PlaymoFriends
General => News => Topic started by: Giorginetto on November 17, 2011, 13:52:33
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Some might not know this , but last year there was a lot of combined effort from playmobil forums to persuade Playmobil to create a Steck 4 Way Connector. A lot of discussion has gone into this etc , i wonder if anyone has an update on that rather important issue .. Personally i would have prefered to see that re released ratehr than the old timer car, bakery , wine barel , wind mill , water tank, dont get me wrong i love these sets and really happy playmobil released them again ( and hopefully they will be here in january i have heard stories they are sold out already .... ??? ???) BUT the 4 way connector is crucial to take any serious steck castle to the next level of evolution ....
Any news anyone then ??? ??? ??? ???
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Yes, I would love to know too. There were some great ideas. Roll on collectors club I say!
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I haven't heard anything. I know they are aware of it. We brought it up at the meeting at the end of May. No idea if anything's happened since then.
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The last info I got:
They (Geobra) are still waiting of a statement from the technical department (production) ....
but the issues is not forgotten....
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Thanks for the update Tim and Schluss. I hope they make this, it will take Steck to another dimension !!! :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee:
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wow this is great news!! :love: :love: :love:
Schluss may we know how did you get this info? ;D
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I remember quite a bit of discussions about this part and how it was going to be sold in packs, the only problem is the person who was pushing very hard for this and other things is now not with us. The part is made in brown so the mold does exist. I do not recall if it was damaged or not but I can not imagine how since it was only in limited farm sets and should not have been used extensively. I do not have mine out but I think it did not have building block print or the western plank print but it is smooth/plain.
In my opinion this is not the only steck part we are lacking. There are so many other old ones and new ones that could allow new building to be created. I have always wanted to make building deeper where the rooms have double or triple heights and four to six walls deep. It would create such a beautiful banquet room full of activities. The problem is holding up the floor above the room.
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I remember quite a bit of discussions about this part and how it was going to be sold in packs, the only problem is the person who was pushing very hard for this and other things is now not with us. The part is made in brown so the mold does exist. I do not recall if it was damaged or not but I can not imagine how since it was only in limited farm sets and should not have been used extensively. I do not have mine out but I think it did not have building block print or the western plank print but it is smooth/plain.
In my opinion this is not the only steck part we are lacking. There are so many other old ones and new ones that could allow new building to be created. I have always wanted to make building deeper where the rooms have double or triple heights and four to six walls deep. It would create such a beautiful banquet room full of activities. The problem is holding up the floor above the room.
maybe the next step would be a 45 degree angle conector. :)
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maybe the next step would be a 45 degree angle conector. :)
There are some cat-walk pieces that we need also ;)
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Quite easy: I am reading the german forums like klickywelt and this info was posted by a well known member there.
wow this is great news!! :love: :love: :love:
Schluss may we know how did you get this info? ;D
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Cool! thanks for passing it.! :love:
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You are welcome!
Cool! thanks for passing it.! :love:
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What would this be good for? For making rooms within castles? Just trying to imagine... thanks!
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What would this be good for? For making rooms within castles? Just trying to imagine... thanks!
your quess is correct... If I had four way connectors my porject would be a lot smoother...
http://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=4358.msg56431#msg56431
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your quess is correct... If I had four way connectors my porject would be a lot smoother...
http://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=4358.msg56431#msg56431
Awesome steck building !!!! Amazing how easy is to make custom building with steck !!!! The 3666 distinctive pieces allow great medieval castle designs !!!!
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Holy moly that is some impressive building you did there!! I made my own castle too but it doesn't hold a candle to yours in any way whatsoever (well, I did put the klickies in there - haha). I'd love to have a conversation at some point about how to make the most period-appropriate looking furniture/accessories for medieval castles. E.g. beds, ovens, candelabras and chandeliers, etc. At some point I'd *like* [to have the time] to add a church/chapel, a gate house, and hallways instead of just walls where there aren't buildings...and as Iv'e said before, I want so badly to add doors without losing the drawbridge (can't have both with the red and white or black striped doors, it seems). AND would love to add lights at least in some places - so we make do with flickering fake candle tea lights for now - haha.
