Ideas for Herr Brandstätter to mull over

[Indianna]

. . . I think it would be good if PM made steck pieces available for purchase, via DS or this Collector Club, so we could order as many castles walls, framework buildings, mansions, etc. as we wanted. . .

Playmomac, you have discovered my hidden agenda!   

[Richard]

1) Improve the non-German parts-ordering service by copying the Greman model, i..e it goes through the Playmobil website.

2) Allow anybody to order any part that has ever been made, and publish this data monthly on the website - total orders of a part number, and total orders received that month, and orders fulfilled. This can all be automated, so once the system is in place there is no extra work. I think this will promote extra orders as people see the service working and order things they might otherwise not have considered.

3) Get the product into the public eye better at Museums. All Museums have toyshops, and Playmobil should be in those shops. Every collection starts with one set, so every set sold through any channel is a potential sales multiplier.

4) Take advantage of predictable events of worldwide significance (e.g. The 2010 Winter Olympics) to promote the product.

Dear PlaymoFriends ...

I received a phone call, and an email, this morning ...

Our recent efforts (with the Focus survey) have been very much appreciated!

Martin's suggestions (above) are being seriously considered.

The next step is for me to suggest a "Collector's Club" to Playmobil.

I will continue to keep everyone informed.

We certainly got their attention (thanks to all of you, and your friends and families) ... 

All the best,
Richard

[flatcat]

Wow, this is exciting
Please do keep us posted Richard

[socrates]

This is so cool! 

My two cents for improvement, even though I have to reveal that I also love the SysX-System...

We need to have an area for custom buildings, including instructions.
There are some buildings around that are so good they should be available...
(thinking of Barts Collectofun-Section for example:
http://www.collectobil.com/collectofun/systemx/2003february.html)

Playmo could support with a software (I recall to have heard about them developing something like this anyway?!) with the following features:
- 3D builder for your constructions with all existing SysX- and Steck-Parts  (e.g. roman houses)
- Redenring of building instructions (levelwise or something)
- Database to store amount and kind of pieces you have (maybe by logging in the sets you own)
- Automatically generating a list of missing parts
or (if the thing with the database is not feasible)
- Automatically generating a list of all parts used in the construction.

They could offer a section on their webpage devoted to these constructions, maybe as being part of the collectors club.

I would also like to second Martins suggestion about spare parts. They do not neccessarily have to make everything public. I would be already happy if there would be a possibility to inquire the availability (and price) of a piece by checking the part number online. Again, maybe a nice feature for the collectors club.

best,
socrates

[Martin Milner]

6) Ancient Greek Theme. Of the ideas mentioned in the Christian Science Monitor Article from 1997 as having been rejected, all have now come to pass except Ancient Greeks. Playmobil have already produced many fantasy creatures, and the klickies themselves just need a few new moulds for helmets and shields. They would fit in well with the Romans and Egyptians.

[skypurr]

I agree with most of the suggestions made so far. 
I especially love the idea of a collector's club and the suggestion of being able to purchase parts from, and discontinued sets.  (I still want that fence! )
I would also like to see instructions available online (if only for members of a collector's club)  I think Playmo DB is excellent for finding out part numbers etc. but sometimes I need to know how many of a certain piece I need to complete a set and to have that information available would be useful.

Elaine

[WarriorOfToys]

I am soooo excited that Playmobil is seriously considering Martins ideas!!!
Ordering parts from discontinued sets would mean I could get French Napoleonic soldiers, and steck, and Victorians, and and and...
 
I hope they agree to that if nothing else!

[Richard]

Heather's PlamoDB lists  "21333 parts in the database, appearing in 2185 sets" ... 

Can you imagine the logistics of maintaining a continually changing inventory of more twenty-one thousand of anything? ... 

However, a typical Home Depot store maintains an inventory of about forty thousand different items and they say that they can order from a list of an additional two hundred fifty thousand more.

[el jefe]

6) Ancient Greek Theme. Of the ideas mentioned in the Christian Science Monitor Article from 1997 as having been rejected, all have now come to pass except Ancient Greeks. Playmobil have already produced many fantasy creatures, and the klickies themselves just need a few new moulds for helmets and shields. They would fit in well with the Romans and Egyptians.

Completely agree Martin.  Look at some of the creatures from the ghost pirates theme...not a far leap to creatures in Greek mythology and way cooler IMO.  I would love to see a minotaur or centaur.

[Martin Milner]

Heather's PlamoDB lists  "21333 parts in the database, appearing in 2185 sets" ... 

Can you imagine the logistics of maintaining a continually changing inventory of more twenty-one thousand of anything? ... 

However, a typical Home Depot store maintains an inventory of about forty thousand different items and they say that they can order from a list of an additional two hundred fifty thousand more.

As with your Home Depot example, it can be done. 

However for Playmobil it would not be continually changing, just continually added to as new parts and sets are developed. Most retailers have to cycle their inventory as they only have so much shelf space, and Playmobil would be no different. There would have to be a minimum number ordered before they contemplated a re-run of a seldom ordered part. In  practise some parts would never be ordered enough to be remade, but I suspect other parts (such as 30 07 6120) would be ordered in large numbers.

One hiccup is the sets that do not contain a parts list, especially the blister packs and suchlike exclusives. Presumably Playmobil give the parts in these sets numbers, but do not currently feel the need to release this data to the public.