PlaymoFriends
General => News => Topic started by: bml87 on December 21, 2021, 18:18:09
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Our friends of Amclicks (http://amclicks.org/foro/novedades-playmobil/novedades-alemania-agosto-diciembre-2022/msg87278/#msg87278) did it again! Recently the member Playdalai revealed a list with the novelties that will be released between August and December 2022!
Here's a translation by Google and some links to show you how things might look:
AUGUST 2022
Novelmore
71023: Destroyer sandstorms
71024: Hunting scorpions in the base of the wreck
71025: Throne of Thunder
71026: Solar Slider dune
71027: Attack of the Morghul mammoth
71028: The search for Arwynn
Fairies
71030: Fairy school
71031: Fairy carriage with Phoenix
71032: Moon Fairy lake
71033: Moon Fairy with her spirit animal
Ferrari
71020: Ferrari SF90 Stradale (https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_SF90_Stradale)
SEPTEMBER 2022
Advent Calendars
70901: Duck On Call
71029: The Adventures of Ayuma
71086: 1.2.3
71087: Asterix and Obelix
71086: Christmas
Star Trek
71089: Klingon Bird-of-prey (https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Klingon_Bird-of-Prey)
Animal bags
71051: Dolphin
71052: Moose
71053: Polar bear
71054: Lion
71055: Tiger
71056: Wolf
71057: Orangutan
71058: Giant tortoise
71059: Eagle
71060: Panda bear
71061: Emperor penguin
71062: Alpaca
71063: Red deer
71064: Alpaca foal
71065: Tiger cub
71066: Dolphin calf
71067: Racoon
71068: Meerkat
71069: Seal pup
71070: Red panda
71071: Baby panda
71072: Baby polar bear
71073: Baby orangutan
71074: Chipmunks
OCTOBER 2022
Dragons: The Nine Realms (https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Z-9-DmxGwp0)
71080: Icaris Laboratory
71081: Feathers and Alex
71082: Plow Horn and D'Angelo
71083: Thunder and Tom
71084: Wu and Wei with Jun
71085: Icaris Quad
Adventure
71007: Research station
71008: Treehouse
71009: Giant Ceiba (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceiba)
71010: Canoeing trip with manatees (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manatee)
71011: Quad for animal rescue
71012: Anteater (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anteater) protection
71013: Expedition on boards with dolphins
71014: Jungle playground
DECEMBER 2022
Starter Packs
71077: Wedding ceremony
71078: Hot rod (https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_rod)
71079: Hang gliding (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hang_gliding)
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Thank you so much for sharing the info
So I’m wondering if this will be another high priced set specifically for adults
(https://i.postimg.cc/jd8c54x4/F1-C667-A3-7-AEA-4-DDE-9604-23209-FE7250-D.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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Those Novelmore sets you listed are starting to sound StarWars-ish
Geobra used to ride the thin line of copyright infringements in the past
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2 or 3 new species of animals at least. The animal bags are something we talked about in suggestions here in the past. I think they will do well.
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Those Novelmore sets you listed are starting to sound StarWars-ish
I suppose you mean Lord-of-the-Ring-ish ;) , rather than StarWars-ish:
71027: Attack of the Morghul mammoth
=> Minas Morgul (https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Minas_Morgul)
71028: The search for Arwynn
=> Arwen (https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Arwen)
2 or 3 new species of animals at least. The animal bags are something we talked about in suggestions here in the past. I think they will do well.
It's gonna be a great year for us animal collectors! ;D
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Thanks for posting this information! <*)
The new Novelmore sets should have some great pieces! I really like the Sal'ahari Sands sets so far, so I hope these ones will be cool too.
Hopefully the dragons in the sets for DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms will be nice, but I'm not really looking forward to a series set in more modern times. I really enjoyed the How to Train Your Dragon films and the DreamWorks Dragons series, but I probably won't be as interested in this series.
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Hopefully the dragons in the sets for DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms will be nice, but I'm not really looking forward to a series set in more modern times. I really enjoyed the How to Train Your Dragon films and the DreamWorks Dragons series, but I probably won't be as interested in this series.
Ditto - though I much preferred the series to the movies.
I was quite put off with those first news some time ago.... Still NEED the dragons, I suppose. But the rest will be a lot less interesting, I guess. Then again, we'll see. I only saw the first preview long ago. The series starts... this week, I think. And it's better to have DIFFERENT dragons :love: .. How many Toothlesses can one have? (even with the non crippled "tail fin"... well.)
(obvious problem: WHERE IN TARTARUS AM I GONNA PUT THEM!?)
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The royalties on that Ferrari will have cost them an arm and a leg.
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Manatees!
It's interesting that they seem to be bagging the adult and baby animals separately.
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Another big Star Trek item?
Can't we more modest collectors have a more affordable sets?
Glad that there's more adventure sets coming. A research station sounds fantastic.
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Glad that there's more adventure sets coming. A research station sounds fantastic.
There was 70766 recently
If it was 5759 or the best ever 3433 then I’d buy dozens
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2 or 3 new species of animals at least. The animal bags are something we talked about in suggestions here in the past. I think they will do well.
Thought you'd be far more enthusiastic specially about the anteater ;) Wasn't it you who suggested them during your vacation to Zirndorf years ago or am i mixing things up?
Anyways, i'm happy that we'll get some real new animals after all those weird repaintings in the fantasy-themes over the last few years.
Generally it seems that the phase of decresing creativity is over as there is some really nice stuff waiting in 2022.
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Yes, that was me. I am excited floor it, and hope the chipmunk are goid as well. Seems like thry would be really small. We haven't seen the hamster back again. They really should do a Plus set with the most recent house pets like the St Bernard from Heidi and the terrier from the Back to the Future advent calendar.
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Seems like a mistake to do the bird of prey and not the classic D7 battlecruiser to pair with the NCC1701
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And an even bigger mistake not doing a shuttkecraft at a lower price point, along with away mission sets. They are missing out on tons of money they could be making by doing a full range.
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I was really hoping they'd just follow up the Enterprise with a Star Trek Advent Calendar. Mirror Spock, Green Wrap Kirk, Rand, Chapel, Fencing Sulu, maybe an Andorian or Charon or Gorn... maybe pink TAS Pompom Tribbles?