In the next post after this I'll try adding pics of our castle which is unrealistic but was fun to build nonetheless...
your quess is correct... If I had four way connectors my porject would be a lot smoother...
http://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=4358.msg56431#msg56431
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Testing...
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(okay it worked... was having issues w/ posting pics earlier)
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That is an excellent castle! :wow:
I really like it. :)9
It is cool you have so many civilians too. :yup:
I do not have any civilians for my knights... :-[
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Theresse, this is an excellent project!! I like it very much!!!
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I'm no expert on castles, but it looks great to me! Really like the effect the fake candles inside give it, that's a good idea. You should start a topic with these pics in the buildings and dioramas sub-board so we can all comment on them properly. :)
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Excellent set Theresse. It follows the design concept i have used in my steck set up and has the same pattern, house in the middle, extended , 3666 windows at bottom, round towers at corners, square at front etc . really like that design concept and you should indeed put lots of pictures of your excellent creation in the appropriate section in a new thread, we are only talking about a steck connector here and your work should have its own thread me reckons.
Bring back steck !!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D
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Bring back steck !!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D
.......and Nuremberg Guards !!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Yes, i would be able to build my cathedral without those brown colors...
the idea of the 4-way connector brings back steck, its a pretty hard desition for Geobra, so far theres not much interest in bring in it back in my opinion, but i guess they rather make a new building system, that personally i don't like it, and its not the stetics but the limitations...
hopefully they see how good the remakes are selling... thanks to us.
been able to build walls in a castle will be easier and will make the building stronger, the roof will be uniform, easy to build...
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I am actually a bit surprised ita taking that long for an answer to such a relatively small request from so many collectors , globally.... :hmm: :hmm: :hmm: :hmm: :hmm:
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...still no answer... no news.... anyone has any update ??? I am actually a bit surprised that Playmobil has responded and released the DS sets that were requested by collectors but this specific request by so many that only involved one single part has been put aside. a shame really as there are so many dedicated playmobil collectors that have requested this.... :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\
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...still no answer... no news.... anyone has any update ??? I am actually a bit surprised that Playmobil has responded and released the DS sets that were requested by collectors but this specific request by so many that only involved one single part has been put aside. a shame really as there are so many dedicated playmobil collectors that have requested this.... :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\
and they have the mold. As I recall we were going to get it in a "add-ons" 4 pack. Unfortunately the member who was taking care of all the importand discusions with Geobra is no longer with us. :hissyfit: :doh:
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and they have the mold. As I recall we were going to get it in a "add-ons" 4 pack. Unfortunately the member who was taking care of all the importand discusions with Geobra is no longer with us. :hissyfit: :doh:
I think Sir Rasputin has put forward the best argument. They have the mold but still no progress.... :( :( :( :(
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I know this is reeeeeaaally late, but I really want to say thank you to those of you who were so kind about "my" PM castle. :thanks: Clearly, I'm not here very often. But I may be back more now that my youngest sons have insisted I try to re-build it based on these same pictures. Ugh. Anyway it was supposed to be a project to do WITH my then 6 year-old son (and his two year-old brothers who were barely allowed to touch it!) but the kid just wanted me to build it and then play with it/in the courtyard! So I got a little obsessed, combining 3.5 to 3 of the 3666 castles.
And yes I found it so annoying that I had so many limitations. I too am very surprised they haven't realized that the 4-way connector pieces could be part of a larger major marketing opportunity for PM to market/turn even non-collectors onto the concept of free-building with Playmobil. With the movement toward more creativity for kids these days (or back to that), it seems it'd be a no-brainer. And it wouldn't hurt their other sales because there are always going to be plenty of kids who want the whole toy and all its accessories and no other complications. The steck pieces - with all NECESSARY building pieces - could be seen as an upgrade that kids grow into as they get older (and then of course a lot of the younger kids would get them anyway cause that's how kids and parents are, haha, needing to prove who's brilliant beyond years... ). They could even do something what like Lego did - not re. robotics necessarily but they could jump on the stop-motion wagon and offer packages or software etc. for making short films or still photos scenes/themes and then even have contests etc (or maybe they do have contests, I don't know). Major lost opportunity in my opinion. Or it may be that they're doing so well, they just don't need to think about it!!
