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Offline kiwiAlan  
#51 Posted : 02 September 2016 23:25:25(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,082
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: kimballthurlow Go to Quoted Post

With apparently 50,000 members, model makers like Athearn, Atlas and BLI in the USA must look on with both wonder and envy.
50,000 x USD$100 = $5m ..... to organise some models, some magazines, and a mailing list. Not bad!
Yes the magazine and the news are blatant marketing tools, but if you were in charge at Maerklin, you would not have it any other way.


Don't forget that the magazines and DVDs get spread across something like 5 or 6 languages, so that adds some more overhead.

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Offline kimballthurlow  
#52 Posted : 03 September 2016 00:21:00(UTC)
kimballthurlow

Australia   
Joined: 18/03/2007(UTC)
Posts: 6,653
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Originally Posted by: TEEWolf Go to Quoted Post
... I ordered the Maerklin newsletter for free! So I get informed about the newbies at Märklin on time, although I am still waiting for delivery of a few parts from last years fall/winter products, like the CS 3 Cursing Laugh.

But I think, living abroad - so NL or NZ or so Huh - to be a club member could be very helpful. You may get information you otherwise won't never see (except you asking in this community Cool). So I did not find the newsletter from Märklin in EnglishBigGrin - or does somebody get it?


Hi,
I get the email newsletter from Maerklin, and it is in German.
I assume it does not come any other way.
If anything looks interesting, I do a Google translate ......
but again, it seems to be just marketing stuff...

regards
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.
Offline Roland  
#53 Posted : 16 November 2016 22:29:32(UTC)
Roland

Canada   
Joined: 09/11/2013(UTC)
Posts: 332
Location: Toronto, Canada
Originally Posted by: NS1200 Go to Quoted Post
The money saved on the description I spend on buying Marklin trains.


Just got my renewal letter and I'm leaning towards doing the same
My Layout Build | Märklin CS3+ | K-track | Merkur | Viessmann | LDT | iTrain | Modeling DB + SBB
Offline Ranjit  
#54 Posted : 24 March 2018 10:13:48(UTC)
Ranjit


Joined: 18/06/2003(UTC)
Posts: 3,008
Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, INDIA
Hi All...

I have signed up with Maerklin Insider Club after a lapse of eight (8) long years. Like some members who have indicated the advantages of being a member of Maerklin Insider, I too believe it is worth it.

As Kimball said, I too wish to "belong".

Cheers,
Ranjit
Modelling in HO Scale - Era III & IV. K+M Track, Analogue + Digital
_____________________________________________________________________________

#Get Vaccinated
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" - Marcus Tullius Cicero
"Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come" - Victor Marie Hugo
"If you can dream it, you can do it" - Walt Disney
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Offline sudibarba  
#55 Posted : 25 March 2018 03:45:05(UTC)
sudibarba

United States   
Joined: 28/07/2006(UTC)
Posts: 880
Location: Augusta, GA USA
I enjoy the videos and the car. Compared to the cost of a new Lok it is chump change.
Maybe not to everybody, but what I have thrown away on this hobby makes it seem cheap.
The videos always work compared to digital things (CS3 for example not to mention other personal
screwups which have cost me decoders etc.). The mags are pretty and once in a while there is a good
article and helpful info.

I also get the digital newsletter for free on line now. I don't know if you have to be a member of the
insider club to get it but I think not. I do feel Marklin is trying to offer something of value. Of course, it
must and should promote their product. Any magazine you buy is 50% or more advertizing anyway.
They just promote themselves.
Eric
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Offline H0  
#56 Posted : 25 March 2018 08:25:33(UTC)
H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,254
Location: DE-NW
Originally Posted by: sudibarba Go to Quoted Post
I enjoy the videos and the car. Compared to the cost of a new Lok it is chump change.
My latest Piko loco cost me less than € 70 - 2018 new item, new from dealer, with decoder, including VAT.
I had joined the club despite the compulsory Magazin subscription. The photoshopped images in the Magazin do not help me in making purchase decisions.

Some cars are nice, some are less nice. I have several unwatched DVDs lying around.

