To ask you Playmobil veterans whether there might actually be such a thing as...

[vikjul]

...(gasp) too much Playmobil?

I really do believe in less is more as far as toys are concerned, but have never applied this to Playmobil and Lego, where it seems that more options rather add to the play value and longevity. But looking at my dd's substantial collection, with Christmas coming up, I am wondering how to gage whether there might be a point where I should stop indulging my own desire to acquire buying her more Playmobil.... So, anyway, I am a playmoholic and have my dd (6) loves Playmobil and has acquired the following over the past few years:

• Egyptian temple, camels, loads of Egyptian people & accessories (LOVES)
• royal furniture and loads of figures and every conceivable fantasy accessory (uses all the time)
• various babies, (uses a lot)
• lots of dollhouse furniture (uses a lot)
• loads of forest animals, trees, landscape pieces (uses often together with above)
• pirate dungeon (likes and uses now and then)
• huge play park and car (close to zero interest)

(In addition to this we have a lot of Roman figures and her older brother's dragon tower with dragon and various knights, used by dd occasionally.)

For this upcoming Christmas, I have already bought (but obviously need to hold back some of it):

• Pool (this is the one item she has asked for year after year, but considering her preference for fantasy/animals over eg the play park, I am not sure she would actually play with it.)
• Harbour café (would add to the pool & go with the park)
• African safari sets (discontinued, have picked up gigantic waterhole set & three smaller sets, I know she would love and use these)
• Monkey climbing tree (this I know she would love!)

So, Playmobil veterans, what would you do? Have you happily continued to expand your dc's collections, or found that eventually there is a law of diminishing returns here too? I see three options:

A. Give her the monkey climbing tree and the pool that she always points out in the catalogue, knowing that it will make her very happy but that she will probably not use it much in her usual eclectic scenarios. (And keep the African safari sets for another year.)

B. Give the pool to my MIL who never knows what to buy, enabling me to give dd the whole humongous series of African safari sets that I can't wait to openand the monkey tree - at the risk of overwhelming dd...

C. Just give her the monkey climbing tree and a few smaller safari sets that she will use alot and probably appreciate all the more for not getting so much...

(Other than Playmobil, she will be getting some lego, a board game or two and books.)

Sorry for long post, but as you will appreciate these are very important decisions and my DH is sick of hearing me talk about Playmobil.

Oh...and the advent calendars are gorgeous.

We have two and still get them out alternate years.

Also, the problem is that the list of must have nice to have Playmobil is endless. There are currently loads of wondrous scenery sets with dangerous rocks and rope bridges and what have you on German ebay that I am trying to resist, but that I think we might actually NEED.

YES Frogme Busybodies is indeed what they are. You've no idea just how long that's been driving me nuts!!!!

I couldn't afford it for my DC when they were young... DS1 always coveted his BFs sets..

I have bought a 123 Zoo set for my DGS for Christmas and only this evening was on gumtree looking at second hand sets to keep for when they are a bit bigger and me to play with

Anyone who has too much is welcome to send it my way!

My DH is a playmobil addict having been obsessed as a child. He would buy everything off the German website if I let him.

So far DS has for Christmas and 5th birthday (at Christmas) the Native American village and cowboy wagons (DH's choice!) but I really want to get him the Noah's Ark too.

He already has a zoo set, the campervan, small dolls house, guinea pig farm and small pony farm all of which he loves.

I don't think you can every have too much playmobil.

I only have the recycling lorry so far but I love it, the way all the people slot into the seats properly it is just so well made and satisfying to play with!

possibly we need a bigger house to house it all

So pleased to have found this thread as I've been pondering about the same. DD is 5 and has loads, house, school, ark, bus, pool, camper van, play park. This year she has asked for the stables but a I felt she has enough already. She does play with it well and her friends all love playing with it when they come round.

This thread has just convinced me to just got with it & get the stables!
DS is only 2 so I know it will get used lots between them.

For info most played with is camper van & house
Least played with by DD is the ark but DS loves it.

I love it

What are good starter sets?I have a dd and toddler DS and would like to get them their first playmobil stuff this Christmas as have read good reviews and it looks fab,plus seems to stand the test of time well. (I am very excited!)

Piffling I think the choice of good starter sets really depends on the individual child. I made the mistake of giving my dd a huge play park (lots and lots of wonderful bits including duck pond, portaloo, extra benches etc etc gathered on ebay) for her third birthday, and she played politely with it when I set it up, but was only mildly interested.

When I put it away and left her with a handful of random more fantasy/history inspired figures and animals, she was suddenly interested and used them in lots of different scenarios and it has continued that way. I think some children enjoy acting out true to life stories (going to hospital, packing and travelling in a car, feeding the baby, going to school etc), while others prefer to lose themselves in a distant world.

And similarly, some will prefer to centre their play in realistic buildings/houses, while others prefer to build their own random structures and just add figures/scenery/accessories in various combinations.

Don't know if that helps?

