Matador Klassik M4 Cable Railway Set

Matador M4 Klassik Cable Railway Set - Recommended Retail $29.00 Includes parts for cable railway, tools and building instructions. Matador Klassik +5 Years MATADOR – a toy for young and old alike, a natural product made from copper beech wood that is native to Austria. A game that is fun and a game that lasts – time and again offering new design, construction, success and learning opportunities through imaginative changes. With their own Matador hammer and the special Matador hole building block system, children get to know how to use tools and learn to let their imagination and their creativity run wild. Matador Classic is broken down into main sets, expansion sets, model sets and accessories. What is Matador? Matador is a construction set system made from untreated copper beech wood. The hammer and rods are used to connect Matador construction blocks. The Matador tools allow you to easily take apart Matador structures that you have built. Matador is available for two age groups: Matador-Ki (3+), Matador-Classic (5+). What does Matador represent? High quality and Austrian products Sustainable raw materials Through the generations – long-lasting products Continuity of the product range Play that is suitable for all generations Replacement part guarantee Toys offering educational value Compliance with all safety requirements High value, non-toxic, natural material First-class customer service Matador – created in the past – developed for the future!!! HISTORY OF MATADOR With a good toy we can help a child to use its imagination and through this high-quality activity, add to further development. The railway engineer Johann Korbuly must also have been of this opinion when he gave his three boys a wooden construction set for Christmas. The young builders were of course delighted, and even more delighted when their structures – their pride and joy – did not constantly fall over. For this a simple knock would suffice and the entire structure in all its glory would tumble down into a pile. The boys’ father then came up with the idea of drilling holes into the wooden blocks and connecting these with wooden rods. And with that, the main idea was borne for the creation of what has since 1903 been known around the world as “Matador construction sets”. At first, engineer Korbuly had only been thinking about his children, his friends had to advise him to have this idea patented as he would surely be able to sell the patent for a good price. But then he had to sample the bitter experience of Austrian inventors. He couldn’t find a buyer.
That was in 1901.
After a lot of thought and carrying out in-depth studies, Korbuly decided to manufacture the construction sets himself. In 1903 everything was in place. In a small workshop in the 4th Viennese district, the first series was manufactured, the house doubled up as the shop. For the first eight years, the sale of the “Matador construction sets” made a loss. Only later on did more and more customers come along and the large export business started up as well. The “Matador” wooden construction set then became known around the world and a factory opened in Pfaffstätten. There was unlimited enthusiasm and “construction set fever” was a familiar term. Matador sets were available for children from three years of age – above this there were no limits. Men are generally known to play their whole life long, and many fathers claimed they had to help their children and grandchildren with the construction in order to buy extensions. The passion for creative construction was fuelled by competitions and a “Matador magazine” and also stretched to Germany, Italy and Switzerland. There were various set sizes: starting with No. 00, No. 0, No. 1, No. 2, etc. ranging up to No. 8.
In order to not have to buy a new set when an existing set no longer sufficed, extension construction sets were available with No. 0a, No. 1a etc., which each set up a construction set on the next largest set.
In addition to this construction system there were further special supplements such as “cogwheels” or a “gear motor”. At the end of World War 2 the factory burnt down but was rebuilt soon after.
Finally, in 1978 Matador was sold to Kurt Falk, who retired from the daily business at the Kronenzeitung. He created a new concept for Matador and started to introduce plastic parts instead of wooden parts, produced object sets instead of construction sets and introduced a large number of special object-related parts. All these measures however, did nothing for the character of Matador. Thus, production ceased in 1987. In November 1996, Falk decided to sell the brand and later the machines to graduate engineer Michael Tobias.
Completely new to this industry, the Tobias family then decided to re-develop the original, much-loved (expansion) construction set system.
As early as spring 1997, new production started, at that time still in the Czech Republic. But just a few months later, Mr Tobias teamed up with the Diwald carpentry firm in Waidhofen an der Thaya, which soon proved to be a stroke of luck since Diwald’s son was an expert in microelectronics and updated the machinery with precision and automation. Today, the Austrian share of added value in the entire product range lies at approx. 97%. The main reasons for relocating the products to Austria was the guarantee of a consistent high quality, increased flexibility in the production of the different individual parts and therefore also in the design of the product range as well as the increase of possible production capacity. We believe it is our duty to continue the tradition of the legendary Austrian toy and to retain this for the generations to come. Milestones in history 1899: Matador invented by the engineer, Johann Korbuly
 1901: Matador patented by Johann Korbuly 
1903: The first Matador series is built in a small workshop in the 4th district of Vienna 
1915: Matador factory built in Pfaffstätten, Austria
 1945: Matador factory burns down shortly after World War 2
 1945-1946: Factory rebuilt
 1950: Matador Ki series launched (for 2-5 year-olds) 
1978: Matador sold to Mr Kurt Falk
1 979: Mr Falk creates a new concept: more plastic parts used
object building sets instead of construction set systems etc. 
1987: Warehouse stock sold and production ceased 
1987-1997: No market presence
1996: Graduate engineer Michael Tobias buys the Matador brand 
1996: Redevelopment of the successful construction set system 
1996: Sales based in Altlengbach, Austria
 1997: Production starts in the Czech Republic
 1997: Michael Tobias purchases Matador machines 
1997: Production relocated to Austria (Waidhofen/Thaya)
from 1998: 97% produced in Austria
 2007: Company headquarters moves to St. Pölten, Austria