Mogul for 650....do I hear more?....Aaand SOLD!

Moguls are coming onto the market in big numbers right now. Some collections are being sold because people need money. Some are sold because their owners have passed away. And some are just plain new and right out of the factory. Yours Truly tries to follow the eBay market a bit and what I have seen lately is cause for caution.
Let me make this clear: I am talking LGB Moguls only. And this is what you should know before you start bidding on one.
The Mogul was first introduced into the market by LGB Germany around 1983. It came with some teething problems. That's when Klaus joined Wolfgang Richter and Guenter Ruhland to make the Mogul run safer and smoother and prevent her from falling over. The pilot axle suspension was changed to limit specific operational margins. All Moguls whether coal type (2019) or wood type (2018) had four "fixed" numbers and a letter if they had either steam (D) or sound (S). A mogul then would have the number 2018D, 2018S or 2019D or 2019S. That was it.
That system worked fine until about 1998. In these first 15 years the Mogul was solely manufactured and assembled in Germany. After that the Mogul was also manufactured in China, but some parts were still made in Germany. Sometimes parts were manufactured in China but the loco and tender were assembled in Germany. The Bumblebee Mogul was rebuilt /assembled in the USA.
The number system changed to five numbers and NO letters. Numbers would range from 21184 to 29182, with the "18" in the middle for wood type and the "19" in the middle for coal type. From around 1998 until 2006 roughly 15,300 Moguls were manufactured. The value of the Mogul should be US$ 2,500.00 for very old versions in magnificent condition to $1,200.00 for newer versions made before 2006 in very good to mint condition. Prices on eBay vary very much. Right now the average price for a Mogul varies between US$ 500.00 to 750.00 in good to very good condition and is definitely undervalued in case that Mogul is older than 2002. BUT...!!..:
You should make absolutely sure what condition the Mogul is really in. Is the motor still functioning? If it has sound how old is the Mogul and does the sound still work. Was the soundboard replaced or is it still the original sound board (more valuable when original board is still functioning). Some sell a Mogul with a number that cannot exist like 2219D. Ask for a photo from underneath the loco and check out the stamps and numbers. Ask for the original packaging and check for the loco number. Are the figurines in the loco and tender? Are the couplers intact? Were the loco and/or the tender embellished and have special collector's value, e.g. parts were gilded or parts were added in brass.
Some Mogul series are more valuable due to their very small production numbers, e.g. the 22185 Disney or the 21192 DRGW.
When totally in doubt don't hesitate to send an email to Yours Truly - we will try to help as best as we can. And if you have more detailed information on this subject yourself we would certainly appreciate you, dear reader, sharing this with us. THANKS and happy bidding!

.........................................(this subject) to be continued..............