Oh I just love playmobil. My boys aren't overly fussed though. I want to be able to buy EVERYTHING as I wanted it all as a child and had none.

We do have one of the castles but it breaks at the softest touch.

Vikjul, your last post has highlighted to me why I struggle so much with play with my chids. I was always an acting out real life player whereas they love to play fantasy type games.

Yes vikjul,absolutely! DD is a bit of both,I think hospital/vet type things would be appreciated and I might get the mini fairy pack to throw into the mix.She tends to start off with playing with these sorts of things traditionally,and then suddenly all the characters will be off to space or in some fairy tale scenario.Quite fun to listen to her really!

Playmobile is an investment for future generations therefore you cannot have too much.

My ds and dn play with our sets from my childhood. I loved the Knights and school set best.

I would give one of the sets as a present from your mil. I secretly covert the penguin enclosure set now.

MissPenelope, Playmobil was the name used by the German company who came up with the figures in 1973. Playpeople was the name used by Louis Marx who made the figures under license in the UK until the late 1970s. Since then, everything in UK has been imported.

Using extension packs, my son ended up with a castle that took up most of the floorspace in the room. Never too much Playmobil.

When I asked my adult children ( now 23, 30 and 32) which toys they definitely wanted me to keep when I downsized the attic toy store a few years ago, the first on the list was palymobil. We had 4 sets, the camper van, the boat, the ambulance and the dustcart plus assorted bikes and extra people. They were well used but still all complete and in good condition. My grandson absolutely loves getting them out now so don't ever get rid of it!

My parents are german so we had Playmobil right from the start. My DM kept it all and now the kids all play with vintage mixed with new (and honestly you can hardly tell which is which and I ain't no spring chicken!)

The best thing we have is a river cruise boat from 1974 and a whole selection of skiers from around the same time. We have all sorts of other stuff too, caravan, cars, kiosk, TV studio, school room etc etc.

Back in the old days I.e around 40 years ago- the people were pretty much the same as today, only they were all one colour and didn't have separate hands.

I can confirm that there is no such thing as too much Playmobil.

We have...
Original Victorian mansion with extension floor fully furnished.
Modern house with extension floor fully furnished.
Complete zoo
Complete airport
Complete camping/holiday home set
Pool and beach sets
Complete police and fire sets
Full street (butcher, pizza, hot dog seller, post office etc)
Complete cowboys and Indians including fort.
4 pirate ships
Noahs ark

Plus probably more I've forgotten. I spoiled dd with it. I worked part time in a toy store, almost all my wages went on playmobil. I was as addicted as her, we'd get the catalogue and slowly build the complete scenes over a few months. She loved it.

The downside? She's 17 now and flatly refuses to sell any of it, despite the fact some of it is quite valuable (Victorian house alone can fetch £400 towards Christmas)
It's currently in boxes divided between home and her nans. Apparently she's saving it for her children eventually....

Actually we are borderline 'too much playmobil' now. Both DDs love it and spend hours playing with it but we have so many sets, alot of them very large that it has taken over the playroom completely. No more floor space or unit top space for anything else. It is all fantastic though. DD has asked for the hospital for Xmas and I'm am not sure we can - where can it possibly go?!
Have you been to Playmobil Funpark in Germany? It is amazing. Also the playmobil museum in Speyer, Germany. Yes, we are BIG fans.

That was the stage we got to froggio. Dd had the entire conservatory. Obviously as she grew up we had to do something and she still wouldn't get rid so nanas spare rooms became our answer.
To be fair though I don't think I could part with the Victorian house, it's so so beautiful and much nicer than the horrible one they replaced it with.

Where does everyone put it all? Do you all have play rooms?

I've just bought my son the passenger plane for Xmas and fear this may be the beginning of an addiction for me.

Our house isn't huge though and the plane alone is going to be too big to fit in the toy box.

I had the Red Indian Camp when I was a child, and my mam gave it to my cousin and I have never, ever, forgotten forgiven :( and I am now in my mid 40s
I did try with my DCs, I bought the pirate ship, and assorted smaller sets that went with it, and I played with it for hours on Xmas Day, and put it all together, but they just weren't interested :( I am a failure as a mother

No such thing as too much playmobil. I just wish I could afford the bigger sets that ds wants! I've bought a few 2nd hand but they had a few bits missing and I have no idea what they charge for replacement parts.
Every shelf/cupboard in our playroom has the larger sets on, plus boxes of bits.

Hmmm. I am just realising that those of you with large collections seem to have dc who actually ASK for more Playmobil.

I think that my internal dilemma comes from the fact that my dd is very happy with and attached to the Playmobil she already has, while I am the one always wanting more for example I think we could really use a cave of some sort. At the same time, I like the idea of playing creatively with a limited set which we are way beyond at this stage anyway, like my sister and I did in the 80's with just a covered wagon and a pioneer family.

And I think my dh is right when he says that dd would be much happier with just a set or two, rather than the splurge I was am envisioning...

Really envious of those of you whose dc help you justify your Playmobil collections, assuming I am not the only one who is addicted !