Author Topic: GrahamB’s collection  (Read 9090 times)

Offline Riccardo

  • Playmo Enthusiast
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Gender: Male
Re: GrahamB’s collection
« Reply #20 on: February 10, 2024, 20:34:53 »
Loving that Riverdale Station set, so quaint and beautiful!

Did you manage to recreate the stickers from a picture? Would be curious to hear more about that!

Offline GrahamB

  • Moderator
  • Playmo Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 3445
  • Gender: Male
    • Playmofanatic
Re: GrahamB’s collection
« Reply #21 on: February 11, 2024, 11:10:42 »
Did you manage to recreate the stickers from a picture?

No, I used the scan of original stickers sent to me by Indianna to print off new stickers on self-adhesive printer paper. As far as I can see, these are as good as original stickers.

Stickers do tend to deteriorate over time, so I often have to resort to remaking them, sometimes by using images found online, sometimes scanning existing stickers, sometimes recreating them in software.

Here, for example is a scan of a pirate flag done on a scanner/copier:


And here are the flags for the Houseboat 3540 I created in Word.
At that moment the ship suddenly stopped rocking and swaying, the engine pitch settled down to a gentle hum. 'Hey Ford.' said Zaphod, 'that sounds good. Have you worked out the controls on this boat?' 'No,' said Ford, 'I just stopped fiddling with them.' (With thanks to Douglas Adams)

Offline Rasputin

  • The Mad Monk
  • Playmo Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 9628
  • Gender: Male
Re: GrahamB’s collection
« Reply #22 on: February 12, 2024, 14:59:19 »
Are they vinyl or paper decals

That’s one unfortunate thing about buying  used Playmobil that was not properly stored in a climate controlled vacuumed chamber, those darn decals
If you hear the sound of the bell which will tell you that Grigori has been killed, if it was your relations who have wrought my death, then no one in the family will remain alive. They will be killed by the Russian people. :prays:

Offline Riccardo

  • Playmo Enthusiast
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Gender: Male
Re: GrahamB’s collection
« Reply #23 on: February 13, 2024, 22:37:55 »
Thanks Graham. But how to manage getting the right scale / size?

And yes, also more details on the paper quality used would be interesting. I'd love to renew some of the stickers on my older 80's sets.

Also, how to source the original sticker set?

Offline GrahamB

  • Moderator
  • Playmo Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 3445
  • Gender: Male
    • Playmofanatic
Re: GrahamB’s collection
« Reply #24 on: February 14, 2024, 09:51:06 »
Are they vinyl or paper decals
And yes, also more details on the paper quality used would be interesting. I'd love to renew some of the stickers on my older 80's sets.

I use self-adhesive photo paper in an ink jet printer. Glossy, matt and transparent versions are available, depending on the sticker you are replacing. I have not tried vinyl.

But how to manage getting the right scale / size?

Trial and error to some extent. When photocopying (scan/print) existing stickers onto self-adhesive paper, they come out the same size as the originals, pretty much.

Also, how to source the original sticker set?
That's the big question!
1. Buy on eBay (older sets often had assembly instructions printed on the back of the sticker sheet)
2. Search pictures on PlaymoDB, sometimes there are high resolution images of sticker sheets (not often for older sets)
3. Look on Datenbank-Setinhalt at klickywelt.de, sometimes there are images of sticker sheets (pre-1990 sets)
4. Ask on here if anyone has the original sticker sheets, or a scan
5. Buy new stickers from PM as spare parts for recent sets. Sometimes these are the same size and shape as the stickers on older sets - e.g. signs for old buildings
6. Recreate the designs using software and print out
At that moment the ship suddenly stopped rocking and swaying, the engine pitch settled down to a gentle hum. 'Hey Ford.' said Zaphod, 'that sounds good. Have you worked out the controls on this boat?' 'No,' said Ford, 'I just stopped fiddling with them.' (With thanks to Douglas Adams)

Offline Pynedor

  • Playmo Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 3856
  • Gender: Male
Re: GrahamB’s collection
« Reply #25 on: February 16, 2024, 16:51:17 »
Great pictures of your collection, GrahamB!

