PlaymoFriends
General => Brainstorming For Playmobil => Topic started by: Eplay on November 26, 2023, 19:32:16
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I am Dutch and I love celebrating Sinterklaas (compare it to celebrating Santa Claus in the US).
Some of the most expensive old playmobil sets in the Netherlands are the Sinterklaas sets.
4893, 5040, 5206…
As December 5th is approaching I have set up a “intocht van Sinterklaas” /arrival of Sinterklaas.
The “Pieten” are really outdated. The last decade there have been some justified changes to the looks of the Pieten. The Pieten now keep their own skintone with black smudges from the chimneys through which they climb to deliver the presents. No more red lips and gold earrings. There is a lot of effort to change the identities of the Pieten to a more socially acceptable Piet.
They also have their jobs/identity: head Piet, horse Piet, jokester Piet, captain Piet, trainee Piet etc.
Here are some pictures of what I have now
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So for me it would be wonderful if there would be a new collection of Pieten. There could be a special edition of the figures with 12 different characters.
1. Sinterklaas (obviously)
2. His horse Ozosnel. “O zo snel” translates to oh so fast.
3. Head Piet, with the book of Sinterklaas in which all the names and hobby’s and wishes of the children are written
4. Horse Piet. Female Piet who takes care of the horse
5. Captain Piet/ “Wegwijspiet”
6. Mechanics Piet. (“Piet smeerpoets). Always full of smudges because of fixing the steam boat.
7. Baker Piet. Someone has to make all the cookies/ chocolate letters
8-12. Have to find inspiration. Perhaps a present Piet, or DJ Piet or small children (boy & girl)dressed up as a Piet
Sinterklaas and his horse can be like the previous set 4893.
Here are the drawings of nr 4 Horse Piet and nr 7 Baker Piet
Perhaps it would be nice to include some small parts with the figures. Accessories or toys.
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Some companies stay out of the “Pietendiscussie” (Discussion about abolishing the Pieten) by only showing Sinterklaas. But there are also companies in the Netherlands like Hema who embrace the new look of the Pieten.
I think it would be a big hit in the Netherlands if it is branded as a “shoe present” ( like a stocking filler).
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Wonderful ideas, Eplay! Now we have a rather globalised culture, it's even more important to keep alive those customs which developed in certain regions. I think Sinterklaas and formerly-Schwarte Piet have much wider cultural significance than the Netherlands (although they are virtually unknown here just across the North Sea), so new sets based on them should be very well received. It's been suggested before that Geobra would do well to reflect the diversity of global cultures and traditions, but with few exceptions, this has never really been done.
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Great idea! I have no cultural reference for the Pieten, aside from what I've read from you all, but I've always wanted them for their bling outfits.
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Thank you. I think the cultural sets are great. Too bad they don’t do more.
I’ve drawn two children dressed up as Pieten (nr 11 & 12). I think the prints would be doable (you don’t see a lot of children with printed pants)
The pink should be lighter and the red darker, but I have a limited amount of pencils.
I didn’t find a collar I liked in playmoDB, so that would be challenging. The collar from the mushroom fairy is a little deep in the neckline, but it’s close.
The arms are short sleeve arms with the lower part not in skintone, but colour.
For the hats a (riding) cap would be ok.
Below also my son’s Pieten costume. I like the colours.
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You make wonderful drawings :love:
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You make wonderful drawings :love:
I agree! :D Those are excellent drawings and ideas!
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You make wonderful drawings :love:
I agree! :D Those are excellent drawings and ideas!
Thank you!!
I’ve made another one. I liked the color combination of this Piet (orange, turquoise and gold), so I made him a gift wrapping Piet. (Nr 8)
The orange is also in the horse Piet. For a figures serie I think its good to repeat colours so more combinations / new figures can be made.
I gave him Asian eyes (more cultural variation).
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Another great one :)
For a figures serie I think its good to repeat colours so more combinations / new figures can be made.
Would be AWESOME if someone could share that insight with playmobil.. They make these new themed "my figures" (or whatever they are called) sets (something we collectors figured was a great idea when the figures first appeared, btw) - but the skincolors make it impossible to switch parts, so.. what was the point again?
<sigh>
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Would be AWESOME if someone could share that insight with playmobil.. They make these new themed "my figures" (or whatever they are called) sets (something we collectors figured was a great idea when the figures first appeared, btw) - but the skincolors make it impossible to switch parts, so.. what was the point again?
