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Offline Minok  
#1 Posted : 26 January 2020 20:49:43(UTC)
Minok

United States   
Joined: 15/10/2006(UTC)
Posts: 2,310
Location: Washington, Pacific Northwest
I’m wondering if they serve any value for members outside of Germany and If they might better be done away with to reduce plastic waste. Ok they are nice collectibles but when we don’t get them on a timely fashion for the year what’s the point? I’d rather get a $5 cheaper membership than a pointless card.

The reason of the post is I recall Märklin having indicated they would send out cards to get members their cards in hand for the start of the year. I was curious when we would get ours in the US and got the response from Märklin USA of “ New membership cards are ordered in March and delivered in May.”

So if we don’t get them till May we could not use them to attend events and get discounts for almost 1/2 the membership year. Or do events honor last years card for the discount as well? What have people experienced?

More importantly why can’t they just print these things up on demand? Why are they still reliant on bulk printing from a printing house with web technologies? Is it all to ensure archival quality printing that will still look good on 15 years?

Maybe it’s just the USA Insiders that get this 6 month late card delivery.
Toys of tin and wood rule!
---
My Layout Thread on marklin-users.net: InterCity 1-3-4
My YouTube Channel:
https://youtube.com/@intercity134
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Offline mbarreto  
#2 Posted : 26 January 2020 21:01:16(UTC)
mbarreto

Portugal   
Joined: 18/02/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,257
I like the cards. i like the pictures in them and, as ou say, they are nice collectable items.
I usually get the card in the last edition of the previous year, so now I have the 2020 one.
When I order an Insider item before sending the order paper signed to the dealer, I tell them some extra digits that exist in the card and that are not part of the member ID number and usually it works. Only later I send the order paper signed.

Best regards,
Miguel
Mostly Märklin H0.


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Offline kimballthurlow  
#3 Posted : 27 January 2020 04:45:35(UTC)
kimballthurlow

Australia   
Joined: 18/03/2007(UTC)
Posts: 6,653
Location: Brisbane, Australia
My guess is that the cards came free with my Insider membership.
So I like them.
Being Australian I will rarely use them.
I showed mine to a dealer in Koblenz, and he shrugged as much to say "so ....?".

At least half of mine have been destoyed, I did not figure they were collectible.
In my wallet that card identifies me - just in case I meet another model train buff.
But a Maerklin cap achieves the same thing.

Kimball
HO Scale - Märklin (ep II-III and VI, C Track, digital) - 2 rail HO (Queensland Australia, UK, USA) - 3 rail OO (English Hornby Dublo) - old clockwork O gauge - Live Steam 90mm (3.1/2 inch) gauge.
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Offline David Dewar  
#4 Posted : 27 January 2020 12:25:51(UTC)
David Dewar

Scotland   
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 7,332
Location: Scotland
Some folk like cards as it shows they belong to something. Total waste of plastic but if members like it then anything that makes Marklin cash to get insiders then fine by me.
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer.
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Offline HO Collector  
#5 Posted : 08 February 2020 16:11:22(UTC)
HO Collector

United Kingdom   
Joined: 21/02/2016(UTC)
Posts: 195
Location: Just north of London
Don't see the point of the club period.
Yes, there is one. We Marklin will produce an Uber expansive model and sell it only to club members...a year later all the surplus stock is sold to all.
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Offline michelvr  
#6 Posted : 08 February 2020 16:49:59(UTC)
michelvr

Canada   
Joined: 06/07/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,287
I like the Insider Club cards, they reminds me that I have a wonderful hobby! It also reminds me of MasterCard’s slogan, “priceless” which this hobby is and it adds a nice personal touch onto my hobby!

Just think of the alternatives you could be walking around with a card that says, “The End is Near” or a Visa prepaid card that has no value left or an expired bus pass! You see it could all be worse but with the Märklin Insider Club card you'll be reminded that you are a member of the “Worlds Best Hobby“ with the greatest model trains, Märklin!
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Offline mrmarklin  
#7 Posted : 09 February 2020 06:44:43(UTC)
mrmarklin

United States   
Joined: 27/10/2004(UTC)
Posts: 890
Location: Burney, CA
Originally Posted by: David Dewar Go to Quoted Post
Some folk like cards as it shows they belong to something. Total waste of plastic but if members like it then anything that makes Marklin cash to get insiders then fine by me.


Not a total waste. I got entry fee discounts at the Neuenmarkt steam museum and the Peter Porsche Dreamworks last week. It’s not nothing!
From the People's Republik of Kalifornia
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Offline Minok  
#8 Posted : 09 February 2020 08:39:03(UTC)
Minok

United States   
Joined: 15/10/2006(UTC)
Posts: 2,310
Location: Washington, Pacific Northwest
Originally Posted by: mrmarklin Go to Quoted Post


Not a total waste. I got entry fee discounts at the Neuenmarkt steam museum and the Peter Porsche Dreamworks last week. It’s not nothing!


