what do you mean? what has this to do with the collectors? they don't want to sell? why the buissness then? i don't know too many questions and no answer.weird in genural .. 
Oil is the raw material for making many plastics, and therefore for making Playmobil.
The scarcer and/or expensiver oil-supplies become, the higher the oilprices, the more expensive plastic becomes, and so the more Playmobil will cost to produce and to buy.
I think that is one of the major reasons for less accessories in new sets and for thinner plastic. The driving factor behind the increasing use of softer, rubber-like plastic - that now is been used more and more to make several parts like hats, capes, tools and weapons and other accessories - is IMHO not a safety-issue, but just an economical one.
When plastic is softer and more bendier, that means the material has less density, so less raw material is used to make it, and so lower prodcution-costs or costs to get the neccessary amounts of raw material to make the product. You could see it as "rationing" the raw material required...
