Hi Playmofriends
For me, collecting a theme that is discontinued means looking for a certain item that I haven't got with passion and determination but it is also part of a bigger picture including non Playmobil items that necessitate a lot of prior research to find what will match with Playmobil and what will not - as the size is paramount - as an example I had to go through hundreds of fireplaces to find one that would fit the Playmo Mansion as the others were far too big - and I am not thinking only about the height but also the depth as other fireplaces would have looked like I had parked a truck in the lounge by the Xmas Tree
. Something that few people know is that the Playmobil Victorian Theme is on a 1/24th scale for buildings and furniture but 1/12th scale for accessories ie, plates, glasses, etc. Which makes it quite tricky for Collectors like me who constantly navigate between the two and must keep in mind that both Playmobil and non Playmobil items must fit graciously. When I first found out that Playmobil was on a 1/24th scale I naively purchased various food items ie. roast chicken but quickly found out the genuine 1/24th scale is ridiculously small. So as a consequence, I always check the dimensions of any items in 1/12th scale before ordering them. My advice would be : stay away for all "personal" items in the 1/12th scale ie: hats, umbrellas, shoes. As my Friend Jane says " its fun and games" !!!
I collect mostly from Ebay.de which offers the largest choice of Victorian Theme items ( Nostalgie or Rosa Serie in German ) and I often purchase a set again just for a certain item missing from my collection but I always "recycle" in the end...As I mentioned in a previous email, my regret will be not to have jumped on the opportunity of buying a rare grey German Postal Oldtimer Truck that I have never seen again and sooo wish I had kept a picture of.
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Something very new happened to me recently as I am starting to look at other Playmobil Themes for items that I could utilize in my dioramas, ie accessories so I guess I will come to other Themes through an indirect way and not for the Theme itself but how it can fit in my dioramas.
Playing ? Of Course, I love it and my favorite couple are in my collection since 1990 though I re-purchased them in 2004 and they even have a name : Mr & Mrs Macclesfield !!! Don't ask where its coming from as I got the idea in 1990 and water has since flown under the bridge
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For all of you interested in adding a little sparkle to their Playmolife, I really, really recommend introducing the Electricity Fairy which adds magic to everything. It comes in every shape and form from the dainty chandelliers that I personally use to a much modern style that should satisfy a Playmo Purist. If you feel tempted, please give it a go as your Playmoworld will be transformed for ever:yup:
When I have had a long day - which is a sweet understatement as far as Hospitality goes - I only let the lights of my Victorian House on and it is such a relaxing feeling
As I am sharing a few thoughts with you, I am sure you would smile at seing Karim alias Playmovictorian in the room he has dedicated to his Playmos - which is by all standards not huge - with an ongoing diorama that cut the room in two and has me jumping up and down in order to access certain parts of it and taking a picture at the desired angle -I even have to crawl beneath the diorama when I am taking pictures simultaneously at the front and back of the house and have lighting on on both sides
- , then rushing to the PC downloading the pictures and selecting the final one. I have 3 big boxes : one with Playmobil Victorian items, one with 1/12th accessories and one with the material ie. tiles, pavement sheets, trees, gates, etc.
The very funny thing is that my dioramas look sooo peaceful with a certain Old World grace...but I can assure you that there is certainly neither peace or Old World grace in my Playmoroom
Karim
PS : A French PlaymoFriend told me recently that he marvelled at the fact that my dioramas have so much details crammed into the scenes when he cannot get two Playmo figures standing up at the same time - and no I am not using these little plastic stands that Bill and other "Clever Cookies" are using - and let me tell you that having a little boy free standing on fake snow demands agile fingers to say the least
. BUT I'll have you known that agile fingers do not mean magic hands and no later than yesterday when setting up the scene where the little Hero of my diorama "
The Birthday Cake - a Victorian Tale" enters the room with a fire place and a Christmas tree, his feets "managed" to get stuck in the Christmas tree lights cord which had a knock on effect on half the other objects which all fell off having me swearing in the most un-"Victorianly way"