A few words about Brekina models:

Even amongst all the high-quality makers of HO (1:87) models in Germany, Brekina is something special, for the following reasons:

• Their quality is excellent (but then, we expect that from German-made models).
• They specialize in nostalgia models - no current generation car to be found here. That makes their models particularly suitable for railway layouts featuring steam engines.
• They make models of cars usually not seen by other manufacturers (the main manufacturers tend to offer overlapping model ranges, but Brekina offers models which are not all that often found elsewhere).
• They have very short model runs - they don't talk about "limited editions", but that's what it often amounts to. The way it was explained to me by one of their principals is that when they produce a follow-up run of an already existing model, they usually make some changes (different colours, different prints, slight (or even major) alterations in model type, etc), so that you are unlikely to get an exact duplicate of a model you already have.
• Some of the model variants are very unusual - just have a look at the item descriptions!

By the way, all Brekina models are made of plastic.

The Borgward Story...

The story of the Borgward Group (Borgward, Goliath und Lloyd) is really the story of Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Borgward, born on 10 November 1890, died on 28. July 1963 from a heart attack

Even as a child, Borgward was interested in cars. His career towards creating his own was interrupted by WW1, in which he was wounded. After the war, he returned to Bremen, where he bought into a small company, and later took it over. The company was the "Hansa-Lloyd-Werke", names familiar to Borgward fans as later model names for his cars. There, he produced coolers and other parts for car manufacturers, until somebody had the bright idea of producing a 3-wheeler delivery cart, which initially was little more than a converted motor cycle.

Still, that was the beginning. After initial marketing difficulties (it was the Great Depression), the 3-wheeler (soon called Goliath) ended up dominating the market with a share of 25%!

In 1933, Borgward finally made the leap into "real cars" with the Hansa, a pretty 1100 cc coupé (and other body versions). Just as things began really to roll for Borgward, WW2 intervened. The factories were destroyed, and after the war, Borgward was imprisoned as a sympathiser of the regime; when he was released in 1948, aged 58, he had lost all enthusiasm for starting again.

Still, others pressured him into having another go, and that he did, building up to being the fourth-largest car manufacturer in Germany by the late 1950s (after VW, Opel, and Ford, which actually made his company the second-largest German-owned car manufacturer).

What followed in the early 1960s is controversial even up to today - nobody is quite certain what exactly happened, and how, and why. Essentially, the banks refused to give Borgward a loan, which was required to make continued production possible, even though such loan was fully covered by assets - in other words, it made no commercial sense whatsoever to refuse liquidity to a fully solvent and wealthy organisation. Yet the banks did just that. Why?

Many more or less believable conspiracy theories circulated (some actually quite believable). Political interference from the City-State administration of Bremen? Interference from another car manufacturer, who was also in financial difficulties at the time? If the former is true, then it was rather silly, since the closure of the factory caused loss of jobs. If the latter was true...

Whatever may have happened, a going concern suddenly was no longer going. Borgward as an organisation, died (and with it the Brand names of Borgward, Goliath, Lloyd, and the well-known model names of Isabella, Hansa, Goliath, and so on). Even when sold at discount prices, the assets brought more than enough to cover all debts, and to leave some over - proof that the company was more than solvent when it was forced into bankruptcy.

Borgward, the man, died soon afterwards of a heart attack - not overly surprising, given the stress he had endured.

... and the Story of the 2300

Generally speaking, of all the Borgwards, the Isabella was the "showpiece" - it was (for its time) an exceptionally attractive car (especially in coupé and cabrio versions), well built, and with great performance for its era. The 1.5 litre 4-cylinder engine of the Isabella TS (as well as the coupé and cabrio) had an output of 75 DIN hp (50 DIN hp/l was considered high performance in those days), which was in the league of the later BMWs. This gave the car a top speed of 150 km/h (again, quite a lot in those days... and performance that rivalled the Porsches of that era).

Having conquered the upper- middle class market that way, Borgward tried for an upward thrust into the prestige and luxury market. The that end, they introduced the 2300 in 1959/1960. Its name suggested a 2300 cc engine (although, in reality, it was only 2238 cc, but the hint at a bigger engine was probably part of a game of one-upmanship with the Mercedes 220, whose market it was attacking).

