1985 Issue No. 2 -- Part 1

Issue # 2 Page 12 and 13, Spur II 1985

the original magazine cover

YT: Please remember that this blog article is the translation of a magazine published 33 years ago by HJ Neumann. Our blog intends to juxtaposition HJ Neumanns 30-some year old articles about the LGB model train hobby with his newest/newer articles on current blog"LGB Much" IIm Online News".

Collectors News

 In Issue No. 1 of “Spur II” we printed a list of all specialty products manufactured so far, including their manufactured volume. This was very well received since there seem to be more and more collectors who look for Specialty Train Packages to complete their collection. To figure out the so-called ‘collector’s value’ the manufactured volume plays a significant if not the only role.

the original article on page 12

The most sought after and most offered collector-item is still the Anniversary Train of 1981 even though it was manufactured in relatively high volume of 20,000 (trains). Coming into play are ( for one) the aura of the occasion, which is the 100 year anniversary of the Lehmann Company, as well as the truly beautiful execution and coloring (of the product).

Regarding the current asking price of DM 1200.00 or even DM 1800.00 (Y.T.:in 1985 the equivalent of 3 weeks pay for a shoe salesman or office clerk) [as seen in the classifieds of the big Model RR magazine] are completely over-the-top.

Now, there might be a difference in the asking price if you retrieve the anniversary train from a collector or from somebody who bought it  long ago for the then price of DM 200.00 (in 1981 the equivalent of  2 weeks of rent for a 2-br apartment), and might have been speculating already. Well, we do live in a free market [situation] and every seller can ask for as much as he hopes to get. To all those who are still wanting to buy the Anniversary train we suggest that DM 500.00 is a fair price. For the seller this means a return on investment of 35% annually – a “dream come true” for every company!

To comment on the value of other specialty products is pretty hard since there is no market for that. The number of serious LGB collectors is yet too low to create [enough] potential demand. Actually a collector’s train with a [limited] edition of 1000 should be 20 times more valuable than e.g. the Anniversary Train!

Well, the 2^nd edition of the LGB Collectors Catalog from Christmann publishing will be released in early 1986 and will include collectors’ items. (We’ll) Be anxious to see how they solve the difficult task of realistic value determination!

Finally, we ‘d like to point out several Specialty Train Sets that turned up in Southern Germany in Fall. They feature the standard  “Stainz” plus two container cars with different labeling (up to 30 options). Please check our pics at “Current LGB Specialty Items (Issue No.2, 1985, Page 14 – Spur II) Lehmann delivered the –grey- containers and labeling was done locally [in Southern Germany].

LGB Collector’s Page

“Gingerbread Train”

original page 13

At a volume of 1,000 the E. Otto Schmidt Co., Nuremberg, issued a specialty Train in the Fall of 1984; almost everyone knows E.Otto Schmidt as maker of delicious gingerbread.

Dark brown just like fresh gingerbread is the base color of locomotive and cars.

The 150-year anniversary of railroad trains in Germany was the occasion for this felicitous surprise. Each train package displays a big round sticker with “Gingerbread Specialty Train, limited vol,No…”.  Thus each train has its own serial number.

The train was sold out at E.Otto Schmidt,Co by end of 1984. There are currently no plans for a repeat action or anything similar.

(Letter within Gingerbread-train package)

Dear Model Train Friend

You probably know this, the German Railroad celebrates their 150th anniversary in Nuremberg. This is why we are surprising you with this Specialty Train. The E.Otto Schmidt Co has taken advantage of the German Railroad service for years. While the Schmidt gingerbread packages were delivered by boxcars during the Reichsbahn **era, these days we are shipping in modern containers daily throughout the Christmas Season. Containers are shipped directly [from the manufacturing site] into many German cities carrying fresh tasty morsels to be delivered to you doorstep by the Postmaster General. The two cars [of the train set] are witness to that.

The original loco [this trainset was modeled on] is still in use today. She is doing specialty and hobby tours on the Murtal Railway in the Steiermark [in Austria].

This onetime edition is limited and will gain in value.

We hope you will enjoy this Anniversary Train. In case you want to expand your hobby model train layout your local model train dealer will gladly be of service.

“Safe Travels”

E.Otto Schmidt

PS The big expo “ 150 Years German Railway” takes place from May 15 to August 18, 1985 in Nuremberg.

** Yours truly: The name “150 Years/Anniversary German Railway is a bit of a reach historically as is any reference to that event. As is in many countries history is bent as long as it takes to make it fitting for what someone wants out of it. In this case here is what happened in 1835: Under King Ludwig I (the First) of Bavaria a number of business men decided to establish a Railroad Society in 1833 which then build the railway and the first locomotive to run on this railway. It took its first run in 1835 and started passenger service in December 1835 followed by the first “freight service” half a year later when two barrels of beer were transported in a passenger car third class. A many a kings, dukes, and barons later were opting for their own railways, often with their own gauge width. And it wasn’t until 1871 when the so-called German Reichsstaaten were established ( states that were still lead by monarchs or similar aristocrats and had nothing in common with a Germany as you know it today but more with a collection of neighboring fiefdoms that had decided to not fight each other anymore, neither economically nor military wise)-- and all had their own ‘countries’ railways. Operating only regionally and still often with different gauges they were not united until 1924 into the German Reichs-Railroads. After WWII modern railway organization replaced the old system and was re-organized several times until public and private railroads were combined into today’s “Deutsche Bahn AG” or German Train, Inc.”—

To celebrate 150 Year Anniversary of something German is the same as if the USA would have a 400 years anniversary of AMERICAN Plymouth Colony (MA)….then again, let’s see what will happen in 2020….