Meccano Inc.

There has been some talk elsewhere about A. C. Gilbert, Hudson Dobson, AVA and other Meccano agents in the U.S.So here is what I have written some time ago about Meccano Inc. and Meccano's operations in The US in the Dinky Toys Encyclopaedia?. Meccano is a metal construction toy, using perforated metal shapes, nuts and bolts to assemble all sorts of things. Erector is a similar system which is much better known in the United States. Meccano was patented by Frank Hornby in England in 1901, and spread through the world. It was exported to the States by 1909 by the Embossing Company of Albany N.Y. until 1912, and a US Meccano Company was formed in 1913. Erector was invented in the US by Albert Carlton Gilbert in 1912. Legal procedings in America over Meccano patents are instigated by Frank Hornby in 1917, and litigation is won, resulting in injunctions of similar toys. A factory to manufacture Meccano sets was established in Elisabeth, New Jersey in 1920 and operated until 1928. There was also an office in New-York which closed the same year due to the Depression.The US Meccano Company owned by Joshua Lionel Cowan (of Lionel trains) was acquired by A.C. Gilbert in 1928. They made products bearing the Meccano name for sale only in the United States. The Meccano factory was closed in 1928, and production moved to the Erector factory in New-Haven Connecticut. Meccano sets continued in production for a few years, and the name was used on a number of other toys. Meccano construction sets were made in the US as late as 1938. Gilbert was also selling toys in England. In 1929, Henry Hudson Dobson becomes the importer for the Meccano products in the U.S.A.Gilbert retired in 1954 and turned the business over to his son A. C. Junior. The company was struggling as the space race was on and the company was slow to bring out new products. Upon his death in 1961, the company was bought by the Jack Wrather Group. Erector was still a major product in the toy line, but the parts were changed and the company went bankrupt in 1967.From 1929 and until 1959, the distribution of the Meccano products is done by Henry Hudson Dobson Inc, P.O. Box 255, Kenilworth N.J. H.Hudson Dobson was British, trade director of Meccano Ltd., he had been sent to the U.S. to increase the sales.In the April 1973 issue of the Meccano Magazine AVA international publishes that it has been apointed sole agent for all Meccano Ltd. products in the U.S.A. This contract last until Meccano was wound up in November 1979.The Erector portion of the business was sold to Gabriel Industries. Gabriel continued to sell Erector sets under the Gilbert name until 1976 when the name Gilbert disappers and the trade mark becomes 'Gabriel Erector' . In 1978 the Gabriel Company was taken over by the Columbia Broadcasting Corporation and the sets are sold as 'Gabriel CBS Toys'.By 1982 the Gabriel Division name was no longer used and the name on the boxes was 'CBS Toys' with the Ideal logo. In 1984 CBS sold the Ideal Company and Erector to GAF View-Master. Copyrights were held under the name View-Master Ideal Group Inc.In 1989, Meccano s.a. of Calais France bought the rights to the Erector trademark in the United States and started selling Meccano-Erector sets in the american market, they still do in 2014.Photo and part of the text by courtesy of usmeccano.com and Bruce Hansen. Erector set made in Calais by Meccano s.a.in 2010.You are welcomed to send your comments, additions and corrections.Jacques.

Jacques Thank you for posting this account of the story of Meccano in the US. By the way, the discussion you mentioned 'elsewhere' was in the Binns Road closes the gates for the last time Thread, and it would be great if you could include a copy of the above in that Thread to complete the picture that I tried to, but failed dismally to complete! Kind regards Bruce (150) #634 13 June 2015

