Rome-Egypt

[Wesley Myers]

HOW COULD THEY POSSIBLY BE A FLOP?!!!!!!! 

Maybe because there is nothing children, on the whole, of today could associate it with.

History is not exactly a popular subject and when you get to grade 9 and actually study ancient civilizations the students are doing it out of drudgery and not a love of history, except for maybe one or two out of a class of 30.  This, is not a theory, it is based upon empirical evidence of my teaching grade 9 history for the past decade. 

The students this year are no more or less interested than those of a decade ago.  Maybe less-so. 

You can tell they would have been excited about such things when they were in grade 3 or 4 if they had a chance to explore and learn about such things - but by middle school, they are too old for Playmobil.  They might look at the sets out of appreciation and realise they would have liked that when they were younger, but it's too late.

I would agree with Luis, they are just combining them for this one year and then they will be gonzo.

[tonguello]

So, do you think guys that the Rome and Egypt theme were more meant for grown up collectors than for children from their conception?
was it a good strategy? if not....will it become a precedent for the future for PLaymobil regarding what not to do? 

[Donmobil]

My thought is exposure... Target did not carry a big assortment of the Roman theme, mostly catapults and sets with the Gladiators, but no Roman soldier packs.  I did a display two years ago at a local Library that was well recieved.  If it is not on the shelves at stores where people shop, it is not there for kids to want and parents to get for their kids.  I spoke to people at a local ToysRUs and they said they did not know there was a Roman theme.

Maybe Playmobil should sent a catalog to retailers with their products and have their salesforce talk up a theme.

My 2¢ worth...
-- Donmobil

[bonniebeth]

will it become a precedent for the future for PLaymobil regarding what not to do? 

Well, they could take it that way, or they could learn from it. If the theme had been developed a little better, maybe with homes and civilians and such, it would have been more successful IMO. Maybe if when they do a Greek theme it will be more detailed.

[Wolf Knight]

Maybe if when they do a Greek theme it will be more detailed.

Lets hope so 

[Rasputin]

HI

For some reason I just have a hard time imagining a child in a toy store telling their parent that they have to have a Playmobil Hades or Apollo set. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see it and I would buy as many of  them as I could but we are collectors. I just want to see Playmobil make themes that give them a better market share. Perhaps if the company can make a lot more than Mr B's kids will show more interest in keeping it going .

Rasputin "The Mad Monk"

[Wesley Myers]

My thought is exposure... Target did not carry a big assortment of the Roman theme, mostly catapults and sets with the Gladiators, but no Roman soldier packs.  I did a display two years ago at a local Library that was well recieved.  If it is not on the shelves at stores where people shop, it is not there for kids to want and parents to get for their kids.  I spoke to people at a local ToysRUs and they said they did not know there was a Roman theme.

Maybe Playmobil should sent a catalog to retailers with their products and have their salesforce talk up a theme.

My 2¢ worth...
-- Donmobil

Absolutely.  Children are not interested in Rome and Egypt because they have no exposure.  There are no movies being made now about ancient Rome and Egypt.  There are no tv shows for children.  (When movies were in the theatres years ago they would be edited and then put on television for all audiences and that would create a great amount of interest).  Children would read boks at one time - now they play video games and "read" facebook ...  They do not go out and play anymore (drive by a playground on a warm saturday afternoon and count the number of kids over 5 who are out there - or look at the amount of grade school children riding their bikes down the street).

Toy stores like Toys R Us and Target do not stock the catalogues so kids can see the other sets available and have ther imaginations stimulated by the creative photos and dioramas that Playmobil pictures in those - that we all love today from decades ago.

And now for the more (for some) controversial aspect - less chldren today.  Parents think they have the right to be able to limit their families through artificial means so they have maybe 1 child, many have no children.  These children do not learn from their older siblings who might be studying ancient civilizations in older grades and get an interest there.  The real kicker is that due to lesbe s children they have less peers to play with therefore less varied interests they are exposed to.  Therefore they only go with what the mass media tells them they like, on the whole.  Since parents do not take more time with and for their children (it's actually less time than in decades past as they claim to more busy and they are with both parents having to work in most situations in order to make ends meet in our society) - even though they have less - they placate their children with gizmos to keep them occupied (ie video games).

It is obvious those on this forum are much different from the norm - they know the value of toys that you have to use imagination and creativity with (Playmobil).  However, the more the norm becomes the norm and the les children there are the less interest there will be in Playmobil and the less Playmobil there will be.  Until one day the company may decide there is more profit and growth in something else (like their venture into plastic plant pots).

[bonniebeth]

Well, I think you're definitely right about the exposure part, Wesley. I know when I was a child, I wouldn't have gotten into playmobil if it hadn't appealed to something I was already fascinated by. You see, when I was little, I was very into Laura Ingalls Wilder/ Little House on the Prairie. The books, not the TV show. I had every one of the books, and read them over and over again. I also had a little book about what it was like to travel west in a wagon train. So I knew a lot about covered wagons, and my first playmobil was a covered wagon. I was so impressed by the accuracy of it, from the little feed box on the back, to the oil bucket hanging between the back wheels, to the barrel hanging on the side of the wagon to churn butter. If I hadn't already known anything about covered wagons, it wouldn't have impressed me nearly so much.

So yes, I think you are right, a lot of kids just don't know about things in depth enough to be impressed by historical accuracy in any theme. They might see something in a movie or video game, but they aren't reading and learning about it.

[Rasputin]

HI

Wesley that is an interesting observation that I have seen first hand. My older brother had a son who for 5 years had no siblings. He was only slightly interested in toys let a lone playmobil. I gave them sets and he had access to the ones at my parents house but still he showed no interest. As soon as his sister was born and hit 2 he all of a sudden asked for the pirate ship on my parents dresser. My brother told me he and his sister would have a great time together playing with them to the point where my brother bought them (i could hardly believe it) a new one. On Christmas I gave then a 3rd one and they were so happy as their fleet was growing.  Before his sister he seemed to be more interested in being a mini adult rater than a kid.

Rasputin "The Mad Monk"

[Martin Milner]

There are no movies being made now about ancient Rome and Egypt.

The Eagle opens Feb 11th, but it's not for kids.