Author Topic: Animal Mystery Boxes  (Read 2492 times)

Offline Ismene

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Animal Mystery Boxes
« on: February 04, 2020, 10:13:06 »
Since Playmobil has been going gung ho with mystery packs, I propose animal mystery boxes. Based on informal research from hanging out with my niece, younger cousins, and other small children; I've established that animals outrank humans on the plastic toy collectibility scale. Surprise packs may irritate us collectors who are looking for specific klickies, but kids enjoy them.

So I propose small mystery sets in the $3 to $5 range, consisting of one or more animals and some accessories to "care" for the animal.
Examples:
hamster with tank, water bottle, and wheel
dog with dog house, dish, bone, leash
cat family with cat tree and a couple cat toys
fox with pups and a little den
dolphin with fish and a bit of coral
two owls in a tree with maybe a mouse

There could be a fantasy line with:
baby dragon with nest and egg
baby pegasus with some mutant plant life
giant seahorse with giant shell
assorted weird colored animals - Those pastel creatures from the fairy line would work.


It's a win for kids because TINY PLASTIC ANIMALS, it's a win for adults because they are not spending money on myriads of klickies that spend their lives in boxes because the kids wanted the animals that came with them, it's a win for collectors looking to add new colors of animals to their collection, and it's a win for Playmobil because none of this requires new molds (although we wouldn't object to new molds); they could literally rehash old sets and it would still work. There haven't been any small cat sets for awhile; the hamsters have only appeared in the one set. The assorted vets, pet hotels, and dog walkers are in serious need of new clients. Mystery animal boxes would be a comfortable impulse buy introduction to people who've never purchased Playmobil before, and they're in line with what is going on in the toy market today (animal themed blind bags are trending) without offending long-time Playmobil fans.

Offline leefert

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Re: Animal Mystery Boxes
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2020, 19:02:02 »
I like the idea
I'm glad that I'm not the only one :)

Offline Tiermann

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Re: Animal Mystery Boxes
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2020, 23:35:51 »
I of course love this idea. I think it would be best along the lines of the Specials Plus size, with a couple of animals and a little scenery or accessories with it. There are lots of things they could do with switching out colors, or getting new spot patterns that would be low cost compared to making all new molds.
Lots of different colors of butterflies - clear purple, clear blue, more of the browns
Lots of different paint patterns for ducks or chickens
A different colored toucan
All white heron
glow in the dark anything
Lots of different dinosaur colors
Different patterns or colors on tropical fish
Black standard poodle (One just won best in show at Westminster this year)

If they are willing to do new molds we still haven't had a turkey yet. Would like to see an anteater also.

I really do think these would sell well. Animals are always an easy sell for kids

Offline leefert

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Re: Animal Mystery Boxes
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2020, 02:24:40 »
Or even creating babies of animals that we already have adults of. 

Baby Red Pandas? How about Baby Skunks? Baby Lemurs? 

Yep an aardvark or an anteater... still hoping for a turkey, an opossum.

How about a Blue Jay or Cardinal? Or a Great Horned Owl?
I'm glad that I'm not the only one :)

Offline Oliver

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Re: Animal Mystery Boxes
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2020, 10:35:13 »
But will they come in parts and can I then swap them with my friends to make Franken-creatures?

Offline leefert

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Re: Animal Mystery Boxes
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2020, 15:00:50 »
But will they come in parts and can I then swap them with my friends to make Franken-creatures?

That could be fun 😂
I'm glad that I'm not the only one :)

Offline NICO

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Re: Animal Mystery Boxes
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2020, 21:27:00 »
Nice idea!!

Offline Ismene

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Re: Animal Mystery Boxes
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2020, 07:22:05 »
But will they come in parts and can I then swap them with my friends to make Franken-creatures?
That would hilarious. Probably more work than Playmobil would be willing to put in, but hilarious.

Sloths and narwhals are trendy. I'd like to see baby camels. A griffin would be fun. They could whip out the pink plastic to make pink dolphins.

Offline Birdie

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Re: Animal Mystery Boxes
« Reply #8 on: March 27, 2020, 18:24:56 »
I've established that animals outrank humans on the plastic toy collectibility scale.

That is so true! My kid couldn't care less about clickies (she is only interested in the women, and sticks to a few of them).

I'd like to see baby camels.

My daughter JUST alerted me to the fact that there are no baby camels. Never noticed before. She's very demanding about animals having babies  :lol:


Offline Ismene

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Re: Animal Mystery Boxes
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2020, 06:49:38 »

My daughter JUST alerted me to the fact that there are no baby camels. Never noticed before. She's very demanding about animals having babies  :lol:

It's the natural order of things.