Maybe it's a licensing contract thing? Some licenses dictate market (specialty/mass/dollar stores/etc.) while others do specify price points (Funko's Marvel and Star Wars Hikari Vinyl lines had to be $79.99 rather than $49.99 for other licenses, I believe there were similar issues with Diamond's not-quite-Mego Marvel figures a few years ago.) Playmates did re-up with Star Trek again so this might be contractual to prevent them from covering (arguably) the same scales at the same time.
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And an even bigger mistake not doing a shuttkecraft at a lower price point, along with away mission sets. They are missing out on tons of money they could be making by doing a full range.
This 100%. Figure sets with classic mission inspired environments would be fantastic.
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In licensed contract negotiations can’t they only buy the rights to specific items. Also can’t there be clauses of if an item didn’t sell as well as anticipated then that triggers X,Y,Z ?
Those license agreement can be complicated
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Dear friends! The first pictures have leaked!!! Enjoy:
https://www.facebook.com/PlaymobilCollectorsWorld/photos/pcb.468064091494244/468063891494264
https://www.facebook.com/PlaymobilCollectorsWorld/photos/pcb.468066581493995/468066534827333/
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Oh, thank you, bm187, for trawling the darkness.
I was most curious about 71027 [Attack of the Morghul mammoth] and see that the mammoth skeleton from 5101/5087 gets a new lease of life here. A good decision: it is a playful item that hasn't been overused. It would be a dream if the war platform on top would also fit regular elephants. 71023 [Destroyer sandstorms] is a bit disappointing, as this ship (now turned into a sandship) has been used a lot, and isn't particularly great. The giant scorpion(s?) of 71024 is a must-have!
So, the Advent calendar is a pirate ship. The classic model now in blue, with 6 figures. Very nice, I'm looking forward to it.
Thanks again.
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Thanks for the additional information!
The Novelmore sets have some nice pieces. The image isn't very clear, but it looks like Set 71026 might have a hooded character with the first white hood of that style (perhaps with a printed design)!
So, the Advent calendar is a pirate ship. The classic model now in blue, with 6 figures. Very nice, I'm looking forward to it.
That looks like an excellent set! <*) The Ayuma Advent calendar (Set 71029) looks nice too.
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They've put a good scan of the novelties 2022 catalogue (is that the same thing as the toy fare catalogue?) at Klickywelt (https://klickywelt.de/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=77249/) (log-in required), with lots of warnings not to share, so go there to see better images.
71023 "Sandsturmbrecher" seems better than I thought yesterday.
I hadn't yet heard about the biplane 70831 "Doppeldecker Phönix" - quite nice!
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Thanks StJohn!!!
But I guess the biggest surprise is this one:
Naruto in Playmobil :o :o :o
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Naruto:_Shippuden_episodes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vmZyLBu_Ak
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Thanks StJohn!!!
But I guess the biggest surprise is this one:
Naruto in Playmobil :o :o :o
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Naruto:_Shippuden_episodes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vmZyLBu_Ak
Is this theme already confirmed?? :o :o
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Is this theme already confirmed?? :o :o
Yes, it's in the dealer's catalogue, check the link that StJohn shared here. However, no sets are revealed yet.
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Naruto? I guess it explains the upcoming white hair ninja in the Playmo Friends line.
I guess we'll finally get a whole bunch of original hair pieces with this line, but I'm wondering why go with this anime in particular.
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I guess the Mini is going to be from Mr. Bean, where he ties a chair to the roof?
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I guess the biggest surprise is this one:
Naruto in Playmobil :o :o :o
OK, thanks for pointing this out. I hadn't noticed, because "Naruto" draws a blank with me. Blame the age.
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Naruto? I guess it explains the upcoming white hair ninja in the Playmo Friends line.
I thought of anime like this when I saw that figure with that hair, but I am still surprised that there will be official sets!
I guess we'll finally get a whole bunch of original hair pieces with this line, but I'm wondering why go with this anime in particular.
It's one of the most popular and well known anime outside of Japan. There are others that I would prefer, but this could still be an exciting opening for other themes!
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That car for October release does look like the one from the Beverley Hill Billies, as Rasputin suggested.
I guess the Mini is going to be from Mr. Bean, where he ties a chair to the roof?
Sorry, Oliver, I missed that comment... as it's a Mini with what looks like a chair on top, I think you are probably right!
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It feels very niche - but I think Mr Bean is fairly popular in Germany, and it does have the advantage of having some child appeal through the cartoon.
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71023 [Destroyer sandstorms] is a bit disappointing, as this ship (now turned into a sandship) has been used a lot, and isn't particularly great.
Enlighten me, I have never seen that ship before (in Playmobil)? Is it not a new mold?
There are others that I would prefer, but this could still be an exciting opening for other themes!
I wish they could get a license on the Studio Ghibli (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_Ghibli) anime movies! That would be awesome and a lot of beautiful characters and settings!
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Is Naruto confirmed? What a strange choice. Apart from the ramen shop there are no iconic locations I can think of, and certainly no vehicles. I’m a casual fan, but would have much preferred something like DBZ.
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Is Naruto confirmed?
It is, according to the dealer's catalogue it will be released between September and November of this year.
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Naruto? I guess it explains the upcoming white hair ninja in the Playmo Friends line.
I guess we'll finally get a whole bunch of original hair pieces with this line, but I'm wondering why go with this anime in particular.
You are right! The new ninja from the Playmo Friends line does indeed look a lot like Kakashi Hatake:
(https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/naruto/images/2/27/Kakashi_Hatake.png)
(https://media.playmobil.com/i/playmobil/70814_product_detail)
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Maybe they will be blind bags or something, like Scooby Doo.
But imagine Dragon Ball PM:
Kame House
A saiyan pod
Trunk’s time machine
Bulma’s various vehicles
:love: :love: :love:
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They should do a Judge Dredd theme :rudy:
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I wish they could get a license on the Studio Ghibli (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_Ghibli) anime movies! That would be awesome and a lot of beautiful characters and settings!
There would be a lot of options there, and they are definitely popular too.
Maybe they will be blind bags or something, like Scooby Doo.
That wouldn't be too bad. I don't watch the anime (or read the manga), but that would be a nice way to get some of the parts and figures without buying large sets. However, it'd be nice to just have more figure sets too, without the mystery. The mystery bags are becoming more difficult to find in stores and are quite expensive to buy online.
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I just get the figures I need from vinted. I don’t know if you have vinted where you’re from, but it’s a great online marketplace that serves the benelux, iberia, france, italy and more. No fees like evilbay, a very enjoyable experiemce for buyers and sellers alike.