I am glad I joined the Outsider Club. Affordable fees. I feel I belong there - and I belong to this forum.
Regards
Tom
---
"In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS
UserPostedImage
Offline Goofy  
#57 Posted : 25 March 2018 11:05:06(UTC)
Goofy


Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 8,992
Originally Posted by: Ranjit Go to Quoted Post
Hi All...

I have signed up with Maerklin Insider Club after a lapse of eight (8) long years. Like some members who have indicated the advantages of being a member of Maerklin Insider, I too believe it is worth it.

As Kimball said, I too wish to "belong".

Cheers,
Ranjit


For me it´s soon about 20 years ago i did canceled my membership of the Insider Club.
I don´t miss it and it feels good.

H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
Offline petestra  
#58 Posted : 25 March 2018 12:36:38(UTC)
petestra

United States   
Joined: 27/07/2009(UTC)
Posts: 5,824
Location: Leesburg,VA.USA
I really enjoy the Club. I've been an Insider member over 20 years now. The magazine in German is so much better. I really enjoy the articles

of peoples' layouts. I have always enjoyed seeing what others have created. The "Freunde Berichten" (friends reports) are just super.

If Maerklin gave everyone what is published in the German edition I believe they would get many more readers.


Peter. Cool
Offline Mark_1602  
#59 Posted : 25 March 2018 14:10:40(UTC)
Mark_1602

Luxembourg   
Joined: 24/09/2014(UTC)
Posts: 704
Location: Luxembourg
I was a member of the (now defunct) Märklin Club for Belgium & Luxembourg in the second half of the 1990s. Originally, I joined because that was the way to get some special models made for Belgium and Luxembourg only. At the end of that decade, I lost interest in MRR and did not renew my membership card.

Right now, the Insider Club is not worth it for me because I'm not interested in the Insider Club models and I think that the membership fee is too high. What Märklin should do instead is to scrap the free car and simply publish the DVDs online for free to reduce the fee to under 50 dollars. It's just a fact that the Insider Club loses members every yea, so it's time to make some changesr. I won't pay 80 euros for a freight car I don't want plus some literature and DVDs, and I bet I'm not the only one who thinks like that.

By the way, I don't see myself as a Märklin outsider because I've been a Märklin customer since my childhood. Märklin should stop using that term because it's an insult to many Märklin fans and customers who are not club members. I think it was Mr Pluta who said that one main problem Märkin has is that it's become a fan club ... What he probably meant was that a company should not rely on its fan base but focus on customer satisfaction. I'm still a Märklin fan but I don't think I will be a club member in the next few years.

Best regards,

Mark
Best regards, Mark

I like Märklin items produced in the 1960s or early '70s, but also digital locos & current rolling stock.
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Offline RayF  
#60 Posted : 25 March 2018 16:45:41(UTC)
RayF

Gibraltar   
Joined: 14/03/2005(UTC)
Posts: 15,838
Location: Gibraltar, Europe
I used to be a member of the Marklin Club of GB when it was run by W&H models in London. I have considered membership of the Insider club but I always feel it is too Germany-oriented. It's a shame the regional clubs could not have continued.

I also feel that the cost is too high. A nominal fee of say 25€ would be more attractive, after all it is just advertising for themselves in the end! The cost of the Insider wagon could be an optional extra for those who want it.
Ray
Mostly Marklin.Selection of different eras and European railways
Small C track layout, control by MS2, 100+ trains but run 4-5 at a time.
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Offline Ranjit  
#61 Posted : 25 March 2018 16:50:47(UTC)
Ranjit


Joined: 18/06/2003(UTC)
Posts: 3,008
Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, INDIA
Hi All...

The "real" purpose of joining the Märklin Insider Club is to be a part of it. You can not expect to join this club and have it change your life right then and there. You have to "engage", you have to get "involved", and more importantly, you must "immerse" yourself to find the part of the Club that you love and to which you feel connected. That part can be the social aspect, the volunteering aspect or the leadership aspect. There is no use and there is no point in comparing costs. A locomotive or a wagon can be cheaper than the club membership in some cases or it can be more expensive in some cases. The Märklin Insider Club model can be one that you may like or one that you may dislike. All this is really quite immaterial. The real deal of the Märklin Insider Club membership is to make connections and friends worldwide. Of course, for each one of us, the Märklin Insider Club will be different depending on our individual experiences, but our dedication which will fuel our passion for model railroading will remain the same.

