Yes, now I know how amazing and advanced Lego is from technological point of view, real marvel of precision molding.
But I'm talking more about marketing: post-USSR countries were ready to Meccano (because parents had played with Meccano clones, not Lego clones), but Lego won, and almost nobody knows about Meccano,
Around 1990 I also knew of just one guy who had Meccano, inherited from his father mostly. Everyone played with Lego. This is the Netherlands.
Going to the toy store to fetch the yearly Lego catalogue was a cherished ritual for me. I would study it thoroughly and think of how to spend my yearly budget most wisely.
But I'm talking more about marketing: post-USSR countries were ready to Meccano (because parents had played with Meccano clones, not Lego clones), but Lego won, and almost nobody knows about Meccano,