The 6-cylinder engine produced a respectable 100 hp. Not as highly strung as the Isabella's 4-cylinder, it was much smoother and quieter, yet managed a top speed of 160 km/h, and an acceleration to 100 km/h in 17 seconds (slow by today's standards, but a good performance over 50 years ago).

This exceptionally well turned out vehicle, combining modern styling with true elegance, could be obtained with a 4-speed manual gear box (the gear lever mounted on the steering column, as was common in those days), or with a Hansamatic (a 4-speed automatic gear box manufactured by Borgward at a time when automatics were still rare, and those which existed usually made do with 3 gears).

The car should have been a runaway success, but the already mentioned odd bankruptcy put an end to its career. Apparently, exactly 2500 of them were finished before the bankruptcy, and another 47 were assembled afterwards.

The car was so advanced for its time that a revival of the company was attempted in Mexico in 1967, where some of the manufacturing facilities from the bankruptcy sale were moved. However, the revival was short-lived - apparently due to insufficient funding. For a few months, an average of 5 of the 2300s were built there each working day, but then production fizzled out a second time.

ABOUT THESE MODELS:

I cannot guarantee that models on sale here are original, as delivered by the manufacturer (unless they are in still sealed original packaging). There simply are far too many models, with far too many variations, to compare them all with various catalogues, just to make sure that nobody has exchanged any parts.

I will always make a point of mentioning where I know (or suspect) anything to be non-standard or damaged, but I don't go over every part of a model with a loupe, just to see if I can detect any flaws. My feedback will confirm that I try to be as honest as I can in my item descriptions, and if you want reassurance about anything in particular, please ask in advance, and I will try to answer every query as quickly as possible.

It should be pointed out that most of the models offered are collectors' items, not toys. That means that they are often very fragile, and not suitable for small children or "playing".

I can guarantee that all models are as photographed, because I photograph them myself, never using anyone else's pictures (unless specifically indicated on the photo). Please be aware that very small items, such as mirrors, can easily fall off (or even break off) in transit - there is no way of guaranteeing that this won't happen, no matter how carefully the items are packed. So, please unpack very carefully and, if necessary, re-attach any parts that have come off (a model cannot be considered damaged merely because any of those fine detail parts came off in transit; if you find this condition unacceptable, please don't bid).

Some manufacturers actually bolt models together, rather than using glue. This allows for parts to be interchanged (for instance, different trays or containers to be used on a truck chassis), and for some parts to be added or removed, so that models can be individualized. So, don't panic if (for instance) a truck arrives with a tray just sitting loosely on top of the chassis - it is most likely meant to be that way (and if it really worries you, because things keep falling off, you can always glue them together yourself).

SHIPPING & PAYMENT OPTIONS:

From within Australia:

For shipping charges please see below. Additional models attract shipping discounts.

From within Australia, payment accepted by cheque (must clear before shipment), Money Order, Direct Deposit (preferred method), Credit Card payment via PayPal.

From US (and other Overseas locations):

For shipping charges please see below. Additional models attract shipping discounts.

Payment methods from overseas are Paymate, PayPal.

NO personal checks at all from overseas (they cannot be cashed here), and NO money orders from overseas.

PLEASE NOTE that insurance is not available to a very few countries (including Germany, Norway, Israel, Canada, Malta, some countries in South America and a few others). Shipments to these countries will be via International Registered Post, which is somewhat more expensive than the standard shipping charges for the relevant region. Unfortunately, there is no alternative to this if we want to comply with eBay and PayPal buyer safety requirements - please do not bid if you are from these countries and do not wish to accept these conditions (if you suspect that your country may also have limitations on postal insurance, you can check it out on the Australia Post website).

PLEASE NOTE ALSO: Postage rates are accurate at time of placement of this item description but are subject to change without notice to keep up with Australia Post increases.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1) Do you make a profit from shipping charges? Surely, a small item like this can't cost more than a dollar for postage?

No, we don't make a profit from shipping. Yes, the postage label might only show part of the charge, but to the postage comes the registration & insurance charge.

Then there are the shipping boxes. Of course, like everyone else, we do recycle materials, but there is a limit to that, especially since we usually receive large boxes but ship out in small ones. All our regulars will be familiar with the super strong shipping tubes we use whenever possible - they are super safe.