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and they have the mold. As I recall we were going to get it in a "add-ons" 4 pack. Unfortunately the member who was taking care of all the importand discusions with Geobra is no longer with us. :hissyfit: :doh:
And that member was....(?)
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I love the idea of Steck as a building system. From the meetings we had with the Playmobil staff in 2011 I can tell you that they are not interested in pursuing any building system strategy right now. Maybe someday, but at the moment I would be happy if they would put more emphasis on the play-world concept. Especially in the US market. I really don't think that consumers in the US understand that every Playmobil set is in scale and fits with every other set, ever made. When they do understand it they tend to confuse it with LEGO somehow.
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I bet I could convince at least 75% of the people at a convention that the playmo toys were legos. Lego has a very aggressive advertising campaign and willingness to make bold new moves.
The playmobil as a building system is a great topic......... :'( ends in depression/frustration ;)
So what about voting for the farm which came with the brown one? It could be painted. The brown one to me is still very useful when you use it with the (7400) stecks brown half wall parts.
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So what about voting for the farm which came with the brown one? It could be painted. The brown one to me is still very useful when you use it with the (7400) stecks brown half wall parts.
Since it would be stuck inside a building anyway for the most part (and those that were not would not be overtly noticeable) painting would be a good option, in my opinion. Mind you, the paint would have to be matched up with the grey of the stone walls, including the matte/sheen of them to blend the best. I would wager there is a mass-marketed grey spay paint easily accessible that would meet these requirements.
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That might work on old steck that changed color too perhaps.
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i had to use some of them brown 4 wayers in KRULL. only a handful i have , they really dont match the stone wall pattern of classic steck walls and i hope if its ever made its made to match the stone walls steck and not the western wooden one.... hopefully one day.. there is a whole new world of steck buildings if this 4 wayer becomes ever available and the possibility of making far more complex and elaborate stgeck castles will be appealing to all steck hardcore and non hardcore enthusiasts and i am sure for a small part it would sell well in a pack of say 12 or 6 pieces.... :love: :love: :love:
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Ehrr... some posts already disappeared while I was typing my post above? ::)
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Ehrr... some posts already disappeared while I was typing my post above? ::)
Yep. Sorry guys, but remember any news about this through the PCC is confidential. :-\
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I see a 4 way storm brewing, what idiots over there
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I'm guessing the possibility of a "private" pcc board in the forums didn't make it? :(
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well, i just posted in FB that was a great Day for the "+" steck connector. no details, or PCC pictures. i used the klickywelt ones!!!
:P
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I'm guessing the possibility of a "private" pcc board in the forums didn't make it? :(
We're waiting for the PCC to come up with a way we can see if members are currently paid up PCC members or not. Right now the PCC profile doesn't indicate whether you are currently paid up or not. Those who did not renew their membership look the same as those who did.
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We're waiting for the PCC to come up with a way we can see if members are currently paid up PCC members or not. Right now the PCC profile doesn't indicate whether you are currently paid up or not. Those who did not renew their membership look the same as those who did.
Ah, ok - thanks for the update.
(unfortunately, it doesn't really surprise anyone :( )
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There doesn't seem to have been a lot of thought put into how members would be identified on the PCC site. No record of a member's number (I've lost my card and had not made a note of my number, so I may have to join again to gain membership benefits) and no way of identifying who is and who isn't a paid up member.
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There doesn't seem to have been a lot of thought put into how members would be identified on the PCC site. No record of a member's number (I've lost my card and had not made a note of my number, so I may have to join again to gain membership benefits) and no way of identifying who is and who isn't a paid up member.
Yes.. they did say we need to put the card number manually on our area, since it's the only way to have it resent to us..
Regarding that, it may actually be simpler (I've been part of doing something like this, and I'm not sure the complication of doing it the other way around actually pays off.)
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Unfortunately, I didn't see that before I lost my card. Ironically, I'm currently membership secretary of a society with about 700 members worldwide and if a member loses his/her membership card, they just email and I look them up on the database and send them a new card.
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There doesn't seem to have been a lot of thought put into how members would be identified on the PCC site. No record of a member's number (I've lost my card and had not made a note of my number, so I may have to join again to gain membership benefits) and no way of identifying who is and who isn't a paid up member.
