PlaymoFriends
General => News => Topic started by: Macruran on June 20, 2015, 16:56:42
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This might belong in Marketplace but I think it raises a wider issue.
This article (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fastest-selling-playmobil-figure-all-time-coming-america-and-its-not-what-you-might-think-180955560/?utm_source=twitter.com&no-ist) came up linked from a non-PM related feed I read (Beachcombing's Bizarre History (http://www.strangehistory.net/), highly recommended!). Old news of course but I skimmed it anyway, and ran across this stunning sentence:
A representative from Concordia Publishing House, which will sell the figurine in the U.S. (https://www.cph.org/p-29006-playmobil-martin-luther.aspx), tells Reporter that “the enthusiasm we’ve seen for [Luther] has been incredible,” with thousands of preorders flowing in at an unprecedented speed.
https://www.cph.org/p-29006-playmobil-martin-luther.aspx for the sale site.
This is exactly what we're talking about with more special, cultural sets. Have them initially made for a local relevant institution or event (Luther anniversary, Heligoland fishing boat, whatever), but then make them available internationally. And that can too be done in a contextually appropriate fashion. So in this case they've chosen a Lutheran merchandise company to sell it in the US. He's even on their front page (https://www.cph.org/default.aspx)now!
A positive sign.
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It is good that he is available on other countries, but this is so wrong.
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Very interesting. Their marketing is a bit odd to me. Little Luther?? Take him to a beer fest?? Not the most conservative faction of the Lutherans I guess.
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He’s faithful.
He’s fiery.
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He’s faithful.
He’s fiery.
::)
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well, it's one more klicky.
MORE being the word.
it's not a figure i will ever want but i see a big commercial advantage here.
i geobra would hire a seller that would go around the world trying to sell special editions - mini-luther is the best way to say it can be a hit.
just as long as he avoids trying to sell little muhammad figures, i guess playmobil can have a new nice business here.
up until now, from what i've heard, the companies or museums or institutions were the ones to contact geobra.
with this lutheran success, a small investment in a good seller could be very profitable.
go to where the market is instead of waiting for it.
the profit from selling merchandising can represent 30% of an institution's budget.
i'm sure they would be interested.
:) imagine a meeting at the louvre to propose a little mona lisa.
that would be a figure i would buy.
and that - if available at the pcc somehow - would make me want to be a member.
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:) imagine a meeting at the louvre to propose a little mona lisa.
This has GOT to happen.
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Price: $9.99
Availability: Estimated 07/01/2015. Subject to change.
This item will ship when it becomes available. Applicable shipping charges will apply.
Look who is scalping collectors now ? a church ::)
Their motto
"Reaching the world with God’s Word since 1869
For more than 140 years, Concordia Publishing House has been serving individuals, families, and congregations in their proclamation and learning of the Gospel. Here at CPH, work means more than meeting quotas and the bottom line—it means touching the lives of God’s people with His Word."
as much as I would love to see this happen again and again I just would not be able to afford to support church's coffers
Thanks you very much for the news Macruran :wow:
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nice, but it to me this looks like they have bought it from the Nürnberg tourist office, like so many other sellers.... ::)
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You mean it's not a deal directly with PM? Could be. Would be nice to know. That would explain the gouging.
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PCC team was very claer about this: They EXCLUSIVELY made and sold all to the Nürnberg tourist office.
On KW there was also someone, who showed a picture made at the Museum in Koblenz of the PCC contingent (Prussian Soldier) being ready for shipping back to the PM-HQ ;-) So this also is evidence, that all these sets are made and sold to the customer.
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PCC team was very claer about this: They EXCLUSIVELY made and sold all to the Nürnberg tourist office.
On KW there was also someone, who showed a picture made at the Museum in Koblenz of the PCC contingent (Prussian Soldier) being ready for shipping back to the PM-HQ ;-) So this also is evidence, that all these sets are made and sold to the customer.
??? i dont quite understand
Was this the fastest selling playmo set due to collectors demand or did a church swoop in and buy them all up to scalp them 8} ?
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i think they bought them, just as all the ebay scalpers, from the Nürnberg tourist office and not through Playmobil.
So, if this is the case, it's not an official PM thing, but just a reseller.
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i think they bought them, just as all the ebay scalpers, from the Nürnberg tourist office and not through Playmobil.
So, if this is the case, it's not an official PM thing, but just a reseller.
So it's was a reseller who caused the item to become "fastest selling set" and they are now using that line to sell them?
A church caused all of this just to scalp? Seriously? Are there real facts to back this up, maybe at KW? Weirdest problem yet for not being able to get a set or at least delayed. Thank (not their God) for Daniella
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Well let's not jump to conclusions without hard numbers. Obviously it sold a ton in Germany, Luther is less well known in the States, so I would be surprised if this company caused the sellout. Also, they clearly are getting the second printing, not the first, so they can't be the original cause of the sellout. Most likely they saw a news article about it and said "Hey let's sell that!"
That would be my hypothesis.
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Very interesting. Their marketing is a bit odd to me. Little Luther?? Take him to a beer fest?? Not the most conservative faction of the Lutherans I guess.
I just googled -"martin luther" beer - and got a lot of results. It seems he was a big fan of the stuff. So perhaps they just know their history!
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I ordered one a month ago, using Amazon or Ebay, from a dealer from Germany. I received a USPS notice today that it's waiting for me at the post office, so I think I get it tomorrow. Tomorrow's my birthday, so it's a nice gift.
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At the lame duck Amazon sale I saw the Luther for $23. Seems everyone is on the scalping road
http://www.amazon.com/Playmobil-6099-Martin-Special-Reformation/dp/B00TKDX9LU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437090444&sr=8-1&keywords=Luther+playmobil
Happy birthday and glad you were able to get a nice rare blue box for yourself. A very nice choice indeed
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My mother mentioned this over the phone because she saw the actual catalog. We're not Lutheran, but she works for a Lutheran church. If I knew her coworkers would want a Luther klicky, I would have joined the co-op. Oops.
It's not a church, though they have connections to the Missouri Synod; it's a publishing house that sells to churches, church staff, etc. So it's the churches and church members who are paying too much for Luther klicky. The publishing house must have had someone in Europe to buy a bunch. The LCMS is over 6,000 churches. ELCA churches are also receiving this catalog. That's another 9k+ churches.