As a new DTCA member (but Dinky collector for about 55 years) I am pleased with the quality of the discussion on this forum. I am however bound to say that the information above about U.S. distribution is incomplete and in some respects inaccurate. I hasten to add that Jacques can hardly be blamed for this as no one knows the whole story and few know even part of it. Most collectors probably do not care about this issue in any case. (One of my fellow Californians who did and researched it in the past is Dinky collector/scholar Keith Harvie, whose 'Dinky Toys Gazette' was sadly short-lived.) But Meccano Ltd.'s ever-variable distribution in the States had a big effect on those of us who lived through it. In my case, it made Dinky collecting a tantalizing, romantic quest -- and thus paradoxically added to the models' appeal compared to their readily available competitors such as Corgi and Matchbox. Fortunately, we Dinky collectors do not need to worry about the early history of Meccano building sets in the U.S., some of which remains confused by patent claims and counter-claims as well as the passage of time. But it needs to be said that before 1938, distribution of Dinky was not yet by H. Hudson Dobson, but rather by 'The Meccano Company of America.' Prewar boxes often bear 'Meccano Company of America' stickers, with the same black-on-orange colours as their postwar Dobson equivalents. In 1938, the distributor's name changed to H. Hudson Dobson. The year is documented via a 1938 catalogue (I scanned this image from the 'Dinky Toys Gazette') that was rubber-stamped with the Dobson name, with the headquarters being at the same address as before. (The company moved to New Jersey after the war.) Jacques is correct to suggest that Mr. Dobson had been a Meccano employee. The reason for the name change is unknown to me; perhaps it represents Dobson's taking an increased financial stake in the distributorship, or perhaps it was done to help the firm take on distribution of other companies' toys. (After the war, H. Hudson Dobson did briefly distribute Frog models and SAE diecast figures.) Elsewhere on this forum ( www.dtcawebsite.org/dinky-forum/2-dtca-f...obson-correspondence , for those who have not already seen them) are copies of communications received from H. Hudson Dobson by several collectors in the 1950s. The similarity of the letterhead to Meccano's own, and the 'Meccano' cable address that was given for the New York office, suggests that H. Hudson Dobson was still part of Meccano Ltd. -- or at least very well integrated with its operations. Whatever the case, the distributor did its utmost to contribute to the great postwar export push. As all readers will be aware, various prewar models were reissued especially for the U.S. market, others were recoloured for the U.S., and -- most important -- Dinky Toys were freely available in U.S. toy stores. While Dinky never quite became the household name that it was in England, it dominated the market -- especially pre-Matchbox and pre-Corgi. Dinky Toys were advertised in national publications such as Life and Boys Life (the latter a magazine received by U.S. Boy Scouts). And I have attached a screen capture I made from the introduction to 'Gumby,' a popular children's programme from the 1950s: this was not an early example of 'product placement,' but simply a reflection of what toy cars the producers readily found in a local shop. In 1959, however, things went wrong, with the closing down of H. Hudson Dobson. Why this happened I don't know (readers?), but it likely relates at least in part to increasing financial problems at Meccano Ltd. itself, and consequent unwillingness to invest in the U.S. market so heavily. After this point, Meccano provided Dinky Toys to a variety of different, regional distributors in the States. Some of these may have done an adequate job, but not so in all areas. I distinctly remember when, as an already committed Dinky collector at the age of five, I was told by my local toy shop in Northern California that they just could no longer get Dinky Toys. It was during this bleak time that Dinky Toys were 'closed out' by many shops, since they could no longer get supplies. (I had one birthday party where each guest received an unboxed Dinky -- these were the final stocks that one shop had sold my mother out of their display case.) And while Dinky Toys were never intended to be sold for less than list price, shops did slash prices to clear out their leftovers; this explains why collectors today find models from this period whose boxes are marked with dollar amounts lower than the official price. Eventually, in 1963, Meccano Ltd. contracted with A.C. Gilbert to distribute Dinky Toys in the U.S. (Gilbert did not distribute Meccano, however, for obvious reasons.) Display cases bearing the Gilbert logo and Dinky name were created, and a pared-down range appeared primarily in department stores such as Sears, Roebuck, Inc. (from where a kindly uncle purchased a tractor-trailer McLean for me that year). But, just like Meccano Ltd. itself, A.C. Gilbert was financially troubled, so the arrangement did not last long. After Lines Brothers purchased Meccano Ltd. in 1964, it took over U.S. distribution. Relics of this time include special four-page U.S. catalogue leaflets, new-style store displays, and the hated (by me, at least) 'Visi-pac' boxes (first in gold and then in yellow). Because of what appears to have been a reduced sales force, Lines Brothers no longer did a good job of selling models to independent toy and hobby shops, unlike H. Hudson Dobson. Instead, it preferred to deal mostly with large department stores such as Macy's, Marshall Fields, J.C. Penney, and Frederick and Nelson. That may have been fine if you lived near one of these establishments, but even then frustration could ensue. (I grew up bicycling distance from a Macy's at Stanford, Calif. that never had any Dinkies, whereas another Macy's in San Mateo had them but was frustratingly out of reach 13 miles away.) Meanwhile there was a parallel distribution effort for Mini-Dinky and the 'big six' American cars produced in Hong Kong. Some shops had these models but no other Dinky Toys. (Of course, these products would presumably have come directly to the U.S. without ever passing through Liverpool.) Dwindling availability and the Visi-pacs made the phrase 'Lines Brothers' an epithet to me and my best friend, another avid Dinky enthusiast. Less and less effort was made to sell Dinky Toys in the U.S.A., and (as Keith Harvie has documented) the 1966 Dinky catalogue was the last to be printed in a specific U.S. edition until 1973.

