what is that string going from the jail to the saloon, i can't make it out from here ???

Just placed it there to hold a bucket for water. Don't ask me what I was trying to do???

Oh, here's one more of Fort Eagle:

Don't ask me what I was trying to do???

:-D :-D :-D

And Playmobil actually made Confederate soldiers:

And Playmobil actually made Confederate soldiers

Yes, which my brother and I suggested (small print)! Where are my royalties?! *sing*

i think there are several reasons for why playmo is doing better than Lego:

playmo has always limited herself to what she does best: produce playmobil sets; they didn't invest in theme parks, no pc games, no clothing,... they haven't changed their strategy for years. they just produce playmobil stuff that seems to have been around for many years now... However, their distribution system is just as lousy as Lego's: they also don't deliver in time, but at least they do deliver the sets you actually ordered.

they don't seperate their different market sections, they just produce their stuff for the entire world, i don't even know if they have a factory in the US. I guess playmo is most of all a European player with no real ambition in the US, unlike Lego. They also don't get in bed with licenses. I'd say their products are relatively cheap compared to Lego.

they also have, or had i should say, one typical world: that of the classic figure. their products aren't split up in different sections as is the case with Lego. Last week i saw all sets that playmo has produced this year on the shelf of a shop and i have to say, the range of products is huuuge. Lego also produces 200 sets a year, but it's all diversified into different age categories, not to mention the number of parts Lego needs to have in production very often for only one or two sets, unlike playmo.

In terms of their catalogue i just feel they're so much more producing stuff that their public wants. They don't seem to be affected by the typical "we want modern soldiers, weapons,..." request. Maybe the problem here is that Lego has been leaning too much on boys aged 8-12.

Playmo has also been very lucky that Lego did so badly in the last decade. Contrary to what many people think, both companies are very strong competitors in Europe. When I was 8-12, the choice in a toy shop was always between playmo and Lego. sometimes we went for playmo, sometimes Lego. So if one of both loses market share, it's the other one picking it in...

we must admit it...Playmobil rules TLC out because nowadays lego is much worse than playmobil...i love LEGO...but golden LEGO era has passed. Lego was great in the 90s with themes like pirates, space, castle...but while time was advancing lego became worse and worse...with themes like belville, X-Treme, Harry Potter or Star wars...and cancelling themes like the great pirates...and releasing awful things like the +4 pirates...

while LEGO was becoming worse and worse Playmobil has been improving theit toys, and Playmobil has been doing good themes like romans theme, and themes like pirates are really cool, and 2000s playmobil pirates are better than 90s, and playmobil castle is really cool too while KK is worse than the classic castle theme...

i have never heard of an AFOP!!

Speaking as someone who used to be an AFOP (hi, I'm new, have been lurking for awhile) I couldn't resist replying to the above! There are, believe me, many AFOP's out there.

I used to be very active (for about 3 years) on a board very like this one - the one difference is that it was dedicated to all things Playmobil - and there are several other boards as well. The members discuss the Playmobil line, new and old, like here - they also customise the figures and build new sets from old...etc, etc. There is also a huge ebay market for Playmobil sets.

I even attended the first Playmobil Convention in Zirndorf, Germany in 2003 and also went on many less official "meets" in mainland Europe - simillar to those that AFOL's attend.

I don't really know why I've lost my interest - long and very dull story - but I've been into Lego for the past couple of years (mostly Harry Potter and Star Wars but we've also got vikings, city/trains etc - I collect with my nine year old son).

But there are AFOP's out there - and they are just as passionate about Playmobil as you all are about Lego!!!

Holly

PS Playmobil toys are released in Germany/Netherlands one year before everywhere else - which is why the Romans aren't on the UK website yet.

playmo has always limited herself to what she does best: produce playmobil sets; they didn't invest in theme parks, no pc games, no clothing,... they haven't changed their strategy for years. they just produce playmobil stuff that seems to have been around for many years now...

