Bargain of the year, or too good to be true? Only time will tell......

[Zerogee]

For some time now I have REALLY wanted to get myself an LGB 0-8-0 (either the green Rugen or the black DR version, I wasn't fussed about which). Yesterday at Reading I saw one on a tradestand for £800, new but apparently with faulty sound (volume control not responding, hence reduced from the almost £1000 that the latest sound ones seem to go for) - I certainly wasn't prepared to pay that much for a loco that wasn't fully working, so naturally I passed on it, though I will admit to a moment of hesitation.
Then today, I see the lovely pic of Whatlep's new one, and want one even more. So, mainly out of idle curiosity, I ventured into the murky depths of German eBay - where I almost immediately found THIS:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190527266355&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT < Link To http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/...PageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Listed as NEW, MTS/sound, and the latest model - normally between £900 and £1000 - listed on a "buy-it-now" for £556.
Apparently they had THREE of them at this price - only one was left, and now it isn't. My credit card is now gently smouldering in the corner.......
Too good to be true? I don't know, I'll let you know when it has arrived. Paid through Paypal, so I should be protected against problems, and all my previous dealings with German model railway shops have been very good. I'm just still astonished at the price.

If anyone else is looking for one, I also found this one from a different supplier - just a little more expensive than the one I bought, but still a VERY good price and also way below current list:

http://cgi.ebay.de/LGB-28003-Dampfl...dellbau_Modelleisenbahnen&hash=item5ae000ad56 < Link To http://cgi.ebay.de/LGB-28...mp;hash=item5ae000ad56

eBay.de uber alles!

Jon.

 

[Willem WDLS]

Maerklin/LGB has quite some items with 30% off at the moment, including this Rügen loco.

Enjoy it Jon!

 

[Zerogee]

Thanks, DR, that's good to hear - hopefully it means that this is all genuine and I'll get the loco safely!
I wonder if they just have too many of them, and they're not selling at the old price? Unfortunately I guess that means that a number of traders around the world will be stuck with ones that they will find even more difficult to shift now without taking a loss of them....
At the price I got this one for, I think it's an excellent deal (in relative LGB terms, of course) but I really wouldn't have wanted to pay £900 or more for one. :bleh:

Jon.

 

[Nemo]

I bought the analog version brand new of German Ebay last week. 320 quid. I will fit it with a Massoth XLS chip when it arrives this week, so for about 500 quid a brand new Rugans with digital sound....
Who says LGB are expensive........

 

[whatlep]

I bought the analog version brand new of German Ebay last week. 320 quid. I will fit it with a Massoth XLS chip when it arrives this week, so for about 500 quid a brand new Rugans with digital sound....
Who says LGB are expensive........

Yep - German EBay is the place to be for LGB. That's where my Rugens came from. Why buy new?!

 

[Zerogee]

I bought the analog version brand new of German Ebay last week. 320 quid. I will fit it with a Massoth XLS chip when it arrives this week, so for about 500 quid a brand new Rugans with digital sound....
Who says LGB are expensive........

Excellent! I think the lesson is to shop around and be careful about price, because I've seen the analogue versions like yours still listed (even today) for as much as the MTS/sound one I've just bought. But as you say, it makes LGB affordable again. I wonder what the Harz 2-10-2 will come down to (not that I need a second one!)?

Jon.

 

[Nemo]

I bought the analog version brand new of German Ebay last week. 320 quid. I will fit it with a Massoth XLS chip when it arrives this week, so for about 500 quid a brand new Rugans with digital sound....
Who says LGB are expensive........

Excellent! I think the lesson is to shop around and be careful about price, because I've seen the analogue versions like yours still listed (even today) for as much as the MTS/sound one I've just bought. But as you say, it makes LGB affordable again. I wonder what the Harz 2-10-2 will come down to (not that I need a second one!)?

Jon.

1,299 Euro for the digital sound version, on offer at Grootspoor, thats cheaper than the analog version. Or you can wait till Friday and I'll inquire how much a real one is.......

 

[whatlep]

1,299 Euro for the digital sound version, on offer at Grootspoor, thats cheaper than the analog version. Or you can wait till Friday and I'll inquire how much a real one is.......

Bet the postage is a bit steep for a real one!

 

[Zerogee]

1,299 Euro for the digital sound version, on offer at Grootspoor, thats cheaper than the analog version. Or you can wait till Friday and I'll inquire how much a real one is.......

Bet the postage is a bit steep for a real one!

Yep, and it would give the Parcelfarce guy a nasty hernia when he tries to get it out of the van......

Jon.

