The 1990 yellow Postal Truck is the first in a series of replica clockwork tin-plate trucks manufactured by Märklin. (The original truck was manufactured in the 1930s.)

The 1990 replica was manufactured to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the German postal system and was only available for sale at Post Offices within Germany. The #1990 Postal Truck includes a canceled stamp inside the back door of the postal cargo compartment.

The cost of the truck at the German Post Office in 1990 was approximately DM 350.

The #1991 Fire Truck is the second in a series of replica clockwork trucks made by Märklin. Unlike the Postal Truck, however, the Fire Truck was sold through Märklin's dealer network. The retail price in the United States was approximately $650.

This truck enjoyed an immediate demand as speculators saw the value of the yellow Postal Truck rise quickly and cross-over fire truck collectors (who would not normally purchase a Märklin clockwork truck) affected the market. The #1991 Fire Truck continues to be very hard to find and prices for it are almost as high as the yellow Postal Truck.

The #1992 Delivery Truck is the third in Märklin's series of replica clockwork trucks. Suggested retail price in the United States was approximately $600.

While this truck does not enjoy the demand seen for the #1990 Postal Truck or the #1991 Fire Truck, it remains hard to find with its original box and certificate.

The #1993 Standard Oil Truck is the fourth in Märklin's series of replica clockwork trucks. Suggested retail price in the United States was $735.

While this truck does not enjoy the demand seen for some of the earlier trucks, it remains hard to find and is subject to some cross-over interest from fuel truck and Standard Oil (Esso/Exxon) collectors.

The Bavarian Broadcast Network Armored bank truck was said to have been commissioned by The Bavarian Broadcast Network as a gift for guests who appear on a German financial television program similar to PBS' Wall Street Week. This truck is also referred to as the "Geld Truck" and the "Money Truck"

The blue and white truck was also available on a limited basis from authorized Märklin dealers in the United States as Item #1101. The suggested retail price in the United States was $659.

The "Maxi" truck is a nickel-plated version of the 1992 Delivery Truck (sold in the U.S. with Märklin catalog #1992). The Maxi truck was part of a promotional package that dealers were allowed to order in early 1994 when they placed their initial orders for Märklin's then-new Maxi line of large-scale tin-plate electric trains.

While the promotional package was sold to dealers with a Suggested Retail Price of over $2000, the individual pieces (locomotives, railroad cars, wind-up nickel-plated W196R racing car, erector set airplane, and the truck) were not assigned individual Suggested Retail Prices. Some dealers kept their Maxi promotional sets for store displays, some sold the entire set intact, and others sold some or all of the individual components as separate items.

The #1995 Reichspost Truck is the most recent in Märklin's line of large clockwork trucks. It was sold through Märklin's "Insider Club"; only then-current Insider members were able to purchase the truck. (Certificates were mailed to current members, who then took their certificates to the dealer of their choice and ordered the truck. Orders were tallies and only as many trucks as were needed to fill Club members' orders were produced.)

The truck included a roof-mounted luggage rack and a metal case that includes a prepaid Deutsche Telcom telephone card. The image on the card is a replica of Märklin's 1935 catalog cover.

While there were a few stories about people buying the truck, removing the telephone card, and then reselling the truck (without the cards, which were apparently kept for telephone card collections), the market price of the truck has not climbed above its original retail price.

The #19891 Persil Truck is the most recent in Märklin's line of large clockwork trucks.

This truck was manufactured as a promotional incentive and was only offered to Märklin dealers in Germany on a one-to-a-dealer basis.

Maerklin Photo

Märklin just announced the #19034 Fire Brigade Water Pumper. This item is scheduled for released during the first quarter of 1999 and will only be available through Märklin's MHI dealer network.