....they don't seperate their different market sections, they just produce their stuff for the entire world, i don't even know if they have a factory in the US. I guess playmo is most of all a European player with no real ambition in the US, unlike Lego. They also don't get in bed with licenses. I'd say their products are relatively cheap compared to Lego.

I'm probably being very annoying - I don't mean to be - but I just had to comment on this as well.

Playmobil have several "funparks" scattered around - the main one is in Zirndorf, Germany and is probably closest to what most people think of as a themepark - it's pretty big, has it's own hotel etc - though the attractions are a lot more low-key than Legoland, it's pretty popular. The others (in the USA, Malta and Greece) are more like play areas attached to the Playmobil shop - though I believe the Malta one has been expanded recently.

Playmobil have produced clothes and pc games - though in limited numbers - as well as promotional items, keychains, jigsaw puzzles etc. They also release Target and TRU exclusives - largely in the US and Germany - there's a huge market for these on ebay, mostly, I suspect, from "AFOP's. They have never sold licenced products - and the bit about their distrubution system is, in my experience, absolutely correct, sadly.

Hope I haven't been too boring - it's just that, I suppose, I used to be a bit of a Playmobil expert!

Holly

Hope I haven't been too boring - it's just that, I suppose, I used to be a bit of a Playmobil expert!

That's why your input is welcome. It's not based on subjective perception and guesswork and adds some "authenticity" to this discussion.

And as you sure have noticed, while LEGO and Playmobil are competitors, no one here actually despises Playmobil (as opposed to MB). So, welcome to EB :-)

Thank you for the welcome - I must say it's great to have found a board full of like minded people and where there are such great topics and discussions on my current passion. I miss my time on the Playmobil board - though my loss of interest coincided with a time of nastiness and in-fighting and I don't know what it's like there now.

And as you sure have noticed, while LEGO and Playmobil are competitors, no one here actually despises Playmobil (as opposed to MB). So, welcome to EB :-)

It's funny you should say that - I once started a poll about people's opinions on Lego vs Playmobil on my old board soon after I discovered the HP Lego sets. True, there were a hard core set of "AFOP's who said they hated Lego - but on the whole most people said they had room for both in their lives - and there were even a few who said they were equally into both (one bloke makes movies using customised Lego and Playmobil characters). Perhaps both toy lines appeal to at least some of us for the same reasons.

Holly

As a child I always loved Playmobil. It was only 2nd after LEGO, but nonetheless one of the best toys I ever had.

A pity that my small sister (actually not that small anymore) grew up and doesn't play with Playmobil anymore, it was always so much fun to build huge dioramas using all those rocks and trees and plants and animals she had when she was younger! :-D

My children will surely get lots of Playmo, though their LEGO pile will probably be a lot bigger than anything else in their rooms... ;-)

It's funny you should say that - I once started a poll about people's opinions on Lego vs Playmobil on my old board soon after I discovered the HP Lego sets. True, there were a hard core set of "AFOP's who said they hated Lego - but on the whole most people said they had room for both in their lives - and there were even a few who said they were equally into both (one bloke makes movies using customised Lego and Playmobil characters). Perhaps both toy lines appeal to at least some of us for the same reasons.

Holly

Interesting thoughts Holly. I think they do (at least for me). I like both and I bounce between the two every few years. Once I start buying Playmobil, I'll let the Lego go for a while; and the same when collecting Lego.

I suppose what I'm most disappointed with in the last few years with Lego is the themes they've selected to do. While Playmobil continues to offer great themes (which I call the classics), Lego has really gotten in to movies. Playmobil has not had to do this. It's time Lego returns to the good history themes.

If lego won't make romans, then we can just make them ourselves.

I found a great roman torso on brickshelf from AdmMatthew.

I couldn't resist putting it in the pirate torso library under the "others-section".

This is the result after printing it:

Here's one of my drawings:

Actually it's an Asterix type of roman.

Could be fun:

Pity, I saw these playmobil sets at a local store, and they were really accurate, the figures are also great for decals and the weapons are compatible with lego I think, other wise you can mod them. At least we have brickforge roman stuff.

