Trade Boxes

Al -- Terry Hardgrave has researched H. Hudson Dobson pretty extensively and wrote an article on him for the Journal. You'll also find information in this thread (/forum-topic/h-hudson-dobson-and-his-pre-war-distribution-involvement) and another one (/node/7117) here. But yes, we know that Meccano was his employer and that's what brought him to the U.S. Cheers, Jonathan

Just followed those links above about HHB, I knew there would be experts out there and there was. Very interesting, have also looked at my 36 series gift box which is dated 10.40, October 1940, and has the label of Meccano of America and not HHB further confirming with the conclusions of the link researchers. David

I concur with what is being said about the labels, have checked on some of mine. Have the same label on a 36 series gift set dated 10.40, and as yet not seen a Dobson label on a prewar box. David

Though these pictures appear elsewhere on this site, here for convenience are the covers of the 1938 and 1939 U.S.A. Dinky catalogues, where we see the Meccano Company of America name being de-emphasized in favor of H. Hudson Dobson's own name, for whatever reason this took place. Nonetheless we all seem to agree that labels on the boxes themselves did not change until after the war.

Just purchased this trade box 12c Telephone Box, it is a type 4 box numbered 50000. Not included in any previous list. You can see that someone in the distant past, likely the retailer crossed out the 12c and scribbled the eventual revised number of 750. David

This lift off lid box is the only one I have seen with the 50 000 ref. and no slush. There must be other ones.Other subject, recently a post has been writen about tradeboxes printed with Meccano Limited or Meccano Ltd. Unfortunately, it is not in the Tradeboxes thread and can not be recovered. Could the author please duplicate his post here or let me have the link to this variation.Kind regards. Jacques

Have managed to acquire a good few more trade boxes, some are repeats but many are examples of box types that I did not have. The advantage of purchaseing repeats or duplicates is that I can compare and often place them in some sort of dated order depending on the price that is scribbled onto the box. Also sometimes the currancy shown can give obvious clues as to where the original retail outlet was. It is this comparing that highlights any differences in the labeling. Have noted below a few differences that are appearing on the labels and boxes. One thing I have noticed that appears not mentioned any where is that certain boxes came in different sizes for the same referenced number model. The 25 series, you will probably already have noticed that the length of models type 3 and type 4 are different, the type 4 has a bumper that makes the model just that little longer, in fact 6 models type 4 will not fit into and early box that contained type 3 models. The 29c Double decker, is found with a horizontal format of displaying the models, and 2 different sized vertical displayed models. There are other differences that are found for the same model reference which are noted on the labels of the models. The differences are;- Printed in Great Britian or Printed in England, this distinction relates to early prewar boxes 'Made in England by Meccano Ltd' or 'Made in England by Meccano Limited' 'Dinky Toys' found with or without cartouche on some model boxes. The size of font used for the name and model number, is often found in two sizes on the labels of the same type boxes boxes. The label size can differ. The significance of these differences may not be of any interest other than there was more than one print run, but perhaps a more accurate date for a particular printing can be established. Each time I come accros a difference I look at it and wonder if any body else has noticed these differences, perhaps even when they were produced nobody noticed or even bothered to note. Have photographed the 3 differences of my 'Delivery Van 28 series' post war boxes for comparison. These boxes should be catagorized as Type 2a, 2b & 2c. As point of discussion the previous type 2a think is a prewar box, it certainly carries the prewar A..... number but unfortunately with no date. If the box with the shallower lid than the base and has the A...... number proves to be Christmas 1945, prewar models with thick axels then it should be recognised as the 2a type box and the above 2b, 2c & 2d, but because of the prewar reference number beleive it should be the very last prewar types, see picture below taken from an earlier posting. Looking forward to your commments David

Very interesting! One thing your showing of those post war 28 trade boxes proves, is that after the war, Meccano did indeed use that number 28 and not 280 as some continue to state. All the postwar catalogs and price lists also show 28 only. The 280 number was only used pre-war as a way of differentiation with so many variations produced. Best regards, Terry

David, Thank you, I was looking for a photo with only two tradeboxes. Your post # 125 was very interesting, the type 2c has to be added to the list of tradeboxes. New types appear from time to time and this changes the classification.Jacques.

Have now been able to confirm the existance of what was I think a type 2a box, the lid is shallower than the base and it carries a slightly different label both in size and of the format. This type of box to me is the earliest type of post war box as it seems to be a continuation of the final prewar trade box, but the price shown on this box is 1/9, which is the price listed for 1948, so more information is needed to be absolute. The line with the 'Made by Meccano Ltd., England' also shows England at the end. Not seen this before but other examples must exist, will keep looking. There is one more type of early plain cardboard trade box and that is the sliding type used for the 35 series. That to me confirms that there was at least five types of the plain cardboard 'labeled' type box and that is before we reference the different types of cardboard used. David

A photograph of 35a sliding trade box, an example of the box type 2e

Not sure what you mean by 'slush' but thinkyou refer to the cartouche around the words 'Dinky Toys' at the top within the printed border. To answer your question about other trade boxes printed in the same manor the only ones that I have seen and noticed are the 35 series slide boxes. Have the 35A & 35D pictured below and assume the B & C would be the same, of course this would have to be confirmed. The second part of your posting requesting the auther of some posting about the labels was mine I think, the picture above post 125, was posted by me showing the variations of the 28 series post war boxes. David