 

[shropshire lad]

1,299 Euro for the digital sound version, on offer at Grootspoor, thats cheaper than the analog version. Or you can wait till Friday and I'll inquire how much a real one is.......

Bet the postage is a bit steep for a real one!

Yep, and it would give the Parcelfarce guy a nasty hernia when he tries to get it out of the van......

Jon.

Don't they just Ninja like deliver a we came while you were out card

 

[Zerogee]

1,299 Euro for the digital sound version, on offer at Grootspoor, thats cheaper than the analog version. Or you can wait till Friday and I'll inquire how much a real one is.......

Bet the postage is a bit steep for a real one!

Yep, and it would give the Parcelfarce guy a nasty hernia when he tries to get it out of the van......

Jon.

Don't they just Ninja like deliver a we came while you were out card

Heheh! Actually, maybe I'm unusually lucky in this regard, but both Post and Parcelfarce deliveries to us are really pretty good - our usual chap has got used to various boxes coming here, I think.... I don't think I've ever had the "leave card and teleport back to van" trick pulled here.
Jon.

 

[bunnyrabbit03]

The dealer you ordered the loco from is very good, no need to worry.

Just as a precaution: before you use the loco with sound for the first time, turn down the volume to avoid overloading the loudspeaker. If I remember correctly, Simon (spurs) had some issues with this and Mike had to replace the loudspeaker.

 

[Zerogee]

The dealer you ordered the loco from is very good, no need to worry.

Just as a precaution: before you use the loco with sound for the first time, turn down the volume to avoid overloading the loudspeaker. If I remember correctly, Simon (spurs) had some issues with this and Mike had to replace the loudspeaker.

Thanks for the tip; I'll make sure it's not turned up to the max, it'd probably frighten the neighbours anyway....

So far, I've had excellent service from all the German dealers (at least five or six different ones in the last couple of years) I've bought from via eBay.de, and in most cases I've received the items as fast (or even faster!) than some stuff I've ordered from within the UK.

Jon.

 

[bunnyrabbit03]

I am sure you will be very pleased with the loco.

Yes, transit times from Germany are usually only two days and the benefit of Ebay is that the items are actually in stock

 

[Zerogee]

I bought the analog version brand new of German Ebay last week. 320 quid. I will fit it with a Massoth XLS chip when it arrives this week, so for about 500 quid a brand new Rugans with digital sound....
Who says LGB are expensive........

Excellent! I think the lesson is to shop around and be careful about price, because I've seen the analogue versions like yours still listed (even today) for as much as the MTS/sound one I've just bought. But as you say, it makes LGB affordable again. I wonder what the Harz 2-10-2 will come down to (not that I need a second one!)?

Jon.

1,299 Euro for the digital sound version, on offer at Grootspoor, thats cheaper than the analog version. Or you can wait till Friday and I'll inquire how much a real one is.......

That is an excellent price from Grootspoor for the funfkuppler - though still 140 quid more than I paid for mine (which admittedly was technically second-hand, but virtually unused). Rather odd the Grootspoor haven't done the offer on the analogue version too, makes it look a bit silly - "hmmm, I think I'll pay the extra money to have the one WITHOUT sound..."
Their Rugen 0-8-0 with sound is still up at just a gnat's todger under 1000 euros, so if the discounted price that I got is a Marklin factory special offer then it's not one that GS are doing yet.

Jon.

 

[garrymartin]

I cannot get my breath ! £800 for a broken locomotive !Or for one that is likely to have a significant feature fail if its turned up too loud.
Astonishing ! Its no wonder they went bust .

 

[steve parberry]

I bought the analog version brand new of German Ebay last week. 320 quid. I will fit it with a Massoth XLS chip when it arrives this week, so for about 500 quid a brand new Rugans with digital sound....
Who says LGB are expensive........

Steve I got me chip but no loco but hope to pick it up wednesday same sort of price

 

[Zerogee]

Well, the Rugen arrived this morning! Four days from order to delivery, and a beautiful factory-fresh example with MTS and sound for a tad over £550 - about half the price I've seen them going for over here. I'm happy with that.

Jon.

 

[jameshilton]

Oooh lucky man!
I was pondering one of these before I decided to try and stick to a more Austrian theme - easier to make that decision now with limited stock, then in a years time when I've got a right hotch potch of stuff...

I have been wondering if I could combine parts of one with a motorised tender and a scratchbuilt body to give a representation of the 0-8-0+2 Engarth 399.xx Austrian OBB narrow gauge tender locomotives... but with the prices still very high I doubt that's going to be possible in the next few years

Anyway Jon - we want to see some pictures!

 

[stockers]

Bruce and Kentkeith run the 399. Its available as a kit from Regner (I think). You just need a decent builder though.