Pity, I saw these playmobil sets at a local store, and they were really accurate, the figures are also great for decals and the weapons are compatible with lego I think, other wise you can mod them. At least we have brickforge roman stuff.

Man this topics old...

Man this topics old...

Old or new, doesn't matter. Discussion on!

I'd like to think that LEGO has followed Playmobil's example in the variety of themes. They made a Viking line, new castle line etc. the addition of the Farm theme reminds of that thought, aswell as the rehash of pirates.

The invention of the impulse sets is very related to PM's specials. One figure with some accesoires. If LEGO would expand their range of the Impulse sets, like PM does with it's specials, we could have figures from all kinds of themes while it isn't necessairy to create a new theme for it.

Problem: Playmobil is mostly based on role playing, so new moulds are mostly used for the figures and accesoires. Lego still remains a building toy, and a lot of new moulds go to new types of bricks.

Let's hope LEGO follows PM's example, then we'd have a Roman and Egyptian theme

TT

may I add that the PM Roman sets, wich I own some off (collect PM too from time to time), are very realistic. Details like the sideways centurion plumes and the fact he wears his sword left, while the legionaries wear them right, indicates that what Playmobil is good at: creating certain stories, but using pieces that are usually historical correct.

Edited April 22, 200915 yr by Tanotrooper

I also am very impressed with these Playmo sets, and plan to get a few soon. For I am happily both a TFOL and a TFOP!

I would never say that "Playmobile rules TLC out", and not just because it's grammatically flawed.

However, I loved Playmobile as a kid. Our playmobile is still at my parents house, where I excpect to fetch it when I have children of my own. As has been mentioned, Playmobile is focused around role play more than building, but the assembling of playmobile toys, and creating of castles and other modular buildings was my favorite part of the experience.

I don't think that LEGO has outright copied Playmobile, but I agree that LEGO has been taking some cues from Playmobile recently. Mostly, this seems to be in the form of more "everyday" and "civilian" type sets that LEGO used to sell, but had until recently ceased. Sets like MMVIllage, Farm sets, and the new CITY line that includes things like campers and restaurants are examples of the kind of things that have been Playmobile's bread and butter for a long time.

I think this is a great direction for TLG, as sets that are more conducive to all aspects of role play and social interaction are likely to bring more girls into LEGO and provide a more balanced play experience for all children as well as giving AFOL's the kind of kits they want.

Edited April 23, 200915 yr by Eilif

Unlike Playmobil, which centers it's products around children, lego relies on adults as well as children. You see a 20-year old guy making a huge castle out of brick, it's cool. you see a 20-year old guy playing with it, its a little wierd

oh well, there's always brickforge!

you see a 20-year old guy playing with it, its a little wierd

I'm not exactly 20 anymore, but watch it!

There's a lot of adult collectors of Playmobil just as well as Lego who create custom Playmobil MOCs.

Some Playmobil collectors create Western Mysteries and even use Playmobil for Garden Wargaming.

Their trains are equally fun!

I'm a big fan of old Western Playmobil and have spent considerable amounts of money on Ebay to buy older sets. Playmobil isn't a "construction toy" like Lego, but it's fun as well.

I'd agree with Brickster. There's likely not a many adult fans of playmobile as adult fans of LEGO, but I wouldn't be surprised if the ratio of kids to adults for each brand is very similar. Almost every toy seems to have it's adult collector/fan base. What LEGO has going for it is that while LEGO and Playmobile both have an adult collector and displayer following, LEGO has a large cadre of builders, artists, and designer fans that Playmobile probably doesn't.

I'll admit to picking up the odd Playmo set once in a while--usually when it's interesting and on sale. When I was a kid (admittedly, a looooooong time ago), Playmo had a def. advantage in that they had more weapons for their troops.

I would add, though, that Lego seems to last longer--the old Playmo guys will barely stand anymore.

There was a time, I seem to recall, that Lego and Playmo had very similar themes (castle, pirate, etc). At any rate, it's worth pointing out that Lego and Playmo have a lot in common with each other; more similar than dissimilar.