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I thought of anime like this when I saw that figure with that hair, but I am still surprised that there will be official sets!
It's one of the most popular and well known anime outside of Japan. There are others that I would prefer, but this could still be an exciting opening for other themes!
Attack on Titan would work well but they'd probably not want to encourage kids to eat klickies.
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I just get the figures I need from vinted. I don’t know if you have vinted where you’re from, but it’s a great online marketplace that serves the benelux, iberia, france, italy and more. No fees like evilbay, a very enjoyable experiemce for buyers and sellers alike.
I've never tried that site before. I'll have to take a look. Thanks!
Attack on Titan would work well but they'd probably not want to encourage kids to eat klickies.
Yes, that would probably not be a good choice. :lol:
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I knew nothing about manga in general or Naruto in particular, so I read up on Wikipedia. For the benefit of others as ignorant as me, here are some things I learnt (excuse my crude generalisations).
Manga is a style of graphic novel whose origins can be traced back to Japan in the late 19th century, with roots in much earlier written and pictoral forms and other aspects of Japanese culture. It is popular with Japanese people from all walks of life and has widespread popularity in the rest of the world.
In a 2021 poll of 150,000 (presumably Japanese) manga fans, Naruto was voted the 7th best manga series.
The Naruto manga series is aimed at boys in the 12-18 age range.
Naruto is the central character. He is a ninja, possibly with supernatural powers (I got rather bogged down reading the plot summaries).
There are lots of fights and the illustrations have been praised for depicting these in a very realistic manner. Romantic themes are less well developed.
There is a 'Naruto run,' you bend forwards at the waist and stretch both arms out backwards (easy for klickies, apart from the running part!).
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Thanks for saving me the trouble, Graham. :wave:
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Not something I'm aware of, but the Ramen Store looks cool - here is a 'not-Lego' version of it
https://www.buildingtoystore.com/en/keeppley-k20509-naruto-yile-ramen-building-blocks-toy-set-1624.html?SubmitCurrency=1&id_currency=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAlrSPBhBaEiwAuLSDUIzWrRW2w1EXoZ1iyurlT4jenLzFhbHeYnOO4Zt5m9UU2fOvcQg7ahoCpHoQAvD_BwE
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Not something I'm aware of, but the Ramen Store looks cool - here is a 'not-Lego' version of it
https://www.buildingtoystore.com/en/keeppley-k20509-naruto-yile-ramen-building-blocks-toy-set-1624.html?SubmitCurrency=1&id_currency=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAlrSPBhBaEiwAuLSDUIzWrRW2w1EXoZ1iyurlT4jenLzFhbHeYnOO4Zt5m9UU2fOvcQg7ahoCpHoQAvD_BwE
Looks like we’ll not get Chinese Olympic sets …..but these Asian sets will be very welcomed
Hope it’s a theme and not just a token set or two
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Not something I'm aware of, but the Ramen Store looks cool - here is a 'not-Lego' version of it
https://www.buildingtoystore.com/en/keeppley-k20509-naruto-yile-ramen-building-blocks-toy-set-1624.html?SubmitCurrency=1&id_currency=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAlrSPBhBaEiwAuLSDUIzWrRW2w1EXoZ1iyurlT4jenLzFhbHeYnOO4Zt5m9UU2fOvcQg7ahoCpHoQAvD_BwE
Yes, that brick rendition of it is excellent.
Naruto is many things, it also mines deep into Japanese folklore, and is quite clever in many aspects, considering it?s aimed at young people. Its problem is the problem of many other such shows (see Dragon Ball), it oustays it?s welcome by 20 seasons at least, and you get to a point where fights start spanning 10 episodes and you need a prescription for valium to sit through them. The anime at least, because the manga is much breezier pace-wise.
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Well well... It seems like all the pictures about the 2nd half 2022 novelties have been hiding from me for several weeks.
Even on darn FB, personally I have seen NOTHING passing by about these novelties over the past weeks, except for 1 pic of the Asterix & Obelix advent calender... Someone (Olki) mentioned the word "Doppeldecker" somewhere in a post on FB, but I didn´t know at all what he was talking about. (And I did not get a reply to my question about what he was talking about.)
Looks like Geobra is taking into account the Rise of Asia (and it´s billions of consumers)...
* The new 'Ayuma' sets look to form a classic Chinese village somewhere near Wuhan.
* 'Naruto' Manga theme... Okay, but not exactly something I was waiting for. Hopefully some useful parts or accessories.
The new Novelmore sets indeed look Star Warsish... Or Mad Maxish. With 'Lawrence of Arabia' riding a giant scorpion instead of a camel or an Arabian horse. What is that big set, is it some kind of battlecruiser-desertstardust-ship??
And now I see what was meant on FB with the "Doppeldecker". That new biplane-design is really nice, most probably a must-have for me. The new jet not so much, a bit too unrealistic looking.
And a '600 euro class' (with inflation in mind) x,xx-meters Klingon 'Bird of Prey' to go along with last year´s Enterprise. For the Playmo Trekkies that also means another new desk, dresser or maybe even an additional ceiling in the living room. And for me still no 'HMS Victory'.
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I read manga and watch anime, but I'm not that into shonen, so I only have a passing knowledge of Naruto.
(For our non-anime fans, shonen is a genre targeted towards teen boys, but many shonen franchises are popular with other demographics as well. Shonen anime often features action scenes.)
Studio Ghibli would be $$$ because Disney.
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Studio Ghibli would be $$$ because Disney.
Disney (and other distributers) held or still hold the distribution rights for home media releases, but I'm not sure whether they would be involved in a toy licence. In any case, I agree that it'd probably be expensive to strike a deal with Studio Ghibli. Then again, they managed to do it with DreamWorks Animation.
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Disney (and other distributers) held or still hold the distribution rights for home media releases, but I'm not sure whether they would be involved in a toy licence. In any case, I agree that it'd probably be expensive to strike a deal with Studio Ghibli. Then again, they managed to do it with DreamWorks Animation.
