Hi Playmofriends
In the article that follows, the author speaks about a variation of Playmobil with which I believe I also encountered as a child. These figures were slightly larger than the Playmobil and had movable feets, bright coloured torso, and as far as I remember identical hairdoes
...
Those who remember these years may help me finding out if Bootlegs figures are what I remember or not.
Tricorne being mentioned in the text which is a part of the Ofiicial Playmobil Wikipedia - if you please - maybe able to enlighten us ?
I will appreciate your help in solving a 30 years mystery
!!!
Karim
Bootlegs and unauthorized figures
In 1978, Schenk, a Hungarian firm, began reproducing bootleg Playmobil figures. They had not received any authorization or license from Geobra Brandstätter. Schenk produced exact copies of the original toy, though some sets were modified to create new types of sets, usually military, from Hungarian history. Thus, Schenk produced the Hussar (Huszár), from the period of the Hungarian War of Independence and the Hungarian hussar series (Magyar huszár sorozat). Other sets included the Austrian soldier (Osztrák), Turkish soldier (Török), William Tell (Tell Vilmos), and the Hunyadi series (Hunyadi sorozat).
Schenk figures, like the early Playmobil figures, do not have moveable hands. But unlike the Playmobil horses, the Schenk horses do not have moveable heads. Schenk figures also bear different colors from their Playmobil counterparts. They were also made with inferior plastic. Following the collapse of communism, a 1995 court ruling forbade the manufacture and distribution of the Schenk figures. The owner of Schenk, Károly Schenk, was allowed to sell of his remaining toy figures only in Hungary until March 1996. However, Schenk bootlegs may still be available in toy shops in Hungary.
A famous and rare collection of Schenk reproductions was created by Tricornejock.Bootleg sets also have been manufactured in China. These sets are not marketed as Playmobil, though they are identical in terms of appearance (but not in regards to quality). Sets include a "Noshery" (fast food eatery), "Pirate Island", and medieval figures.[