Thank you, Jonathan, for this important, exciting and also sad piece of US Dinky history! Without this account, based on your own practice and experience, this information might easily have got lost. It adds to the understanding of the remarkable relationship between the manufacturer in England and the poor, uncertain distribution in the US (and the trouble that had to be taken by US Dinky collectors in order to get their desired Dinky Toys). Kind regards, Jan

Thanks, Jan! I don't believe I am really a masochist, but one almost had to be to pursue Dinky Toys during this period. I had been hooked in 1958 at age two, during the last flowering of the H. Hudson Dobson era. It seems the two-tone blue Plymouth Plaza looked just like the taxis in the Chicago suburb where we lived at the time, so my mother bought one and fashioned a taxi sign for its roof. From that day on, nothing but Dinkies would really do for me. I did collect quite a few Matchboxes during the 60s so I could get new cars to play with, but that is all they were -- never objects of veneration as Dinkies were. It made for an interesting education: Learning to use a typewriter early on in order to pass for an adult and order models by post, as well as to send letters to Binns Road complaining about U.S. distribution or suggesting models to be produced. I will love to have time to look through my files to see what Meccano Ltd. had to say to me. In addition to the Memorable Things business in Maryland that I mentioned in my article, there was another shop called 'Mary's Collectors Corner' -- actually run by a priest I have been told -- in Ontario, Canada. The owner apparently travelled around Canada purchasing older stocks of Dinky Toys, then sold them on by post for extremely reasonable prices. I'll never forget paying Memorable Things $25 for a mint and boxed Bedford Heinz van in the 1970s, to replace one I'd had as a child. At the time, it was the most I had ever paid for a Dinky Toy, and seemed almost unthinkably extravagant. Different times indeed!

Jonathan, Thank you for posting the history of Dinky Toys in the states. What I have been trying to write is the history of Meccano inc. but not of Dinky Toys. I would welcome your corrections to my text (either here or by email) so that there are no mor inaccuracies. I should rearly merge your text and mine but I am too busy now. Jacques.

Jacques, Glad you saw the information! Unfortunately it will be a while (as in several months) before I could do more in terms of merging our stories, because I have just purchased a new home and will be involved in packing up every last Dinky Toy, finding someone to carefully move the massive AVA display case, and so much else (I unfortunately also collect vinyl records, compact discs, and other impedimentia, so we will see whether or not I survive this relocation). But, I will not forget about it, and of course that's one nice thing about studying history of any sort -- you know it will be there when you get back. What would be really great is if another knowledgeable user could tell us why H. Hudson Dobson was shut down in 1959. As I have written, this had a major impact on a generation of would-be Dinky collectors in the U.S., and it certainly did not help Meccano Ltd.'s fortunes. -- Jonathan