This is what comes from using an off-the-shelf social networking platform - it just doesn't do what is needed to accommodate a paid-membership club. :(
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So someday I may have to open my box with my card in it someday?
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Without going into details-PCC confidentiality, you know...-I just wanted to say that I'm getting REALLY bored with the constant :
"We're offering this in the special sale, we're offering that in the special sale, but ONLY for a limited number of quick buyers, cause we don't mind frustrating the would be buyers that are "too late" because there are ALWAYS limited supplies...".
It's not good when a "Club" like the PCC is CONSTANTLY frustrating its members more than makes them happy...Just my two cents.
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Without going into details-PCC confidentiality, you know...-I just wanted to say that I'm getting REALLY bored with the constant :
"We're offering this in the special sale, we're offering that in the special sale, but ONLY for a limited number of quick buyers, cause we don't mind frustrating the would be buyers that are "too late" because there are ALWAYS limited supplies...".
It's not good when a "Club" like the PCC is CONSTANTLY frustrating its members more than makes them happy...Just my two cents.
do you know how many new molds they make every year and just shelf them after a short run? The number is ridiculous yet they cant just make a new 4 way mold? Really stupid especially as there are so many members of the pcc and beyond who would order many. I want about 40 I figure and I do not even have a giant stecks collection. SOme one like (edit name) would buy at least 60 I am guessing seeing how giant their stecks castles are. 1000 people buying 10 each adds up fast.
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Earlier someone mentioned that the minimum for organizations that want a special set made is 20,000. I wonder if they would be persuaded to produce a new mold if we gather up 20,000 pledges to buy this part.
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Earlier someone mentioned that the minimum for organizations that want a special set made is 20,000. I wonder if they would be persuaded to produce a new mold if we gather up 20,000 pledges to buy this part.
That's pretty interesting, actually. You wouldn't even need that many people, if they're all prepared to buy 10 or more connectors.
Sign me up for 20 (10 in grey and 10 in brown) 8-)
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I would buy up to 200 if I could... all the steck parts need to be in the ds range even if they are online only and take 6 weeks to arrive and don't appear in the catalog... and for that matter the system x parts... is this a "direct service" range of products or a junk sale? :lol:
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If I remember correctly from the tour a couple years ago the low end cost of a new mold is about 200,000 Euros. If you could come up with 1000 people who are willing to buy 10 each then it would still cost 10 Euros per connector. They did replace the solid steck wall mold, but that's because it is used in multiple add on sets they have re-released. The better tactic it seems to me is to convince them there is enough demand for the old farm that used the part as an add-on, plus the general demand for just the part, to make it worth doing the mold again. It's something for those of us going to the meetings over the next couple of months to talk to them about.
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Earlier someone mentioned that the minimum for organizations that want a special set made is 20,000. I wonder if they would be persuaded to produce a new mold if we gather up 20,000 pledges to buy this part.
I'm not sure that figure is for new molds... Could be for a set made of existing parts (or new colors?)
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I know some individual molds that mold in multiple colors cost as much as a million Euros each. It's something you can ask during the tour next month.
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I'm not sure that figure is for new molds... Could be for a set made of existing parts (or new colors?)
Yeah, I'm not sure either. It would be a good thing to ask. I wouldn't think that this mold would cost as much as a completely new mold because there's no designing necessary. They should be able to use the part as a basis for the new mold. And maybe we could get the demand up to 200,000.
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say 2000 people
each buys 10 4 packs or 40 individuals
That is a total of 80,000 pieces
If each piece was say $2.50 or $10 per pack or $40 $100 per person
That is $200,000
would that cover a mold or not?
would 2000 people each put up $40$100 into an account to place an order?
How do we get enough funds to make our own order with Geobra as a wholesale customer like TRU?
We could do this often as a collective group. Place custom large orders at wholesale :paddy:
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say 2000 people
each buys 10 4 packs or 40 individuals
That is a total of 80,000 pieces
If each piece was say $2.50 or $10 per pack or $40 per person
That is $200,000
would that cover a mold or not?
would 2000 people each put up $40 into an account to place an order?
How do we get enough funds to make our own order with Geobra as a wholesale customer like TRU?
