Ralf,
You and I both know that it’s the parents who select the toys to buy.
However, if the toys that the kids think that they want are heavily influenced by the TV shows and the movies that they’ve seen, then the kids then might be the ones who will convince the parents about which toys to buy.
LEGO seemed to be aware of that when they started buying licenses from Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Mickey Mouse, even before they all belonged to Disney.
Hans Beck was a minimalist much like you. He designed a basic figure with accessories that could become whatever the child imagined. Hans created an "educational toy" that appealed to the parents and was enjoyed by the children.
Horst Brandstätter was an entrepreneur who created a multibillion dollar company doing whatever was needed to grow the business. Sometimes Horst was a visionary. Other times he was a risk taker. As he grew older, he seemed a bit reluctant to leap into the world of buying any license. Why would he, if he could be successful without having to pay out percentages of his profits?
Playmobil was doing quite well in Germany. It is now undoubtedly the national toy of Germany!
The United States accounted for less than 5% of Playmobil’s income. Everything was fine in Germany and Horst had set up a foundation to continue the business when he would be gone.
The foundation’s mentality does not appear to have Lego’s experience or reputation.
With her education, experience and marketing background, had Andrea Schauer been given the freedom and the resources to openly compete with LEGO, things might have been very different today at Playmobil.
Regardless, it is now what it is, and we wish the foundation well. And, we are very thankful for you, Ralf, and your creations, so that we can all see what might have been.
All the best my friend,
Richard
