| INTRO | PARTS |
SETS Moubal Jumbo |
MANUALS Moubal Jumbo |
MARKETING | PRICE LISTS |
BUILDING |
MOUBAL RELATED |
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JUMBO SETS
Clearly, Mobaco didn't do well after the war. A new approach was necessary. Before the war Moubal had already created very small sets, such as Set 000 and the Small Garage, but those were obviously budget sets and not very enticing. Jumbo's innovation was to change the scale of the designs, allowing for much smaller buildings. Their brilliant marketing strategy was to focus on villages rather than individual houses, establishing a new paradigm. A typical pre-war house was ±20 cm tall, while an equivalent Jumbo house was only ±10 cm. Half the size means 1/4 of the materials, significantly cutting down on cost. 
A typical pre-war Moubal house
A similar post-war Jumbo
house is about half the size
 
Photo's courtesy Leen Kalden
Comparison of number
of parts required for a typical Moubal house
(left) and a Jumbo house (right)
HISTORY OF JUMBO SETS Probably in early 1949, Jumbo issues Set A, in a simple bright red box. Presumably, this is to test the market. Although the set is labeled "A", there are no other known sets in this series. In the fall of 1949, they introduce a full line up of three sets, Sets A, B and C in a redesigned red box with a dark-blue label. Contents of Set A are identical to the original red set. Then, in 1950, these three sets are replaced with an entirely new series of 4 progressively larger sets and 3 make-ups sets: - Progressive sets: A, B, C, D - Make-up sets: AB, BC, CD Set A + Set AB = Set B, Set B + Set BC = Set C, etc. Each Set has a new manual, so there are 4 manuals. In 1951, they add Set E and make-up set DE, and replace the 4 manuals with a single manual A-E that is included with each set. This series lasts through the 1961 Christmas season, after which Jumbo discontinues Mobaco, ending a 37-year run. In my opinion, the "play value" of the smaller sets was rather limited. Pre-war Mobaco houses were large enough to act as play houses with dolls, furniture and animals inside the buildings, while post war houses were only good for driving around Dinky Toys. Lego, introduced in Holland around 1960, allowed for similar-sized houses with much more detail and refinement. |
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JUMBO SET A (from ABC series) VERSION 1 This is the very first Jumbo set, probably issued in early 1949. It's not known if there is a similar B and C box.  Box lid dimensions yyy x yyy mm 22 parts Came with manual Voorbeeldenboek A |
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VERSION 2 Part of the initial ABC series of sets issued in 1949. Contents and interior of the box are identical to Version 1 above. Box lid dimensions yyy x yyy mm xxx parts xxxx kg Came with manual xxxxxxxxx xxx designs Photo courtesy Leen Kalden |
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JUMBO SET B (from ABC series) Box lid dimensions yyy x yyy mm xxx parts xxxx kg Came with manual xxxxxxxxx xxx designs Photo courtesy Leen Kalden |
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JUMBO SET C (from ABC series) Box lid dimensions yyy x yyy mm xxx parts xxxx kg Came with manual xxxxxxxxx xxx designs Photo courtesy Leen Kalden |
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JUMBO SET A (from ABCDE series) Box lid dimensions yyy x yyy mm xxx parts xxxx kg Came with manual xxxxxxxxx xxx designs Photo courtesy Leen Kalden |
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JUMBO make-up SET AB (from ABCDE series) Box lid dimensions yyy x yyy mm xxx parts xxxx kg Came with manual xxxxxxxxx xxx designs Photo courtesy Leen Kalden |
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JUMBO SET B (from ABCDE series) Box lid dimensions yyy x yyy mm xxx parts xxxx kg Came with manual xxxxxxxxx xxx designs Photo courtesy Leen Kalden |
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JUMBO make-up SET BC (from ABCDE series) Box lid dimensions yyy x yyy mm xxx parts xxxx kg Came with manual xxxxxxxxx xxx designs Photo courtesy Leen Kalden |
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JUMBO SET C (from ABCDE series) Box lid dimensions yyy x yyy mm xxx parts xxxx kg Came with manual xxxxxxxxx xxx designs Photo courtesy Leen Kalden |
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JUMBO make-up SET CD (from ABCDE series) Box lid dimensions yyy x yyy mm xxx parts xxxx kg Came with manual xxxxxxxxx xxx designs Photo courtesy Leen Kalden |
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JUMBO SET D (from ABCDE series) Box lid dimensions yyy x yyy mm xxx parts xxxx kg Came with manual xxxxxxxxx xxx designs Photo courtesy Leen Kalden |
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JUMBO make-up SET DE (from ABCDE series) Box lid dimensions yyy x yyy mm xxx parts xxxx kg Came with manual xxxxxxxxx xxx designs Photo courtesy Leen Kalden |
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JUMBO SET E (from ABCDE series) Box lid dimensions yyy x yyy mm xxx parts xxxx kg Came with manual xxxxxxxxx xxx designs Photo courtesy Leen Kalden |
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