Collecting Vs. Playing

[Rasputin]

Hi Ras,

I have some hand mirrors and glass beads which I'll swap with you for your Playmobil collection.

  oh I want to see , or do I 

[playmovictorian]

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. ..

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  ...

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"

[playmovictorian]

Hi Martin 

By reading your original message, I just realized I got off tracks as I thought the topic was about our personal view and experience on collecting / playing with Playmobil.

Oops, seems like I have done it again

Karim

[Gustavo]

We seem to have got a bit off message, the premise wasn't whether Playmobil is targeting children, of course it is, but whether it is aimed at getting those children to play, or to collect.

A visit to any toyshop these days, or pretty much anytime in the last century, will show that some toys/games are intended to form some sort of collecting addiction. Take Topps Baseball Cards. There are games you can play with baseball cards, but mostly people buy them to try to complete a set. If you complete the 2008 set, it doesn't matter to the manufacturer because soon you have to start on the 2009 set.

I think Playmobil bucks this trend, because although they do keep refreshing and adding to old themes, such as the knights or pirates, I don't think this is so that children keep buying moree and more to try to complete a collection.

I don't know, Martin, but I think children care more for playing with toys, until a certain age, at least.

Until this day, collecting isn't my focus as much as photographing (which I consider my hobby), and it's only an adult excuse to play ( ). In other words, I play rather than collect, and it's always been so.

I -- and as a child grows up, I believe, he acquires it -- have certain extra cares for the toy, such as not loosing bits, not setting fire on them ... (Er .. well, maybe some of us still DO explode their playmo )

[Klickus Mobilius]

I agree with Martin's hypothesis that Playmobil is designed for play rather than collecting based on the following observations:

1.  The Themes.  While it is true that one can collect based on the different themes, the themes themselves are of such that stimulate play.  There are the action-oriented themes such as Pirates, Knights, Romans, Dinosaurs, and Police and Rescue which very easily lend themselves to play by little boys.  Even the houses, whether modern or Victorian, along with their corresponding Klickies, lend themselves to imaginative play.

2.  Clever Design.  Playmobil uses ingenius design to make their sets movable.  For example, the Egyptian pyramid is a masterpiece of traps, movable walls, and hidden rooms which makes it perfect for play.  Other examples are the ships, all of which can actually float and, with the addition of the optional motor, can propel themselves.  If this is not for play, then I don't know what is. 

3.  Direct Observation.  kaethe often brings out some of her Playmobil for her neighborhood children to play with, and they do with great excitement and joy.  I have a friend who has a house along with occupant Klickies for her little girl to play with.  Her son also absolutely loved his little knight when he was a boy.  The children care more about making the Klickies do things than accumulating a complete set of whatever they are playing with.

4.  Original Intention.  If you read "playmobil:  The Story of a Smile" by Felicitas Bachmann (great book, by the way, and highly recommended), you will see that historically, Playmobil was intended for play by children.

That's my four cents worth.   

[Mountain King]

For what I can make up out of this is simply the fact, that deep down in all of us there is a kid waiting to come out. Remember the first time, i know for some it takes like ages ago, but i look at my kids, (when we gather around the table playing with "our playmobil" when all is finished housework, dishes ) and i have 3 of them, but i only notice a sparkle in my daughters eyes, not in my 2 boys (they grew up with Pokemon, the girl just don't like Barbie and other dolls) and she actually reminds me of me. Can you imagine I still can see my first glimp of my Playmobils when I was 6 years old (34 years ago). I know for sure she will have a special place in her hart for playmobils. And in a way, when we started a month ago playing together, it never felt like I was out of it. Sure the playing ain't the same, I always wanted to be a worldruler, loved by all but never scared to fight one who up posed me or attacked "my peacefull kingdom", now I have to let my kids in the story as they will make up their own (as it will go in real life as well), but for the moment all idea's are played together. It's like you want to take the story there, but in the end you are far more off then you think.
And even though, every theme can be collected (some are more collectable then playable) and played with. It's what YOU wanna do with it. That's the idea. There is no hidden message. It's for all ages and all genders. It's life itself. you decide it yourself if you wanna be a part of the action or an observer, with a keen eye for beauty and details.
For instance, I regret that I immediately destroyed the boxes to reveal what was inside of it, nearly almost destroying it after playing with it over and over again, but it shaped me as a person. I am still that ruler, but i listen to the people around me to make a better judgement, but I stand with what i decide, and i stand firmly by it. There's no escape and what's past is past.
Now I look at my old ones, compare them to my new ones, and come to think of it they still are the best, even though there hands can't turn, and they are not specially drawn. They represent me and I still fit in perfectly. Even right now, when i look next to my screen, I see my first Indian and my Templar (as my avatar) gazing at me. A smile on their face and i know they agree ... life is what YOU make out of it: I think this is what the purpose is of Playmobil. YOU are playmobil. Even if it is on display, or buried half in a pile of mud.
BTW the answer is designed to play, when you get older you just wanna relax and look on the world development from a distance (that's when you collect).