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General => News => Topic started by: core on December 23, 2008, 09:37:41

Title: Interesting chat with local PM dealer ...
Post by: core on December 23, 2008, 09:37:41
Well, finally found some time to get back to PM (and here!) after endless months of hectic work and family commitments (then again, my 2 boys have been switching back and forth between PM :woohoo: Lego this year and have been dragging me along, somewhat).

At any rate I drove up with the boys to the local toy speciality store (full-line, carries entire Add Ons, but main business is online, with a B&M location to satisfy dealer requirements from various brands (he's also full-line Brio, Papo, Schleich, Bruder, Calico, Ryan's Room, and a boat load of other brands)) to check out the sale they were having - quite a surprise as their in-stock PM items are down ~90% from 9 months ago!  Shop seems to have taken quite a hit with the recent US/global financial situation; owner insist he's still very much into continuing the business though.  Now when I inquired about the absence of PM stuff, the obvious issue of extending credit was one of the reasons - the interesting comment he made was than PM USA could not fulfill almost all of his last order (about $8K iirc, hence he dropped the order) as PM USA themselves did not have enough credit line to get stuff over here from EU!  I suppose I could just take it with a heap of salt  ???  On a brighter note, a much closer local store (actually an independent office supply store with large classroom/home-school section) decided to venture into the toy biz and brought in quite a bit of PM stuff about 4 months ago.

How about us?  This year it's been a time of accumulating more Steck parts and expanding the city scape - and finally getting the 'new' RC train lines (there's a RCE w/center cargo section and large train station under the Christmas tree this year, unbeknown to the kids  ;D)
Title: Re: Interesting chat with local PM dealer ...
Post by: Timotheos on December 23, 2008, 13:59:37
Glad to see you back, Core!  Be sure to post pics!

As for your talk with the local merchant--

I heard from one merchant about his frustration with Playmobil's minimum-web-price policy that started last fall. 

On the other hand, I've found some of these local shop owners, especially those who don't list on-line, can be really eccentric to deal with...  I encountered one who is the equivalent of the Seinfeld Soup-Nazi (after spending over $500 with him on an in-store visit on a business trip, I later emailed him a list of sets I wondered if he had.  He got ticked off because I asked about prices, when I am supposed to understand he is the cheapest in the industry).  Summary: he doesn't list his inventory on-line and you can't inquire about it.

So, yeah, as you suggested, I take the antics of some of these characters with a heap of salt!    :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Title: Re: Interesting chat with local PM dealer ...
Post by: extjmv on December 23, 2008, 19:39:14
Playmobil Spain, is selling online 21 refs. at cost price.... and only ship to shops from May to July....
Title: Re: Interesting chat with local PM dealer ...
Post by: Rasputin on December 23, 2008, 20:15:44
Playmobil Spain, is selling online 21 refs. at cost price....

What does that mean  ???
Title: Re: Interesting chat with local PM dealer ...
Post by: extjmv on December 25, 2008, 21:14:01
Sorry about my english....

Playmobil Spain sell 21 sets in www.playmobil.es at cost price (at the same price shops buy items to Playmobil)