We could do this often as a collective group. Place custom large orders at wholesale :paddy:
I know I would be willing to put up $40 or $50 :)
But I'm not sure it would be enough - even if we could get 2,000 people to each advance $40, that's only $80,000 and they would have the cost of a mold and the normal production costs, etc.
It would be nice to know how much it would actually cost though.
We'll all have to keep hounding them. I can't believe that it wouldn't be profitable for them to continue offering more steck through DS considering the demand on ebay. I assume that the re-releases do well since the keep doing them.
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Perhaps the molds for whole new set might cost that much, but if individual part molds are that expensive then the fairy princess stuff is going to bankrupt the company. I know the molding machines themselves cost around 300k so it seems unlikely that a single mold to go into the machine would cost as much unless they are talking about molds for a whole new theme or large set, like the pyramid for example.
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our child hood friends family had a machine in a barn at their tomato farm. It spat out RC helicopter blades all day and night. They bought the machine to cut their own designs out of metals. It was not a fortune to set it up.
A simple mold is about $20,000
The four way is actually a complicated mold if you think of it. You have to separate the mold casts in a special way. Its not just a gun.
Can a 3D printer make the part?
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I know I would be willing to put up $40 or $50 :)
But I'm not sure it would be enough - even if we could get 2,000 people to each advance $40, that's only $80,000 and they would have the cost of a mold and the normal production costs, etc..
No sorry my bad math was $100 per person
2000 members at $100 each = $200,000
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Perhaps the molds for whole new set might cost that much, but if individual part molds are that expensive then the fairy princess stuff is going to bankrupt the company.
Yes, I do not understand that. I think that is the problem - I'm guessing we have no idea what we're talking about...
Maybe there are different kinds of molds or something? I mean... in the last 2-3 years, how many hairstyles appeared? Is it a matter of size? How about those huge system Y parts that are fit for... well... nothing else? And all the stuff in the fairy theme is also a good example..
So, I think there must be something more to it that eludes us - well, me at least.
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If I had to guess I would say they suppose that to keep producing old parts not in current sets would be a great expense because they would have to buy more molding machines to dedicate to old parts not currently in use so they didn't interrupt the production of the hundreds of new sets that are planned 2-3 years ahead already.
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I assume a big part of the production cost of a mold is the design, manufacture of a prototype and initial testing/feasability study. But the plans for this mold schould already exist...so that should bring down the price enormously....
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Here is a link to an interesting article which talks about Playmobil's current mould-making capacity and their plans to quadruple that capacity in 2015: Blum-Novotest GmbH website article (http://www.blum-novotest.de/fr/societe/news/news-ansicht-template/article/efficient-high-precision-mould-making-thanks-to-lasers.html) (There is also a lot of just plain interesting information about other aspects of injection moulding at Playmobil.)
An excerpt from the article:
So the demands placed on the mould-making process are very high - and they are rising steadily as the rate of new releases continues apace. A total of 77 designers and technicians are working continuously to produce new figures and sets, for which new injection moulds then have to be made. "We output as many as 1,200 new moulds a year, around 45 percent of them internally and the rest from external contractors," reports Attila Britting, head of the in-house mould-making shop. "To increase our in-house capacities, in 2015 the mould-making shop is going to be relocated to a new building, which will quadruple its size. That will also entail an expansion of our machinery portfolio, and mean more of the injection-moulding will be done in-house".
Next year they ought to be able to fit in a few runs of new and re-released Steck pieces! :irish:
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I think they might focus too much on making new pieces instead of putting to use what they already have.
I mean.. any castle building system after steck was not needed. Could have just added some new parts to steck, or release different colors of steck.
It's understandeable that they want to add more hairstyles or such though.. but I think more often, they should look at whats already available.
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I think they might focus too much on making new pieces instead of putting to use what they already have.
.... but I think more often, they should look at whats already available.
Bingo! This is why the company is reporting revenue instead of profits on their balance sheets... they might be "growing the brand," but actually they are decreasing profits and taking on debt for capital expansion... if it doesn't work, the company will go bust.
This is why they are so concerned about pushing volumes of new stuff all the time trying desperately to get kids interested.
They have taken a huge gamble and there are not enough collectors to bail them out so they desperately need "new market share" however, they will keep throwing bones to collectors because they need them too, badly.
