Dear forum friends,

Sometimes i can be very rational,perhaps even too rational,and sometimes my emotions prevail,it is the eternal battle between mind and heart.
I guess i am not different than other human beings in that respect,or am i?

With the ever rising prices of about all consumer goods in the world,including Marklin modeltrains,i just wonder whether expensive items bring more fun than less expensive items.

Recent locomotives sold by Marklin sell in the Euro 400-600 range.
You get a a lot of fun for that money,but does it give you more fun as compared to a M trainset of the seventies?
Please allow yourselves some time to think this over.

Another question is about collectorsvalue.
We are made to believe that the older they get the more money our beloved Marklin items will attract.
I have my doubts about that.
Perhaps limited production runs will attract proper prices but all other items need to be sold well under the original purchase prices,at least that is my own recent experience.

The older you get,the less time will there be to pass on your collection to a party which deserves it.
If you have children,there is a fair chance your collection will stay in the family,for what it is worth.
The value is then emotional,nothing to do with a sound financial investment.

It is like with cars,the commercials want you to believe that the driving experience of a given car will bring you a life full of happiness.
Hey,come on,most working people are driving their car for less than a hour per day,the remainder of the day the car is sitting on the parkinglot of the office.
Does not look like a sound investment to me.
Why spending 40,000 Euro on a BMW if i can get to the office for less than half that amount?

My recent experience with cheap DDR produced Piko steamers has made me conclude i should stick to Marklin,the love of my early youth,be it that i will not aim for the latest expensive models,seventies and eighties stuff will do,with nice prices to go with it.

Have a wonderful happy Sunday!

Paul.

Ray,

Thank you.

I am not worried,just thinking 15 to 20 years ahead,that is all.
I have a Marklin book called Wertanlage Marklin (Value collection Marklin) full of nice M items issued over the last 100 years or so.
Unfortunately,most of us will not enjoy a private collection of that age.
Same with old Ferrari cars: kept by the owners till they die,thence sold to any interested party.

Some say we are Homo Economicus,always looking for ways to spend our money in the most economical way.
Should i buy a train or a couch,should i go on holidays or buy a car,should i paint the house or pay my debts,questions,questions.
I recently sold part of my M trains for Euro 700 to pay off one of our cars,aim being to be debt free in life.
This was rational decision making,it caused a couple of days heartburn,before going ahead with a positive bankaccount.

Ray,as a young boy in the poverty years of the early sixties i gazed at locomotives in the M catalogues,unreachable stars around German Marks 50.- each.
Now as a man of almost 60,i gaze at Mercedes C class cars of around 40,000 Euro's,but why?

Edited by user 15 February 2015 17:46:44(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

as a newcomer to Marklin from originally hornby and then N gauge fleischman / minitrix / roco, i have to say i enjoy the details and quality of marklin and the " unique / peculiar " ac/ 3 rail system - Just because its different.

i enjoy looking at the vast array of models going back many years. its truly fascinating.

i cant afford to buy all the items i like, so i buy a few wagons, an odd loco etc and slowly i build my collection.

i dont consider 1 moment the future value, but instead - If i can afford to buy it today and which model visually appeals the most and i make my decision to purchase based solely on these criteria - "investment value" doesnt even figure in my purchase.

i too love most model trains and i still buy the " christmas " year wagon from hornby and continue to add to that collection - but only 1 wagon a year. N gauge i like because of how much i can get into a small space, but Marklin is my favourite of all - after many years of wondering about " that strange 3 rail train company " - i have many catalogues for marklin and even in german, i enjoy looking through them over a coffee! i find it truly fascinating.

i only have 3 marklin loco and 8 wagons, but slowly over time i will continue to add unusual pieces to my collection.