I get new Marklin from Online shops like Lokshop, and second hand items from ebay mainly.

When I travel, I look for Marklin shops in the area where I will be.

Some decide to steal it.[B)][B)
I used to get it from sole import dealers, producers and at present, mainly German or Austrian retail shops.]

There is no Marklin shop near where I live here in the US. I have a US dealer that I use to order new items, I use ebay for 2nd hand items, and I am very lucky to travel to Europe 6-8 times a year and, sometimes, get a chance to visit Marklin shops.

In my country only few people play with marklin so the dealers wouldn't like to import marklin's stuffs except one which was bankrupt many years ago. At present I get the new items from internet shop like Lokshop.

There is no Marklin dealer in N.Ireland,But one in Dublin stock small items but price high.

I deal with lokshop at all time and some from ebay.

I wheel-and-deal through Ebay and I am very fortunate that I have a dealer who conducts his business from home and lives only 5 minutes away. He always carries good stock and spare parts, aswell as decoders. Link is: www.trainsetsonline.com

The closest dealers for me are about two hours away, and they don't keep much in stock. I mainly use the internet (two dealers in particular) and often check out the deals on EBay for used items.

Steve

All over the place for me! In the US I use a small dealer who no longer stocks marklin, but gets it by special order for me at a good price.

I buy a lot used on ebay, and when in europe I always make a point to stop at a Marklin dealer wherever I am!

I get my stuff mainly from a dealer in Germany. I also get some items from 2 dealers in the USA.

Living in The Netherlands, there are plenty of MMR shops around.

Where I buy depends on my needs.

If I need something "right now", I'll travel 20 minutes on bike down town and find most regular M*, Faller and Noch products at this store: www.trein2000.nl
Prices are quit high though.

If I need something special or non-regular "right now" (specific Uhlenbrock decoder or cable, a specific spare part etc..), I'll travel to Rotterdam in 45 min by train and buy something here: http://www.meijerenblessing.nl/Shop/Home.html.
They know almost everything and certainly sell everything modelbuidling (not just trains) related.
Prices are as allways as recommended in the catalogue.
A store as a store should be, when talking about service and quality.
Everythime I walk in there I feel like the little boy when I first walked in there.

Since a couple of month I noticed this shop: www.modeltreinexpress.nl.
Situated In Vlaardingen, I have to take the car for a 45 min trip. But its worth the travel!
Very very large stocks, almost the complete catalogue of Marklin, Roco, Brawa, Lilliput, Fleischmann and a lot of ACME, Railtop, LS, Trix, Mehano and others.
Prices are almost as good as Lokshop.
Wonderfull shop, It would be perfect if they wouldn't it if they only sell rolling stock and almost no scenery.

If I have the time, and need a lot of stuff at the lowest price, I order at www.lokshop.de. I used this mostly for building material, track, and viessmann stuff. However with the declining economy I prefer to support the three shops metioned above. And above all I enjoy visiting a store where I can see the modells.

<u>Conclusion: I'm quite happy with my local suppliers!</u>

Today I get most of my Märklin stuff from an MRR store in the southern suburbs of Stockholm - ordering via Internet though and pick up in the store. I live in the northern suburbs, so depending on traffic it is anything between 35' to a 1h30' to drive there (one-way). Normally traffic conditions allow me to do it in 40' to 45'.

My other main source is an Internet shop (and physical shop, which I haven't visited) in a town some 1000 km north of Stockholm.

When visiting Göppingen for the Märklin-Tage, I also drove over to the next valley north and Waiblingen and visited Eisenbahn-Treffpunkt Schweickhardt and probably spent too much, but I'm happy with my purchases. This spring I got myself the Märklin BR 218 in TEE-colours (39184) from ETS and I may start using their Internet shop more since their prices seem to be competitive.

Generally speaking, Märklin prices in Sweden are nowadays much more in line with those in Germany compared to a decade or two ago. I can't say what the main factor behind this is, but I think the most important is Sweden joining the EU and the single European market, which means no customs duties, which was the case earlier. The second important factor is Internet, since it is so much easier to order from Germany over the Internet compared to mail-order. Given this ease of ordering from Germany has meant that Swedish shops couldn't get away anymore with prices, like in the 1970-ies, when they could be twice the price in Germany.

So my collection has been gathered over the years, in particular in the 1970- and 80ies by buying in Germany on summer vacation trips. (My parents had a camping trailer and you can put a lot under the sofas/beds. Although, back then there were customs regulations in Sweden on how much you could bring into the country, so my father was always happy when the customs officers didn't feel like doing a search of our car and trailer). To the Germans (and perhaps also other Scandinavians) on this forum naming shops like Spielzeug Rasch or the Technical department store Brinkmann in Hamburg may bring back memories.

Over the years I've been to shops all over Germany in connection with vacation trips but also in many other parts of Europe for instance in Copenhagen, in Vienna and in Paris. Then in an earlier job I travelled a lot and I've been to MRR shops in many of my destinations. They include Geneva, Madrid, Milan and Oslo to name some in Europe. Since trips have taken me also "down under", I know that I have some accessories from a shop in Sydney. I don't recall having been to any shop in Wellington. Going back north, I have made some purchases in New York and after getting married on vacation trips in Northern California (SF Bay area and north of that), from where my wife is.

