does new mean improved when it comes to themes?

[Lindama]

I was wondering if there have been many examples where a theme has been re-introduced and it is better than the predecessor? For example, is the new Fairytale castle (4250) better/more improved than the older version (3019)?

I am inclined to think the older sets were better, but there must also be exceptions to this rule.

[playmofire]

The 3880 fire engine was a great step forward in the fire and rescue theme and the new 4821 fire engine is a step forward on the 3880.  Similarly, the new 4820 turntable ladder is better than the 3879 and 3182 versions.  The present 4221 ambulance and the 4222 medical helicopter are also improvements on the versions they replace.

However, these are only my personal opinions and having written them it has to be said that a lot of the earlier Playmobil has a character and charm the modern equivalents lack.

[cachalote]

hello lindama,
  by "re-introduced" you mean a theme that was cancelled and then came back to life a few years later?
  that never happened to pirates, my only "field of expertise".

[Richard]

I was wondering if there have been many examples where a theme has been re-introduced and it is better than the predecessor?

Good question, Linda!

Almost every theme has been "re-introduced" from time to time.

Since I am a very visual person, I will attach some examples of "re-introduced" themes.

Are they "better than the predecessor?" That's really for you to decide.

Some "re-introduced" themes might be considered "upgrades" and some people may like them better than their predecessors.

For example, I personally like the newer western cavalry theme better than the original.

see attachments

[Richard]

Playmobil's Circus has been "re-introduced" several times.

Is the original blue Circus better than the newest Big-Top circus?

Again, that's up to each person to decide.

see attachments

[Richard]

Linda, as Gordon pointed out, the Fire-Rescue theme has also been re-introduced with upgrades.

The Space theme has also been re-introduced.

Even the Pirate theme has been reintroduced.

The original Pirate ship is still one of my all time favorites! (It was Hans Beck's favorite Playmobil toy!)

However, I also like the newer Pirate ship with cannon mounted below deck.

see attachments

[Richard]

Linda, I was very sad when Playmobil "re-introduced" their Train theme by discontinuing their wonderful Electric Train and replacing it with their RC Train ... 

see attachments

[Richard]

I think that you've started a great topic here, Linda!

I'm sure that other members of Playmofriends will also have some comments about re-introductions that they liked (or didn't like)!

Thanks for giving us something to think about ... and to remember ... 

[Martin Milner]

I guess the Knights theme has to be mentioned...

I grew up with the original Knights  from the mid-70s with orange claoks and shields, and chromed bodies, helmets and swords. They were good enough for my basic games.

The Golden Age of the Knights, most people will tell you, came with the introduction of Steck, and a multitude of great non-combat sets in the early 90s. I missed this at the time, but these sets have great detail and variety.

Most of us would argue that the theme started to decline after that, and that the System X castles and sets do not have the same feel, of great designs, that the 90s sets had. They work well enough, but the heraldry is very childish and the sets are too combat-oreinted. The wider picture of Medieval life is almost totally ignored.

A new generation of the Knights theme, with yet another building system, has been announced but is not yet widely available. The General feeling on this board (based on pictures of the sets) is that the figures and some details are a great improvement on the last lot, but the new building system will be very limiting, and that will limit sales.


So does new mean improved with the Knights theme? Not really.ost of us would prefer that they had stuck with Steck as the basic building system for castles and medieval houses, and just added new heraldic styles and more detailed sets.

Is this just nostalgia? I don't think so, since many of us missed Steck and the 90s sets the first time round, and have become converts some years after it has been more-or-less dropped.

[Wolf Knight]

I think the new can be improved only in modern themes! As Gordon points out for the fire trucks and he rescue helicopters...

I believe too, as Richard has pointed out, that the later US cavalry were far better than the older ones. The western houses too... If you look at the earlier ones you'll see that they would only fit a klicky standing, your hand could not even get in there without knocking everything down...whereas the golden nugget saloon and the newer sheriff's office had an opening on them so that it would be easier to play....but you could not build two or three story houses as you could with the first ones... So you see, one improvement, one disadvantage...

I believe the first fairy tale castle 3019, and the sets that went with it, was much better than the second one 4250... Firstly it had more floors, secondly it had more rooms and more impressive details...look at the differences between the 3020 bedroom and the 4253 one...
The first bed is so impressive!! With the curtains and the crown!!! The second one is so simple...

The pirate ships got better...and then again the become worse... its really not easy to talk about pirates because the ships were simple (3050, 3053, 3750) and suddenly we have the impressive pirate flagship 3286...and then again the greatly big in size, but disfunctional 4290.... The first pirate island was fantastic (the little cave that run up a tunnel which ended up at the other side of the island  ) but the lagoons were not so great...the cave was substituted with the system x rotating rock...which was cool as a secret cave but did not give the feeling of a real mystery...

Finally, I  think both pirate and medieval klickies progressed tremendously!!! I really love the newer print on torsos and the accessories but the castles are becoming less appealing... they surely stand out as a single set, and that is probably the reason for producing them that way, but not being able to connect all of them to something bigger, its quite limiting for us castle lovers!!

So I think new and improved applies only to modern themes!!!