Now I know we have Covid, Xmas, Brexit, that slow boat from China plus a bit of weather but on both the M website and the usual dealers we have the yellow dot or the silver dot which means we aint got none wait a bit please. This appears to range for everything I look at from a turnout motor to a CS3. If you find something it is either over priced or a dodgy dealer. I hope that is not a major problem with M? Any ideas?

Patience is a virtue. There are sellers scalping everything from hobby items to exercise equipment, but not all are. The Marklin site still said no stock on CS3+ last I looked, but I found one. Decent price too, not $879 US like some are asking. It's a shop in Witchita Falls Texas. They have a good inventory of a lot. I have C track en route currently. The owner is very knowlegable and has youtube tutorials. They reply promplty to email questions. They also have an apparel shop and website, so they are diversified and not only relying on trains for income.
You can also contact Marklin USA in Jefferson Mo. if you are in the US and ask if they have stock on an item. They will even ship it direct, but the price is likely full m.s.r.p. For parts, I don't know if dealers even discount, on say ex. motor brushes.

I see their adds all the time!They are in the UK. Prices reasonable, but shipping from UK to USA is expensive like from Europe. Maybe better for you though.
Had a less than good experience with an Amazon purchase from Germany last fall. The seller e mailed our daughter that he was sending her a tracking number, but did not. Menawhile he got paid by Amazon. The package never arrived, so she complained to Amazon and got a refund.
Also Amazon revieers give poor marks for Marklin of UK items. Never in stock, or never ship, but at least they don't charge you.
If you happen to orfer from the states, there is also a shop in Miami Forida with good inventories and pricing. Micro Macro Mundo. Sometimes their site search result is Roco USA. They still even have some (new) locomotives from as far back as 2011 in stock. Some are insider models and MHI. The one in Texas I like is AJC kids. Annie, Charlie, Belle, and Guy.
When I accidentally ordered separate orders for items on the same day, they combined them into one shipping fee. I ordered statr-up C track end buffer/bumpers and they substitued the others as they are a bit nicer, same price.

Of course there are items in short supply. Thursday last when I ordered track they still had turnout motord in stock. I didn't order any. I have early C track turnouts made with the BASF plastic that brittles and cracks. Installing individual decoders also costs more. If I decide to power them later I will use M83's. Thtya way I can also use my analog M track turnouts. I only have 8 total thus far. Two M83 decoders will suffice. Perhaps 3 for a few signals in addition to. A fellow in Stuttgart has 4 running off track power with no problems.
I should aslo mention my error in stating Marklin UK on Amazon. The seller was Amazon UK. Also worth noting is the US dollar is devalued to the British quid (pound) and also the Euro. So there is an exchange rate charge. I think 100 euros is about $130 US. More for UK pounds.

Thanks Mike C.

Your reply "makes sense" of the issue that was concerning me.

So what's this then ?

https://www.conrad.com/s...6&searchType=regular

I used to use Conrad a few years ago when I tinkered with a few "electronics" projects. They have just gone from my possible suppliers for anything list. I've a good mind to write to Ursula about them but she would just shrug her shoulders.

Märklins Yellow dots are result of lockdown due to covid-19. It takes longer time before they ship out products.

thank God Marklin isn't a life saving device!!! We would be extinct otherwise. In the meantime to keep us happy
we have COVID which is the cause for all the other issues we have in the world, more important I believe
:-) This is satire :-)

Märklin told the press that lockdown and high demand lead to delays.

Märklin is a symbiosis with other business activities that are in need.
Such as zinc, plastic and paint to be able to manufacture their models.
But other companies are also affected by restrictions whose production may suffer less product production as a result.
Products are therefore delayed.
It is lockdown in the business due to covid-19.
Märklin personal do feel same way.

It would be sad if Marklin closed up shop! There are other avenues, like mergers as with Fleischmann/Roco. Kingsbridge I suppose could have bankrupted it. Thankfully Symba-Dickie bough them.
Here we though we might lose Chrysler/Jeep under Cerberus ownership after Daimler AG sold it to them. Thank's to Fiat it is thriving. They are releasing a new "niche" market Grand Wagoneer very shortly with 3 row seating for 7 or 8. It's price tops out loaded at about six figures. The first new auto plant in Detroit is well under way to completion for Jeep products, very near the Jefferson assy. and north facilities on the cities mid-lower east side. So you see, can't means won't in some cases. That area will also see trickle down growth from the plant. About 6,000 new jobs.
The Chic-Filet fast food chain began accross from the now demolished Ford plant in Hapeville, Georgia. Now they have locations here. You never know waht steady income person could become a customer, or a new hobbyist. Granted the internet and web shopping killed many hobby brick and mortar shops.
But hands on sight, sound, and touch are still the mainstay. Designs may be done virtually, with computers, but it's to make a tangible product.
If I were younger, and willing to risk some income for space rent and inventory, I might consider that venture. I would also be divorced if I did. Too close to retirement age. I alreasy have, so time is not a problem, but my retirtement benefit is not huge, yet more than many get.

Well, if it means freeing up space at the factory for more production area then maybe it will solve some of the problems.

The stuff needs to be warehoused somewhere as it comes off the production line, so if it can be shipped elsewhere immediately after production as a 'job lot' then that has to help the production facility. I would also assume that all production from Hungary would be going to the same warehouse, where previously it would have gone to Goppingen for distribution, so that would be even more space freed up for extra production area.

And then there is the shipping to retailers, as more retailers do seem to be becoming sellers of other items in the Simba-Dickie portfolio it would presumably help if all product lines can be aggregated into one shipment.