I hope this historic enlargement of the topic to also cover how I obtained my Märklin is OK.

I brought my 37538 for a whopping $879.00 at Merv Smith Hobbies [V][V][V]

I live in the Netherlands
I mostly go to the Wapstad in Rijswijk (www.wapstad.nl).
About 20 minutes by car.
Others mentioned before modeltreinenexpress in Vlaardingen and Meijer&Blessing in Rotterdam. Before my retirement I visited Harlaar in Badhoevendorp regularly (I worked in Amsterdam).

Houten is wellknown in the Netherlands as the place to be. A large number of traders (new and second hand) about 6 - 8 times a year. Rolling stock and scenery. (http://www.modelspoorbeurs.nl)
About one hour by car.

Sometimes I buy from ebay (mostly old beercars) or in a shop I happen to pass by (I mostly check dealers before)

Since I have no hobby shop of any kind nearby, I purchase from internet shops or ebay. There are two internet shops I deal with primarily: Helmuts Hobbies in Va. and Modellbahn Ott in Pa. Both have served me well. I must say, I would dearly love to just browse an actual store for Marklin. Maybe someday.

Bill

Some things from online dealers. If I want to see something before I buy or need something "now", I drive about 30 minutes to a marklin dealer.

When I lived in South Africa (where I was born and grew up) I spent a LOT of time and money at The Shunting Yard in Johannesburg. Since I have lived in UK I tend to buy nearly all my M* from online shops in Europe or from eBay as there is really only 1 dealer that stocks M* and they are 50 miles from me and a bit expensive - but when I have enough time then I do ride my motorbike to them (nice roads and scenery for biking) for a look around and sometimes to buy other non-M* stuff.

Same here. As I mentioned before, the one dealer we have here never has any stock, he's always got a shipment coming... Actually, Marklin is only a secondary business for him, his main business is TV repairs.


I should have added to my previous post that I do buy a few 2nd hand and near new Marklin items off our local Trademe auction site (www.trademe.co.nz). Our Marklin Club often sells items to members that the club has brought off other Marklin enthusiasts, so I also buy some items from the club. My double headed DB Cargo BR151 locos, and my SVT 137 railcar (pictures are in other threads on this forum) both were purchased from our Marklin Club.

Hi!

I live in Germany and have several M* dealers "in range".

Internet dealers are cheaper.
Some dealers who operate a store and a web shop have different prices.

One shop is in a walking distance - but it opens only while I'm at the office. [:(]
Not much in stock either.

Dealers with many locomotives in stock are rare.

I buy some stuff (incl. locos) from stores (good to have them when you need tractions tyres, brushes &c. immediately) - but most items come from web shops.

BTW: people "down under" can't always blame the canoes. I once waited 12 months for Roco spare parts.
The Rh. 1216 (a 2008 M* new item) hasn't arrived yet (not to mention the 2009 new items we're still waiting for).

And that can often be due to the fact that Marklin may not immediately supply to the dealer here the total quantity ordered. For example, if 10 items are ordered, 3 may be supplied now, 3 in 6 month's time, and the rest never at all!

I order online- (TRIX) -twice at trix.de and today my first lokshop.de order. Lokshop is cheaper. In Dubai there are a few hornby starter kits for children in a Hamleys Toy store at Dubai Mall, that's about it....

For many years I bought from a dealer not to far from where I live in Sweden. It worked great! But sadly they had to close.

I changed to another dealer in Sweden and it also worked ok. But our "relationship" was burdened by Märklins quality-problems. Maybe I was a bit too fussy. Anyway, when they wouldn't help me with this "sinus-upgrade thingy", I went to a German dealer that I've used since.

Service is great, but trying to get a parcel from the south of Germany to Sweden in an undamaged state has proven difficult.

I'm thinking of changing back to a Swedish dealer again, but that means 25-30% higher prices. But I'm beginning to think it would be worth it.
Sometimes I also buy rolling stock on e-bay, but those occasions are exceptions from the rule. However I've bought all my track, Mobile stations and trafos on e-bay.

/Torbjörn

Most of my model's I get from a friend that live in Germany. He usually get's what I want.

Some model's I also get when I am in Germany. I also buy something on eBay now and then but that's seldom.

We had a shop that was a Märklin dealer probebly 5 miles from my house.
But, since Walthers became the US distributor for Märklin, they have ceased to be so, and have gotten rid of most stock at this time.

Private parties (used) is where I am going.

I buy from my local dealer may be not the cheapest option. But I get first class service and sometimes I get great deals.

I was on a specific occasion very disappointed about sopme service from my own dealer. Because of that I found a new dealer in Germany (Walter Licht). His pricing is very good as well as his service. I'll go two to three times per year to pick up my stuff when I'm close by for my work or other reasons. So far I'm very pleased.

Sometimes I'm buying some stuff in Tthe Netherlands, depending on price. And I'm bying a lot these days via ebay.