This is going to be a great thread!
Ten years of Figures is worth celebrating. I think it is one of the strongest products in the Playmobil catalogue, reliable yet surprising. And value for money. I think they sell well, and hope they will continue for many years to come. Series 21 is certainly promising.
The release of each series is always a highpoint for me – the anticipation with poor quality illicit previews, the wait for the release date, the hunt on launch day. Rummaging through the shop displays on that day and immediately after is the one time that I get to meet fellow Playmobil aficionados in real life. The competitions can be stiff but the chatting can be nice.
A good question to pick one's favourites! Spoilt for choice, I would say. I really like
Neptune (Boys 7), the
Crusader (Boys 8),
Napoleon (Boys 9), the
Nubian (Boys 10) [the only speedo figure that I can bear!],
Rice Girl (Girls 10),
Roman Lady (Girls 14),
Orc (Boys 19), etc. Too many to mention! I agree with you that the Highlander (Boys 6) is one of the very best: I clearly remember the excitement when he was released, and my first hunting trips [in my very early playmodays]. But I am not too sure about the Day of the Dead pair (Boys/Girls 20): they are beautiful, but too circumscribed in what you can do with them. In what other contexts will they fit?
I also like the very quirky ideas that have come up from time to time: the
Scarecrow (Boys 3),
Sleepy Flower Lady (Girls 11),
Ghost Butler/Jelly Skull (Boys 11),
Bee Lady (Girls 14),
Sleepwalker (Boys 15),
Crash Test Dummy (Boys 19) – all very well done. And let's not forget the
Dwarf (Boys 3), who was the very first short-legged figure ever seen, a real surprise when he was released [or so I imagine: it was before my playmoconversion], years before a whole dwarf range was launched. I also enjoy the plain figures with funny second faces on the back of their heads:
Skateboarder (Boys 2),
Justin Bieber (Boys 3). The head of the
Mad Scientist (Boys 4) is just priceless.
If I should pick just one favourite (and I think that is what we should do here: show our colours!), then I would go for the original
Statue of Liberty (Girls 3): a very original idea very well realised. She is eye catching. She is my number one.
This thread is a good opportunity to thank you, Tiermann, for Fi?ures at Animobil. I appreciate the time and money that goes into creating and maintaining the site. It is one of my favourite web resources in all matters Playmobil (together with playmodb). Many, many thanks for your wonderful website.
Best wishes
StJohn