Can we talk about Playmobil toys ?

[sparkle1977]

What is the deal with these ? Why are they so expensive for what they appear to be on the packet ?

My DSs (2.5 and 4) haven't got any at the moment but they anxiously pore over the playmobil brochure stating what they would like.

I am tempted to get some bits from the construction range for them for Christmas.

Anyone got any and what do you think of them ?

Reading about the advent calendars has reminded me....does anyone know the best/cheapest place to get them?

I'm quite tempted to get one this year.

do you just mean the pieces come apart easily? they do; I think it's deliberate. I've never known a piece of the plastic to actually snap though.

I agree it is wasted on under 5s. WE have a fair bit - cargo ship, airport, ambulance, camper van, hospital etc and dd would like teh school for christmas. ds also still plays wth it and he'll be 11 after Christmas.

They are expensive, but they are really well made, and an excellent second hand buy if you can find any.

I have already made the decision to keep all our ds's Playmobil when he outgrows it.

For my future grandchildren, you understand.

Lol, if we kept all ours it would practically fill the loft! But I know I will never be able to part with Norman the Foreman!

No, I think maybe Dd has trodden on some pieces. The wheelchair and bike is broken...probably more, haven't looked

Mine love it, especially the vehicles.

At the moment Boots have quite a few bits in their 342 offer, and M&S have 25% off all Playmobil in their range.

It holds its value quite well if you end up ebaying it as well - especially if you keep box and instructions (although this means you have to stop them ripping through the box in excitement and then storing it somewhere for 5 years!).

My 3 love it!

We have the hospital and ambulance, and lottlest manky jsut got the police headquarters for his birthday, with the helicopter and car and some extra criminals!

DD wants the animal care centre for her birthday now!

Ds loves playmobil. He's got pirate stuff, medieval castle etc and dinosaurs. I don't think it breaks easily, although some bits have gone missing as there are some really tiny bits. It's great IMO.

A lot of DS's stuff has come from ebay. It's been around for so long that there is loads of it for sale quite cheaply.

i loved playmobil and can't wait till my dd is old enough for me to get all mine out of the loft - as some of it was handmedown's from my brother (and not necessarily first hand then) some of it'll be getting on for 30 years old and still in good enough condition to be played with.

I confess that i use to play with mine till i was at least 13 - i used to help out at my dad's office for pocket money to buy the latest sets

I've already posted this on the promotional codes thread but thought you'd all like to know that ELC playmobil is all 20% off and if you use the code SNOWX1M you get a further 20& off...usually their codes don't work on reduced stuff but providing you spend over £25 this one's working!

(so the campervan's under £20!)

That is a a good discount tassissss, thank you.

Also bear in mind that playmobil is one of the few ranges of toys left that is made in Europe (mostly Germany), except for the Take-along range which I think is China. We have had a few breakages with thin spindly bits (fencing around top of lighthouse for example), but on the whole our various bits and pieces of playmobil are the only things that have been played with every day (seriously) for nearly 2.5 years.

Noah's Ark is good for younger children. My son was 3 when he got it and he loves it.

my dd played with her playmobil from aged 5-10 i sold it all on ebay last month .she had about £600 worth and we got £300 back so not bad.she had the modern house,the victorian mansion,pony farm,supermarket and much more.

It's on 20% off at john lewis until 7th november too!

DS has a few people and motorbikes that used to belong to DP so they are at least 25 years old and going strong.
We'll probably get a couple of little bits for Christmas. It's nice that you can buy odd figures etc to try out before you commit to a big spend.

I also bought the Fairy Unicorn Palace for my niece earlier in the year when it was on sale in the Entertainer (£50 reduced to £20) and I'm very excited about giving it to her!

My nephew loves playmobil and it's been his present from us for the last few birthdays (he's now 6).

The first few he had were all dinosaur themed, but that was soon exhausted and we moved onto construction type stuff. Last birthday I got him a quarry lorry and he was over the moon. "It's just the one I wanted" he said and played with it solidly the whole time I was there. Now he'd possibly been trained to say this and chucked it as soon as I left, but I don't think so

When Sainsbury's have a sale on there is often the odd playmobil set in it. I've had a few smaller sets this way, one was 75% reduced (a diver with a shark cage) and when my sister saw it she told me he'd already got that one but he didn't care. I remember him saying it's such a good one you can have two of them!

I spend the whole night putting the playmobil together (which you need a degree for!) after they get their present. Surely for that money they could build it for us!