Broadway Approvals
The purpose of this page is to use the ads from the company to be able to date British comics that were published without a publication date printed on the cover or inside.
History
The first mail order advertisements from Broadway Approvals can be found in magazines like the British "Meccano Magazine" from 1953 (eg the September issue). In this ad they offering two pictoral stamps from Tonga to those who send 3d for postage and ask to see their famous approvals. Looking further at the ads in the "Meccano Magazine" the company was located at 12 Cheapside (London E.C.2.) in 1953, and by end of 1955 at 38 Old Change (London E.C.4.). In January 1956 they had a new adress, 486 Old Kent Road (London S.E.1.), and their ads became a bit larger - offering larger collections. The ad was illustrated with their logo, a stamp sample and had a Lot number - MC1. Strangely, the lot MC2 and MC3 is skipped, and continued with MC4 in the February issue. After this, the lot number increased by one each month in the "Meccano Magazine".
The company issued a stamp album in January 1957. They also issued several souvenir sheets like the: Boy Scout Jamboree (June 1957), 88 Flags of the World (November 1957), Solar System Rocket Service (May 1958), 14 Confederate States (November 1959), Suez Canal (December 1959) and on.
The company also started to sell Micromodels in 1959, and had a large ad in the February issue of the Meccano Magazine. The company once again changed their adress, and from March 1959 they was located at 50 Denmark Hill (London S.E.5.).
Stamp Album
Jubilee Jamboree
Planet Mail
Suez Chanal
Micromodels
Stamps illustrating the ads in 1956, 1957 and 1958.
1955 Monaco
1949 China
1954 Antarctica
1951 UN
1949 China
1958 DDR
In the January 1958 issue there is a full page ad, which has a banner at the top showing several stamps.
1956 Monaco
1941 Estonia
1945 Ethiopia
1955 Somalia
1949 China
1949 China
1959 French Antarctica
Ads
The company address changing to 50 Denmark Hill in lot W5. In the "Meccano Magazine" this address appears in the March 1959 issue. In newspapers the new address is in use a little earlier, such as in "The People" from January 25, 1959.
lot W1
lot W2
lot W3
lot W4
lot W5
lot W6
lot W7
lot W9
lot W10
lot W13
lot W14
lot W19
lot W21
lot W20
lot W22
lot W24
lot W26
lot W27
Various Miller comics - Lot W numbering
| Series | W1 | W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | W6 | W7 | W8 | W9 | W10 | W11 | W12 | W13 | W14 | W15 | W16 | W17 | W18 | W19 | W20 | W21 | W22 | W23 | W24 | W25 | W26 | W27 | W28 | W29 | W30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Action Series | 4 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ann Oakley | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battle Action | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captain Midnight | 1, 2 | 5 | 7, 8 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daniel Boon | 26 | 30 | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| David Crockett | 44, 45 | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Detective Comic | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Flash Gordon | 3 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jim Bowie | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kid Dynamite | 56 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| King of the Royal Mounted | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mandrake the Magician | 2 | 4 | 6, 7 | 14 | 16 | 17, 18 | 19, 20 | 22 | 23 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Marvelman | 353 | 354 | 358, 360 | 361 | 362, 363 | 365 | 366, 367 | 368 | 369 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Marvelman Family | 23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mystic | 10, 11 | 13 | 16, 17 | 30 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pancho Villa | 56 | 57 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Phantom | 6 | 12 | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ringo Kid | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rocky Mountain King | 60 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Six-Guns | 111 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spellbound | 11 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 28 | 30 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tom Mix | 133 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| War | 4 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Kid | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Young Eagle | 50 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Young Marvelman | 268, 284 | 291 | 300 | 303 | 309, 318 | 353 | 357 | 358, 360 | 363, 364 | 365 | 366, 367 | 368 | 369 |
Tarzan Adventures lot Y numbering vs Miller's lot W numbering
| lot W !! lot !! issues | date | ||
| W1 | ? | ? | |
| W2 | Y2 | vol 8 no 33, 43 | Nov 15 1958, Jan 24 1959 |
| W3 | ? | ? | |
| W4 | ? | vol 9 no 5, 9 | May 2, May 30 1959 |
| W5 | Y4 | vol 9 no 10, 13 | June 6, June 27 1959 |
| W6 | Y5 | vol 9 no 15, 16 | July 11, July 18 1959 |
| W7 | Y6 | ? | |
| W8 | Y8 | vol 9 no 17, 26 | September 12, November 14 1959 |
Stamps
Micromodel Kits
According to World of Micromodels Broadway Approvals in 1958 issued two Micromodel catalogues: Micromodel Kits and Micromodels. The only full page ad in the Meccano magazine from Broadway Approvals is in the February 1959 magazine. Some of the full page stamp ads have an integrated Micromodel ad, like the lot numbers; W4, W5, W7 and W9.
Order an illustrated list of 57 different models or:
- W4, W5, W7 and W9
- Kit S1: Six Little Ships & Galleons, Price 3/-
- Kit PG8: 3 locomotives, 3 models in one kit, Price 2/6
- W4, W5 and W9
- Kit AV4: 2 helicopters Bristol Sikory & Autogiro, 3 models in one kit, Price 2/6
- W7
- Kit ARC17: Winsor Castle, Price 3/-
ad Micromodels
February 1959
Kit S1
Kit PG8
Kit AV4
Kit ARC 17
- The Daily Telegraph, July 27, 1959 p 11.
Business for sale, Cardboard model kits. Death of founder forces sale at fraction of value. Over 200.000 kits in stock (Retail £30.000); valuable art work for over 100 models of ships, planes, trains &c.: Tax loss; assignable loan a/cs.. &c. Contact S.M-F- c/o Broadway Appro., 50 Denmark Hill, S.E.5. (BRI. 39531.)
- The Daily Telegraph, September 15, 1960 p 23.
Cardboard model kit business for sale. Stock of 20.000 kits; art work and litho. negatives for printing; 61 diff. kits of ships, planes, trains &c. £5.000 tax loss. Cheap price. - S. M. Friedlander, 50 Denmark Hill, S.E.5.
References