This is a translation of an article/interview published by GARTENBAHN profi in magazine 5/2008, pages 16-21. The original magazine is available under http://www.gartenbahnprofi.de/Gartenbahn-Profi-Magazin/Jahres-Inhaltsverzeichnisse. Italic text in parentheses is background information about related topics in the article.
GBP: When you started out (Lehmann) still offered small toys. Did you have to sell that as well?
Klaus Baumann: Yes, of course. During my beginnings (at Lehman) Lehmann still made more sales with the Patented-Toys than with LGB. It changed quickly then but sales from "Stainzys" and her siblings kept being a nice fill-in in manufacturing.
GBP: Back, once again, to the former LGB. Actually, shouldn't have the customers snatched those new, extraordinary locos out of dealers' hands? I myself remember my own beginnings with the LGB hobby very well. The "Globus" in Siegen (compare to a Walmart in the MidWest) sold them and while shopping for groceries each week we added at least one (freight) car. With prices at DEM 20.00 - 30.00 ( about US$ 8.00- 12.00) that wasn't a budget problem at all. Today with current Euro prices things have gotten more difficult for most LGB hobbyists.
Klaus Baumann: The problem was that a broad audience just wasn't familiar enough with the train product. Hence the subsequent efforts to get into the toy department of the big department stores. People usually didn't stray into a model-train-specialist-retailer to find LGB and get exited. Our very first success in that was the "Lehmann 74" and LGB (brand) itself became well known through fairs and by being presented to a big TV audience.
GBP: How did you manage do get that many (national) TV appearances for LGB back then? TV hosts like Peter Frankenfeld and Hans Rosenthal (compare to Bob Barker and Dick Clark), TV shows like "Musik ist Trumpf", "Vergiss mein nicht", "Der Goldene Schuss", and "Dalli Dalli" (compare to "the Lawrence Welk Show", "Truth and Consequences") were having a very broad audience and (delivered advertising) free of cost. (LGB) probably couldn't have afforded (to buy) advertising time....
Klaus Baumann: Well, once there was the Transportation Fair in Hamburg where LGB had set up a huge layout and of course such a fair draws a huge crowd. There you get to know the Mayor, the Secretary of Commerce, VIP's and TV-celebrities. And TV producers always are looking for new ideas for their shows. So the big train which was easily visible was lending itself (to this format). She was utilized in ability&skill game shows or was delivering envelopes with quiz-topics or prizes. And then there were personal contacts. Once I was sitting next to Peter Frankenfeld at Berlin airport due to a late flight. And as you'd expect it didn't take long until we were talking about LGB. Another time I met Peter Frankenfeld after an Anniversary Party at the Kudamm in Berlin (compare to Times Square in New York) at night; he sat in a cafe with Fritz Schoenfelder and they were looking for the 'Third Man' for a game of skat. It got pretty late that night....++++++++++++++++to be continued+++++++++++++++++++++
Klaus Baumann: Yes, of course. During my beginnings (at Lehman) Lehmann still made more sales with the Patented-Toys than with LGB. It changed quickly then but sales from "Stainzys" and her siblings kept being a nice fill-in in manufacturing.
GBP: Back, once again, to the former LGB. Actually, shouldn't have the customers snatched those new, extraordinary locos out of dealers' hands? I myself remember my own beginnings with the LGB hobby very well. The "Globus" in Siegen (compare to a Walmart in the MidWest) sold them and while shopping for groceries each week we added at least one (freight) car. With prices at DEM 20.00 - 30.00 ( about US$ 8.00- 12.00) that wasn't a budget problem at all. Today with current Euro prices things have gotten more difficult for most LGB hobbyists.
Klaus Baumann: The problem was that a broad audience just wasn't familiar enough with the train product. Hence the subsequent efforts to get into the toy department of the big department stores. People usually didn't stray into a model-train-specialist-retailer to find LGB and get exited. Our very first success in that was the "Lehmann 74" and LGB (brand) itself became well known through fairs and by being presented to a big TV audience.
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| "TV"-Big Train in action.; in the second half of the Seventies the TV show "Musik ist Trumpf" delivered the stage for LGB to be seen by millions. TV host Peter Frankenfeld (center) had an LGB train layout in his backyard. April of 1978 a '99 6001' delivered the envelope and champagne glasses...all that had to be delivered...The next show to be aired in October 1978 was to present the new LGB crocodile which was to pull the 'TV Train' but Peter Frankenfeld was already too sick to present the show, a colleague filled in. Peter Frakenfeld - the godfather of German TV shows- passed away in January of 1979 and LGB surely owed him a lot. |
Klaus Baumann: Well, once there was the Transportation Fair in Hamburg where LGB had set up a huge layout and of course such a fair draws a huge crowd. There you get to know the Mayor, the Secretary of Commerce, VIP's and TV-celebrities. And TV producers always are looking for new ideas for their shows. So the big train which was easily visible was lending itself (to this format). She was utilized in ability&skill game shows or was delivering envelopes with quiz-topics or prizes. And then there were personal contacts. Once I was sitting next to Peter Frankenfeld at Berlin airport due to a late flight. And as you'd expect it didn't take long until we were talking about LGB. Another time I met Peter Frankenfeld after an Anniversary Party at the Kudamm in Berlin (compare to Times Square in New York) at night; he sat in a cafe with Fritz Schoenfelder and they were looking for the 'Third Man' for a game of skat. It got pretty late that night....++++++++++++++++to be continued+++++++++++++++++++++
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