I have a question...how can you tell that it is the "3rd version?" I know there was a difference in the family room wallpaper at some point. I have this same set. I'm assuming it's the 3rd version, since I purchased it shortly before it was discontinued. But I would be interested to know how you officially can tell between all three versions.
I have a Playmobil Collector catalogue, so I looked up when the first and second versions were released and what the boxes looked like.
- The first mansion has 1989/1990 - 1991-1992 for dates. I think that's the one I got as a kid. The back of the box was either styrofoam or plain white cardboard, I don't remember there being a diorama on the back. I don't think they ever did that with big boxes. And at that point, they didn't have a detailed shot of all the pieces and clickies on the back yet.
- The second mansion has 1991/1992 - 1995. The front of the box shows the regular picture of the outside of the house, but also a smaller picture showing the inside, in the left top corner. I suppose there wasn't a detailed picture on the back of the box yet either, at that point. Other sets from 1993, for example, still had dioramas on the back, as far as I can remember.
- The third mansion has 1995-2004. The picture on the front of the box is slightly different, with the family in a different pose and sketched outlines of the city for background. The main difference is that the back of the box has the detailed pictures of what is inside.
I've never known of a difference in wallpaper though