Yeah, I don't know what sort of contracts, if any, Disney has with regards to merchandise. But if Disney so much as breathes on something, the price goes up. :lol:
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Yeah, I don't know what sort of contracts, if any, Disney has with regards to merchandise. But if Disney so much as breathes on something, the price goes up. :lol:
And the appeal goes way down . Long gone are the creative days of Walt Disney
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The Amclicks thread has new pictures in it. Most of the animal single packs are repeats with maybe one or two new colorations. The South American animal theme has bad pictures so hard to tell what all is there, but definitely giant anteater, manatee and baby, tapir and baby. Very exciting for the new species!
I have to mention that the individual small animal packs was an idea raised in a thread here at PF a year or two ago, and the new animals are all from our wanted animal thread as well.
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I have added a couple of links (scroll down the page in each case);
The Amclicks thread has new pictures in it.
Link here (http://amclicks.org/foro/novedades-playmobil/novedades-alemania-agosto-diciembre-2022/msg91930)
The South American animal theme
Link here (http://amclicks.org/foro/novedades-playmobil/novedades-alemania-agosto-diciembre-2022/msg92564)
I have to mention that the individual small animal packs was an idea raised in a thread here at PF a year or two ago, and the new animals are all from our wanted animal thread as well.
The power of suggestion!
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Is that an animal advent calendar? :sherlock:
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71010 looks like one of those Sea cows
71012 looks like the a huge anteater
What is 71011?
I like the observation tower 71008
Thanks for the info
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I have to mention that the individual small animal packs was an idea raised in a thread here at PF a year or two ago, and the new animals are all from our wanted animal thread as well.
Didn’t Geobra do the animal foil bags years ago , also there have been animal Add-on’s in clear bags
Pretty much every singe animal on the planet has been asked for , come to think of it pretty much ever single theme, object and idea has been at some point been requested ;D
What hasn’t a collector requested would be a shorter list :lol:
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So excited to see a tapir! They're so awesome. Can't wait for all these animals! :love:
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It sure would be great if Geobra would Re-re-release the buffalo . Now that there is a lot of western theme hitting the market , those klickies need something to hunt
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AmClicks has better images of most of the Wiltopia theme that includes the South American animals.
There is also a video at YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggSHwUrC14U) of what looks to be Italian toyfair Playmobil display with that theme in a brief shot plus the Novelmore second half sets.
The anteater with baby is amazing. The monkeys are in fact Howler Monkeys. Tapir and manatee with babies are also great. New butterflies, a blue hummingbird (!), and the crane as an ibis type bird as well. Looks like a repaint of the toucan but that is the one set without very good images. Very very happy with this new theme. Impression I get is that it will continue with sets from other biomes. Hopefully new species for each as well. :love:
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Very very happy with this new theme. Impression I get is that it will continue with sets from other biomes. Hopefully new species for each as well. :love:
This theme is very nice! And that would be great if they expanded it in the future. There are so many more animals and settings they could add. :)
There are much better pictures of the new Novelmore sets too. I can't wait to get some of the parts in these sets!
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Just noticed in the extra images in the Amclicks thread that the big set with the tapirs also has an ocelot and kittens in it.
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Over at Klickwelt in the Neuheiten forum there are images of the new Star Trek Klingon Bird of Prey ship from a Playmobil booth at the Fantasy Basel show. Very interesting to see. Looks good. Has nice figures.
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Over at Klickwelt in the Neuheiten forum there are images of the new Star Trek Klingon Bird of Prey ship from a Playmobil booth at the Fantasy Basel show. Very interesting to see. Looks good. Has nice figures.
I LOVE the klingon klickys :love:
I know nothing of them, I only remember Worf (?) - I mean an image of the guy - since I am no ST fan, but the parts... BY THE GODS, those are gorgeous (hope they print the darn heads in the proper place, and not make them look like morons (like most of the spirit/ayuma) or like odd worms (like the diver in the scooby figures)
There's different hairs too :cloud9:
Did you notice they put the lame stickers all crooked in that Spock (I assume) prototype? That's for us to be ready for the real prints to look like that. The only cleos I got with a straight print were a group I got on ebay - the new sets I bought were all messed up... ::) >:(
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Interesting they've gone with the Klingons from the Next Generation series, I guess they are more iconic than the originals. Is that other figure Spock or a Romulan?
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I think it's Spock and they are using one of the motion pictures rather than a tv series for the prototype this time. Someone mentioned which one in one of the forums, but it's not an area I know much about.
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Thanks, I wondered because the Romulans have similar ships to the Klingons, it could have been an alternate crew type thing though the set up with the other figure did look specific to some movie or episode. Maybe Wrath of Khan.
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Pictures ?
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https://klickywelt.de/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=77713 (https://klickywelt.de/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=77713)
I had a bit of trouble tracking it down on Klickywelt, but searched for 'Fantasy Basel' and got there. You need a Klickywelt membership to view the site, btw.
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Images on Amclicks now too, with registration not required there.
http://amclicks.org/foro/novedades-playmobil/novedades-alemania-agosto-diciembre-2022/570/?PHPSESSID=392e92fjnh0j30t21mkpu2qpf6 (http://amclicks.org/foro/novedades-playmobil/novedades-alemania-agosto-diciembre-2022/570/?PHPSESSID=392e92fjnh0j30t21mkpu2qpf6)
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Wiltopia wave 1 of the animal packs is on the US and German sites now, prices are a little high but ok. Available in July as expected. There are a handful of definite new variations, a few probable, a few maybe and the rest are probably the same old ones - except we don't know if the plastic is the same so possibly they are all new. I will have to get a few and find out. They are supposed to be "more than 80% on average" "sustainable materials". No idea what that actually means though. A special type of plastic, or just made with recycled in house scrap? Would love to hear an actual in depth explanation of what they mean. So big question if it's the actual same plastic or something that will feel or look slightly different. I guess I will see when they are released.
Examples of the variations are on my blog linked in my signature.
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Examples of the variations are on my blog linked in my signature.
Thanks Tiermann.. I was waiting for that to sort out my want list.... ;D
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Wiltopia wave 1 of the animal packs is on the US and German sites now, prices are a little high but ok. Available in July as expected.
Excellent! Hopefully the other new sets for July will be added soon as well. :)
They are supposed to be "more than 80% on average" "sustainable materials". No idea what that actually means though. A special type of plastic, or just made with recycled in house scrap? Would love to hear an actual in depth explanation of what they mean. So big question if it's the actual same plastic or something that will feel or look slightly different.
I am very interested in this too!
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I don’t remember the steam punk looking sets or the rideable mammoth skeleton
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Thanks for the link Tim
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A small change on the animals in my blog post. Gaetan pointed out the dolphin with painted eye is a new variant, so that went to the definites list. The alpaca baby looks more white in other images so that has gone to the possibles list.
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If you haven't seen it yet, for some reason France has the updated second have catalog (https://www.playmobil.fr/content/katalogviewer/KatalogViewer.html) online now.
It has through expected releases September plus teaser pages for the Klingon Bird of Prey and the Naruto theme.
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Great find, Tiermann! Thanks for sharing that information. :)
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Thanks!
I hadn't noticed the nice starter packs - 71078 looks interesting. The car looks a bit like the Monopoly Car (as you can tell, I'm no car expert!)
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For some reason, I could only view up to page 37, with no mention of Star Trek or Naruto. The new generation of Dragons (Dreamworks) is mentioned in there.
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Online it stopped at page 37-38, but when I downloaded the catalog I was able to see everything
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Oh yes, thanks.
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I like the biplane.
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I like the biplane.
Yeah I thought that was a nice set too, and I don't have any other planes so it's completely justified to buy it :lol:
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Yeah I really like the press helicopter, but wish they had made it TVI
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The new Ayuma academy 71030 looks great. I would have bought it if it were classic red in stead of purple. It does have a nice bridge, so hopefully they will make that in more neutral colours in the future.
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The new Ayuma academy 71030 looks great. I would have bought it if it were classic red in stead of purple. It does have a nice bridge, so hopefully they will make that in more neutral colours in the future.
It looks really nice, as does the 71031 Cart, but I dread to think how much they will be
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I love the buildings in the academy set but it needs to be in regular red, white and black. It would have had so much more crossover appeal that way. I get they are trying to create a world here, but it is just so obviously Chinese inspired they might as well have gone all the way.
I have posted an update to my blog (http://animobil.info/animoblog)about the animals in the second half releases. Based on what I see in the catalog I posted about 7 new species and a total of 52 new variations all together. It's an exciting second half year for animals. And that means expensive to me.
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Just saw that there's a Star trek character pack coming out with Kirk, Spock, Bones and Uhura.
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I have posted an update to my blog (http://animobil.info/animoblog)about the animals in the second half releases. Based on what I see in the catalog I posted about 7 new species and a total of 52 new variations all together.
Thanks, Tiermann - I am still trying to figure out which ones to get...
Please tell me that animals are not actually out of the packaging in these new sets.. that I just need glasses. Saw some pics that seem that way. But NOBODY is THAT... clueless, right? RIGHT? Even Fritz Tomé.
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It looks like they are really sticking out …
Thanks for the overview Tiermann. I really like the anteater, tapir and howler monkeys.
When I look at the larger Wiltopia sets, they are all South American animals (correct me if I’m wrong), so hopefully there will also be new molds for animals if/when they do other continents.
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Just saw that there's a Star trek character pack coming out with Kirk, Spock, Bones and Uhura.
:clap: Yay! I was going to buy the Spock keychain, but if they are releasing a Spock without either a hole in his head or a $500 ship, then I'll wait for that one. Uhura and Bones are kind of cool. I'm apathetic towards Kirk, but if it's a set, what can you do?
Obviously excited for manatees. Do I need a painted camel?
I expect some of the new animals will be on my niece's wishlist. My wallet is concerned, but I don't know how much longer she will ask for plastic animals so I'll enjoy it while I can (thankfully she hasn't shown interest in Ayuma).
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Do I need a painted camel?
No, you need TWO. Obviously.
I expect some of the new animals will be on my niece's wishlist. My wallet is concerned, but I don't know how much longer she will ask for plastic animals so I'll enjoy it while I can (thankfully she hasn't shown interest in Ayuma).
Get her glasses? :P There are AMAZING animals there...
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:clap: Yay! I was going to buy the Spock keychain, but if they are releasing a Spock without either a hole in his head or a $500 ship, then I'll wait for that one. Uhura and Bones are kind of cool. I'm apathetic towards Kirk, but if it's a set, what can you do?
The figures pack has been released: https://www.playmobil.de/star-trek---figurenset/71155.html
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No, you need TWO. Obviously.
Oh no! :lol:
Get her glasses? :P There are AMAZING animals there...
I expect she wants her animals to look more natural (unless they are dragons, sea monsters, etc.). She's a very precise child. She has glasses actually, but she's not nearly as blind as me.
The figures pack has been released: https://www.playmobil.de/star-trek---figurenset/71155.html
We're still waiting in the US. The site says August.
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Finally a classic old school bus
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Once again the US site's assininity has angered me. For the longest time I've wanted a faun figure, and when it finally arrives, IT DOESN'T SHOW UP ON FILTERS. Were it not for the German forum I would've never seen it. And for some reason, they listed the newer Playmo Friends figures under City Life including the merchildren and snake woman. WHY???!!!!
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Agree, some things are in silly places and hard to find. I've found searching by set number the fastest way to get to things I know should exist somewhere.
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Once again the US site's assininity has angered me. For the longest time I've wanted a faun figure, and when it finally arrives, IT DOESN'T SHOW UP ON FILTERS. Were it not for the German forum I would've never seen it. And for some reason, they listed the newer Playmo Friends figures under City Life including the merchildren and snake woman. WHY???!!!!
Your not the only one who has been quite frustrated with how the sets are organized
You’d think it would follow some type of logic but I have come to realize the staff in charge use a game of blindfolded darts when deciding where to put new sets
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Agree, some things are in silly places and hard to find. I've found searching by set number the fastest way to get to things I know should exist somewhere.
Which is fine for collectors, but presumably most people using the website won't know the set numbers and will be randomly browsing the site for sets their children might like
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Yeah, the internal structure is maddening, but also there hasn't been enough effort to make sure sets are searchable for relevant keywords. Sometimes I don't have a specific set in mind and want to browse with a keyword. "Mythology" brings up nothing. "Victorian" only brings up sets with the word in the title, not corresponding sets like the Baby's Room (which doesn't come up for "nursery" either). The list goes on.
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Yeah, the internal structure is maddening, but also there hasn't been enough effort to make sure sets are searchable for relevant keywords. Sometimes I don't have a specific set in mind and want to browse with a keyword. "Mythology" brings up nothing. "Victorian" only brings up sets with the word in the title, not corresponding sets like the Baby's Room (which doesn't come up for "nursery" either). The list goes on.