<sigh>
Trying… trying… I’m hoping they are reading this post ;)
I’m having inspiration right now: nr 9 & 10: the Music Pieten. At the “Intocht”/ arrival of Sinterklaas there always is a marching band/local orchestra playing (at least where I live). So it would be wonderful to have a male and female music Piet. I chose to make the male dark tan. But with a lot of figures, it would be possible to switch heads/arms and hair pieces. Then these 2 would make a whole band.
(Without the hat and gold puffs they would make a good normal marching band. There is no playmobil version of a drum with shoulder straps but I would guess that these would be popular in the US. For the US one or both figures should have a dark skintone, but I choose not to do a dark skinned Piet because it would be too controversial for playmobil (and 2 skintones is easier to mix and match)
I hope you like these 2.
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And here is number 5: The Captain of the steamboat of Sinterklaas.
He’s got gold and turquoise stripes on the side of his pants.
For the accessories I chose a toy sailboat. If you take the lower part of the sailboat and make a different top you can create a steamboat toy. (A steamboat toy would probably do well in a Victorian nursery)
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These would have so many great parts! It'd be especially nice to have all of those hats in new colours. :D
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I specifically collected them early on recognizing the controversy they would cause
Playmobil has quite a few questionable sets and they from time to time let one thankfully slip out
Keep up the dark humor Geobra , I really appreciate it
Hobo & cop
Hippy pushing biker off of cliff
Pirate slave
To bad the recent Ferrari didn’t come with crypto in a suitcase
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These would have so many great parts! It'd be especially nice to have all of those hats in new colours. :D
Yes! And it’s a lot of fun planning the different Pieten ;D
I specifically collected them early on recognizing the controversy they would cause
That was good thinking. I came a bit late to the playmobil party.
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These are amazing! I absolutely agree we would all benefit from firmly moving away from the out-dated and offensive imagery, and your ideas and drawings look just the part.
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Thanks. I’m now trying out different colour combinations. More drawings are coming.
Do you know if there are differences in Celebrating Sinterklaas in Belgium compared to The Netherlands? Is there also a market for the Pieten in Belgium?
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I’ve decided to change some of the Pieten, to be able to change the parts more easily to create even more different ones. So the music Pieten are out. Unfortunately a bit too distinctive. But hopefully the idea gets picked up for a duo pack.
I can give some of the Pieten that don’t have a job yet some instruments to make them music Pieten.
So these are left:
1. Sinterklaas
2. Horse
Male Pieten
3. Head Piet: Dark blue and gold, dark brown hair.
4. Captain Piet: Dark blue, turquoise and gold. Dark tan. Black hair.
5. Baker Piet: White, green and gold. Blonde hair.
6. Gift wrapping Piet: Orange, turquoise and gold. Asian eyes. Black hair.
7. ? Piet: Turquoise, Purple and gold. Dark orange hair.
Female Pieten
8. Horse Piet: Pink, orange and gold. Blonde braid.
9. ? Piet: Purple, pink and gold. Asian eyes, black princess braid
10. ? Piet: Yellow, green and gold. Dark tan. Short classic black hair
11. ? Piet: Purple, yellow and gold. Dark brown braid.
Children
12. Set of boy and girl dressed as Pieten
I made new drawings of the female Pieten.
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Thanks. I’m now trying out different colour combinations. More drawings are coming.
Do you know if there are differences in Celebrating Sinterklaas in Belgium compared to The Netherlands? Is there also a market for the Pieten in Belgium?
Yes, well, the controversy is a bit different here - I think at least in part because of the series Dag Sinterklaas from the early nineties.
When I was young, they aired that popular Sinterklaas series on TV and it already addressed and changed parts of the old narrative. We grew up learning the black came from the soot in the chimney, and Piet was portrayed as Sint's playful, funny best friend (as opposed to Sint as his superior and someone who punishes kids). They also did away with the stick (roe) and Sinterklaas always concluded there were no naughty children at all. But the way Piet looked was still wildly problematic (golden earrings, wig with curly hair, red lipstick).
Since people spoke out against it, they've created a new television show with Pieten with a few black smudges from the soot, no wigs, no offensive imagery. They also added new characters, and female characters too. I think within the next 5 to 10 years, it will be the new normal for everyone. There's less of a heated debate here, less protest on the streets like we hear about in the Netherlands.
We see the same marketing changes you mention: Some companies (f.e. for chocolate men, speculoos...) decide to incorporate Pieten with smudges, some have dropped Piet and focus on Sinterklaas and his horse, and a small minority haven't made any changes. I think they're waiting to see where it goes.
I still see old books, drawings and toys with the old imagery, but there's also a lot of new material blending in with the old too. To anwser your question: there is definitely a market for Pieten here. It's easily the most celebrated holiday for kids.
