A Mixed Bag of Goodies

With Spring around the corner and some of you getting outdoors to get to the (train) tracks again, here are some completely unrelated thoughts and facts. No-- make that opinions.

Yours Truly is observing the eBay web site about once a week, looking for "just posted", "highest price", and "ending soonest". In my humble opinion, the market for LGB products is starting to show more realistic values in the high end and higher end area for locos. Mikados, Aster, Pullman sets and Mallets seem to be priced according to their values. The same holds true for  F 7 See Through/ clear locos. Moguls on the other hand show all kinds of prices; from $ 400.00 for a Mogul made in 1990 or 1993 (value is approx US$ 1,200) to US$ 1,000.00 for China crap - ...quoting Famous Klaus...-  (mint condition value will not top US$ 600.00). Similar realistic prices show up for cars that are rare like the # 35355 DB Passenger car or the 35350 DR Passenger car (around US$ 500.00 with a tendency to increase), but finds are still possible for old 1993 or older tank cars, Swiss "Mohrenkoepfe"( marshmallows?) and similar.

Yours Truly and  the two Klaus' (your Famous Klaus and Klaus Baumann) believe that the market will consolidate within the next two to three years. This goes only for the existing LGB locos and cars being built between 1970 and 2006. If any of you owns an LGB loco or car or toy made before 1970, hold on to it, care VERY well for it and name it in your will! Yes, it will show up at a Sotheby or similar auction in about 5-10 years from now.

On another subject:
Klaus Baumann is currently working on Mallet and Forney data so that we can provide better information about  those loco values and value development. One of his finds during this operation was that so many different Forneys were manufactured that LGB Nuremberg had to extend the series number from 5 digits to 6 digits for a certain time frame. So, in case you come across an LGB box with a 6-digit number on it and a "25" in it, we'd be interested in a photo. At the same time, so many Forney sets were made for specialty groups that -alas !- a Forney set was made for Florsheim Shoes. How 'bout that?!!

You have read about this subject here before, the lifetime of Buehler motors. Since we had quite a lot of questions about this, let me reiterate and add some, too. All LGB locos have Buehler motors in them except two:
 One: The Porter which was made in Korea by PIKO and came with a Korean motor in it. To Klaus' knowledge no motors are available once the Original Korean motors are defunct/ kaput.
Two: a very very early LGB loco that had a Siemens motor in it. Klaus is currently working on more information about that loco or locos(?). If any of you have any information about that, Klaus would more than appreciate your information and contacting him.
A Buehler motor for LGB locos has an approximate life span of 15-20 years. At the time they were first utilized in LGB locos it seemed incomprehensible for the technical crew in Nuremberg that anyone would "play" with an LGB loco for either that long or that excessively to reach the end of that lifetime. To see some of those older Buehler motors still running is a nice confirmation for the old "Made in Western Germany"- Quality.
Sometime in the mid-nineties (1996-1998?) Buehler decided to change the design of the motors - recognizable by an all-silver colored body and no replaceable brushes.At the very same time Buehler also decided to outsource the LGB Buehler motor production to the Chech Republic. This turned out to be a problematic move. The motors did not have the same quality and lifespan as the ones made in Germany, so Buehler placed production back into Germany. These motors made in the Chech republic can go kaput without warning. Unfortunately there is no way to tell where a Buehler motor was made. But all in all the  Buehler motors are the most reliable possible for the LGB locos.
Buehler motors for LGB locos are currently undergoing a price change. Where they will end up eventually is still to be seen. Unfortunately we heard more than one rumor that the new retail price will be close to US $ 150.00. We will keep you updated on this subject. Fortunately, Klaus has a sufficient number of motors available for his repairs and restorations, so your locos are safe with him.