piccolo - bei Schuco

From electrician to model specialist !
A portrait of Dörfl er, the famous Nuremberg model railway shop
There are few refuges for enthusiasts
of traditional toys available in the
“toy capital” of Nuremberg. A specialist
shop, which can however still be found
there is on Färberstraße in the middle of
the historic old town. Eisenbahn Dör er
was founded back in 1920 and at the beginning
operated under the name Georg
Dör er-Elektroinstallationen.
At the end of the 1920’s, Märklin toy
railways were added to the electrical installation
trade. Georg Dör er supplied
large exhibitions with railways systems
as early as the 1930s and worked closely
with the railway industry on this. As a
result the name of Eisenbahn Dör er
became known throughout Germany.
Dör er also took into account the growing
importance of the Schuco brand and
sold successful models in the ‘30s and
‘40s such as the Turning Car (Wendeauto)
and the Mercedes-Benz Silberpfeil
(silver arrow.)
At the beginning of the 1950’s, the business
moved to the other side of the street
– its current location – and was enlarged
at the same time. After the move, the
large window displays always attracted
a great deal of attention in Nuremberg
at Christmas time, and even today, older
ladies and even greater numbers of older
men go into raptures about Dör er’s
wonderful displays. Schuco’s tin models
enjoyed their peak of popularity until
the end of the ‘60s and were also real
sales hits at Dör er, too.
Over time, Georg Dör er became one
of the real specialists of model railways
until his death at the beginning of the
1970’s. The business continued to develop
more and more as a specialist shop
for model railways until the electrical installation
business side was abandoned
completely. After his death, Georg
Dör er’s only daughter, Magdalene,
took over the business and ran it along
traditional lines and made it into a true
“institution” for fans of model railways
and model cars in the Nuremberg area.
In 1997, Magdalene Dör er retired
from actively running the business and
handed it over to Rudolf Böhlein. After
decades of having only women working
in the shop under the leadership of
Ms Dör er, the business is now almost
entirely run by men. Magdalene Dör er,
however, insists on visiting her former
shop regularly.
Rudolf Böhlein and his team have all the
leading brands in the area of model railways
on their range. Mr Böhlein is building
a team of well-trained and highly
quali ed sta and service is one of their
most important goals. Courteousness, a
replacement parts services, all types of
conversions, despatch service, EC cash,
repairs, special orders, special o ers and
Kontakt:
Eisenbahn DÖRFLER
Inh. Rudolf A. Böhlein
Färberstraße 34/36
90402 Nürnberg
Telefon: 0911/227839
Telefax: 0911/2146105
E-Mail:
info@eisenbahn-doerfl er.de
Internet:
www.eisenbahn-doerfl er.de
Kennt in Nürnberg fast jedes Kind: Eisenbahn Dör er in der Färberstrasse.
Known to nearly every child in Nuremberg: the Dör er railway shop in Färberstrasse.
second-hand goods are only a small part
of the services o ered by Eisenbahn Dör-
er. In addition, Böhlein had the entire
shop remodelled in 2006 and is now well
equipped to face the future.
As ever, Schuco fans are in good hands in
this traditional specialist shop in Nuremberg’s
Färberstraße. “We have dealt with
Schuco from the beginning and still
carry all the ranges,” says Rudolf Böhlein
proudly. He can look back over a long
history of joint success with Eisenbahn
Dör er and Schuco. Since the middle of
2006, Eisenbahn Dör er has been one of
the 50 Piccolo Premium Partners across
Germany.
He is also continuing another longstanding
tradition. The annual Christmas
window display, which is new every
year, is planned and set up by Rudolf
Böhlein himself. As it was: designed by
the electrician, Georg Dör er.
Collectors News 3/06
PORTRAIT
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