BAYKO Retailers Stock Re-order Forms

The second section shows details of MECCANO Order Forms which retailers would have used, amongst other things, during the 1960's to replenish their stocks of BAYKO building sets.

The third section shows forms, at various times in the life of BAYKO, which the retailers would have used to replenish their stocks of spare parts as well as sets...

Finally, there are details of forms which were intended for the use of retailers to replenish there stock of BAYKO spare parts, some of them specifically for refilling their Retail Display Cabinets...

For some reason, comparatively few of these Order Forms seem to have survived, so if you have any available that could be added to the site, then I'd love to hear from you.

Well, you could hardly accuse Plimpton of over elaborating as far as this form is concerned - it's simple, concise, and, no doubt, effective.

Dating this BAYKO sets order form, which was for the use of BAYKO's retailers, is reasonably easy.

It certainly dates from after February 1952 when set #4 was introduced...

...as it includes the Gibraltar Row address, this places it before the move to Tabley Street, which happened in 1955.

There is a useful warning to would-be historians with this particular document. The original has actually been used - I erased the handwriting as part of the image clean-up process - and the dates quoted on the form are June 24th, 1958 for the order, and October 1st, 1958 as the promised invoice date. I can only assume that the retailer was using up old forms - I just hope he put them into the right envelope.

This version of the BAYKO Sets Order Form also includes space for ordering full or half Retail Cabinet spare parts, window posters and two types of Leaflet.

It is interesting to compare this order form with the later version immediately below, which has been somewhat simplified.

This BAYKO Set Order Form follows on from the one immediately above and was presumably triggered by the change of address in 1955 when Plimpton moved factories.

Again the format is simple and concise, in this case even more so as all reference to ordering Posters and Leaflets has been removed...

...you can't even order replacements for this form!

However, spaces for ordering Full or Half Retail Cabinet Contents are still included at the foot of the form.

Interestingly there is also a brief note at the bottom of the form which states "PLEASE NOTE.- MINIMUM NETT VALUE FOR CARRIAGE PAID IS £4 0. 0." - it doesn't mention the cost if you didn't reach the minimum!

The first seven tables below show details of MECCANO Order Forms which retailers would have used in the 1960's to replenish their stocks of the entire range of MECCANO products, including BAYKO building sets.

I haven't got enough of these - yet - to prove the case one way or another, but I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that these forms were updated quite frequently - probably monthly - as the DINKY TOYS range, in particular, was routinely developed.

No, I haven't completely lost my marbles...

...not completely!

I do realise that this MECCANO general products reorder form - in reality labelled as a DINKY TOYS order form - doesn't actually contain any reference to the world's finest construction toy...

...and basically that's the point of showing it!

When you consider that this form, dated June, 1960, is around nine months after the MECCANO takeover, the fact that BAYKO still doesn't rate a mention is surely noteworthy!!!

Unlike subsequent forms, the rear of this form does not have MECCANO's addressing details, as you will see if you slide your mouse over the image [left]...

...the poor retailer still had to put it in an envelope and post it to MECCANO.

This large form was used by retailers to top up their stock of part of the MECCANO range of products.

The form included MECCANO's address, on the reverse, and was intended to be folded, have a stamp attached and be posted direct to MECCANO.

The form is dated February, 1961.

This side of the form allows the retailer to order DINKY as well as BAYKO sets.

The rear of the form has no BAYKO related information so I have not copied it.

Click on the image [left] to show the BAYKO section in more detail.

This large form was again used by retailers to top up their stock of part of the MECCANO range of products.

The form also included MECCANO's address, on the reverse, and was intended to be folded, have a stamp attached and be posted direct to MECCANO.

This side of the form allows the retailer to order Speedboats and DINKY as well as BAYKO sets.

The rear of the form has no BAYKO related information so, again, I haven't copied it.

Click on the image [left] to show the BAYKO section in more detail...

...you may have noticed that the BAYKO set prices had drifted up slightly from the previous form.

This large form was used by retailers to top up their stock BAYKO sets as part of the MECCANO range of products.

The form included MECCANO's address, on the reverse, as you can see, and was intended to be folded, have a stamp attached and be posted direct to MECCANO...

...however, the inclusion of the [then] new "BAYKO Parts in Packs" clutters this somewhat!

This large form was used by retailers to top up their stock BAYKO sets as part of the MECCANO range of products.

The form included MECCANO's address, on the reverse, as you can see, and was intended to be folded, have a stamp attached and be posted direct to MECCANO.

Click on either of the images above to show the BAYKO section in more detail...

...if you do, you may notice, that the set prices had drifted up again from the previous form.

This large form was used by retailers to top up their stock BAYKO sets as part of the MECCANO range of products.

The form included MECCANO's address, on the reverse, as you can see, and was intended to be folded, have a stamp attached and be posted direct to MECCANO.

Click on either of the images above to show the appropriate BAYKO section in more detail...

...if you do, you may notice, that the set prices had drifted up again from the previous form.

You might also notice that Plimpton era sets #0X and #1X were still available, over three and a half years after the takeover!

