Yeah, I saw this last night. It has no box, yet bidding is up to $1580, and it still hasn't met the reserve, and isn't within 15% of the reserve - for those who don't know, Trademe gives you a warning when bidding is within 15% of the reserve price.

Personally, I think the seller is dreaming. Kolls 2012 has the blue ST800 listed as 900 euro ($1550 NZD) and that is for a mint item with box.

Hello,
You would be very lucky to get one of these for $1500. more like $2500

Yes, well I misread Kolls - what I was looking at was the value for the ST800 MT 'mittelwagen', the addon coach. The actual train seems to be a ST800B.11, which according to Kolls 2013 is valued at 3500 euro - that would be for mint in box, which this train isn't.

So Wolf, would you pay 3500 euro for it, assuming you were in the market for one?

Unfortunately the market for ST 800 locos has faced a huge slump especially in the last 6 months or so due to the production of replicas and occurrence of many repainted locos (poor condition red ones are repainted to be blue or green). I had always heard that the KOLL book prices are for good condition items with the box but then again all the prices are relative and I've never seen a Marklin collector actually use the book as a price guide but rather to see how rare items are relative to each other. Items from the late 50s onward seem to follow a different trend and the prices are more in line but anything pre-1955 seems to take on a "magical" price.

This ST 800 B is fantastic and original but as has been shown in some of the auctions, the prices are down dramatically. 6 months ago a good condition ST 800 B in box might have been worth almost 3.000 EUR and now it is closer to just over 2.100 EUR.

Paul

Yes to many of your thoughts, it is certainly a shrinking base of buyers and it's been happening for some time not just with Marklin. Certain hobbies have passed their golden age. Not talking about particular pieces where you may be lucky to make some money but as a whole I see it as a terrible investment. However, you only live once, do what makes you happy.

Hi Alan,

Yes that's from the auction house most people know as "Brockmann." Here is the link to that ST 800 B:

http://www.brockmann-auk...amp;Site=2&Strt=1328

The loco looks repainted and restored, as the description also states "was newly painted a long time ago"

Box also looks like a replica based on the corrugated sheet lining on the bottom of the box, it's a little too "waxy" and shiny..

that is a huge auction!

Best regards,

Paul

I have no doubt that better examples -not perfect- can be had with box sometimes for that or even less.

Sold for $2750.

I couldn't possibly comment....

Well, bit of a protracted story there.

Yes I did buy it, but I struck a deal with the seller to put it on 'lay-by' as it was just too much in one hit with Nadine and I both having job changes etc draining the finances a little. I should have it by end of year, possibly the Xmas meeting.

On the other hand, I still felt the price was good taking into account several factors, some of which were summed up well by Thom seatrains ;

1: It is original, with authentic relatively minor playwear

2: It was first sold in NZ and has remained here ever since

3: The colour variation is less-common, I was pipped at the post on a Red ST800 probably about 10 years ago at a local auction house (by a fellow member, that one got to around $1500 and still climbing when I dropped out), and apart from a single repainted version that came up a year or two ago, this is the only one I've seen since. I know of only a few in NZ and can't recall a Blue one.

3: The price was still lower than I would have found an equivalent one for elsewhere, taking into account the savings in shipping and risk of purchasing an item like this ex-overseas. Of course now I say that, I'll no doubt get bombarded with links for others

4: The seller was helpful in regard to a spread of payments (big plus)

5: (and here's the clincher), the sellers Dad owned a model shop in NZ (known in it's region) some years ago which sold Märklin & Faller and this train had been possession of the sellers Mum for a long time. The provenance of this item only added to the value.

Yeah it would of been nice to have original box and papers, but all in all I'm happy with the deal.

Might have to part with a little of my Faller AMS to offset the cost, the irony being that I will almost certainly have to sell overseas to get the best prices. At least most Faller items are not heavy so postage out from NZ is not too bad.

Cheers

Steve

Great purchase, Steve! The important thing is the original quality of the loco. In Germany they now can be found for less, but the origin is questionable and so the price is low.

My ST 800 B in original box with instruction sheet and everything was sold some months ago for a good price so an investment in an original box could be worthwhile.

Cheers,

Paul