Author Topic: 4669 special - new police officier  (Read 5025 times)

Offline Little Jo

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4669 special - new police officier
« on: January 19, 2008, 13:41:35 »
Typically I'm not interested in any reviews from specials, because due to their less content they are most times well depicted on the Playmobil Web site so that there is nothing more to say/depict.

Nevertheless I think this one is worth to mention because after opening it I really was surprised to this new "milestone" in Playmobil history.

First thing to mention: the figure is darker than depicted on the package. I'm glad about this because the new blue police uniforms introduced the next years in Germany are really darker than the one shown on the package. Now I'm releaved to see that it's darker and for my personal taste quite good matching the real uniforms (although in reality they are still a little bit darker, but this depends on the county anyway).

I already was wondering how the officers west will look like finally, because on the pics provided in the Web it somehow looks quite "slim" to me, although there obviously seem to be one, 'cause there seems to be no extra collar. So actually it's no explicit west too, but a totally new body-type where the collar and the jacket applications are already included (don't now if this had be posted already somewhere or was know -- for me it was a totally new information). The bottom silver stripes at the front and the back are 3D, also the button border at the front and the lower part of the collar. The top part of the collar is not plastic but rubber (!) so the epaulets can be bend without breaking them -- I have absolutely no glue why they used this two-component material for the body piece, because I see no danger in breaking any pieces from the body in case this would be hard plastic too. (I only can imagine that there will come some accessories later on which have the requirement of this flexibility on the collar body type.)
I'm really eager to see, how the female officer will look like and if there are any other uniform variants provided later this year, when the new police series will be introduced.

I also wonder, if this type of body will be used for the new fire rescue figures too, but this does make sense only for some view figures, because the epaulets are not found (in this way) on the typical duty jacket. Maybe one reason for the rubber collar ist, that maybe the base type of this body piece (all but the collar area) will be the same and they have the possibility to add to these new standard pieces different collar in a second working step.

I'm also wondering, if this new body types will be used for other figures too, providing different bodies like we already have different legs. For myself I interpret this as an evolutionary step like those days they moved on from single colored klickies to printed variants, or as already mentioned introducing different leg types.

Another remarkable thing: I bought two packages of this special: one had three cuffs included instead of two, the other one had three red lights instead of one included. -- Seems that Playmobil has some difficulties with the counting machine, although I must say: better this way than missing some pieces.  ;D

Offline Little Jo

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Re: 4669 special - new police officier
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2008, 13:51:52 »
Another interesting detail: they moved from the Bavarian style coat of arms/emblem on the hat and the left arm to a imaginary one, from my interpretation being a mixture (half split) of the European flag and again a mixture of the Germany/Brandenburg coat of arms eagle.

Offline playmofire

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Re: 4669 special - new police officier
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2008, 14:27:59 »
Thank you for the detailed review, Jochen.  The changes you describe are certainly milestones and mark a new stage in the evolution of Playmobil.  It makes what the new firefighter figures will be like all the more intriguing.
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Offline playmofire

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Re: 4669 special - new police officier
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2008, 20:29:47 »

I also wonder, if this type of body will be used for the new fire rescue figures too, but this does make sense only for some view figures, because the epaulets are not found (in this way) on the typical duty jacket. Maybe one reason for the rubber collar ist, that maybe the base type of this body piece (all but the collar area) will be the same and they have the possibility to add to these new standard pieces different collar in a second working step.



I think the new "cast-in" detail rather than printing or a separate part could be used here on the firefighters.
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Offline Martin Milner

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Re: 4669 special - new police officier
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2008, 22:46:38 »
This may explain why Playmobil brought out a new Radar Control Policeman so soon after the last one. It seemed like overkill to me.

Offline Richard

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Re: 4669 special - new police officier
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2008, 23:05:04 »

Hello, Jochen ...

Thank you for your very complete and thorough review!
I love new things and I have always welcomed positive change.

However, I'm not sure that this new Playmobil Klicky is a change that I am going to like.

