Classic Marklin Toy Train As Collectors’ Pieces

There are people who collect toy trains or model trains as some may call them. As you can expect most of them are men and many would say that they are in still in touch with their childhood.

This is not to say that they are childish, it is not a criticism. Some collectors display their collection at fayres, whilst others are content with displaying them off to friends at home.

However one attribute that they all share is enthusiasm. Collectors of train sets tend to get very enthusiastic about their hobby, often dedicating a whole room or more to their trains. One of the classic trains that no collector would not like in his collection is a Marklin, which were first made in 1891. I00-year-old Marklin trains are high up there on a collectors wish list.

Marklin was the first manufacturer of toy trains that produced regular gauges, but several different models of trains and corresponding accessories. This really started the hobby of collecting toy trains, because you could purchase a train and some track and later buy more track and a carriage of a different train and run it on the same track. This strategy also had the impact of allowing less well healed families to buy a train set for little Arthur.

Marklin train sets are really a part of history, but they are beautiful too. And rare. It is normal to pay thousands of dollars for a single item. A complete Marklin station including a rare Marklin 2609 was sold at auction in America for $110,000. The station was exquisite and the train and its carriages had been hand painted, but it is still a immense amount of money for a train set.

The original estimate for this train set and station was about $30,000, which was considered fitting because it was virtually unique. A European and an American collector battled at the auction to the finish with the American winning in the end. The station and the carriages had tables with people sitting at them reading the paper and drinking tea or coffee.

However, that was by no means the only Marklin that went for more than was expected. There was a gauge III Marklin 2609 in the auction too and that went for $82,500. It was a beautiful, hand-painted steam engine in exquisite detail. The original price set for this piece was $25,000. A number of other Marklin pieces were sold at the auction and none of them sold for less than $25,000.

So a Marklin train set is certainly something to look out for next time you go to a garage sale or a church bazaar. However at a 120 years old, you are not likely to find a Marklin train set or even a solitary locomotive, but jolly good luck luck in your search.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of topics, but is currently concerned with American Flyer train sets. If you would like to know more about train sets for kids, please go over to our website for some great offers.