Something related to the history of Meccano Bobigny.

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Tue, 08/17/2021 - 11:44

Jan Oldenhuis

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Something related to the history of Meccano Bobigny.

In addition to Jacques Dujardin's affirmative answer to my question whether the Meccano Hall d'exposition et vente au détail 5, Boulevard des Capucines Paris 2 is part of Meccano Bobigny, I started an investigation to find more documents about this question and I'm opening a new topic about a relationship with the history of Meccano Bobigny.

I found the answer in a French PDF document: Histoire du Meccano by Jean Max Estève of Club des Amis du Meccano, which can be found at the following link: http://club-amis-meccano.net/Page_Index/Histoire%20du%20Meccano_JME.pdf

In that document, the year 1925, translated into English, stated:

1925: Sees the opening, at 5 boulevard des Capucines in Paris, of the famous presentation and

retail sale, which will last until the 1960s. The boxes are black, numbered from 00 to 7,

additional boxes, 00A, 0A, 1A, etc. Introduction of colors in the rooms, this is the period

Red and Green for steel strips and angles, red being reserved for rigid plates, wheels and

pulley. The system includes more than 200 different parts.

This clearly shows that Meccano Hall d'exposition et vente au détail 5, Boulevard des Capucines Paris 2 is part of Meccano Bobigny.

Looking for documents to prove this, I also found a few handwritten receipts that I show below. Also a Meccano catalogue 1935-36 with print Meccano Paris, a notebook of Meccano Paris from 1936 and a Dinky Toys catalogue from 1961 with print Meccano Paris. In the encyclopedia of Jacques Dujardin I even still found a French Dinky Toys catalogue from 1963 with the print Meccano Paris.

This shows that this Meccano exhibition and sales hall in Paris existed in any case from 1925 to 1963 and must also have exhibited and sold Dinky Toys.

The building in which the hall was located is a monumental building on the famous Boulevard des Capucines in Paris (inspired by the French painter Claude Monet and the Dutch painters Piet Mondriaan and Theo Van Doesburg).

On the internet I found the photo below of the building on the Boulevard des Capucines with the entrance at number 5.

Jan Oldenhuis, 17 August 2021

Tue, 08/17/2021 - 12:55

dinkycollect

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Jan,

To find the Meccano shop you had to go through this entrance to the back yard in which the shop was on the left. I also remember that in there there was the very rare oak Meccano cabinet with a glazed display of Meccano parts at the front and drawers containing all the spare Meccano parts at the rear.
I have a recent photo of this yard and I will post it here when I find it.

Fri, 08/20/2021 - 13:11

Jan Oldenhuis

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Jacques, I found this photo in your encyclopedia. Did you mean this photo?

Then I have one more question. You say you saw Meccano displayed there. Have you also seen Dinky Toys and trains displayed there?

I found a better photo of the entrance 5 Boulevard des Capucines Paris which I show below. This photo is from April 2021.

Jan Oldenhuis

Sat, 08/21/2021 - 16:01

dinkycollect

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Dear Jan,

Yes this is the photo I meant. Where in the Encyclopaedia did you find it ?

Of course the three marques were sold there and later, probably all the junk which Meccano sold.

The text reads that this "display" was not sold but lent to the dealers who placed an order for about 2 000 F. A large sum when at this time an average Dinky Toys sold from 3.50 to 7 F.

Sat, 08/21/2021 - 20:36

Jan Oldenhuis

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Jacques, you can find the picture in Meccano factories and then in the first Meccano s.a. Avenue Henri Barbusse.

The story about that Meccano display is a very clever sales stunt of Meccano Bobigny. No problem for a shop like this in Manchester around Christmas 1936.

Jan Oldenhuis