And "mermaid" brings up whatever the hell it pleases from Novelmore to City Action. MADNESS.
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Oh no not the key work search nightmare
I typically go theme by theme and search every single item just to be sure I’m not missing something for our collection, it’s very time consuming but I do enjoy looking at a all the sets
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Oh no not the key work search nightmare
I typically go theme by theme and search every single item just to be sure I’m not missing something for our collection, it’s very time consuming but I do enjoy looking at a all the sets
Same here. But for some unholy reason the Faun in particular was just floating in the aether. It's directory was just Shop/Faun. No category whatsoever.
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Same here. But for some unholy reason the Faun in particular was just floating in the aether. It's directory was just Shop/Faun. No category whatsoever.
:lol: :lol: Honestly it's such a mess. I just looked, and for completely unclear reasons they have separated out some themes into a main section and an 'add on' section, while under 'western' there is only the (discontinued) water tower ::)
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Was just shopping at Amazon and noted they show the release date of the upcoming Ayuma and Novelmore sets as January 2023. Might just be to them, but signs of a delay perhaps.
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The US 2022 second half catalog is now online at Playmobil.us
PDF download link (http://playmobil.a.bigcontent.io/v1/static/WEB_ANGLO_USA_2_2022)
As mentioned in my previous post, looks like Ayuma and Novelmore new waves won't be coming until next year. Also missing was a splash page for the upcoming Dragons series, and nothing about Naruto. Both of those have gotten coming soon pages in other region catalogs. So also delayed in the US until next year at least. Hopefully they are in fact coming eventually. No additional collector cars listed. The corvette or whatever it was fell through maybe?
What was included in the US catalog are Stunt Show wave 2 in August, school bus and ambulance in August, 123 and Aqua in August, Wiltopia Amazon in September, all the advent calendars except Asterix in September, and the new zoo theme rereleases listed for January 2023.
There is a coming soon page for the Klingon ship for Star Trek listed for December.
Maybe they've realized it's difficult right now due to shipping times and maybe production time as well to release everything worldwide at the same time. Hopefully they will continue releasing everything possible in all markets. Seems unlikely that the Dragons series won't be released in the US since a US property, unless someone else got a license block for toys in this market. It may be possible that Naruto is only licensed for Europe and those of us in other markets may have to hunt it down overseas. We won't know until early next year I would guess.
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Thanks Tim for the thorough update
I sure hope your right about the US getting the sets , it so difficult and ads expense to source them from afar
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Maybe they've realized it's difficult right now due to shipping times and maybe production time as well to release everything worldwide at the same time. Hopefully they will continue releasing everything possible in all markets. We won't know until early next year I would guess.
Could be, but i sense there is more going on. Inflation and difficulties in obtaining and shipping out goods were mentioned as a reason for the turnover decline and keep getting mentioned to justify delays and crazy pricing policies. But if you look at competitors like Lego who under exactly the same economic circumstances manage to grow their turnover significantly while managing to uphold their release schedules and strategies worldwide... I just think there are too many things going on that just do not make any sense.
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I think the bankruptcy of Willfilm is having unexpected effects. There is someone on Instagram that is having a serious disagreement with Playmobil over payment for some media because of it, and from one of the letters they posted online it sounds like Duck on Call may get severely pared back or cancelled since they don't have the video series to support it. Hopefully Novelmore and Ayuma are doing well enough without the videos to continue on without too much interruption.
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I think the bankruptcy of Willfilm is having unexpected effects.
I am afraid that the bankruptcy of Wilfilm is just another symptom, not really much of a cause. Wilfilm was expecting work for new seasons for Ayuma and Novelmore to come in any moment, but Playmobil kept stalling endlessly to give a green light as it couldn't agree internally on whether to keep walking that media-dependent fantasy franchise road or go back to the old path of effortlessly milking their generic evergreens.
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Maybe they've realized it's difficult right now due to shipping times and maybe production time as well to release everything worldwide at the same time. Hopefully they will continue releasing everything possible in all markets. Seems unlikely that the Dragons series won't be released in the US since a US property, unless someone else got a license block for toys in this market. It may be possible that Naruto is only licensed for Europe and those of us in other markets may have to hunt it down overseas. We won't know until early next year I would guess.
I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to say (my day job is toy buyer at a US toy store) but Playmobil informed us Naruto got bumped to 2023, we are expecting it next year. I have a request in for an update on the Star Trek Klingon Bird of Prey and hope to know more soon!
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I am afraid that the bankruptcy of Wilfilm is just another symptom, not really much of a cause. Wilfilm was expecting work for new seasons for Ayuma and Novelmore to come in any moment, but Playmobil kept stalling endlessly to give a green light as it couldn't agree internally on whether to keep walking that media-dependent fantasy franchise road or go back to the old path of effortlessly milking their generic evergreens.
So it is sure there will be no 3th Novelmore season? :sorrow:
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So it is sure there will be no 3th Novelmore season? :sorrow:
Nothing is ever certain. Lego discontinued Ninjago in 2013, and still it came back stronger than ever with over a dozen new seasons.
But the focus of the Geobra management is much more pinned on their rather abstract "corporate transformation" ideas now and less so on building up their own (sub)brand(s) further.
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Klingon ship got pushed back to December/January.
And, things get pushed all the time. The Ecto-1A was going for a few hundred bucks, and then all of a sudden Playmobil found some more and the price dropped. It's a fun adventure!
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Always very interesting catching up with this thread as I have learned a lot while sipping my morning coffee :)
Thank you for these informations :wave:
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I am afraid that the bankruptcy of Wilfilm is just another symptom, not really much of a cause. Wilfilm was expecting work for new seasons for Ayuma and Novelmore to come in any moment, but Playmobil kept stalling endlessly to give a green light as it couldn't agree internally on whether to keep walking that media-dependent fantasy franchise road or go back to the old path of effortlessly milking their generic evergreens.
