Author Topic: Review of the school bus 5940  (Read 23380 times)

Offline Martin Milner

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Re: Review of the school bus 5940
« Reply #80 on: May 18, 2011, 13:40:03 »
Thanks for an excellent review and pics, Lavandiere!

It is disappointing that they've gone the cheap route, but I can understand why. Playmobil is vanishing from the shelves faster than you can say "Wha...?" and they need to compete somehow. I suspect the vast majority of parents shop down to a price, and will buy a $20 item where they might not have bought this bus if it was produced to a $40-$50 quality.

I can forgive ther back door not opening, that's the emergency exit and rarely opened anyway. I can forgive the single black stripe, a Google search shows School buses with anything from no stripe to three stripes. I can forgive the side door that doesn't open the way bus doors actually open, that would have been much more expensive to reproduce.

It's a shame about the poor plastic quality and shoddy paintwork, that's what you get when you farm out the work and don't check the quality. That'll hurt Playmobil's reputation without doubt. Every sub-par set lodges in our collective memory.

I'm disappointed in the lack of wing mirrors. This toy could have been used to show kids how the bus does its rounds, and that requires showing all the safety features to be present and working. If the driver is required to pull out without checking his mirrors, I predict a lot of accidents.

Will I buy one? Almost certainly. I'd like to have a new school bus (I have the old one), and this is the option that Playmobil have given me. Would I have bought it at $50 with more features and better quality? Yes, but I'd have to think about it more, and probably wait for a sale.

The shame is that this might just be the one and only set a US child ends up with, and think that the quality of this set represents ALL Playmobil quality. That would hurt Playmobil's future sales.

I understand why Playmobil try to produce these cheaper sets for the US market, and wish they didn't have to.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2011, 13:45:45 by Martin Milner »

Offline CIRCUS OLIVER

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Re: Review of the school bus 5940
« Reply #81 on: June 12, 2011, 09:29:40 »
Thank you, Martin for your replay. You totally speak out loud, what I was thinking! I will definitely buy two new school buses in order to have one English and one French version. It will look wonderful to have a French school class visiting the circus.  ;D
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Offline BlackPearl2006

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Re: Review of the school bus 5940
« Reply #82 on: March 20, 2012, 00:16:31 »
doesnt' look bad to me for $20 bucks.  I want it!  and perfect for customizing
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Offline Bill Blackhurst

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Re: Review of the school bus 5940
« Reply #83 on: March 20, 2012, 04:21:20 »
Well, I found out when PM had the 5952 ambulances on sale for 50% off, I could buy 2 of the 5952 for what 1 of the 4221 ambulances cost, & with a little customising, make them look close to the 4221 version, although I wish I could have gotten the 4221's instead for that price. :-\
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Offline ma1234

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Re: Review of the school bus 5940
« Reply #84 on: March 30, 2012, 22:47:44 »
My biggest complaint is that the roof is not easy to snap on/off. Otherwise, I don't mind it, and a bargain at $20. Surprised, though, no school bus in the regular product line.

Offline Wesley Myers

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Re: Review of the school bus 5940
« Reply #85 on: April 13, 2012, 19:41:07 »
Well, I got this for my girls for Easter. 

It really is different from the 'regular' stuff. 

The plastic itself is different.  It is also a LOT thinner.  I was afraid I was going to break the door trying to open it AND was afraid I was going to break the top when I tried to take that off! 

I really like the theme - it adds a lot of play value, in my opinion, to the school sets.  However, it is very cheaply made in comparison to their other stuff.  I am actually shocked at how cheaply made it is (and this after being prepared for literally years about the difference between the out-sourced items like this and infamous fire truck from reading online).


The girls do like it, so that's good.  However, I cannot see it lasting for decades of play.  It will have a very limited lifespan before breaking.  The first to go will be the front door.  The plastic will not be forgiving and merely pop out and then back in - it is a polystyrene so it will break (regular Playmobil uses a softer more flexible type of plastic for a lot of the parts that get tension applied to them so they bend and not break). 

However, being a polystyrene, it will sand very nicely, cut very cleanly and wash up for priming and custom painting as easily as any plastic model kit.  It will also take model glue as well - not just ABS glue like the regular items.

Offline Rasputin

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Re: Review of the school bus 5940
« Reply #86 on: April 13, 2012, 21:22:23 »
great observations   :lens: Even though all these are true I still find myself wanting a few more. The old school bus's we have had a weird roof design and the back hatches are mostly broken. This was a doable substitute
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Offline Bill Blackhurst

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Re: Review of the school bus 5940
« Reply #87 on: April 14, 2012, 10:44:19 »
Great review! I'm going to get a few when they are on sale at TRU. For use in photo stories, & not using them for constant play of a child they'll work out fine, but for a child to play with as a favorite toy, I'm afraid they will not last a moons shiny night. :-\
  Forget about all of the other stuff,....all we need is the reintroduction of the 3526 Fire Engine!

Offline bonniebeth

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Re: Review of the school bus 5940
« Reply #88 on: April 14, 2012, 13:54:57 »
I really don't know what you guys are talking about. ??? The quality doesn't seem that bad at all to me! Maybe I need to go take another look at it.
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Offline Rasputin

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Re: Review of the school bus 5940
« Reply #89 on: April 14, 2012, 18:34:29 »
I really don't know what you guys are talking about. ??? The quality doesn't seem that bad at all to me! Maybe I need to go take another look at it.

You will also notice it is boys who are saying these observations. Girls play nice  :love:
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: