Part numbers 40 xx xxxx?

[GrahamB]

Why does set  4443 - Piraten-Schatzinsel zum Mitnehmen   as shown in Playmodb have many parts beginning 40 (instead of the usual 30)? Are there other sets with part numbers beginning 40?

The set instructions seem to have these '40' numbers, so it isn't a mistake in PlaymodB. (Neither Playmobil.co.uk nor Playmobil.de has instructions for 4443 available for download and I don't have them, but the pictures of the parts in Playmodb. clearly have the part numbers next to them in the pictures).

5804 - Take Along Pirates Treasure Island contains the same parts with the same part numbers, except they all begin 30. (For example the samurai sword 40 21 8450 appears in set 5804 as 30 21 8450. When I ordered this part from Playmobil UK (I tried ordering both the 30 and the 40 versions) they couldn't supply it- though that probably means nothing more than the part is no longer available).

Are the 40 numbers actually a mistake on the part of PM in the instructions for 4443?

This may be of no interest to some, but I am intrigued by the idea that somewhere in the PM organisation is a master list of all part numbers which have ever existed (there must be, or how can they give each new part they create a unique number?). If they have now used all 999,999 numbers beginning 30, they would have to create some new ones somehow.

The fact that set 4443 was issued in 2007 (and more recent new parts have 30 numbers) suggests the 40 numbers were indeed a misprint!

[sbblabotw]

Hi Graham,

This is the kind of question that goes through my mind all the time, and just figure nobody else could possibly care 

The "40" parts are a mystery to me too (and necessitated a fair bit of extra programming to accommodate, too). Some of them have equivalent "30" parts; some don't, or, rather, I don't know about them. I don't think they're all typos, since they have appeared both on printed instructions and in the parts-ordering system on playmobil.de. I wonder if it has something to do with Chinese manufacture - but that's pure speculation.

Here's the list of sets containing "40" parts: PlaymoDB List - Sets with '40' parts  Some are assumptions by me when there's no "30" equivalent, but most are from official sources.

As for the master list, wouldn't I love to get my hands on that! I have a feeling it doesn't exist, and there's some algorithm for assigning new numbers. At last count I have almost 28,000 parts recorded, including all the "unknown" parts I've put in - they must have numbers, but I don't know them. That's nowhere near 999,999, so it's not a matter of wrapping around. The eighth (last) digit "0" was added somewhere around 1993; before that there were 99,999 possible numbers beginning with "30". "2" started to be used as the eighth digit in 2009 or so; now there are numbers with "3" in there. Not counting that last digit, parts tend to be assigned in contiguous blocks, and certain types of parts like klickies tend to have certain third-and-fourth digits, so I can see how the ranges of part numbers are filling up. It's fascinating detective work really - for some more than others I suppose!

[GrahamB]

nobody else could possibly care 

Well, there's nowt so queer as folk (as they say in my homeland of Yorkshire), but there are at least two of us now who are interested in such things!

Thanks for the informative reply, Heather- and the list of sets with 40 part numbers. We have a couple of these 'from new' but I hadn't noticed the 40 numbers before.

Of the 22 sets which contain parts with 40 numbers, only two sets have them in significant numbers: 4443 - Piraten-Schatzinsel zum Mitnehmen (28 part numbers) and 5950 - Pirate Ship, White and Red (34 part numbers). Perhaps these parts were an experiment in outsourcing manufacture to another company, though one set is from 2007 and the other from 2011 as far as I can make out.

The other 20 sets have 1 (16 sets), 2 (3 sets) or 3 parts (1 set) with 40 numbers.
Apart from sets 4443 and 5950, the 40 part numbers are restricted to the following parts:
- shiny gold nuggets (1 set)
- laptop (1 set)
- cannon rack (1 set, also in 4443)
- globe on stand (2 school sets)
- motor for boat (2 sets)
- electronic light units for vehicles (4 types, 8 sets; 3 of these sets had the 40 part in later versions only, I surmise)
- 8 klickies (4 girls and 4 boys) appearing in 6 sets, 4 of them micro sets

This is a puzzling list. If PM is having parts manufactured elsewhere (e.g. China) or outsourcing to other companies, perhaps the 'electronic' parts (motors and light units) would make sense, but the laptop and cannon rack make less sense. And the 8 Klickies are quite surprising given the investment in plant and machinery for manufacturing these in Malta (and Germany?).

[Hadoque]

Isn't the 5950 ship manufactured in China? (thought I heard that was mentioned on the box)
Like Heather, my guess too is that the 40-partnumbers are connected with foreign (Chinese?) production(-experimenting)...