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General => Collector's Corner => Topic started by: playmo1989 on August 25, 2011, 04:41:49

Title: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: playmo1989 on August 25, 2011, 04:41:49
when the playmobil factory in malta started working?  i have sets from early 90's that say are made in malta ... 
 

thanks :)
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: Bolingbroke on August 26, 2011, 06:39:28
in the 70s, during the socialist 'boom' there were a lot of factories like that opening on the island and employing people.
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: playmo1989 on August 26, 2011, 07:58:32
in the 70s, during the socialist 'boom' there were a lot of factories like that opening on the island and employing people.

in the 70's ?? no way .... there are no sets made in malta at the 70's  ??? ???
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: Bolingbroke on August 26, 2011, 08:01:51

in the 70's ?? no way .... there are no sets made in malta at the 70's  ??? ???

*shrugs*

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110215/local/helga-ellul-awarded-the-officers-cross.350378

In 1976 she was appointed director of PM Malta yadda yadda yadda.
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: playmo1989 on August 26, 2011, 08:14:35
*shrugs*

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110215/local/helga-ellul-awarded-the-officers-cross.350378

In 1976 she was appointed director of PM Malta yadda yadda yadda.

oh really !!!  :eh?: then why they don't state in the 70's sets that some are made in malta ,and all say made in west germany? perhaps the factory wasn't producing anything at the time ? (http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Thinking/thinking-022.gif) (http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Thinking/thinking-022.gif) hmm... this is really weird !!
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: playmofire on August 26, 2011, 08:21:31
What is now Playmobil Malta was originally registered in Malta in 1971 as Brand International Ltd and a production plant was set up then or shortly after.  (The document I have is ambiguous as it says, "...the company decided in 1971 to set up a production plant on the island of Malta".)   The factory started production in 1972 making toy telephones and record players.  In 1976 Playmobil production started in Malta, at first just the figures. 
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: Bolingbroke on August 26, 2011, 09:51:34
What is now Playmobil Malta was originally registered in Malta in 1971 as Brand International Ltd and a production plant was set up then or shortly after.  (The document I have is ambiguous as it says, "...the company decided in 1971 to set up a production plant on the island of Malta".)   The factory started production in 1972 making toy telephones and record players.  In 1976 Playmobil production started in Malta, at first just the figures. 

Yeah. I think that back than they produced other toys too. Either way, I had relatives working there in the 70s for sure, and towards the end of the decade they were definitely working on PM. If not sets, then figures.
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: playmo1989 on August 27, 2011, 14:54:17
What is now Playmobil Malta was originally registered in Malta in 1971 as Brand International Ltd and a production plant was set up then or shortly after.  (The document I have is ambiguous as it says, "...the company decided in 1971 to set up a production plant on the island of Malta".)   The factory started production in 1972 making toy telephones and record players.  In 1976 Playmobil production started in Malta, at first just the figures. 

really  :o :o :o then why they don't state the figures were made in malta ,and just say made in we. germany??  ???
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: Wesley Myers on August 27, 2011, 16:33:43

really  :o :o :o then why they don't state the figures were made in malta ,and just say made in we. germany??  ???

Probably for the same reasons Harley Davidson says "Made in the USA".
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: playmofire on August 27, 2011, 16:58:30

really  :o :o :o then why they don't state the figures were made in malta ,and just say made in we. germany??  ???

Probably because the great bulk of the set was made in Western Germany.
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: playmo1989 on August 28, 2011, 03:31:37
Probably because the great bulk of the set was made in Western Germany.

the figures were made there right? the single figure sets say made in ger.  ::) ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: playmo1989 on August 28, 2011, 03:32:44
Probably for the same reasons Harley Davidson says "Made in the USA".

i don't find a real reason for that because now they say where every set was made ... 8}
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: playmofire on August 28, 2011, 06:43:10
the figures were made there right? the single figure sets say made in ger.  ::) ::) ::) ::)

No, all the figures were made in Malta but all the packaging took place in Germany at that time. Maybe by value, because of higher labour rates in Germany, the bulk of the cost of the set would arise from work in Germany and so it could be marked "Made in Germany" or maybe the country where the item was finally assembled determined where it was "made".
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: PrimusPilus on August 28, 2011, 11:21:25
Items had to be packed in the German factory because it's there where the QC is done.
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: Baron Marshall on August 28, 2011, 12:01:36
most of the time final assembly is the "made" mark... which is why some sets are marked made in china/spain/czech republic ... etc even though the vast majority of all parts for PM (the number I have is 95%) are made in germany and malta

Malta is as last I heard the exclusive producer of PM figures... first smile sets... and PM 123. Most if not all prepacked items... think take-along and advent calendars are marked made in the czech republic because that is where they are assembled and packaged.

Malta for all figures and Czech Republic for the advent calendar and take-along houses I know for sure... and I suspect that the sets marked China are primarily because the electronic elements are made there and the sets that come assembled like the new school bus and US exclusive pirate ship 5950 would be labor intensive to pack as the "ready to go" level they are boxed with for Mass Market... it would also appear that some of these similar but non-electric items undergo the same treatment in Spain.
Title: Re: the playmobil malta factory
Post by: playmo1989 on August 28, 2011, 21:28:20
 ;)