That fire scorpion is nice. It'd be great if some of the parts from those sets would be released again in other sets (including in different colours). They would work nicely in many fantasy settings (and it doesn't seem like the Dino Rise theme has done very well :-\).
~Pynedor~

Offline GrahamB

  • Moderator
  • Playmo Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 3445
  • Gender: Male
    • Playmofanatic
Re: GrahamB’s collection
« Reply #26 on: February 19, 2024, 14:37:15 »
6480 Black and Red Sea Serpent
It took me a long time to find this lovely beast for sale. Not surprising it’s hard to find, as it was only available direct from Playmobil between mid 2016 to mid 2017. It appears in the German and UK 2016-17 DS catalogues for this period (it’s probably in the catalogues for other countries too) for 24,99 Euro (20 GBP), but it’s not in the subsequent catalogues.
It is made from the same moulds as the green and yellow Sea Serpent found in sets 4805 (2008) and 70467 (2020).



It came with a counterweight so it floats steadily. An underwater motor can be fitted to the counterweight.











« Last Edit: February 20, 2024, 10:07:50 by GrahamB »
At that moment the ship suddenly stopped rocking and swaying, the engine pitch settled down to a gentle hum. 'Hey Ford.' said Zaphod, 'that sounds good. Have you worked out the controls on this boat?' 'No,' said Ford, 'I just stopped fiddling with them.' (With thanks to Douglas Adams)

Offline Pynedor

  • Playmo Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 3856
  • Gender: Male
Re: GrahamB’s collection
« Reply #27 on: February 20, 2024, 21:09:02 »
That's a great set! :D
~Pynedor~

Offline GrahamB

  • Moderator
  • Playmo Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 3445
  • Gender: Male
    • Playmofanatic
Re: GrahamB’s collection
« Reply #28 on: February 25, 2024, 16:38:49 »
Ambulance Station 3432

Now its white Steck and white toasts!





This set maybe gets its name from the three ‘Ambulance Station’ signs on its walls. In my part of the world, an Ambulance Station is a place where ambulances go when they are not out and about, attending medical emergencies or queueing to deliver patients to overcrowded hospitals. This set is really a hospital and there is not an ambulance to be seen!
Anyway, it seems to be much sought-after and it has some nice parts, at least 8 of which are unique to this set (white Steck wall parts, grey door and window parts).



Some of the white building elements can also be found in the vacation cottage 3771, and the floor parts are also in the Riverdale Station set (see above). These floor parts can be used to provide floors for the Steck buildings in the theme ‘Old Houses’ (see here), but were never included in those sets. 18 white toasts fill the gaps at the tops of the walls not occupied by signs.



There is a partition dividing the building into two unequal-sized rooms. There are five windows and two side doors in grey with grey frames and horizontal slats.

One end wall has two large white doors and internal shelving.





The base consists of 12 pieces:





The roof has 9 parts. There are two large red cross symbols on stickers on the roof.







There are six signs for the outside of the building, each with stickers;
•   three long ‘Ambulance-Station’ signs,
•   a sticking-out wall sign with (on both sides) a red cross and the word ‘Unfallhilfe’ (Accident Assistance),
•   a sticking-out wall sign with (on both sides) a clearway symbol and the words ‘Ambulance. Zufahrt Tag u. Nacht freihalten’ (Keep access clear day and night)
•   a flat-to-wall sign with the wording ‘Besuchszieten Mo-Do 1600-1800 Sonntags 1400-1600’ (Visiting hours Mon-Thurs 1600-1800 Sundays 1400-1600)
There are also stickers on the two charts attached to the hospital beds and circular red cross stickers for the roof (two, large), suitcase (two, quite small), cap and cuff badges (7, small).



Inside the hospital are two beds with medical charts and an operating table with light. The two orange wheelchairs are a departure from the commoner white one and the orange stretcher is rarer than the usual grey ones.

There are 5 red cups and a red jug, but no table to put them on!
« Last Edit: March 02, 2024, 09:30:17 by GrahamB »
At that moment the ship suddenly stopped rocking and swaying, the engine pitch settled down to a gentle hum. 'Hey Ford.' said Zaphod, 'that sounds good. Have you worked out the controls on this boat?' 'No,' said Ford, 'I just stopped fiddling with them.' (With thanks to Douglas Adams)

Offline tahra

  • Playmo Guru
  • ******
  • Posts: 14876
  • Gender: Female
    • playkingdoms
Re: GrahamB’s collection
« Reply #29 on: February 26, 2024, 07:40:26 »
Ambulance Station 3432

I love that set.. so many beautiful parts...