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Yes, well, the controversy is a bit different here - I think at least in part because of the series Dag Sinterklaas from the early nineties.
I remember that program or at least the host (I’m a 90s kid).
To anwser your question: there is definitely a market for Pieten here. It's easily the most celebrated holiday for kids.
So playmobil has 2 countries where these figures would probably sell very well if they choose to embrace the smudge Pieten. I really believe it would be an easy way to get more kids (and parents) to love playmobil again. Most people pay up to €5 for a shoe present, so the figures series are in the budget, even if you include more accessories.
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I figured out some jobs. I want to match different toys to the Pieten.
So these are left:
1. Sinterklaas. Staff, large sack with doll and tennis racket
2. Horse. Carrot (orange turnip), white rocking horse with red saddle (looking like the real horse), bucket with water, hay
Male Pieten
3. Head Piet: Dark blue and gold, dark brown hair. Book of Sinterklaas, large sack with race car
4. Captain Piet: Dark blue, turquoise and gold. Dark tan. Black hair. Sailboat, globe, map of Europe
5. Baker Piet: White, green and gold. Blonde hair. Speculaas, whisk & bowl, handheld sack (for the candy)
6. Gift wrapping Piet: Orange, turquoise and gold. Asian eyes. Black hair. Scissor, wrapping paper, 2 gift boxes
7. Sports/acrobatics Piet: Turquoise, Purple and gold. Dark orange hair. Skateboard, soccer ball
Female Pieten
8. Horse Piet: Pink, orange and gold. Blonde braid. Horse brush, broom, hobby horse
9. Music/Dance Piet: Purple, pink and gold. Asian eyes, black princess braid. Radio, trumpet, violin
10. Poet/Letter Piet: Yellow, green and gold. Dark tan. Short classic black hair. Inktstand and feather. Letters with drawings for Sinterklaas. Open book with picture of steamboat on one side and Sinterklaas and full moon on the other (based on well known Sinterklaas songs)
11. Crafts Piet: Purple, yellow and gold. Dark brown braid. Easel and painting of Sinterklaas with gold frame, paint brush and paint
Children
12. Set of boy and girl dressed as Pieten. Shoes/slippers to put in front of the fireplace. Child sized mijter (hat of Sinterklaas) and cape.
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Well, you've specified the figures and their accessories. Now we must wait for geobra to respond....
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Well, you've specified the figures and their accessories. Now we must wait for geobra to respond....
The CEO secretary is busy making coffee and copies
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Well, you've specified the figures and their accessories. Now we must wait for geobra to respond....
Have they ever??
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So for me it would be wonderful if there would be a new collection of Pieten. There could be a special edition of the figures with 12 different characters.
1. Sinterklaas (obviously)
2. His horse Ozosnel. “O zo snel” translates to oh so fast.
3. Head Piet, with the book of Sinterklaas in which all the names and hobby’s and wishes of the children are written
4. Horse Piet. Female Piet who takes care of the horse
5. Captain Piet/ “Wegwijspiet”
6. Mechanics Piet. (“Piet smeerpoets). Always full of smudges because of fixing the steam boat.
7. Baker Piet. Someone has to make all the cookies/ chocolate letters
8-12. Have to find inspiration. Perhaps a present Piet, or DJ Piet or small children (boy & girl)dressed up as a Piet
Sinterklaas and his horse can be like the previous set 4893.
Here are the drawings of nr 4 Horse Piet and nr 7 Baker Piet
Perhaps it would be nice to include some small parts with the figures. Accessories or toys.
Those drawings look amazing!!! In Belgium we call the horse of Sinterklaas "Slechtweervandaag", translated as "Bad weather today". I love the tiny differences between Belgium and the Netherlands in this lovely tradition!
Another figure could be the "stafhouder" or "staff keeper". This is the person who keeps the staff of the Sint safe until he arrives again from Spain.
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Thanks, staff keeper is a good one.
When I was little the horse was called Amerigo. But when the real horse died they told the children Amerigo retired and Ozosnel was found/created.
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Finally got around to drawing the male Pieten. Couldn’t get the turquoise right (no turquoise pencil). But I like the result.
I want to give most the short and wavy hairstyle. (I’m also not a fan of “that” hairstyle)
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Great!
All you need to do now is make the molds for them and geobra have a new theme ready-made!
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Finally got around to drawing the male Pieten. Couldn’t get the turquoise right (no turquoise pencil). But I like the result.
I want to give most the short and wavy hairstyle. (I’m also not a fan of “that” hairstyle)
I wish I could draw that well too! Very nice!!!