I can't wait to receive my welcome package once again.

Cheers,
Ranjit
Modelling in HO Scale - Era III & IV. K+M Track, Analogue + Digital
_____________________________________________________________________________

#Get Vaccinated
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" - Marcus Tullius Cicero
"Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come" - Victor Marie Hugo
"If you can dream it, you can do it" - Walt Disney
thanks 2 users liked this useful post by Ranjit
Offline H0  
#62 Posted : 25 March 2018 18:18:55(UTC)
H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,254
Location: DE-NW
In German it is simply called a Kundenbindungsprogramm - an instrument that ties customers more closely to the company.
Do not ask what the club can do for you, ask what you can do for the club. Enjoy it, engage, get involved, shape it. Write letters to the CEOs if anything is imperfect.
Regards
Tom
---
"In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS
UserPostedImage
Offline David Dewar  
#63 Posted : 25 March 2018 20:53:07(UTC)
David Dewar

Scotland   
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 7,332
Location: Scotland
Don't need to join the club to make friends in Model rail as I have all the friends I need on our forum here.
By selling Insider models etc the idea is to make some feel important but mainly to increase profits by selling expensive models and getting folk to pay extra to join a club to get them.
Its good business for Marklin if they can get the members.
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer.
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Offline sudibarba  
#64 Posted : 26 March 2018 03:07:23(UTC)
sudibarba

United States   
Joined: 28/07/2006(UTC)
Posts: 880
Location: Augusta, GA USA
I am a member and like it fairly well. I like the videos and the additional one attached other than the Marklin
produced one is always welcome. I like the car. The Mags are well produced and sometimes have a good article
in them. As things go, the membership is reasonable to me when I consider all of the other costs associated with running
Marklin. Always a welcome package in my mailbox.
Eric
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Offline steventrain  
#65 Posted : 26 March 2018 21:00:56(UTC)
steventrain

United Kingdom   
Joined: 21/10/2004(UTC)
Posts: 31,601
Location: United Kingdom
Originally Posted by: Ranjit Go to Quoted Post
Hi All...

I have signed up with Maerklin Insider Club after a lapse of eight (8) long years. Like some members who have indicated the advantages of being a member of Maerklin Insider, I too believe it is worth it.

Cheers,
Ranjit


Have you received the insider package? If not you may wait for up to six weeks time after sign up for Insider member.

You will have package after six weeks.
Large Marklinist 3- Rails Layout with CS2/MS2/Boosters/C-track/favorites Electric class E03/BR103, E18/E118, E94, Crocodiles/Steam BR01, BR03, BR05, BR23, BR44, BR50, Big Boy.
Offline Ranjit  
#66 Posted : 27 March 2018 17:37:28(UTC)
Ranjit


Joined: 18/06/2003(UTC)
Posts: 3,008
Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, INDIA
No, Steven, I have not received the Märklin Insider Club Welcome package yet.

The team sent me an email to say the package is on the way.

Will keep you guys posted.

Cheers,
Ranjit
Modelling in HO Scale - Era III & IV. K+M Track, Analogue + Digital
_____________________________________________________________________________

#Get Vaccinated
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" - Marcus Tullius Cicero
"Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come" - Victor Marie Hugo
"If you can dream it, you can do it" - Walt Disney
thanks 2 users liked this useful post by Ranjit
Offline Eurobahnfan  
#67 Posted : 27 March 2018 20:06:38(UTC)
Eurobahnfan

United States   
Joined: 09/08/2008(UTC)
Posts: 407
Location: Stockton, CA
I joined back in the 90s while living in Germany as a means of staying informed of new items and happenings within the hobby in general. After moving back to the US, paying the additional costs to get the annual wagons and magazine subscriptions separately was a pain, frankly. When Maerklin upped the cost of annual membership, but included the wagons and magazine, not to mention the DVDs, things began to look much better. I renew every year and look forward to each issue of both the Maerklin and Insider Magazines, as well as the DVDs. As for the annual wagons, some have impressed me, others not so much... but I just can't bring myself to breaking the collection I started over twenty years ago -- same with the Museumswagen that I have going back to '88. Given what I spend annually on trains, both by Maerklin and others, the annual membership fee is a small drop in the proverbial bucket.
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Offline Donb  
#68 Posted : 27 March 2018 22:40:09(UTC)
Donb

