Category:MARBI aluminium construction sets (Märklin)

Marbi set 601 and 601A [image info]

Märklin's MARBI Construction Sets appeared in around 1933 as a way of producing cheap, aluminium, entry-level sets to address the lower end of the market while trying not to undermine their own more "premium" sales for the steel Märklin Metallbaukasten range. The logic being that if they didn't sell sets at the budget end of the market, someone else would (such as Trix), and that with enough sales that company might then be emboldened to produce more up-market products to compete with the "proper" Märklin range.

A similar approach was taken by Meccano Ltd. with their "X Series" budget range, deliberately designed to fill the corresponding "low-budget" niche in the UK, again assumed to be a reaction to the appearance of the Trix sets.

1936: Examples of models made with MARBI

Range

The MARBI sets used cheap unpainted aluminium versions of the proper coloured enamelled-steel Metalbaukasten parts, and in 1936-39 there was just a single main set, 601, an addon set, 601 A, and a budget aluminium clockwork motor 650. If customers had enjoyed playing with MARBI, but now wanted a wider range of parts, their option was to start purchasing the full-blown Märklin Metallbaukasten sets.

The MARBI Clockwork Motor, Märklin No. 650

1936 promotional text:

Although the little MARBI Sets, the parts of which are unpainted, cannot be said to be one of the range of the famous MÄRKLIN Construction Sets, the parts are nevertheless mostly identical with the MÄRKLIN parts. The sizes, holes, etc. are the same, so that MARBI can always be used with MÄRKLIN Metal Construction Sets.

MARBI Metal Construction Sets can be used as sets complete in themselves. With a single box No.601 an unlimited number of simple models may be built. By adding other boxes, proportionally larger and more complicated models may be built.

See also:

• Trix construction sets
• Meccano Series X