Hello, here are some interesting ideas that I’ve had for some Playmobil sets that I think would be really cool and also quite marketable. I have tried to keep the sets smaller and more centralized so as to possibly reduce costs in both their production and retail prices.
Playmobil IdeasThemesWizards - This would be a sort of rejuvenated Magic theme, full of wizards with staves, fanciful robes, and strange hats but also of witches or female magic-casters too. And of course this would all be set in a pre-gunpowder age.
Sets:
1. Master Wizard - an elderly wizard, maybe in the stereotypical bright blue robes and pointy hat with white trim, holding a large wooden staff with a carved top.
2. Elemental Wizards - a set of four wizards, each clad in robes and with a staff of his element - earth, wind, fire, and water; they could each be of different ages and have different accessories.
3. Dark Casters - a set of maybe two magic casters, a woman and a man, who are clad in black or very dark clothes; clearly the antagonists of the magical world.
4. Wizard’s House - a small cottage where a wizard might live, with potion flasks and strange things around.
Druids - This would be a Celtic or early northern European theme, with Celtic warriors (like the one just released) and druids with robes who make potions and such, lots of ancient woodland-type trees and maybe more gnomes, mushrooms, toadstools, fairy rings, and such.
Sets:
1. Druidic Ritual - a circle of druids with some sort of stone or organic structure (Stonehenge-like would be possible) with a central altar of some sort.
2. Mystical Tree - a few druids around a great tree, which has carved symbols in its trunk.
3. Celtic Dwelling - a family living in a roundhouse (this would be an awesome house to have!), a father, mother, and some children; it would be great to have some cereal or root crops in a small farm-type base plate for the family to go along with the house.
4. Mystical Forest - some ancient woodland-type trees with gnomes, elves, brownies, or fairies that are earthen-themed.
Dwarves - This theme would play off the coming dwarf figure. It would consist of a race of dwarves who could stereotypically mine or live in caves, they could also have workshops where they make siege engines or smith things.
Sets:
1. Mine Cart - a cart pulled by an ox that is full of uncut gemstones; a carter and a guard dwarf with an axe for defence would be included.
2. Forge - a forge operated by several dwarves, where they create pickaxes, axes, and armour for their comrades.
3. Dwarf Family - a small cottage with little openings made for the dwarves (this cottage might seem too specific, so only the family could be released separately); the family consists of a father and mother dwarf and some children (maybe the normal child torso with smaller legs and arms).
Native Americans (Eastern) - This is something that I’ve been thinking a lot about - a theme for Native Americans of the East (instead of always focusing on Western Natives and cowboys). This could include longhouse culture, possibly meeting with early Europeans, and many of the stylistic and cultural differences seen in Eastern Native American tribes.
Sets:
1. Longhouse - a longhouse about the length of two half-timber Playmobil houses, with a central fire for cooking, many pots and baskets, maybe a deer carcass, and a few Native Americans, male and female.
2. Ritual Fire - ritually clothed and possibly painted tribe members surrounding a bonfire, where they could dance and hold ritual, as well as social, engagements.
3. Eastern Native Family - a family of Eastern Natives, most likely with the four normal family members.
4. Cross-cultural Exchange - this set could be a sort of peaceful exchange, maybe with a European fur trader living with or at least trading with a Native tribe; he could have a canoe and be doing an exchange with them along a river; the set would include a few pelts and maybe kettles for exchange.
5. The Meeting - this set could have a group of Natives (a chief and one or two others) meeting with Europeans (a captain, governor, or such and some allies) to trade or negotiate; this would introduce a lot of cool period garb for the Europeans of the time and the Eastern Natives, whose dress was distinct from that of the Western, desert-dwelling Natives of the overdone cowboy encounters.
Medieval Living - This would be a favourite of mine, and it would include Medieval sets which do not necessarily focus on the fighting aspects of the Middle Ages (though the Knights theme would still be around of course). Sets:
1. Medieval Shop - a half-timber house as before, a market stall, or a smaller thatched cottage; this could be any type of shop (or at least figures) for thatchers, fletchers, fishmongers, huntsmen, bakers, shoemakers, clothiers, tailors, innkeepers, tavern owners, blacksmiths, wagon makers, or any other artisans or merchants.
