A lot of spare parts suddenly not available

[Eplay]

I want to put out a spare parts order, but suddenly a lot of parts are no longer available compared to a couple of weeks ago.
A price is shown, but below it it says: unfortunately the part you were searching for is no longer available
Has anyone else noticed this?

[GrahamB]

I hadn't noticed that. First, I thought the parts had perhaps been culled (removed from availability) because of age (parts from sets older than 10 (maybe less?) years are removed and this may be done once each year), but that part you showed (30224832) was found in set 70115, released in 2019, not old enough for the annual 'cull.'

Maybe the introduction of the big new parts handling facility (see here) has led to another cull?

Whatever the reason, it isn't good news!

[GrahamB]

I looked into this a bit further. Out of 150 'random' parts (all found in recent sets from the last couple of years), 28 (18%) were shown with a price but no 'Add to cart' option. Some of these were surprising (red and yellow system X connectors, system X tool, tree branches, etc.), others less so (parts found also in older sets and recently reissued, so likely to be attractive to collectors, so likely to be sold out).

Here are screen shots of the 28 parts:

with website pictures


without pictures


Some of these parts may have alternatives with a different part number, such as a 30 51 nnnn part number where the parts come in multiples in a bag (especially likely for the red and yellow connectors and 'magnifying glass' connectors). I can't believe the fire extinguisher has been discontinued!

[Eplay]

Wow, you put in a lot of work. I noticed that the parts which I was missing were from sets that are not being sold anymore. Not from very old sets.
If it has something to do with the change in the new parts handling that is definitely bad news.

[CrimsonCleaver]

I’ve had a rather large list that I randomly add to, currently 100 different items.
As others are reporting items are now no longer available, 23 of my list. Kicking myself for not putting the order in as a lot of useful items in there that’s interrelated. Really hope they come back in, looks like only 1 doesn’t list what the item is, others show the item but say no longer available.

[GrahamB]

For any items shown with a price, but no 'Add to Cart' option, I suggest emailing a list to playmobil customer services in your country and asking if any of them can be supplied. That may also work for figures and parts from recent sets declared to be no longer available. You must give the 8-digit part numbers (look up on PlaymoDB or, for more recent sets, look up in instructions (bauanleitung) on playmobil website). On a good day, customer services may be able to find alternative part numbers for discontinued parts (or you might find them on PlaymoDB). You may be out of luck if you want Klingons or figures from other licensed sets.

Last time I did this, a couple of months ago, I was able to get all but one of about 15 items.

[CrimsonCleaver]

Yeah my usual route is 2 orders, emailing the Ds team for ones not available and the site for the others.
FYI - 4 items that weren’t in stock now are, so perhaps stock is more accurate now than before or something.

[Eplay]

Yes, some are available again.