new catalogue MERKUR

Rob:

The URL you posted will not allow access. Something to the effect of "YOU DON'T BELONG HERE".

Hi John,

I am sorry. I tested the link and it works. When you still have a problem please go to www.blik-en-speelgoed.nl and go to the page news. There you are able to download the catalogue. I just checked it out and it worked.

Rob

Both links get you to the same screen, which indicates that you have to be signed in to get to the download. You are probably more or less permanently logged in, which is why it works for you and not for us. We need a link that is not behind a password. 

Hi Hiawatha,

I placed it on the public part of dropbox. So I don't understand why it doesn't work.

Herewith a new link https://www.dropbox.com/s/0e6o...talogus%202012.PDF?m 

Please will you give it a try? And please sent me again an email when it doesn't work.

Rob 

Than I su[ppose the the link for the ETS catalogue didn't work too I am afraid.

So herwith also the link for the ETS 2012 catalogue  https://www.dropbox.com/s/9lvq...gus%2020120001.PDF?m 

Rob

The first link provided does not allow access (the "Seems you don't belong here" thing).

The second link provided requires Dropbox registration (something I won't do).

If you want folks to have ready access to a catalog, it really needs to be a one-click process.

the last PDF link work fine , you need a dropbox only if you want to download it to your dropbox , you just have to choose the download button on top right. 

Rob - second link you posted worked fine - thanks!

thanks PC-Quebec and John. You just have to click on the download button and you don't have to register. I am sorry for the confusion Allan. The last time I posted a link there was no trouble at all.

Rob

Thanks Rob, the new link worked fine for me. Both the Merkur and ETS catalogs are interesting. The Merkur catalog shows far more variety than I had ever seen before, including a lot of buildings, bridges, and accessories. ETS is showing some neat new stuff, including a 2-8-2T locomotive, a "Seefische" car, and a really cool 2-6-2T in kit form. That would be a lot of fun to build. 

They make beautiful stuff, ETS have nice tramways track. I always find European engine nice, it's different. 

Hi Southwest Hiawatha and PC_Quebec,

you are welcome. I am glad the link is ok now. On october 13 and 14 we have in Holland a special gauge 0 weekend. I am curious what people will present there. And there is always a lot to talk about.

I will take some pictures.....

And the MERKUR buildings are really nice. They are all metal!!! So there will be a lot to screw...... when you build one. I am working on the watertower, no nuts and bolts, just some glue to stick the metalpart during the assembling together and the metal rings takes care for the stability...

That is the real old fashioned CZ way of model ( I may not say toy...) making.

In Europ the firm Lehnhardt produces nice tinplate street- and sidecars and tinplate buildings too!!!  

Hi Rob.

Would you like to post a similar message on this UK/European forum where Merkur have come under discussion before and where we have recently opened a specific section for the trade.

http://www.spoornul.nl/tpforum/

Dave Upton

Hi Arkwright,

I like to do that. Is this forum, in English not moderated by Rob Kievit? I know the Dutch version of it and I will be at Zutphen where is a meeting at october 13 and 14.

I didn't know there was an English or international forum. So I will take care and put a link on this forum.

Thank you very much for your post reply.

Rob

Hi Rob, It's all in English & Rob Kievit is the forum Admin, I try to moderate it.

Oops I am sorry. But I know Rob Kievit. I just subscribed.

And I will visit and see your blig

Rob

If ETS would respond to their e mails, they'd sell some product.

Hi Potrzbe,

MERKUR has the same issue. That's why I try to communicate and trade as an agent or an importer of the modles of MERKUR, ETS and LEHNHARDT. You may visist www.blik-en-speelgoed.nl and if there are any questions email info@blik-en-speelgoed.nl

Normally you have a reply within 24 hours.

Rob

Along with collecting and operating trains I like to build Erector/Meccano models.  The cost of those sets whether vintage or new is prohibitive so I turned to Merkur about 10 yrs ago.  Unfortunately they have started to disappear from the US market.  I was able to contact someone who has a relationship with Merkur and he said the problem is that there is still an old "Soviet Bloc" mentally.  It seems that Merkur doesnt understand or doesnt care that there is an "untapped" market here in the US for both their trains and erector sets.  Maybe sending e-mails to their web-site will wake them up.   bertiejoa

I've tried several times -- short emails/longer emails -- but never a response.

the problem is that there is still an old "Soviet Bloc" mentally. 

Exactly. I've posted on this before; Merkur is notorious for it. I got most of my Merkur trains from a guy who had been trying to establish a U.S. Merkur distributorship. He just gave up because Merkur management just wasn't interested in doing what they needed to do to sell in the U.S. 

I lived in Finland for a while around the time the Soviet Union came apart. The Finns used to make joking references to "Homo Sovieticus" - Soviet Man, who personified the Soviet lack of initiative and creativity. 

Hi Gilbert, I know. I really try to convince MERKUR. But it costs a lot of time. I understand that for people it is difficult to deal with an unknown webshop in Holland, Europ. Yo may give it a try? I have some stock, trains and erector sets. When I don't have stock it can take a while before MERKUR ship my order, sometimes I had to wait for about six months but it also can be deliverd within three weeks. But it is and will be delivered. When you can and will be patient........

By the way with the help of some UK costumers I convinced MERKUR to build the 900 and 760 mm point (switch) with the reversable groundplate....

Rob

Yeah Southwest Hiawatha,

Yeah I know you told this before. On the other hand I see some small improvements. And it is not only the Iron Wall mentally. In CZ the management style is top down. So almost very decision has to be made by the CEO. I may say that that kind of management is very hard to understand for the Dutch. And the fact that within MERKUR people hardly speak any foreign languages creats an atmosphere we don't understand.

And I think it is a pity. I have seen how the people of MERKUR work, the enthusiasm and realy they make very nice products. Well and I learned a lot more about MERKUR when I helped them out for three days during an event in Germany.

Beside my webshop I own a Human Resource Consultancy Agency. So I don't depend on the MERKUR sales for my income. Otherwise I had to stop but I think that when we help MERKUR out a bit we will have a company with great models. For example now I am building their watertower. An all metal model!

Well my answer is quite a story now. In spite of all the cultural and the language issues I am glad I can and may work with the MERKUR models and erector sets.

Rob

Rob

I wish you the best of luck with getting Merkur trains out of CZ and into a larger market. They have some interesting products, especially the beer cars and some of the bridges, buildings, and accessories. 

One question. You have seen some of the newer models of locomotives. Are these better engineered and more sophisticated than the older ones? I have the "Mikado" (actually a 2-6-2; a Mikado is a 2-8-2). It is a very crude piece, both in the stampings and in its drive mechanism. They didn't even bother to paint the cylinders, which are as-cast. Some of the newer designs look pretty good in photos; how is the quality?

Hi Southwest Hiawatha,

Thank you very much for your good whishes. And yes there are some nice buildings and so on.

The Mikado is a replica of the original model which dates bakck to 1930.

The newer models, the diesel and the steam ones, have a better quality. MERKUR use a pad printing so the ink may bleed a bit. ETS use lithographed tin which is much smoother.

People in the UK like the driving unit used in the nowadays MIKADO a lot. It is also used in other models.

I made some pictures of one of their engines and a carriage. Take a look....

Rob

Very nice.  Reminds me of early MAXI production.