It reminds me of replacing the old horses and cows with the new more realistic ones. I really liked the old horses and cows a lot more. But, that's just my opinion ... ;)

First thing to mention: the figure is darker than depicted on the package. I'm glad about this because the new blue police uniforms introduced the next years in Germany are really darker than the one shown on the package.

Also, I loved the Bavarian green and gray Police Uniforms!
It seems like the whole world is transitioning to blue police uniforms ... :(

We had beautiful khaki and brown Police Uniforms in Fort Lauderdale. A few years ago they were changed to blue to comply with the new international standard ... :(

As I said, "I have always welcomed positive change." However, I'm not sure that either the new Klicky or the blue police uniforms are a "positive change."

Thanks again, Jochen!

All the best,
Richard



Offline Richard

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Re: 4669 special - new police officier
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2008, 23:08:09 »

Hello, Gordon ...

I think the new "cast-in" detail rather than printing or a separate part could be used here on the firefighters.

The fire helmet in your firefighter graphic bears a very strong resemblance to a World War II army helmet ... ???
see attachment

All the best,
Richard

Offline Little Jo

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Re: 4669 special - new police officier
« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2008, 23:40:26 »
I think the new "cast-in" detail rather than printing or a separate part could be used here on the firefighters.

Yes, and for an ambulance man jacket too. They had similiar jackets with an separated top part (at least with different color part).

Pic borrowed from Animal Rescue Südbaden

Offline CountBogro

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Re: 4669 special - new police officier
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2008, 09:46:44 »
Thanks for the review, Little Jo.

I find myself in the same camp as Richard. I am not too happy with the new development. Klickies seem to become more and more specialised and only suited for the one profession. I wonder if customizing will not become more difficult  :(.

I guess we'll have to wait and see ...

... The fire helmet in your firefighter graphic bears a very strong resemblance to a World War II army helmet ...

And with good reason. If I remember correctly, both the army and the firefighters used the same helmet during WW II. It seems that this helmet evolved from this one.

Bogro
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Offline Little Jo

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Re: 4669 special - new police officier
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2008, 10:23:33 »
Also, I loved the Bavarian green and gray Police Uniforms!
It seems like the whole world is transitioning to blue police uniforms ... :(

Just one small remark: this was not the Bavarian green/gray only; in all counties in Germany those uniforms where used. I just was referring to the emblem which typically shows the county coat of arms and which was for the green Playmobil figures the Bavarian one. But this just as marginal note.  :)

It seems like the whole world is transitioning to blue police uniforms ... :(

Yes, this was actually the change for the reason: to be compliant with the color used (mainly) in the European Community. There are also some cirtisism to this change over here, but not due the change of the color (I don't think many liked this green stuff much), but due to cost reasons. Some are additional argueing that with the green uniform there was a clear distinction between private security services (actually using black and dark blue uniforms) and the official security authorities.

Personally I like the change to blue, although now you have to watch out for blue/silver cars in traffic and not the green/silver ones which is much more "difficult" because green civil cars are much more seldom than blue ones.  ;D


I find myself in the same camp as Richard. I am not too happy with the new development. Klickies seem to become more and more specialised and only suited for the one profession. I wonder if customizing will not become more difficult  :(.

To be honest I had excactly the same concerns many years ago noticing when Playmobil moved away from the uni-color klickies to those with imprints. I thought the single figures will be suitable only for a very limited purpose. I think time and results from the customizers in the meantime proved wrong (my personal view), because at the same time Playmobil also extended the different types of pieces quite a lot. Just roughly counting the different types of legs leads to a number of over 25 different legs which can be combined in different colors with different bodies. The boots from the middle ages can also be used in a modern construction set (as done just recently) and even the -- for my personal taste -- restricted new type of roman arms looks (for my taste) pretty fine on a knight. I think every new (body) piece gives us more oportunities to create more individual figures. The chances of integrating the "jacket" to the body itself are that the figure becomes "slim" and additional accessories can be put on more easily. I assume the rubber collar can be removed quite easily with a sharp knife and maybe we find customizing techniques to add also different collar types to a special shaped body. My  :2c:  :)