For larger items, it is sometimes necessary to make boxes - Australia Post uses a formula for postage which not only considers weight, and distance, but also the size of boxes. It is therefore uneconomical to use boxes that are too big... which necessitates cutting down boxes so that we can save you, our customers, on shipping charges. In fact, our shipping charges for larger items are maximum charges, and we automatically refund overpayments where we can.

Then have a look at what bubble wrap, sticky tape, address labels, string, etc, costs and you will see why it actually costs us more for shipping than we charge. And that is before we consider time involved in packaging, filling out forms, waiting in line, etc, nor does it account for transport costs.

Larger size models attract higher shipping charges, but always at break-even level.

2) What are the postage discounts?

Additional small items are currently charged at an additional shipping charge of 50 cents each for domestic shipments, or AU$1.00 each for overseas.

Larger items will also be combined to minimise shipping charges, but because of the complex Australia Post formulas (of weight, distance and size of package), it isn't possible to advertise "standard charges" for these.

PLEASE NOTE: All mentioned shipping charges are subject to change due to increases by Australia Post.

3) How long does it take to get my auction wins?

We work on superfast turnaround. For all payments received overnight (bank deposits, PayPal), we normally aim to ship the package out the same morning. Rarely does it take more than 24 hours. Naturally, we only ship out on working days - so, shipping is not possible on weekends and public holidays.

4) Are you reliable and trustworthy?

Please read our feedback. You can't please everyone all the time, but I am sure if you read our feedback you will quickly see what sort of reputation we have.

5) What is your policy on email queries?

We answer all queries and do so as quickly as we can (usually within a few hours).

6) What is the quality of your products?

We aim to sell only the best quality items. If something has a flaw (such as used items), we say so in advance, so that you know exactly what you are getting. Even with new items, we make it quite clear when the products of a particular manufacturer are n ot up to the high standards we usually expect. And all items we ship out go through a final check, just to make sure they are in the described order.

7) Will you let us know when payment has been received?

Yes, we do that automatically. Ordinarily, we send three emails to every buyer: (1) when an auction has closed, an invoice is sent; (2) when payment has been received; (3) when the item is shipped.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

I believe in "give and take", but very occasionally I get people who try to be difficult. For them, the following rules are clearly stated in advance:

This is standard for everything I sell. Everything is strictly "as is", but as described. Feel free to e-mail me in advance if I can tell you anything else about it.

Buyer pays in advance, including shipping, packaging, and insurance (I cannot be held responsible for uninsured items).

Please note that all items are located in Australia.

Payments must include the shipping, or the item will not be shipped until the additional funds have been received. Anything else is subject to negotiation. I reserve the right not to deal with anyone with excessive negative feedback.

Any deal not concluded within a month may be considered void.

ABOUT COLLECTING MODELS:

Since I started selling these models here in Australia, I have been asked a number of times what a new collector should look out for when starting a collection. There really isn't a simple answer to that, because it largely becomes a matter of personal taste. People collect all manner of different models, based on:

• Scarcity... some collectors like items that were produced in limited editions, or have become scarce due to their age - this is why some of the highest prices are paid for old "glassless" Wiking models, which are quite primitive by the company's modern standards
• Themes, such as anything to do with Christmas, with the Military, with certain soft-drink or beer producers, and so on
• Model Makers - some people like to collect items by Wiking, Herpa, Matchbox, and so on
• Oddities - some collectors like the unusual or strange
• Car Manufacturers - like BMWs, Ferraris, or whatever
• Car Models, like the Citroen 2CV, VW Beetle, and so on
• Car Types - Taxis, Fire Engines, Police Vehicles, 4-WDs...
• Era-based - some collectors want car models that fit into certain times in history...
• Advertising Models - a relatively newer field for collectors is the collection of models from specific advertisers (like breweries, etc), or from as many different advertisers as possible for the same model car (for instance, collecting a particular Mercedes Truck with as many different advertising messages as possible).

The list is endless - some simply like to have models of cars they have driven themselves, while others collect what they would drive if they could afford it... and last, but not least, people often collect models simply because they are attractive and make nice displays.

So, for the newcomer to model car collecting, whatever interests you, there are probably others interested in the same - as long as you enjoy it, it's all fun :-)