u.s.a. and european sets - a doubt

[cachalote]

 
can anyone help me?
 
i am planning on buying the "just released", american made, 5778 skull pirate ship.
the shipping cost to europe costs pretty much the same as the item itself.
 
would it be wise to wait for an european release of the same set?
 
as far as i know, there are some old sets who have both european and american versions - sometimes they are the same (with different ref. numbers) sometimes they have little variations (like the 3750 ship).
 
in the newer models there seems to be a duplication, with all the american versions avaiable in europe and some of the european versions (it seem to me there are more) avaiable in the u.s..
 
is this true? does anyone knows?
 
thank you.
 

[Richard]

Hello, cachalote ...

My advice would be to wait. I can't think of a single recent set (maybe some else can) that wasn't, sooner or later, released in both the US and Europe.

In the past, there were a few variants in the US, the UK, Spain, Greece and South America. However, that all seems to be history, as sets released in a local market seem to eventually find their way to the general market. Some of the exceptions might be those that are made exclusively for specific stores or organizations.

Well, that's my two cents worth of advice ... 

All the best,
Richard

[cachalote]

 
thanks richard,
i kind of had the same feeling about the sets.
your two cents of advice can worth a lot of euros, believe me.
thanks.
 

[Morgan]

Hello cachalote 

If I were you, I would have ordered the set from USA. I live in Europe just like you, but most of my sets I have ordered from the States. Several reasons:

1) You get it faster 

2) It is easier, not so many shops selling Playmobil left.

3) In my country, it is a lot cheaper than buy it in the shop.

Yes, shipping is expensive. I therefore only order when I have huge orders, which makes few shipments.

[cachalote]

thanks kristian.
 
apparently norway is very different from portugal (i have never been there):
- our post office is rather quick with european mail;
- there are a few toys'r'us stores with lots of sets to offer (although novelties take their time to arrive);
- playmobil prices are the same or cheaper than on the internet;
- we don't have natural gas nor oil.
 
finally, i have only one last item to order - the 5778, and no other orders to combine shipping.

if richard is right, and i think he is, i will probably wait for an european release.
 
thank you so much, kristian, nevertheless, for your help.
 

[Hadoque]

I got me a 5778 Skull Ship from the US, just to be sure it doesn't sail by..   
Last time 5736 Blackbeard's ship and 5737 Pirate Treasure Chest were released in Europe a year later as well, but some other US-Target sets like the 5727 Pirate Dungeon and the 'Treasure Island' weren't. There's never a guarantee they'll release exclusives anywhere else then the market they are intended for. (We don't get the German exclusives in the rest of Europe either.)

[cachalote]

 
o.k., kvart and hadoque, you have convinced me - i will get the 5778 from the u.s.a..
 
about the german exclusive sets, hadoque, do you know if there are many pirates among them.
i have only the vedes / karstadt sets (4956, 4964, 4965, 4966 and 4990) and the 4073 island. are there anymore?
thank you all.
 

[Hadoque]

about the german exclusive sets, hadoque, do you know if there are many pirates among them.
i have only the vedes / karstadt sets (4956, 4964, 4965, 4966 and 4990) and the 4073 island. are there anymore?[/font][/size]
 

There was also 4067: it is the blue schooner with black sails + small island; same set as 3029 "Pirate's Adventure set",which was a US-exclusive some years ago. The ship (without the small island and a few pirates less) was also released as set 3860 in the late 90's.

[cachalote]

thanks hadoque,
i realised my home-made data-base was in need of a reorganization.
it is all clear now.
i am starting to look for the pirate schooners with islands - i have only the sets with the boats alone.
thank you again.