A printing code stamped on many Marklin boxes helps reveal the production date of the box and thus allows for accurate dating of Marklin articles. Sometimes the prices marked on the boxes and referencing pricelists also approximately dates an item because prices often changed from year to year.

Richard Marklin, the US importer for Marklin from the 1920s to the early 1940s was crucial to the distribution of Marklin products in the American market. In this episode we'll learn more about his reign in the US through some important historical documents and discoveries.

Märklin layouts have changed over the years and looking back to the layouts in the catalogs of the 1930s, we can see the different track plans when compared to a layout proposed in the 1960s or 1970s.

Here an exclusive look at original Marklin patents from the years 1909 - 1942, many of which were discovered from the estate of the well-known model engineer Hans Thorey who worked for Marklin in the 1930s and 1940s.

Despite intense turmoil in the European continent which could be felt all around the world, Märklin survived the Second World War with its business relatively intact and ready for explosive growth in the post-war years. In this episode we'll look at the compromises and advancements Märklin made during this time.

W. Seelig LTD of Great Britain, London's leading sales organisation (according to their company) distributed Marklin toys to hardware stores and toy shops all across the British Isles. To promote their Marklin products, they created the "Marklin Expert Library of Handbooks" which we will review in this episode.

Decades before the Sprint slot-car system, Marklin introduced a series of die-cast cars that went well with the 00 Gauge product line and even rode along on some O Gauge wagons. For a short time, they also offered a large slot-car system number model number 13301 complete with track, ramps, race cars with tiny drivers, stoplights, timing tracks and many racing accessories.

The Marklin SK 800 streamlined locomotive, from its release in 1939 to its gentle decline in the late 1950s, remains a classic favorite for its streamlined design and survivability in the ever-changing product lines of the 00/HO Gauge system. The many changes in its design, however, might explain why this model number SK 800 locomotive lasted for so long.