I think they ought to return to the generic Playmobil. The licensed sets, while having some cool pieces, are way too friggin expensive and come and go ridiculously fast. At least with Super 4 they let it breathe a little. Now they're juggling, what, 4 different series at once (including Dino Rise and Wiltopia)? At least with generic Playmobil you don't have to try to get a series off the ground as the customers can make their own, plus they won't have to make new licensed products. IMAGINAAAAAATION is the key people. :rainbow:
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I just did a blog post about my latest additions that includes the big 71007 set from Wiltopia Amazon. Here is what I had to say about that theme:
If you enjoy realism and interesting new species then this is a great year with the Wiltopia Amazon theme being the best designed wild animal theme since the African Safari sets of 2009. It's been a decade, but the link to a specific location and the unique animals found there is deeply satisfying and very much in keeping with the company's long standing relationship to everyday realistic pretend play. The company has been all over the place with licensing and deep dives into fantasy, but the Amazon theme is a great direction for them to be going in. Hopefully it will be popular and will result in a continuation of additional locations around the world. Added to that of course is the use of recycled plastics for a more environmentally friendly production concept. Hopefully that trend will continue as well, with further developments in the reuse of plastics and long term sustainability in a changing world.
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I think they ought to return to the generic Playmobil. The licensed sets, while having some cool pieces, are way too friggin expensive and come and go ridiculously fast.
We should, I suppose, be grateful that the expensive prices are limited to the licensed sets (unlike Lego, where it is across the board)
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Now they're juggling, what, 4 different series at once (including Dino Rise and Wiltopia)? At least with generic Playmobil you don't have to try to get a series off the ground as the customers can make their own
Way back, in the early days of the development of Novelmore, the goal was to create only ONE full-flagged IP with books, games and a tv-series flanking the toy. And perhaps after a few years and having learned some lessons, attempt a second IP directed at girls. It was a strategy still in line with the moderate and careful evolution of the core brand that existed under Horsts reign.
But between 2018 and the start of the pandemic, the core brand became increasingly under pressure... Due to the licenses taking up more and more development resources, the original Blue Line got neglected more and more. With licenses like Dragons taking up most of the room for new molds, the novelties of once successful Blue Line themes like police , pony farm, construction, etc... were reduced to mostly refurbished re-releases of already existing sets. The result: Blue lines performed poorer and poorer.
And without making the proper analysis - that neglected development leads to boring products and bad sales - the idea grew that the core brand itself was the problem. So, top management doubled down and the core brand was further sacrificed - a nice sign of this is that the playmobil logo got reduced by 66% on the newer box designs - and all the energy went into new "offerings" like Everdreamerz, Dino Rise, Ayuma, DOC and especially Wiltopia, which got brandings that clearly depart from the "blue wall" concept that once gave Playmobil its unified presence in toy stores.
This made it pretty much a self-fullfilling prophecy as far as the future of the Blue Line is concerned, and i am really wondering what the fall novelties of 2023 will bring.
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We should, I suppose, be grateful that the expensive prices are limited to the licensed sets (unlike Lego, where it is across the board)
I can't work out their pricing. Just had a look at the UK site and there doesn't seem to be a pattern. The A-Team van is £70, the getaway van and helicopter set which features a similar van is £65 plus the silly helicopter. The fire engines look to be within the same price range but construction trucks are at least half the price for a similar or greater amount of parts. They even have a new police van coming out which is only £19 unless that's an introductory offer price.
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We should, I suppose, be grateful that the expensive prices are limited to the licensed sets (unlike Lego, where it is across the board)
Really? I do find the prices crazy expensive lately. That combined with the system WHY use is forcing me to serious reductions on the buy list (wallet happier - or should I say less furious? :P ).
Way back, in the early days of the development of Novelmore, the goal was to create only ONE full-flagged IP with books, games and a tv-series flanking the toy. And perhaps after a few years and having learned some lessons, attempt a second IP directed at girls.
(https://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/8046/811e37c76ff143cf9f2f170a5e97c274.jpg)
Taken from (and I am sure it appears in MANY other places): INFOGRAPHIC: How to tell if a toy is for a girl or a boy (https://www.news24.com/parent/child_7-12/development/infographic-how-to-tell-if-a-toy-is-for-a-girl-or-a-boy-20191213) (news24.com)
It's sad (and insulting) to see playmobil going down that path.
Thank you for the VERY interesting insights, collectobart.. The Novelmore series was a beauty. I suppose we will not get more? :( And it had lots and lots of gorgeous "civilians" too :love:
Sometimes I DO wonder if they have ANY idea of what they have, what they do, what they want... :(
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Way back, in the early days of the development of Novelmore, the goal was to create only ONE full-flagged IP with books, games and a tv-series flanking the toy. And perhaps after a few years and having learned some lessons, attempt a second IP directed at girls. It was a strategy still in line with the moderate and careful evolution of the core brand that existed under Horsts reign.
But between 2018 and the start of the pandemic, the core brand became increasingly under pressure... Due to the licenses taking up more and more development resources, the original Blue Line got neglected more and more. With licenses like Dragons taking up most of the room for new molds, the novelties of once successful Blue Line themes like police , pony farm, construction, etc... were reduced to mostly refurbished re-releases of already existing sets. The result: Blue lines performed poorer and poorer.
And without making the proper analysis - that neglected development leads to boring products and bad sales - the idea grew that the core brand itself was the problem. So, top management doubled down and the core brand was further sacrificed - a nice sign of this is that the playmobil logo got reduced by 66% on the newer box designs - and all the energy went into new "offerings" like Everdreamerz, Dino Rise, Ayuma, DOC and especially Wiltopia, which got brandings that clearly depart from the "blue wall" concept that once gave Playmobil its unified presence in toy stores.
This made it pretty much a self-fullfilling prophecy as far as the future of the Blue Line is concerned, and i am really wondering what the fall novelties of 2023 will bring.
In the UK there is a saying "From clogs to clogs in three generations", this dates from the years following the industrial revolution when a successful business would be started under its founder but the next generation would lose their way with the result that the business stagnated and maybe went into decline. The next (the third) generation would lose their way still more and the business would collapse. Maybe Playmobil is entering that third stage.
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Really? I do find the prices crazy expensive lately. That combined with the system WHY use is forcing me to serious reductions on the buy list (wallet happier - or should I say less furious? :P ).
(https://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/8046/811e37c76ff143cf9f2f170a5e97c274.jpg)
Taken from (and I am sure it appears in MANY other places): INFOGRAPHIC: How to tell if a toy is for a girl or a boy (https://www.news24.com/parent/child_7-12/development/infographic-how-to-tell-if-a-toy-is-for-a-girl-or-a-boy-20191213) (news24.com)
It's sad (and insulting) to see playmobil going down that path.
