sizes, doing eleven jobs, [including the “Cabinet of Spare Parts” and the “…Assorted Pack of All Converting Sets…”], so obviously some have more than one use! I have used red ink to highlight these, below. Purely for administration purposes, I've labelled the Cartons 'A' through 'G', in approximate ascending order of size, purely for my convenience, to structure the table. |
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
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Inches |
15½x13x10 |
15¾x12x11½ |
15¼x14x11 |
18x10¾x13 |
18x12x10¾ |
18x16x16¾ |
19x16x14 |
mm |
394x330x254 |
400x303x292 |
387x356x279 |
457x273x330 |
457x305x273 |
457x406x425 |
483x406x356 |
Contents |
#0 |
#3 |
#2 |
#1X, #2X |
#1 |
#4, Mixed Conversion Sets |
#0X, #3X, Cabinet of Spare Parts |
The Bepin Behary Das letter also contains the rider that - “No. 0 and No. 4 Standard Sets and No. 0X and No. 3X Converting Sets can be supplied in smaller quantities suitable for despatch by parcel post.” |
Personally I think it perfectly reasonable to suggest that this approach was probably used throughout the life of the BAYKO, including the MECCANO era, but with different details - though, of course, I can't prove it! However, if it's not true, how else would they have done it? |
Just one small note of caution before the next entry. In the letter, the “Cabinet of Spare Parts” entry [below] actually appeared directly below the 3X entry [above], and both sets of figures shown are identical. I can't help but pose the question, “Is this a typo?” Given that the same carton size was also used for Set #0X, it is possible that the typo only affects the gross and Nett Weights. |
The entry for the Cabinet of BAYKO Spare Parts is shown below : - |
Contents |
Width |
Length |
Depth |
Gross Weight |
Nett Weight |
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Cabinet of Spare Parts |
19 in |
483 mm |
16 in |
406 mm |
14 in |
356 mm |
37 lbs |
16.8 kg |
33 lbs |
15.0 kg |
Below here are links to related info : - |
Click on any of the links below for related information.
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