Pubicity wagens and locos are a particular sub-group category of collecting Marklin Z. Rolling stock, locos, and trainsets produced by Marklin through private commission date to nearly the beginning of Z with examples starting in 1975. Limited to 100, 200, 300 or 500 publicity wagens were always and only available through specialty dealers with few residing in the USA. Before Ebay one had to rely on a good dealer source for collecting these rare items, but today they become available every once in awhile due to increased internet connectivity with dealers and collectors who have these for sale. In 1996 and 1997 Koll’s assembled two concurrent and unique catalogs which archived the publicity cars up to and including 1997, they assigned their own numbering system since none had been provided by Marklin. Koll’s numbers are five digits, the first two on the left refer to date produced (example: 87 is 1987 and 90 is 1990) and the three numbers on right refer to chronological sequence for that year, but chronological numbers jump broadly an example from 1990 are cars ‘005’ to ‘701’, I have no explanation for why the numbers jump in this way only to explain that they follow from less value to greater value suggesting an order of production. The Koll’s catalogs ordered up an archive at a time when Marklin was not thus collectors could now research this category of collecting. And it is a rich category of collecting with numerous company logos printed on the sides of standard Marklin design cars: 8600, 8612, 8615, 8626, 8661, 8656 and others. No other reference exists like the Koll’s catalogs for this timeframe which includes edition size and illustrations. Another useful archive for this category is the chronological sequence by Gilles Monk of Belgium thus a second numbering system exists called the Miba/Monk Liste, but the Koll’s catalogs are much easier to use for research up to and including the year 1997.

Siding: Marklin Special Imprint 8656 Swiss Hbis cars are only covered in the 1997 Koll’s Spezial Katalog.