This [left] is the latest version of MECCANO's standard product order forms that I've come across so far, and it is very close to the final disappearance of BAYKO from MECCANO literature.

Not too surprisingly, the BAYKO section [above], which sits fairly centrally on the order form, includes all five standard MECCANO era sets as well as all four conversion sets...

...though, perhaps less predictably, the full range of six BAYKO spare parts packs are also listed as still being available...

More surprisingly still, the BAYKO section also includes the set #15 model sheets which were available separately...

...they were to be sold to aspiring young modellers at -/3d each [1.25p].

Click on either of these images to see a larger version.

The forms below, one from Plimpton and two from MECCANO, enabled retailers to order both sets and spare parts - as well as the BAYKO retail packs in the case of the later MECCANO one - to replenish their stock.

This form was used by retailers during the late 1950's to top up their stocks of the full range of BAYKO sets and spare parts.

When I first looked at this form, I thought that Plimpton had missed off Pinnacle Roofs, it turns out that they had just move the entry away from the entry for Pinnacle Platforms...

...a trial separation after twenty years?

As far as dating the form more accurately, the inclusion of Ramps and Glazing materials, albeit almost as an after-thought in red ink [bottom left of the image] suggests that the form would have been in use between 1957 and 1958. After that the Plimpton era Retail Display Packs would surely have been included.

If you would like more information on the use of this form, and it's link to BAYKO Retail Display Cabinet Contents...

This form dates from late 1960 or 1961, based on the comment that "Retail Price Control of old style BAYKO goods, was removed in October, 1960" and the lack of the set #15 etc, launched in August, 1962.

This form was used by retailers to top up their stocks of the full range of the [then] new range of BAYKO sets and spare parts.

One of the most noteworthy details here is that the cost, to the retailer, of a full cabinet of spare parts was £11/4/8 [£11.24]...

...not only that, but you could have "A three drawer polished wood storage cabinet is provided on loan with each selection" as well!

There is a self-evident link between this form and the BAYKO Retail Display Cabinet Contents of the day. If you would like more information on the use of this form, and it's link to these contents...

If you move your mouse over the image [right] you will see the reverse of the document which is a simple address label, it being intended that the form be folded and posted back to MECCANO without need for an envelope. Click anywhere on the image to see a larger version of the BAYKO section.

This form was used by retailers during the later MECCANO era to top up their stocks of the full range of BAYKO products.

Although not dated, the form refers to the new parts not being available until August, and we know from elsewhere that they were introduced in August, 1962 - so this form could actually date from late 1962.

Like the forms above, it includes MECCANO's address, on the reverse, as you can see, and was intended to be folded, have a stamp attached and be posted direct to MECCANO.

There is a key link between the parts quantities quoted on this form and the contents of MECCANO era BAYKO Retail Display Cabinet Contents...

It is, again, noteworthy that the cost, to the retailer, of a full cabinet of spare parts was now £12. Whilst this represents an increase of a little over 7%, the Retail Cabinet contents had been increased to incorporate the newly launched parts, so it was still excellent value...

...and you still got your "Polished Wood Three-Drawer Storage Cabinet Free on Loan"!

The tables below show details of BAYKO spare parts reorder forms...

...they were intended for use by BAYKO retailers.

Not surprisingly there are close links between these documents and the section on Retail Display Cabinets, after all retailers used these forms to refill their Cabinets didn't they!?

This sheet [left] was designed for use by BAYKO retailers to replenish their stocks of Plimpton era spare parts.

The dating - as so often, there is no date code - comes from the range of parts that are included in the list.

If you would like more information on the use of this form, and it's link to BAYKO Retail Display Cabinet Contents...

This sheet [right] was, again, designed for use by BAYKO retailers to replenish their stocks of Plimpton era spare parts.

The dating - again there is no date code - also comes from the range of parts that are included.

If you would like more information on the use of this form, and it's link to BAYKO Retail Display Cabinet Contents...

This sheet [left] was designed, by MECCANO, for use by BAYKO retailers to replenish their stocks of Plimpton era spare parts.

The dating here is simple - it says 1965 in the top lefthand corner!

I think this document quite nicely supports the theory that, between 1964 and 1967, MECCANO really adopted a minimum spend policy for BAYKO...

...this document is certainly never going to impress!

If you would like more information on the use of this form, and it's link to BAYKO Retail Display Cabinet Contents...

This sheet [left] was designed, by MECCANO, for use by BAYKO retailers to replenish their stocks of Plimpton era spare parts.

The dating here is simple - on the reverse of this BAYKO spare parts reorder form is another, though clearly minor, document - a MECCANO spare parts list - which is dated 1967!

It's difficult, in my view to overstate the significance of this document...

...whilst it's just about conceivable that you might not remove BAYKO form a MECCANO general products price list - to avoid extra type-setting costs - actually going to the trouble of printing a spare parts reorder form such as this [left] really would be a luxury if you weren't actually selling the product!!! Clearly some form of BAYKO production continued until 1967.

If you would like more information on the use of this form, and it's link to BAYKO Retail Display Cabinet Contents...