Thank you for the VERY interesting insights, collectobart.. The Novelmore series was a beauty. I suppose we will not get more? :( And it had lots and lots of gorgeous "civilians" too :love:
Sometimes I DO wonder if they have ANY idea of what they have, what they do, what they want... :(
Would it kill them to post a poll or something? Get a census so they can see just who is buying their stuff? One of their biggest mistakes was ignoring collectors. Y'know, people with a deep love for their products and the willingness to spend lots of money on them? I know they're trying to appeal to adults now by using licensed stuff like Star Trek and the A-Team, but they already had adults on their side from when they were children. They grew up loving Playmobil and passed it on to their kids thus enlarging their customer base and garnering some loyalty.
But noooooooooooo. They just had to close down PCC and go ham on eBay sellers (from what I've heard they were attacking people for reselling parts). They shot themselves in the foot so much it's a wonder they're still standing now. I still love the brand, as do many others. I just wish they made better decisions.
Also, I hate the new system too. I'm sure it's a reply to complaints of the older system with the red and yellow bits, and it probably helps to cut costs down.... BUT I SHOULDN'T BE ON CONSTANT EDGE WHEN BUILDING/DISASSEMBLING. Every time I try to take those new buildings aloose I feel like they're going to break and sometimes they do. Plus there's little to no opportunity to customize like the older systems. I HATE IT. :hissyfit: :wall: :doh:
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Thank you for the VERY interesting insights, collectobart.. The Novelmore series was a beauty. I suppose we will not get more? :( And it had lots and lots of gorgeous "civilians" too :love:
Well, i had lots of fun extending the range of character and locations beyond what landed in the product line to make the Novelmore world as rich and lively as possible. An incredible amount of work went into that. Just designing the Novelmore city itself - which is a huge city with many interesting locations and extra characters that unfortunately will never become a product - was a monumental undertaking.
As to the series... I don't know. We had developed material for up to 6 seasons with loose ideas for more, but i fear the momentum is gone with the demise of Wilfilm and the fact that most of the original team has meanwhile left the company.
As to the Toy... I think it is in safe hands as the original lead toy designer of Novelmore is still on board.
Sometimes I DO wonder if they have ANY idea of what they have, what they do, what they want... :(
They have ideas, but no overarching vision. the keywords are innovation and transformation but its all decided upon by people who do not necessarily all have a deep intuition for the brand. And since those people change with the frequency of a revolving door there is even less consistency. So you get an Asterix License that makes perfect sense and remains close to the PLAYMOBIL DNA. But you also have other licenses and new product lines that would probably be better left to the Mattel's, Hasbro's or Schleich's of the world.
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The next (the third) generation would lose their way still more and the business would collapse. Maybe Playmobil is entering that third stage.
As much as i hate to say it, PLAYMOBIL needs it's current CEO Steffen Hoepfner. The company was stuck 10-15 years behind its competitors in terms of processes and approach, and he does what he needs to do.
But he's an outright left brainer, a driven numbers and process person, who unlike Horst and Frau Schauer does not have the patience, wisdom or trust to really listen to and value the compensatory input of the right brainers in the company - the people that are more focused on adding value and meaning which are essential too. Instead, such dialog is totally discouraged.
That way the soul is slowly taken out of the company, and the only hope is that a counterweight is allowed to step in - Someone who can think totally out of the box while still holding on firmly to the values embedded in the brand dna and embody them within and without the company - to provide balance to this one sided direction.
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, the original Blue Line got neglected more and more. With licenses like Dragons taking up most of the room for new molds, the novelties of once successful Blue Line themes like police , pony farm, construction, etc... were reduced to mostly refurbished re-releases of already existing sets. The result: Blue lines performed poorer and poorer.
While I don't doubt the truth of this, I find it very strange.
Playmobil is bought for children. I find it difficult to believe that a re-designed Police Line will prompt many children to buy an additional police car/van/police station. If the children are coming to the stuff new, because of their age, then why should it matter that it's been on sale for years or is a simple re-colour? When I was a kid, most lines stayed the same for years. And I'm sure the sales figures back it up, I just don't understand the driver behind it.
Really? I do find the prices crazy expensive lately. That combined with the system WHY use is forcing me to serious reductions on the buy list (wallet happier - or should I say less furious? :P ).
Just to compare to Lego - the new Lego castle is £345, the Modular Hotel is £200 and the Modular Police Station is £180. None of these have a licensed element. To compare, the new Playmobil Medieval Bakery is actually cheaper than it's last incarnation in 2010, and the Victorian Mansion is the same price it was when it last retailed (2004, I think). Even in the standard range, I doubt there is any set that is more expensive than the equivalent would have been in the 1990s.
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While I don't doubt the truth of this, I find it very strange.
Playmobil is bought for children. I find it difficult to believe that a re-designed Police Line will prompt many children to buy an additional police car/van/police station.
It's not even about buying "additional" sets due to lack of novelties, it's often more about buying a first set to begin with. Novelties fade fast these days, not just for kids but also for the trade buyers.
Adding to that is also that various waves of novelties end up cannibalizing themselves. At one time you could find 4 variations of the police theme in the assortment: Police, SWAT, Top Agents and Galaxy Police.
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It's not even about buying "additional" sets due to lack of novelties, it's often more about buying a first set to begin with. Novelties fade fast these days, not just for kids but also for the trade buyers.
Adding to that is also that various waves of novelties end up cannibalizing themselves. At one time you could find 4 variations of the police theme in the assortment: Police, SWAT, Top Agents and Galaxy Police.
But - from a child/parents point of view - what does it matter if that first Police Car has been on the market for 5 years? A police car is a police car ???
I do think there is a problem with overlapping themes that are not really distinct enough, but maybe that's me looking at things as an adult
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A Police car is a police car allright, just like a coat is a coat, but still we have this thing called fashion that makes a coat hot today while it will look out of date and dull in just a few seasons. :-)
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One of their biggest mistakes was ignoring collectors. Y'know, people with a deep love for their products and the willingness to spend lots of money on them? I know they're trying to appeal to adults now by using licensed stuff like Star Trek and the A-Team, but they already had adults on their side from when they were children. They grew up loving Playmobil and passed it on to their kids thus enlarging their customer base and garnering some loyalty.
But noooooooooooo. They just had to close down PCC and go ham on eBay sellers (from what I've heard they were attacking people for reselling parts). They shot themselves in the foot so much it's a wonder they're still standing now.
This really is astounding when you think about it. They have a large, loyal base RIGHT THERE, waiting for the green light!