The Chinese (collectors) have landed!

[Hadoque]

Would you care to elaborate? I've been buying almost exclusively from Malta-based sellers, is anything going on?

People with "Chinese" (sounding) names buying up rather unusual big amounts of specific parts on ebay.
Payments usually done from overseas, but shipping mostly to addresses in Europe like Germany, though not always.

The shipping-address they use f.e. in DE are from several rather obscure import/export-companies and/or courier-services, which seem to deal mostly in/with cars and (real or fake) cosmetics, medications, etc. These companies all linked to one another and owned & operated exclusively by a bunch of Koreans. Could be legal, could be a little (il)legal, could be linked to Mafia or Triads.
Or maybe "Rocket Man" is a huge Playmo-collector too 

[Macruran]

Triads involved in klicky collecting? This forum just got a lot more exciting! 

[PMatt]

Understood – thanks for your explanation, Hadoque! I'll keep an eye out to see if klickies show up at the next parade in Pyongyang. 

If I was very cynical I'd wonder if we were about to see a copy cat brand. If you're not aware, you could Google Lepin to see the Lego knock offs, though I wouldn't have thought Playmobil is high profile enough.

One might only hope we'll not see the rise of a Playmobil knock-off. On the other hand, if it were more like an off-shoot (like, say, COBI for LEGO), it might – in an admittedly cynical perspective– be an opportunity to get some diverse, Playmo-compatible parts.

[playmofire]

I've got the occasional LEGO item in the fire fighting range and quite enjoyed building them and I must say the COBI site looks interesting for its range of themes in general.  I like the range Vickers Wellington and the DH Mosquito kits, both aircraft my father was involved with during WW2, although the Mosquito unfortunately is not the photo reconnaissance version.

An interesting, if limited selection of cars, too; I could build a model of my Skoda Fabia estate!

[Oliver]

I was considering getting some Lepin actually - but other thing (I suspect) driving the sales of Lepin is the relatively high cost of Lego along with the fact that (so far) they've not reissued highly collectable sets.

[playmofire]

I was considering getting some Lepin actually - but other thing (I suspect) driving the sales of Lepin is the relatively high cost of Lego along with the fact that (so far) they've not reissued highly collectable sets.

Their geography is a bit suspect!

https://lepinworld.com/

Scroll down to market distribution state

[PMatt]

I like the range Vickers Wellington and the DH Mosquito kits, both aircraft my father was involved with during WW2, although the Mosquito unfortunately is not the photo reconnaissance version.

Couldn't agree more, there are plenty of WW2 vehicles which look great in brick form – and if they hold sentimental value, all the better!

As for Lepin – I know nothing about copyright laws and I can't help wondering: how do they get away with producing Star Wars sets? I truly doubt they have a license to do so.

[Hadoque]

I'll keep an eye out to see if klickies show up at the next parade in Pyongyang. 

They do every time, didn´t you notice their arms & legs never bend? 

[Macruran]

 

[Hadoque]

Btw, at the time of writing this thread has now been viewed over 100 times in less then 24 hours.
Total views have already surpassed f.e. the thread-views about the new FAU-exclusive Frederick III figure.

I thought the forum was going (very) "slow", but apparently there are MANY more lurkers then (active) members around.