The LGB Collector - A Lifetime Story Part 6

The following is a translation of "The LGB Collector", an article by H.-Jürgen Neumann from Spring 2006. Mr. Neumann published it in his own IIm-Online News web page. You can read the original article  at http://www.lgb-much.de/20406.pdf and use a Google translation or similar. To avoid mixing-ups in context with Yours Truly you will find "(HJN)", the abbreviation for H.-Jürgen Neumann,  in places were the original author refers to himself since the article is about his lifelong journey being a dyed-in-the-wool LGB fan.

Then, at one time the base frame was done, tracks were laid including a Staging yard ( or Fiddle yard; a collection of model railway tracks that are invisible to a viewer)  . Then fate interfered: in 1985 I founded the LGB Club Rhein/Sieg and at the same time the Club magazine "Spur II Nachrichten" (Gauge II News) with the very first issue focusing on collecting; which in later issues was taken up again and again and also reporting about things past and currrent issues.
Regarding my basement layout - it was sort of neglected due to my many tasks for the Club and the magazine and sort of still looks the same today as is did back then.
Spanning 20 years now my task was to organize Club meetings, appearances at conventions, Club travels, memos, membership management and administration and many more. The magazine required the biggest time input since I wrote many articles myself and I spend many evenings editing, layouting and publishing the magazine. (In 1985 there were no PC's and cheap printers to help with publishing,  all work-type,composition,drafting, had to be prepared before going to a printing press. That didn't change in Germany until the late 90's). Always being pressed for time to publish an issue by mid year and at the end of a year. The magazine "Spur II Nachrichten" gained an excellent image over the years. It was independent and critical, calling things by their name which didn't always go well with the person in focus. But all criticism was always factual and objective and predominantly right on spot.

After 20 years, in 2005, I decided to pass on the leadership of the Club into new hands and chose as my successor(s) a board of active club members - it was quite a relief from all that work. And I felt that even more when the new board decided in 2006 to cease the magazine due to costs and other reasons and publish a new magazine under their own management. This decision led to a huge alleviation for me even though I also was feeling a bit of sorrow as did many of the readers.

Well, back to the subject of collecting. (In the 80's)When I was working for a big auditing firm and traveled all of West Germany and West Berlin it set the perfect stage for collecting LGB trains specifically those who were from the early years and were no longer manufactured: I was traveling to many big cities and could stroll through the toy stores right after work; and back then I had a lavish allowance for my travel expenses covering my financial needs. I remember it very well being in Mannheim purchasing 6 green BP tank cars. In today's money a very good investment!
Flea markets and toy markets also offered  interesting old items. Always sought-after were the little plain colored electric locos and the first locos with "Heuler" motors. Pieces like the old tank cars were readily purchased.
When the 'old-timers' were no longer available the collecting fervor diverted. First people looked for color variations. Lehmann (always) took quite some liberty with their color schemes. A car that was just painted in light red came in medium red with the' next edition'. The labeling showed many discrepancies, too. Passenger coaches were labeled in Arabic numerals then in Roman numerals. Labeling was done with labels, then by embossing, then by pad printing.

Primus 1977-78: blue Diesel loco # 20860 followed by a black Shell tank car # 40860 and a Coca Cola car # 40832. The "8" inbetween the LGB number was reserved for Primus. Left: The first Coca Cola Specialty Car # 4072 issued in 1985 and was much sought-after from the start. Limited edition of 2,000.

At one time models were sought after that were made exclusively for the US market, for other foreign countries, or in limited editions. A red Old-timer Street Car  for Austria, a red-white streetcar passenger car "Chocolat Suchard" and in particular the driving stock  of the "Primus" series built from 1977 to 1978 became exciting - and about which I (HJN) will write a special article in the near future (which Yours truly will translate and publish here as well in our near future).  Many models for the US market could only be sold in the USA due to concession and royalty reasons. I do very well remember the first "Coca-Cola" car LGB # 4072 issued in 1985 that was highly sought after and highly paid for here in Germany. Then there was a "Orient Express" LGB# 20277 consisting of a gray steam loco of the "U"-series  and 3 different coaches (base car was LGB# 3062) and was almost unknown here (in Germany).
Of course a vivid bartering ensued with LGB friends in the USA. Huge quantities of "old-timer stuff" was purchased here in Germany via intermediaries and shipped to the USA. At the same time collectors here procured US specials via acquaintances directly from the USA. It wasn't always perfect due to the long transportation route (America and back) transport damages happened easily - but what were one supposed to do?  Broken grab bars on the Coca Cola car and bruised rivets on the Orient Express cars can tell a thing or two about this. Calling on LGB company to establish a kind of "Collector's Service"  went "DOA". One of the reasons for that was that 'collectors' were synonymous with 'scalpers' which was in part due to our American LGB friends since their profiteering with LGB models was quite obvious. ( Note from Yours Truly: what we Americans call having a smart sense for business is often already understood as profiteering in German mentality). The most startling stories were told - about LGB rarities stock-piled in bank safes and many more.

With increasing prices of LGB items the collectors craze went down reciprocally. To purchase several LGB driving stock items of the same item type just to store them in the 'collector's shelf' became financially impossible. Add on the space problem that every collector had to face at one time. Back then 'old-timers' often were sold to be able to afford new items - which was certainly regretted later. +++++++++++++++++++++++++to be continued++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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