Another hello...

[core]

Here's my little blurb:

Lego has always been a part of my life, and still is (Technic emphasis). I had a couple of Clickies growing up, but that was about it - It was difficult to get a little more 'play value' from them without a supporting environment (ie, play area, buildings, vehicles, etc). It wasn't until I had my own kids (boys, now 7.5 and 4) that my interest in Playmobil perked up, as it has provided an excellent medium for story telling (both to and from the boys) and interactive play (comparatively, Lego's construction aspect takes up most of the playtime with much lesser interaction - at least with the themes I've been into). I have to admit though, it was while visiting my sister early last year, that with her small collection of Playmobil pirates and knights that won my 2 boys over with here 'interactive story telling' with the Clickies!

Spent early childhood in Singapore where the main Playmobil line (no add-on/DS as far as I recall) was plentiful but expensive; currently residing (most of the time) in the US in Oklahoma(!), where there's hardly any to be found! Thankfully there's the internet, and ebay($$ though). I had picked up the occasional set in B&M store when Zany Brainy was still around, but the set that really got me started into Klickys was 3180 Hazmat that I picked up in Norway - how many toys out there would come out with Hazmat related theme! (Axeman and the devil (child halloween costume) has also intrigued me).

The boys are mainly into knights and construction, mine extend to airport and transportation - also have a small LGB stash which to my delight shares a common history with Playmobil trains - this aspect of playmobil is on hold at the moment. The old steck system very much satisfies my interest in the building construction aspect of Playmobil, which unfortunately for us means turning to ebay most of the time  I'm also interested in niche themes and sets (or 1-2 year runs) such as rally racing.

Well, that's about it for now ...


-peter-

[Martin Milner]

Welcome Peter!

I too picked up a Hazmat crew, though they don't fit with my usual Playmobil themes, but they were just too good to pass by.

I've been lucky that Playmobil has been around in the Uk most of my life, so I played with it as a boy when it first arrived around 1975, and still enjoy it as an adult.

[playmofire]

Another welcome from the UK, Peter.

The hazmat crew shows what Playmobil is about - detail.  All their themes have an eye for detail which reflects the real world, either past or present.  It's interesting that the only real failure in the Playmobil range has been the futurist space theme.

[Timotheos]

Hi Peter,

Singapore must have been an interesting place to grow up in.  What bad karma did you bring on yourself to wind up in Oklahoma?  (I'm joking: my cousin who works as an mechanical engineer there says cost of living is a real bargain).

Ridge Road Station (http://www.ridgeroadstation.com) has a couple of Steck add-on sets still for sale at a rate cheaper than Playmobil USA would have sold them.

But, yeah, prices on ebay are outrageous.  I guess they sell at market rate, but little tricks, like inflated postage that doesn't show up in the bid price and shill bidders, make things more dodgy than the friendly neighborhood garage sale.

I agree with everyone that playmobil's magic is its details--often eccentric details--that give the toy its flavor.  How many toy companies would have the swish to make a porta-potty and its cleaning crew?  Or the construction foreman's trailer?

-Tim

[Richard]

Hello. Peter ... 

And, a BIG welcome from the beautiful island of St. Thomas in the warm and sunny United States Virgin Islands !!!

What bad karma did you bring on yourself to wind up in Oklahoma?

After living in Texas for many, many years, I must admit that Tim's comment was exactly my first thoughts when I read that you had moved from Singapore to Oklahoma ..

Ridge Road Station (http://www.ridgeroadstation.com) has a couple of Steck add-on sets still for sale at a rate cheaper than Playmobil USA would have sold them.

I just visited Ridge Road Station's website and was quite impressed. Hopefully, Tim will do a review on this shop for all of us. Like you, Peter, I am also a bit of a Playmobil/LGB train collector ...

Looking forward to seeing you here at Playmofriends.

All the best,
Richard

(edit: corrected misspelling of "from")

[Little Jo]

Be welcome from the South of Germany 

[Sylvia]

Hi Peter!

Welcome to PlaymoFriends from Scotland.

Thank you for taking the time to tell us about yourself and your collection.

[core]

Thank y'all for the kind welcome! 

Well, it's mainly our jobs that has gotten us 'stuck' in Oklahoma for a while (city is Norman, btw - a little different from the rest of the state in some ways, being a bigger college town); for the past couple of years we're usually travelling 2-3 months of the year, so in a way home here is a "nice and quite place" to get back to.  It is a drastic change from growing up and living in Singapore, but we have come to appreciate a more relaxed pace of life - I'd suppose that with the internet and global shipping, it really isn't all that bad living here  - besides, we've also found it to be a great place to raise our young kids for now.  At any rate, in a couple of years who knows if we'll stick around?!

Tim, thanks for pointing to Ridge Road Station - will be calling them in the morning to see what else they might have in the stock room, and probably get some orders going.  Locally (45min away) there's Steve's toys that has discounts on playmobil, but strangely it only applies to online orders and not in-store.  In the meantime, I've managed to slip in a couple of nice (imo) deals under the bidding frenzy on ebay once in a long while.  I've also wondered about the possiblity of Playmobil reviving the steck system ... dream'in I guess.

[arab warrior]

Hi Peter,

A warm welcome from a rainy and miserable looking Holland.

Hope you enjoy your stay here.

Rob

[Timotheos]

Well, it's mainly our jobs that has gotten us 'stuck' in Oklahoma for a while (city is Norman, btw - a little different from the rest of the state in some ways, being a bigger college town);
...
I'd suppose that with the internet and global shipping, it really isn't all that bad living here  - besides, we've also found it to be a great place to raise our young kids for now.  At any rate, in a couple of years who knows if we'll stick around?!

I live in a suburb of St Louis (St Charles) having formerly lived in/near bigger and better places.  So, oft-times I get that feeling I'm one of those characters in a Russian novel who has been exiled to the provinces for spilling samovar on the countess's new carpet.

But, seriously, like you said, internet ordering erases a lot of barriers.  And, I can't complain about the traffic. 
 

I've also wondered about the possiblity of Playmobil reviving the steck system ... dream'in I guess.

PM has been keeping the steck "house w/ garage" and white/blue/red framework houses alive.  So, maybe that means they want to keep their options open.

It will be a travesty, though, if a toyline as effective as steck simply gets buried in a Geobra vault and sat on.

I'm negotiating with Richard to buy the steck license, and maybe Geobra, if he has the time.