Märklin has survived several generations of ownership, three factory relocations, eight gauges of toy trains, and two world wars, but the most crucial and undoubtedly pivotal time was during World War II. With its introduction of 00 Scale in 1935, Märklin faced huge potential; the smaller scale required fewer raw materials and the dream of creating an expansive model railroad
Read moreIn the previous post on Marklin boxes (Part I), I discussed my theory on the patterns of the stamps and print codes using only a small selection of some 1945 boxes. Now I will move on to discuss the print code theory on a much larger sampling of boxes and test the validity of this theory. To test the accuracy,
Read moreThe Marklin boxes changed frequently over the years, from being wooden crates in the early 1900s to the boxes of the 1960s with colorful graphic drawings and cardboard inserts. The boxes of the 1940s – 1950s, however, are the most interesting because the effects of the war often changed production runs and the materials available. Here we examine the box
Read moreIn 1956, Märklin was still feeling the effects of the Second World War as they had to adapt to the changing environment in Europe. The following letter below was sent from the Märklin factory to a collector in Illinois in the year 1956. What brings particular interest to this letter and especially its historical resonance, is the following quotation: “We
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