New DS-catalogue 2011/2012: 1st (small) picture

[Wesley Myers]

Unfortunately the Pilot Group was asked this question before it was really up and running and had a very short deadline to give an answer. I believe the entire process lasted about 10 days or so. With as little time as was available I think we did a pretty good job of seeing to it the broadest range of viewpoints were included. There were 10 items submitted to Playmobil and they chose half of them.

Of the ones chosen I agree the water tower seems like it will be the least popular, but again we don't know what sort of sales numbers will be considered a success.  It would be interesting to try to find that out in the future.

Maybe the pilot group should have taken the time to ask the rest of us ...

Maybe they should have also asked all the other Collectors' forums.

I'm not unhappy with the releases - on the contrary I'm quite happy, however, the ball wasn't just dropped on this, it was missed.  

Just think how many steck round towers would have sold in comparison to the water tower?  Or sets of steck wall expansion sets instead of the windmill?

What about a reissue of the Robin Hood sets?  

[bonniebeth]

Well, as was said before, a list of ten was presented to geobra, and they picked five off that list. That's on them, which ones they picked. It might be interesting to know what the other five that weren't picked were.

[Indianna]

The Victorian lampost was suggested, but was rejected due to current health and safety regarding the electronics it used

Can you tell us more about this, Damo?  The lamppost takes a AAA battery (if I remember correctly) so how is that a health or safety issue?  I would think it would be a simple matter to replace that aspect of the set.   

[Wolf Knight]

I wonder, what would you do Wesley, if you proposed the round steck tower, it did get into a vote with other 50 or so items but it did not win a place in the final items?

Yes we are collectors but what each of us likes to collect is totaly subjective to our personal likes and dislikes! Thus voting on a list of items, even at a broader audience, is also subjective. I doubt most of us is interested what the kid and parents needs are. Since there is so much change in playmobil themes the last few years, I say the company tries really hard to keep children's attention fixed on their toy lines, thus the constant change...

[surfergirl]

I'm not saying we couldn't or shouldn't ask for a windmill or a water tower.

All I am trying to say is perhaps our stategy could've been different. Ask for things initially (examples as before) that the collectors are interested in, and will buy in volume, but that may also sell more commercially. Then, after a couple of years, when we have a more trusting relationship with Geobra, go in and ask for the more specialised items. I am only afraid that by asking for specialised items first, we may not achieve many sales, and Geobra may not ask for any more suggestions.

[bonniebeth]

Yes, I do understand what you mean. If they don't sell well, we lose face with Geobra and they may not listen next time. I was quite concerned about this at first, too. I think the victorian fence was a much more versatile item, that appeals to a broader audience.

[Wesley Myers]

I think this shows more a change in Playmobil's marketing policy, introducing short-lived themes alongside the long lasting "standards".  

It's not a change in marketing policy.  They couldn't afford that.  All the cost for research and development and mould making and packaging and advertising, etc, et al.  Then to have flops.  Year after year.  Romans, Egyptians, Ghost Pirates.  All themes I love.  All one I would have loved to have had when I was a kid.  All themes 'collectors' raved about.  Yet, they flopped.  

No company can afford short lived lines UNLESS they sell a LOT of them.  

Playmobil has not sold a lot of any of these themes.  As evidenced by shop supplies and the products that are being resold at discount prices on the Playmobil sites - they have a back log of warehouse stock they have to get rid of somehow.

Future flops will be the cavemen and the 'future' theme.

I don't know about the Secret Agent theme.  Time will tell on that one.  

If, after these, anyone thinks Playmobil will try historical themes again (ie Greeks, Japanese, Persians, etc) they are in for a sore disappointment.  It's not that we, as adults didn't buy the sets - it's pretty obvious we did (and do) - it's that the real market, children and their parents, did not want these.

I think it's a sad reflection of today's society and societal interests as a whole.

In the past, before video games, there were markets for children of ALL ages - all the way up through and including teenage years.  Now the toy market is aimed at very young children only.  There are no toys for children past the age of 8.  Go ask in any hobby shop how many teenagers have come in (if you can find a hobby shop that is still open).

[zugpferdchen]

I think it's a great catalogue/program and all of the 5 articles will be sold very good.

Some statistics of only some Klickywelt-Users, which posted, what they like (to buy):

35 Persons:

• 14x Oldtimers
• 18x Beer Kegs (or many more)
• 13x Bakeries
• 15x Water tanks
• 13x Wind mills

It's not listed, how many of each they will buy (would be many more...).

And also some NON-Playmobil-Train Drivers (LGB, USA Trains, Aristocraft, Piko,...) with US-Trains in G will buy water tanks and wind mills or some beer kegs to load it on their wagons.

Playmobil only has to make more advertising for the DS-catalog!!!

[Wesley Myers]

I wonder, what would you do Wesley, if you proposed ...

Now that you asked ...  

What I would have done is proposed only items that would have the most likelihood of selling well.  Not only to collectors, but to the general populace as well.

After that I would have been able to come back to Playmobil and presented how successful these were.  

That would have shown how the collectors are not out of touch with current trends, have marketing savy and how following their recommendations is really a benefit.

Then ... well, you can imagine the benefits and possibilities.

[bonniebeth]

It's true kids aren't buying toys like they used to. All the more reason for playmobil to keep the adult collectors happy, as we are making up a growing percentage of total sales. it's time to notice us. Children are buying less, and I really think we're buying more and more. We're all enabling each other on forums like this and going into buying frenzies, triggered and fed on by what we see others talking about; just look how many of us have suddenly decided to start buying western things in the last month or so; we are influencing each other to buy more. Big time. Collector purchases may still be a very small percentage of total products sold, but I bet that percentage is growing each year.