Early 2022 catalogue preview

[StJohn]

What?

It's a theme, or a subtheme if you like: Knights with a magic component. Invented by the creators, no doubt inspired by popular culture. Comics, videos, etc., are spinoffs.

Nobody asks what 3666 and its associated products are "based on" – they are knight-themed toys, obviously. Why then the bewilderment with regard to Violet Vale?

[Rasputin]

3666 is based somewhat on reality

These other sets seem to be based on some random persons imagination with a splash of color for good measure

Geobra was world renowned for life emulating play. The fantasy was its own minor theme . Now fantasy has infected the whole brand.

Can’t wait for Fantasy Police and construction . So many possibilities for the pill poppin designers

[StJohn]

3666 is based somewhat on reality

I would like to emphasise your /somewhat/: the classic '90s Playmobil Castle line offers a highly romantic view of medieval life. It's lovely, don't get me wrong, but its blueprint owes more to 19th century German Romanticism than to genuine historical models. Fantasy wasn't entirely absent back then: 3841 "Dragon's Temple" dates to 1995, two years after 3666 came to the market. It is quite fantastic. I would argue that Violet Vale relates to Novelmore just like 3841 did to 3666. Novelmore is way less realistic than 3666 & co., so Violet Vale can be more extreme than 3841 was. It all makes sense in the bigger picture.

[Rasputin]

Isn’t all playmobil somewhat romanticized until recently

Just look at the older Dino sets compared to the new line

Can’t wait for the jet pack, laser gun, pink & orange football squad

[Macruran]

Fantasy Police and construction

Well someone's got to be enforcing the laws and building the dwellings for all those fairies and dwarves

[Rasputin]

Looks like the virus  has been spreading

Then look at those new 123 x overs in the new catalog

If the 80’s & 90’s were the “Golden Era”

Then are the 2020’s the “Fantasy Era” ?

[playmofire]

I would like to emphasise your /somewhat/: the classic '90s Playmobil Castle line offers a highly romantic view of medieval life. It's lovely, don't get me wrong, but its blueprint owes more to 19th century German Romanticism than to genuine historical models.

I would politely question that final statement.

[Klickteryx]

the classic '90s Playmobil Castle line offers a highly romantic view of medieval life.[...]its blueprint owes more to 19th century German Romanticism than to genuine historical models.

Would have to disagree here, Germany is full of structures and art from the middle ages, The people who romanticised the period in the late 19th century were well acquainted with the general look of the times. The romanticism you speak of is highlighting the nobility over the masses but even there the early playmobil sets showed many average people doing every day tasks like carrying water in buckets. The buildings and figures were simplified for play and scale but aren't romanticised. Throw in the 90s era with the prison cart, tattered banners etc and it has a darker tone while still being suitably accurate for a generic portrayal of the middle ages.

Compare that with Novelmore which is straight up cyberpunk meets middle ages which is closer to the worlds shown in a lot of anime where the general setting is medieval but with a much stronger emphasis on engineering of the kind that Leonardo da Vinci designed (but mostly didn't get made) and magic. Arguably Novelmore is more romantically inspired in that it totally ignores common people in favour of everyone being a warrior or fancy leader.

[Oliver]

Would have to disagree here, Germany is full of structures and art from the middle ages, The people who romanticised the period in the late 19th century were well acquainted with the general look of the times.

All of Europe is full of structures from the middle ages, and people in the 19th century has absolutely no qualms about 'restoring' them to what they thought they should look like. I don't think Playmobil is especially inauthentic, but a lot of our ideas of both medieval and early-modern buildings come through a filter of the 19th century.

[Klickteryx]

One of the best sources for what the middle ages looked like is the 'Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry' which includes several paintings dating from the early to later part of the 15th century.

Probably the most interesting images are the ones representing each month of the year:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tr%C3%A8s_Riches_Heures_du_Duc_de_Berry#Calendar_gallery