DS sets 7768 Eagle Knights & 7770 Red Dragon Knights

[Martin Milner]

7768 - I got a couple of these sets to help populate my castles, and discover that while two of the figures have the belt with a button on the back to attach a quiver or scabbard, there's only a quiver and no scabbard in the set.

In set 7770 it's even worse - three attachment points for quivers or scabbards, but only one included - the sort that better fits an axe than the arrows.

I think it's a bit stingy not to include the extra 5p bits of plastic in these sets. Now I've got to put in a spares order for a bunch more quivers & scabbards.

[Timotheos]

I shout to the moon about Playmobil's stinginess.  Something I've meant to do is take one of those expensive medieval accessory packs (like the joust set) and order it piecemail through DS.  I half expect the piecemail order to be cheaper (example: swords and helmets cost 25 cents each via US DS, but the accessory pack runs US$9).

I browse the direct sales catalog and notice that some packs are simply better values than others.  I guess it is sort of random how these sets come together? 

I think a big problem is that for most folks at Geobra, Playmobil is just their job.  It needs to be their religion... 

(Actually, I wonder if adult collectors unnerve them a little.
Geobra: Guys, it's just a toy.
Adult collectors (like me): No, Matchbox and Barbie are just a toy.  Playmobil is what separates sentient creatures from animals.

[Martin Milner]

I shout to the moon about Playmobil's stinginess.  Something I've meant to do is take one of those expensive medieval accessory packs (like the joust set) and order it piecemail through DS.  I half expect the piecemail order to be cheaper (example: swords and helmets cost 25 cents each via US DS, but the accessory pack runs US$9).

I browse the direct sales catalog and notice that some packs are simply better values than others.  I guess it is sort of random how these sets come together? 

I think a big problem is that for most folks at Geobra, Playmobil is just their job.  It needs to be their religion... 

(Actually, I wonder if adult collectors unnerve them a little.
Geobra: Guys, it's just a toy.
Adult collectors (like me): No, Matchbox and Barbie are just a toy.  Playmobil is what separates sentient creatures from animals.

LOL    The specials annoy me too.

4626, pirate, with cutlass, headscarf, cuffs.
4662, pirate, with cutlass, headscarf, cuffs, pistol, treasure chest & coins

Why couldn't 4626 have a pistol & some loot, or a blunderbuss to even the odds?

4633, knight, with helmet, sword and 2-handed axe
4665, cowboy, with hat, scarf, leg chaps, gunbelt, pistol, rifle, lasso, campfire, saucepan, mug & jug

Does the knight not get hungry?

Of course I'm always going to collect new Specials in my areas of interest, but I might get more if they included a few more bits.

These particular DS packs annoy me the most however, because it's not something extra that could have been included, but something that clearly should be there that's been left out, and one can only assume that either deliberate stinginess or plain carelessness.

[playmofire]

I think we've got to remember that Playmobil are in business and need a profit to stay there.  The extra pieces may only be a few pence or cents each, but multiply that by, say, 100,000 and the amount of money is substantial.  Remember, too, the parts service they offer - there are few if any other toy companies which offer that sort of service.  And, yes, a quirk of DS is that it may be possible to buy an item in individual parts cheaper than buying the actual set, but then the set includes the box and plans, the wholesaler's markup and the retailer's.

I don't think Playmobil are scared by adult collectors.  I was just looking through some Playmobil papers in my desk drawer yesterday and came across an interview I did for the Malta Playmobil house magazine on my collection, for example.  See, too, this thread of cachalote's:

http://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=1737.0

[Sir Gareth]

In some cases DS figure sets have improved with their content.

When I first started buying Playmobil for David back in 1997/8 I put a DS order in for a few extra figures the set's being 7123 Dragon Knights and 7124 Lion Knights. These set's only came with a shield, helmet and in the case of the Dragon Knights chest armour and each set cost £4.50. If you wanted to add weapons to your figures you had to buy the Knights accessories pack.

The Lion Knights set 7124 was discontinued around the same time but made another appearance around 2004 as set number 7664 and then disappeared again about 2006. The Dragon knights also went away for a while and they to came back with a new number 7671 again around 2004 (all dates relate to the UK).

The reason for the set number change was simply because the content on the bags changed very slightly due to each figure being given a weapon a single sword each. The cost of the set's went up a bit and cost then £5.50.

So at least now the figure set's come with weapons.