2. Pilgrims - a group of Medieval folk assembled to undergo a pilgrimage; they might have horses or donkeys to ride and a few small weapons to guard themselves on their journey.
3. Highway Bandits - a small group of two to four highwaymen in dark clothing or hoods with knives, small swords, or bows prepared to attack a group of travelers (like the pilgrims).
4. Peasants - the much desired set of Medieval peasants, like farmers and other workers; maybe four or five could be included with minimal accessories (at least farm tools, headwear, and such) to reduce cost.
Crusaders - This would be a clearly controversial theme, and many others seem to think it’d be a cool idea too (however impossible it seems to ever have it though), it could include many European crusaders and their enemies (probably this would consist of their Middle Eastern enemies, as their Baltic, Iberian-Muslim, or other enemies would prove too much of a niche); Rhalius posted several great suggestions for a similar theme.
Sets:
1. Crusader Expansion - a set of three to five crusaders, Knights Templar or Teutonic Knights (or others if they were ever to be made).
2. Crusader Castle - a castle of the crusaders in the Middle East, about the size of the Eagle Castle maybe, with a reddish or tan sandstone-type colour; the set could include a grandmaster of whichever order and could be shown with its gates open and Middle Eastern traders freely entering with their wears (this would show the castle to be a place of meeting and protection, instead of a solely militaristic fortification).
3. Saracen Expansion - a set of three to five Saracens to oppose the crusaders, they could be from any of the ancient Arab tribes.
4. Trade Caravan - a Middle Eastern band of travelers with camels (or horse, donkeys, and such) with goods for trade.
Tournament Knights - This theme is based on Medieval romance, with questing knights and tournament-style sets.
Sets:
1. Tournament Pavilion - a Medieval-style pavilion, similar to the swan knight’s, possibly without printing or with a changeable place for a shield, pennant, or small cloth banner so it could be used for different factions or knightly heraldries; it could include a knight, squire, horse, bedding inside the pavilion, steps for the armoured knight to mount the horse (a very cool feature of the older sets), and racks of weapons and such.
2. Jousting Lists - similar to the older jousting sets, lists with two, or even three, knights with caparisoned horses and in heavy armour with lances, racks of weapons and extra lances, attending squires, and - if costs allow - Medieval spectators.
3. Knights at the Tourney - knights in heavy armour with broadswords or maces fighting, though clearly for sport, with flags around them, weapon racks, and such.
4. The Favour of the Lady - a Medieval lady of the court placing her favour onto the lance of a richly armoured knight, who is on an equally richly caparisoned and outfitted warhorse.
5. Tournament Knights - maybe three to five sets (like how the bronze knights were), each with a different knight on a caparisoned horse with lance, sword, and shield; I think these would sell well if priced reasonably and kept to high quality (look at cowabounga’s knights
).
Add-OnsThese are some add-on ideas of mine that might not fit exactly with just one of my themes or those already out.
Sets:
1. Cape and Cloak Collection - a set of different coloured cloaks and capes, some full length, some mid-length, and some short capes.
2. Medieval Weapon Lot - a set with a large amount of weapons (maybe no armour being included will make this cost less), example: 10 ordinary swords, 5 longswords, 5 daggers, some pikes, some halberds, some battleaxes, some war axes, (some warhammers, if only they existed!), some flails, or any combination really.
3. Medieval Armour Lot - it'd be nice to buy armour and weapons separately, to spread out the cost; here should be some normal-sized plates and arm pieces, and also some blank silver shields, like those in the Knight's Market Stand.
4. Medieval Helm Lot - some great helms, salets, large helms, and basically any sort of playmobil helm that's offered; I think it'd be cool if there were a few different helm lots, some with older style Medieval helms and others with full-face helms, parade, tournament, or jousting helms.
5. Another Medieval Tournament Equipment Set - some lances, full helms, horse caparisons and armour, jousting shields, some fanciful plumes and helm feathers.
This is all that I can think of right now, but I have many more less-specific ideas (like Medieval fantasy themes or individual, more doubtful to be released sets). If I think of anything else later, I will add it to this thread. Thanks for reading if you have made it this far.
