PlaymoFriends

General => Collector's Corner => Topic started by: Gustavo on March 07, 2011, 14:57:36

Title: Cataloguing Issues
Post by: Gustavo on March 07, 2011, 14:57:36
This thread isn't supposed to reach conclusions. This is too big an issue to give me any delusions that it would be solved. I'd like, however, to raise some subjects here, such as the need we have of an organized source as Collectobil.com used to be (beginning to get too outdated now ...), and which is far from being reached by the Playmobil.De Archiv section, which is wonderful, but still a little difficult to use, as well as somewhat incomplete and not all serious, even being the Official place for such a kind of research.

So, comments, ideas, solutions, more problems you notice, these are all welcome.

 :wave:

Gus
:blackhair:
Title: Re: Cataloguing Issues
Post by: Gustavo on March 07, 2011, 15:00:07
We can find sets in Collectobil.com grouped as follows:

(Three columns)

Color (33)
Space (15)
Playmospace (13)
Dino Expedition (6)
Pals (7)
Construction (31)
Indians (13)
Western (35)
Western Train (6)
Airport (13)
City Life (55)
City Service (5)
Police (39)
Racing (45)
Rescue (43)
Traffic (10)

Dollhouse  (45)
Special  4501-4560  (60)
Special  4561-4620  (60)
Special  4621-4900  (19)
Magic (15)
FairyTaleCastle (8)
Knights (66)
Old Houses (8)
Pirates (41)
Vikings (13)
Circus (30)
Safari (8)
Zoo (22)
Television (3)
Christmas (15)
Easter (12)

Gift series (26)
Action (10)
Single Klicky (36)
Multi Klicky (11)
Klicky Vehicles (8)
Antartic (7)
Freetime (30)
Jungle (12)
Outdoor (25)
Waterworld (20)
Wintertime (19)
Farm (63)
Train (11)
RC Train (6)
Harbor (7)
123 (20)

It's an interesting division. Not perfect, but it tries to reach our needs, for an efficient search.

Playmobil.De Archiv brings the sets sorted by year (1974-2006) Sometimes it takes time to find a set ...
Title: Re: Cataloguing Issues
Post by: bonniebeth on March 07, 2011, 15:07:45
Yes, the archive is great in some ways, but not being able to search by theme is a real problem. Not to mention that it hasn't been updated since 2006.  ::) And I've recently been told that they aren't complete for the years that are archived, which I hadn't really noticed before, but I'm sure it's true.

Collectobil is a great resource, but since it's no longer being updated, it's getting more and more outdated also. However, I use playmodb like an archive. By and large, it is very complete, and you can search for set by theme or number, or focus, plus searching for all the sets that include a certain part. I've always felt like it pretty well filled the need.
Title: Re: Cataloguing Issues
Post by: Gustavo on March 07, 2011, 15:33:08
Collectobil wasn't complete either, btw, but it seemed to make a better effort.

Playmodb is indeed the better source, nowadays, for collectors. Heather's been doing an excellent work!, and many many collectors help her, which is very good!
Title: Re: Cataloguing Issues
Post by: Gustavo on March 07, 2011, 16:01:25
Now that I'm looking at it, I realized that Egypt is out of the Playmobil.De catalogue :o So sad! ... One more discontinued collection.

Anyway, there should be a section in the Archiv that brought all the themes, and catalogued not only in the chronology of the toy, but of theme too.

Now we have prehistoric sets, so:

Pre-History
Egypt
Rome
Vikings
Middle Ages / Fantasy (Dragons, Bunnies)
Magic Castle (?)
"Spanish Pirates" (which were never an isolated theme though ...)
Ghost Pirates (Fantasy Pirates)
Pirates
Magic Castle (?)
Western
1900
Modern themes
Title: Re: Cataloguing Issues
Post by: CountBogro on March 10, 2011, 20:47:03
Biggest problem, of coarse, is that a lot of sets can be part of multiple sections - how are you going to deal with those? The Specials are a brilliant example of that.
Long time ago, I had a little chat with Axel ( creator of the Collector's guide) and he faced the same problem. That's the reason why everything is sorted on release-year. That's clear and identifiable.

If I were the one making the grouping, I'd go for the groups Playmobil has made and keep it at that.
But again - that's highly debatable.

Bogro
Title: Re: Cataloguing Issues
Post by: Luis on March 11, 2011, 16:24:26
I know Heather is the webmaster of playmodb, but is she the only person in charge of that website? :o
Title: Re: Cataloguing Issues
Post by: Indianna on March 11, 2011, 16:47:45
I know Heather is the webmaster of playmodb, but is she the only person in charge of that website? :o

Yes - she owns and operates Playmodb  - an amazing and generous undertaking.  People help out by sending her information and photos and, occasionally, financial contributions (which she never asks for, bless her soul) but she does all the upkeep entirely on her own.   :love:
Title: Re: Cataloguing Issues
Post by: bonniebeth on March 11, 2011, 17:27:30
She definitely deserves some kind of award for all her work. Words can't express how much I appreciate her wonderful database! I don't know what I'd do without it.  :*) :*) :*)
Title: Re: Cataloguing Issues
Post by: Luis on March 11, 2011, 19:19:51
:omg:
OMG we definately should give this woman an award  :wow:
Title: Re: Cataloguing Issues
Post by: Playmoholics on March 12, 2011, 02:37:00
What on earth would we do without her  :-\ Thank you Heather!!!!  :*)