Sorry for the grim assessment, I hope they can pull it out and get their heads on straight. :prays:
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Bingo! This is why the company is reporting revenue instead of profits on their balance sheets... they might be "growing the brand," but actually they are decreasing profits and taking on debt for capital expansion... if it doesn't work, the company will go bust.
This is why they are so concerned about pushing volumes of new stuff all the time trying desperately to get kids interested.
They have taken a huge gamble and there are not enough collectors to bail them out so they desperately need "new market share" however, they will keep throwing bones to collectors because they need them too, badly.
Sorry for the grim assessment, I hope they can pull it out and get their heads on straight. :prays:
:sorrow: how could you say such things ? no no no
puppies, kittens and rainbows, puppie,s kittens and rainbows puppies, kittens and rainbows .....repeat 100 times........ah all better
I am so glad there is a 4 way connector, I will go and ask Geobra if they will let me buy something now, no more than 9 though or is it 2 ? The pink gilded fence is on sale and its so pretty or should I get the collectors edition red rocks ?? decisions decisions 8}
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Bingo! This is why the company is reporting revenue instead of profits on their balance sheets... they might be "growing the brand," but actually they are decreasing profits and taking on debt for capital expansion... if it doesn't work, the company will go bust.
This is why they are so concerned about pushing volumes of new stuff all the time trying desperately to get kids interested.
They have taken a huge gamble and there are not enough collectors to bail them out so they desperately need "new market share" however, they will keep throwing bones to collectors because they need them too, badly.
Sorry for the grim assessment, I hope they can pull it out and get their heads on straight. :prays:
Hi Baron Marshall :wave:
While I totally agree with you that they need to "get their heads on straight" especially as regards the value of adult collectors ;D I do disagree with part of your message. First of all, they are raking in the dough and they can reinvest as much as they want to because they are a privately owned company and do not need to satisfy stock holders with dividends or rising stock values. As long as HOB (Horst Brandstätter) is satisfied (and he seems pretty comfortable, money-wise) they can continue to expand. It may seem counterintuitive, but I think their success of recent years is a big part of the problem because they are increasing sales in the big markets (except the USA which they don't seem to understand at all) and it will take some time for their mistakes to become apparent. I certainly don't know what all their mistakes might be, but, IMO, there are some things that stand out: extreme gender differentiation and the emphasis on all the sort-of violent spy/criminal/robo-gang products which may alienate their strongest market (well-educated parents and other adults with money to spend on creative-play toys.)
As far as throwing bones to the collectors, I don't believe that they feel they need us. Rather, they are literally throwing us a bone to keep us busy the way you might try to distract a cute, but annoying, over-active puppy. We could definitely be the "new market share" that you mention, but they still don't see it that way - if they did, then the Steck 4-way connector would have been in the Direct Service line for years now, both in castle gray stone-style and plain brown. ;)
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Yes, it would take a long time a some major screw-ups to ruin this company they have a solid footing and they have a lot of flexibility being a private company, and that is my real hope, that they will remain so. Moving to the collector market is in my opinion the best option for remaining a private rather than public company... all the pink certainly screams "sell out." :lol:
Of course if they would just tell us exactly how much a new old mold would cost we could respond with just how interested we were in having the part, but we get veiled answers. the only thing I know definitively is that the big red chassis piece for the big newer fire engine cost 200k euros to research, develop, test, produce, and archive... but that is a huge piece (and that figure may have been for the whole set not just the piece)... my guess is the 4 way connector couldn't cost more than 10-25k... and we all know they would make enough money to cover that. ;D
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I certainly don't know what all their mistakes might be, but, IMO, there are some things that stand out: extreme gender differentiation and the emphasis on all the sort-of violent spy/criminal/robo-gang products which may alienate their strongest market (well-educated parents and other adults with money to spend on creative-play toys.)
I support this thesis.
I have a small collection (30) of figures on my shelf in my office and I notice a certain interest in these figures by the people coming into the office. Often - if the visitor is a parent - I am asked what this toy is and where they could buy it...I have to bite my tongue not to pull a "Rasputin" ("These are Legos...").
On Saturday, we celebrated my daughters birthday and for her friends, we dumped out the Playmobil crate...needles to say it never was so easy to tame a flock of hyper-energetic eight year-olds...