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Thank you both!!
I really hope that the idea gets picked up.
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I'd buy all of these in a heartbeat :love:
These figures (just like the earlier Sint, horse and Pieten) are lovely to arrange around a child's shoe, adding an extra dash of magic to Sinterklaas morning. One could be rolling a clementine, one could be swimming in chocolate coins, etc.
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These figures (just like the earlier Sint, horse and Pieten) are lovely to arrange around a child's shoe, adding an extra dash of magic to Sinterklaas morning. One could be rolling a clementine, one could be swimming in chocolate coins, etc.
What a good idea. Definitely going to do that next year :love:
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I'd buy all of these in a heartbeat :love:
I would too! :)
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Thanks!!!
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So for me it would be wonderful if there would be a new collection of Pieten. There could be a special edition of the figures with 12 different characters.
1. Sinterklaas (obviously)
2. His horse Ozosnel. “O zo snel” translates to oh so fast.
3. Head Piet, with the book of Sinterklaas in which all the names and hobby’s and wishes of the children are written
4. Horse Piet. Female Piet who takes care of the horse
5. Captain Piet/ “Wegwijspiet”
6. Mechanics Piet. (“Piet smeerpoets). Always full of smudges because of fixing the steam boat.
7. Baker Piet. Someone has to make all the cookies/ chocolate letters
8-12. Have to find inspiration. Perhaps a present Piet, or DJ Piet or small children (boy & girl)dressed up as a Piet
Sinterklaas and his horse can be like the previous set 4893.
Here are the drawings of nr 4 Horse Piet and nr 7 Baker Piet
Perhaps it would be nice to include some small parts with the figures. Accessories or toys.
Thank you. I think the cultural sets are great. Too bad they don’t do more.
I’ve drawn two children dressed up as Pieten (nr 11 & 12). I think the prints would be doable (you don’t see a lot of children with printed pants)
The pink should be lighter and the red darker, but I have a limited amount of pencils.
I didn’t find a collar I liked in playmoDB, so that would be challenging. The collar from the mushroom fairy is a little deep in the neckline, but it’s close.
The arms are short sleeve arms with the lower part not in skintone, but colour.
For the hats a (riding) cap would be ok.
Below also my son’s Pieten costume. I like the colours.
Thank you!!
I’ve made another one. I liked the color combination of this Piet (orange, turquoise and gold), so I made him a gift wrapping Piet. (Nr 8)
The orange is also in the horse Piet. For a figures serie I think its good to repeat colours so more combinations / new figures can be made.
I gave him Asian eyes (more cultural variation).
Trying… trying… I’m hoping they are reading this post ;)
I’m having inspiration right now: nr 9 & 10: the Music Pieten. At the “Intocht”/ arrival of Sinterklaas there always is a marching band/local orchestra playing (at least where I live). So it would be wonderful to have a male and female music Piet. I chose to make the male dark tan. But with a lot of figures, it would be possible to switch heads/arms and hair pieces. Then these 2 would make a whole band.
(Without the hat and gold puffs they would make a good normal marching band. There is no playmobil version of a drum with shoulder straps but I would guess that these would be popular in the US. For the US one or both figures should have a dark skintone, but I choose not to do a dark skinned Piet because it would be too controversial for playmobil (and 2 skintones is easier to mix and match)
I hope you like these 2.
And here is number 5: The Captain of the steamboat of Sinterklaas.
He’s got gold and turquoise stripes on the side of his pants.
For the accessories I chose a toy sailboat. If you take the lower part of the sailboat and make a different top you can create a steamboat toy. (A steamboat toy would probably do well in a Victorian nursery)
Ooo! Another fellow artist! <:> What excellent pictures! ;D When Playmobil sadly tanks, we ought to get you and other fans together to make our own little off-brand. Between my old sneaky Pirates/18th century theme, klickyklack's drollery theme, and your Sinterklaas figures, we might be on to something. :**:
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Artist :-[ more a creative person, but thanks!! I’m hoping they don’t tank because they are willing to listen to fans/customers or are open to ideas from others.
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Artist :-[ more a creative person, but thanks!! I’m hoping they don’t tank because they are willing to listen to fans/customers or are open to ideas from others.
Oh, shush! They’re perfect! :love:
I too hope for Playmobil to turn around. I still love this brand very much (just bought some more sets yesterday on clearance!), but after seeing their conduct with the PCC, outsourcing manufacturing, and cracking down on eBay and such, and now the dreaded Disney virus (who’s also tanking, HARD)….I’m not sure how things are gonna turn out. :( Like I said, at least we have 3D printing and home casting/molding.