Canada   
Joined: 03/04/2013(UTC)
Posts: 288
Location: Fraser Valley
I too am considering stopping my membership. While I enjoy receiving the 'packages every few months, inevitably they end up in the recycling bin as its mostly ads and propaganda from M. I requested they stop sending me the New items brochures, ect as they are all on PDF now. So all I get are the MMag and the DVDs. The odd time there is an article that I like and find informative, but as someone else has said, there is a lot of pages dedicated to newcomers and the info is very basic. While I understand the need for this, for me its not value.
I too agree that they should drop the price and make the club car a option.
Why don't they release the Annual catalog in PDF format??
Best Regards,
Don
___________________________________________________________________________________
CS3, ( Commander is now retired) , C track and Z scale, mostly DB/DR and SBB, SJ
Offline Ranjit  
#69 Posted : 31 March 2018 17:42:08(UTC)
Ranjit


Joined: 18/06/2003(UTC)
Posts: 3,008
Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, INDIA
Dear Friends...

I am a "Märklin Insider" member now! Yay!

The postman delivered the package this afternoon. At first, I was not sure what it was. The cardboard box did not have the usual red Märklin logo stamped all over it neither did the address label have the Märklin logo. But, as soon as I opened the box, I knew it was from Märklin Insider. In addition to the Welcome letter, and the Märklin Insider Club membership card, there were a couple of "oldish" items! I received the Jahreswagen of 2011 (Article No.: 48161) and the Märklin Insider Club News (05/2017). Is this quite normal?

In the meantime, I got an another email from Märklin Insider team to say that another package is on its way with some more printed materials.

Really excited to become a Märklin Insider Club member once again!

Cheers,
Ranjit
Modelling in HO Scale - Era III & IV. K+M Track, Analogue + Digital
_____________________________________________________________________________

#Get Vaccinated
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" - Marcus Tullius Cicero
"Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come" - Victor Marie Hugo
"If you can dream it, you can do it" - Walt Disney
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by Ranjit
Offline Ranjit  
#70 Posted : 31 March 2018 17:56:10(UTC)
Ranjit


Joined: 18/06/2003(UTC)
Posts: 3,008
Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, INDIA
WP_20180331_20_18_10_Pro_LI (2).jpg

Here are the items I received in the Märklin Insider package.
Modelling in HO Scale - Era III & IV. K+M Track, Analogue + Digital
_____________________________________________________________________________

#Get Vaccinated
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" - Marcus Tullius Cicero
"Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come" - Victor Marie Hugo
"If you can dream it, you can do it" - Walt Disney
thanks 2 users liked this useful post by Ranjit
Offline TEEWolf  
#71 Posted : 31 March 2018 19:20:58(UTC)
TEEWolf


Joined: 01/06/2016(UTC)
Posts: 2,465
Originally Posted by: Ranjit Go to Quoted Post
Dear Friends...

I am a "Märklin Insider" member now! Yay!

The postman delivered the package this afternoon. At first, I was not sure what it was. The cardboard box did not have the usual red Märklin logo stamped all over it neither did the address label have the Märklin logo. But, as soon as I opened the box, I knew it was from Märklin Insider. In addition to the Welcome letter, and the Märklin Insider Club membership card, there were a couple of "oldish" items! I received the Jahreswagen of 2011 (Article No.: 48161) and the Märklin Insider Club News (05/2017). Is this quite normal?

In the meantime, I got an another email from Märklin Insider team to say that another package is on its way with some more printed materials.

Really excited to become a Märklin Insider Club member once again!

Cheers,
Ranjit


Yes this is normal. I got similar old articles. Perhaps they want to get rid of them or they have an oversized stock. But you are a lucky man getting your card so quick. I waited six weeks, although I mailed Märklin twice I needed it urgently, because I wanted to order the 103 Insider model before its due date. Actually this loco was the reason I joined the club. Aahh and now I ordered the next one already: the shunting croc - need a lot of patient to wait for it.

But today I hoped to get the new Insider Club package for the next 2 months with the new Märklin Magazin. Would have been nice for reading over Eastern. But unfortunately the mailbox was empty. So is life.Cool
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