Another icon of my childhood in the 1950s,
and one that has lasted the distance. Although
the above set was picked up in 2006 on eBay, my
original set's whereabouts is known (g'day, Pete)
and I have a spare instruction book. The above
set is a NUMBER 1. (Parts list
for no.1 below.) Much harder to find is the
larger NUMBER 2 set and
the 1A, which makes up to the 1 set. There was a
smaller, JUNIOR set which I've not seen outside
of the net. A scan appears below right of the
box.
COLOUR
VARIATIONS
There were FOUR or more variations
of the red plastic, and TWO or more of white.
Possibly the darker versions came later. See
David's American Plastic Bricks photos via the
link above which raise yet more questions.
DATE OF AVAILABILITY: When
were the sets available new?
I've
located several Hobbyco catalogues from the
mid-20th Century. Hobbyco was one of Australia's
biggest and best hobby and toy shops. It still
exists in Sydney but in the 1950s and 1960s, it
was the place to spend endless hours, looking at
fabulous displays of toys you couldn't afford! It
was one of two Sydney toy shops [that I know of]
which issued a catalogue, the other being Walther
and Stevenson's, further north up George Street,
Sydney. Both stores were on two levels, crammed
full of model trains, planes, ships and cars,
fireworks, bikes, Meccano and other construction
outfits, books, pedal cars and every toy you
could think of. I have Hobbyco catalogues for
June 1950 (the first?), January 1956 and January
1958. There's no mention of Bilda-brix in the
1950 edition, but the 1956 and 1958 editions
contain similar entries, as follows.
BILDA-BRIX
A simpler type set for Junior. [In comparision to
Bayko which appears beforehand!]
No. 1 Complete Set........................28/11
[$2.89]
No. 2 Complete Set........................69/11
[$6.99]
No. 1A Conversion Set 1-2.............42/6
[$4.25]
There's no
mention of the 'Junior' Set in either catalogue. So
we know that the regular sets were sold AT LEAST
during the 1956 to 1958 period in Australia. There's
no mention in later Hobbyco catalogues of the
1960s.
MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENTS
You can find a full page Australian Women's Weekly
advertisement here from around Christmas, 1953.
http://vivatvintage.tumblr.com/post/3851331443/santa-suggests-bilda-brix-christmas-1953
Thanks, Sonia!
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