Jonathan, I think that the answer is quite simple. We can assume that when Henri H. Dobson started Meccano Inc. in 1929 he must have been at least 35 and was then born circa 1894. When his company closed down in 1959 his age was 65, the time to retire. I have been four times to Elisabeth city on business in the 70's, at the time I did not know that there had been a Meccano factory in that town Any way, the factory is not there any more, the area is now a housing estate. Why the company was not sold is beyond my knowledge. I wish you a good move and I am waiting to see a picture of that AVA cabinet in his new location. Jacques.

I agree that Henry Hudson Dobson would have retired in 1959, if not before. According to [url=http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=ROOT_CATEGORY&rank=1&new=1&so=1&MSAV=0&msT=1&gss=ms_f-)records on the Ancestry.com website[/url], he was born in 1891 (and lived until 1975!). There may be other useful information on that site, but it is behind a paywall. I did find this microscopic but suitably dashing picture of Mr. Dobson, as well as the reminiscence someone has posted: 'He worked for the company that made Dinky Trucks and drove a fancy Jaguar car.' Quite the character, perhaps! What I cannot fathom, though, is why the whole distributorship would have been allowed to founder just because of the retirement of one man.

I forgot to point out that thanks to the H. Hudson Dobson correspondence Jan Werner posted in a different topic, we see that the distributor was still operating in early 1960. So H. Hudson Dobson closed down that year instead of 1959 as we had thought.

And, another bit of Dobson memorabilia that was apparently auctioned by Vectis in 2008 (does a DTCA member have it now?). I did my best to clean up the online copy, which is legible if you squint. What is notable here is Henry Dobson personally and kindly answering a letter from a young collector, as well as very much identifying his company with Meccano Ltd. itself: 'That is a fine list of cars and trucks that you suggest to us for manufacture and we should like to be able to tackle it.'

Johnny and others-- Sorry I have not replied earlier to this interesting post, but was too busy til now. I spent most of last evening also searching for more info on HHD, and since I subscribe to Ancestry.com, I was able to find quite a bit. As has been said, he was born April 9, 1891, in Lancashire, England and died in Sept. 1975 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Later in life, he always listed his birthplace as Liverpool. His wife was named Helen, and she was from the U.S., and they apparently met and married in the states. He had three children: Henry Hudson Dobson Jr., born in 1922, Marion Barbara Dobson, born in 1923, and James Dobson, born in 1935.I started corresponding with the HHD company in May, 1958, as a 13 year old eager Dinky collector, eager to find easier ways to buy Dinky's. I have kept 8 letters that I received from them, the last one dated in May, 1960. I also received and kept many separate lists and post cards sent to me as well as the invoices for purchases. All of my correspondence from them was signed by I. Carney, Service Department. I recently examined the top of the letterhead and notice that the last one, in May 1960 is different. Besides listing Meccano Ltd., it also lists two new entities: Plywood Jigsaw Puzzles and S & S Marquetry. Were these two business added to the HHD portfolio because things were coming to an end with Meccano? Interesting to ponder....... I also agree with the notion that by 1960, Henry was already 69 years old, and in that day, that was older, and he was likely to retire. The only counter to him winding down the company would be if his children were involved and would he want it to continue for them. HHD Jr. apparently was not, as he moved away from New Jersey. A 1959 city directory does show son James employed as a salesman........by that time, I would have thought him to be better placed there. In 1926, he and Helen traveled to England, and on the ships manifest his occupation is listed as 'mechanical cars'. But then the 1930 Census shows him and his family, and for occupation it lists 'President, Pottery Works'! What is that about? Is his work with Meccano only a part time venture? The 1940 census lists him as an 'Agent for toy manufacturer'. A 1929 Directory for New York shows he and family living in Tonawanda, Niagra, New York and lists him as 'Gen. Manager, Fleuron Co.' I am going to post this now and continue in another post as I do not want to risk losing this............ Terry