That’s part of my problem with the delayed US delivery of cards. We don’t get the till 1/2 the year is done. If I travel to Germany Jan-May the I don’t have this year‘s card to show. Do they take last year‘s card for a discount?
Toys of tin and wood rule!
---
My Layout Thread on marklin-users.net: InterCity 1-3-4
My YouTube Channel:
https://youtube.com/@intercity134
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Offline MarcelV  
#9 Posted : 09 February 2020 11:13:41(UTC)
MarcelV

United States   
Joined: 01/12/2018(UTC)
Posts: 54
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Originally Posted by: Minok Go to Quoted Post
That’s part of my problem with the delayed US delivery of cards. We don’t get the till 1/2 the year is done. If I travel to Germany Jan-May the I don’t have this year‘s card to show. Do they take last year‘s card for a discount?

Do we all get the cards at the same time or is it based on the renewal date of the individual membership? Seriously, no idea. I like the idea of the card itself, even if it’s symbolic. But there shouldn’t be any reason with the state of IT these days that we don’t get the cards much earlier in the year. They could even print them locally if they don’t already.
Offline mbarreto  
#10 Posted : 09 February 2020 13:39:11(UTC)
mbarreto

Portugal   
Joined: 18/02/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,257
I got the card fo 2020 in the 6/2019 Insider package.
At the moment I already received Insider package 1/2020.


Best regards,
Miguel
Mostly Märklin H0.


Offline Minok  
#11 Posted : 09 February 2020 21:52:57(UTC)
Minok

United States   
Joined: 15/10/2006(UTC)
Posts: 2,310
Location: Washington, Pacific Northwest
We don’t get them at the same time. That’s the point.
Märklin made a change to get the next year‘s cards out before the prior year ends even without a renewal (that is always calendar year based) in place to ensure members have them to use at events in Jan already. But not North America (or maybe only not USA) where we have a separate operating rhythm. We will get our 2020 cards in mid 2020 around when we are likely to see 2/2020 or 3/2020 magazines. We currently have just received our 6/2019 packages here. In the US we are about 2-5 months behind the rest of the world on mailings.
If shows let you get the discounts with the prior year card the it doesn’t matter but I suspect that isn’t the case.
I think Märklin figure us USA members have no events/facilities to use them at anyways and we don’t travel to Europe in the early part of the year so it doesn’t matter to then.
Toys of tin and wood rule!
---
My Layout Thread on marklin-users.net: InterCity 1-3-4
My YouTube Channel:
https://youtube.com/@intercity134
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Offline Crazy Harry  
#12 Posted : 10 February 2020 00:22:30(UTC)
Crazy Harry

Canada   
Joined: 18/11/2008(UTC)
Posts: 475
Location: Oakville, Ontario
Originally Posted by: Minok Go to Quoted Post
We don’t get them at the same time. That’s the point.
Märklin made a change to get the next year‘s cards out before the prior year ends even without a renewal (that is always calendar year based) in place to ensure members have them to use at events in Jan already. But not North America (or maybe only not USA) where we have a separate operating rhythm. We will get our 2020 cards in mid 2020 around when we are likely to see 2/2020 or 3/2020 magazines. We currently have just received our 6/2019 packages here. In the US we are about 2-5 months behind the rest of the world on mailings.
If shows let you get the discounts with the prior year card the it doesn’t matter but I suspect that isn’t the case.
I think Märklin figure us USA members have no events/facilities to use them at anyways and we don’t travel to Europe in the early part of the year so it doesn’t matter to then.


That's true for Canada as well, our Insider mailings come from and payments go through Märklin USA.

Harold.
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Offline carlos.rivas.16752  
#13 Posted : 12 February 2020 15:21:36(UTC)
carlos.rivas.16752

Spain   
Joined: 08/04/2015(UTC)
Posts: 303
Location: Vigo, Spain
I´ve thinking about being an insider for at least the last 15 years but in the end I never make it...no loco fairs, miniatur wunderlands alike (closest one is 1000 kms away) or spielwarenmesses near, the nearest train shop is 150 kms away so no wagon of the year or things like that; plus i don´t live in Germany so the free shipping for Märklinshop doesn´t exist.

The closest train thing is this one: www.muferga.es (140 kms away)

Not worth for me being an insider.

Yes, the insider card is a nice collectible but...

Regrads
Carlos
My blog both in Spanish and English: https://grunewiesen1965.wordpress.com
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