Hardly anyone knows the brand...
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. . . Hardly anyone knows the brand...
You have highlighted a HUGE problem, at least here in the USA. The only advertising that I am aware of is when Playmobil products appear in catalogs or sales flyers for stores (such as ToysRUs.) I don't watch kiddie TV shows myself - is anyone aware of any Playmobil advertising on television? Among the dwindling number of small toy chains or neighborhood toy stores there is less and less interest in ordering Playmobil products for their shelves because of past problems in receiving orders in time for key sales periods (Christmas, for example) and the fact that by the time they get the products in their stores they are sometimes already on "clearance" at places like ToysRUs (based on conversations with several local toy store owners/managers.)
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2 years ago I saw a couple playmobil commercials, but not since then.
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We do not have mainstream TV so I would not even know if there ever were. Companies used to have reps. that would travel around to make sure the products were properly displayed and advertised in and around the stores, do they have them anymore?
I strongly agree that brand recognition of playmobil in the US is dismal.
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The 4-way Steck connector is currently available, in brown, as part number 30089600 from DS for 2,95 Euros, as it has been re- released in set 6410. See page 2 of
http://playmobil.scene7.com/is/content/Playmobil/6410pdf.pdf?locale=de_DE (http://playmobil.scene7.com/is/content/Playmobil/6410pdf.pdf?locale=de_DE)
My apologies if this little snippet of information has already been posted here on PF.
There are (presumably) no restrictions on the quantities of this part one person may purchase.
Is it available in other colours? That information is currently confidential to PCC members.
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I'm just about to order four of these from 6410, which seems to be a purely German release.
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I'm just about to order four of these from 6410, which seems to be a purely German release.
The set may be available only in Germany, Austria and Switzerland ('DACH') so far.
The part is available in countries with a DS. It is listed on the UK Playmobil site for just £1! (that's a LOT less than 2,95 Euros, so perhaps an error has crept in?).
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Yes, quite a saving!
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My first four 4-way connector!!
So happy never though i'll see this day XD
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Good to see they arrived. Yes it's pretty amazing considering how many years work it took on the part of the community, especially the German collectors.
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I'm afraid to start on a big steck project, only to realize I need more of those :)
It's awesome that it finally really happened!
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The struggle is hardly over. In my opinion it only really started. There is apparently a new mold so production can now really begin. Yes geobra sold us 4 each but for any steck builder that really only gets your lips wet. I personally could use 20 and would want an additional 20 spares. Then if geobra re-releases the 7400 (fingers bleeding from being crossed so long) I am sure we will need many more. Then the brown ones for the western theme are needed in large numbers.
Come on geobra, turn that machine on.
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The 4-way Steck connector is currently available, in brown, as part number 30089600 from DS for 2,95 Euros, as it has been re- released in set 6410. See page 2 of
http://playmobil.scene7.com/is/content/Playmobil/6410pdf.pdf?locale=de_DE (http://playmobil.scene7.com/is/content/Playmobil/6410pdf.pdf?locale=de_DE)
Is this set not available yet in the US?
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Not yet, it will be in the add-ons we get next year, probably around January or February like the last couple of years.
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I cant wait. i cant wait.
i cant wait
i have a grand design in my mind with steck that will turn to reality with about 24 more of these . the 4er steck connector expands the design capabilities vastly , i just cant wait to redesign my next krull castle layout with the 4ers , double height walls and double on both sides the 4ers will connect outside with inside walls properly and allow to make grand designs. i am putting a big steck order at xams to get the dark brown wooden frames for the interior of walls as well as the double arch ones as well as plain walls etc , its all happening i just need to be a bit patient for more 4ers. a dream finally came true. i remember when i was like 14 and totally obsessed with my steck castle :lol: :lol: :lol: i was dreaming of a steck 4er .... thank you playmobil , this is the best , the best part of the decade.
now just bring back them nurnbergers ... all these new klickies, all these remakes but where is the el classico nurnberger with the shiny uniform ??? :love: :love: :love:
When this is out too , i will just go quietluy in my corner and finally chill :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Why waiting? Why settle for a plain piece? Why not do it right?
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Why waiting? Why settle for a plain piece? Why not do it right?
Ummm because this one you are showing looks digital and digital parts are useless in the real world. Does this part exist in real life? Do you have access to many for the hordes of stecks collectors ?
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Digital now, printed tomorrow, in your hands next week...
;D
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Digital now, printed tomorrow, in your hands next week...
;D
DETAILS!
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That's the question isn't it? Are your pieces digitally printed, Moëbius?
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Digital now, printed tomorrow, in your hands next week...
;D
now we are talking, does it have that annoying 3D printer grainy texture or have the companies solved that yet?
How much are they? Printed parts seem to be on the expensive side right now, hopefully the prices will go down, down, down so we could all order 100 (at least that is how many I will need want)
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That's the question isn't it? Are your pieces digitally printed, Moëbius?
3D printing is still slow, undetailed (grain, stepping...) and expensive for pieces like this. I prefer another fabrication methods, 3d printing is perfect to get a first prototype, but if you need a few hundred pieces you should find other ways.
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3D printing is still slow, undetailed (grain, stepping...) and expensive for pieces like this. I prefer another fabrication methods, 3d printing is perfect to get a first prototype, but if you need a few hundred pieces you should find other ways.
That is not an easy part to mold. the mold has to come apart in a special way, like a four part mold or something
Are you able to produce in quantities ?
I am very interested in acquiring some of your custom 4 ways with the stone print, like you said Geobra's is smooth but that was probably done so that it would make sense in brown also.
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STEP 1. CREATIO.
“If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.”
Rabindranath Tagore
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STEP 2: REPLICATIO
TO BE CONTINUED...
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Oh, that angled connector is... tasty as well............
Awesome work.
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Oh my! :clap:
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Moebius,
Please share the complete cathedral and the fabrication of your custom parts in the Customs threads.
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Moebius,
Please share the complete cathedral and the fabrication of your custom parts in the Customs threads.
http://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=14321.msg262686#msg262686 (http://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=14321.msg262686#msg262686)
The cathedral is not mine, I only design and construct the pieces, all the buildings are friends creations who sent me pictures.
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The cathedral is not mine, I only design and construct the pieces, all the buildings are friends creations who sent me pictures.
So.... can we get these lovely parts from you? :love:
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i wonder if these 4 way connectors , the grey ones will be available as parts to order.... ??? ??? ??? ???
I need round 24 of them for my next steck creation ..... 8} 8}
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So.... can we get these lovely parts from you? :love:
that is the purpose of my existence , I came to give over parts with which dreams are built.
I love it when people send me the buildings that have been made.
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that is the purpose of my existence , I came to give over parts with which dreams are built.
Details then please? :love:
I'm sure there are a lot of eager builders here..
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Details then please? :love:
I'm sure there are a lot of eager builders here..
Yes, very interested ;D
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i wonder if these 4 way connectors , the grey ones will be available as parts to order.... ??? ??? ??? ???
I need round 24 of them for my next steck creation ..... 8} 8}
Testing compatibility and strenght (my quality department is working hard 8})
The piece is not finished (still ugly and unpolished) but we are close. :wave:
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(love the quality control!)
But I more interested in the unique parts - I'll make do with the existing cross connectors (even if plain)...
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Wow, wow and wow. The custom wall pieces with the custom designed windows are gorgeous. I have been wondering about cutting two 90 degree wall connectors for quite some time, its great to see someone actually have the time to do it. You did a great job and as Tahra said, there are lots of builders in this forum who would be very interested in your creations
Thanks for sharing
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Please PM me as I want to buy 24 of these , ready to use, my next Krull castle will have twice the footprint than the existing and i am almost there with steck parts needed minus these connectors !!!!! plllleeeease help !!!! :wave: :wave: :wave:
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Well, I can consider the piece as finished. :D
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Looks great! Now the question remains how to get my hands on it...
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Looks great! Now the question remains how to get my hands on it...
That is the question of the week
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Looks great! Now the question remains how to get my hands on it...
Yep - and on the others! :love:
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Yep - and on the others! :love:
Yes, I can provide these pieces.
My mail adress is in my profile info.
Anyone interested in purchasing any of the pieces just contact me through my email please.
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PM sent ;D
Looks like its going to be steck Christmas for me !!! :lol: