Has Playmobil been a huge bust for anyone else?

[ohiomom1121]

My kids got a ton of Playmobil for Christmas (not planned, but several people gave them sets and we gave them the Hospital) and it basically NEVER gets played with. The hospital sat on our Nilo table since Christmas and was maybe played with once or twice. We finally took it down and put the marble run back up. I read here all the time that kids love it (and mine love Imaginext, Polly Pockets etc so I thought this was similar size wise) so I am baffled. Just wondered if we're the only ones who wasted a lot of money on it! I'm hoping maybe it'll get some interest as they get a little older, but am not optimistic.

[new_mommy25]

It was for us. Bummer because it's so cute! I was able to sell for a good price on Craiglist.

[infomama]

Ugh...yes. The two sets we have got huge play for about 2 days and now they mostly sit.

[bubbaray]

Yes. It gets played with once here and then nada. Just tons of itsy bitsy pieces to find before the vacuum does.

[Allisonsmommy]

hmmm maybe i need to rethink the playmobil thing....

[mumofboys]

Gosh, Playmobile is a huge hit around here. When my now teenagers were around 3 years old, I bought a large castle set and pirate boat with tons of guys, horses, and armor. They played for hours on end for years and years, setting up scenes and narrating their story. I now have a 2.5 year old who is starting to do the same thing with their old sets, which don't show much age despite all the years of hard play.

[ohiomom1121]

So glad it's not just us! I have good luck on craigslist here, so if it doesn't get played with I'll just get rid of it.

[fivi2]

Mine like the people and accessories and vehicles and animals, but not the large structures, if that makes sense.

[wimama]

Sorry, my DS loves his Playmobil.

He has a rather random approach to how he plays with them now, but I think the toys will grow with him. For instance, the school janitor is on the roof brushing snow off. The kids get stuck on the school roof and trees and need to be rescued. He packs a bunch of fish, pirates, the DHL driver or whatever into his submarine. It isn't unusual to see the DHL driver driving his truck with a pirate and a cat in the cab and some pirate stowaways in the back. It doesn't help his older cousins come over and teach him how to put kids heads in the toilets and run over the kid on the bike with a car. :ROTFLMAO:

[smilequeen]

We got the castle for Christmas after much begging for it. It was a HUGE hit with DS2 for a few weeks. Now it's sitting there pretty untouched :(

[Tondi G]

we have had the same experience for the most part. I loved Playmobile when I was a kid. My boys enjoyed the pirate treasure chest set and the pirate ship (thank you grandma for springing for that one). These 2 things have been played with by my boys but it has not been a long lasting love.

Lego's get more play in our house. My 5 yr old enjoyed his Imaginext bat cave and space shuttle. Even those two haven't been played with in a while though. Nerf battles are a constance source of entertainment these days!

My children just have too many toys. A major purge is about to happen.

[Globetrotter]

Give it some time. My kids love Playmobil.

But I am so jealous of them - you have the HOSPITAL?? :love5:

[elliput]

My kids really like Playmobil, though we don't have any of the big structures. DS plays with the horses all the time, and DD loves Mermaids.

[wolverine2]

My kids play with some playmobil stuff almost daily, but not as a set. They'll use a man here, a horse there, mix it with other stuff. The only big set we have is a castle, and DS1 will pull it out now and then. I'd say overall I still love it, but am glad that I didn't spend big $ on sets, because they like playing with the individual elements more anyway.

[mnosky1]

I don't know if I'd craig's list it yet. I remember playing with Playmobil for hours on end when I was a kid. I had the operating room set - but that is one set my mom didn't keep.
I know I was definitely older - 8- 10 -maybe older?
My DD is almost 8 and I know the "toys" will soon be dwidling so playmobil might be something that could her her interest for a while longer.

[pb&j]

We have mostly vehicles and people/accessories - both kids LOVE the RV and the police car. The police station was just so-so. It got knocked off a table and came apart, we put it in a box meaning to put it back together, but that was months ago and nobody has missed it. I'll probably sell it.

[jvs195]

I bought a bunch too early and it sat. Now I've invested heavily in the Wedding set (thanks Corie) for future (DD is only 2.5). DS saw the catalog and renewed his interest. Both like to take the figures and smaller vehicles (boats and dune buggy) into the sand/water table. The airport still needs to be reassembled, but I'm not sure they'll play with it just yet, but I'll keep it in case they like it later.

Of course it doesn't help that DS gets a new Lego every week from SIL so nothing gets a lot of play for very long.

[lovebebes]

YEP. no love for it here, at all. i threw it away actually..

[AngelaS]

YEP. no love for it here, at all. i threw it away actually..

Gasp! That's so sad! My girls love Playmobil and we have an insane amount of it. My middle dd is dying to have the hospital but I'm not sure we need another big set.

[Seitvonzu]

ack! THREW AWAY???? oh dear :(

we love our playmobil...we have a take along dollhouse, a bunny treehouse, 2 advent calendars, the nativity set, "skull island" take along dealy with pirates (not sure what it's really called), some random sets (cowboy set, princess takealong case), and all the wedding stuff (the church, the pavillion, the reception tent, the photographer, the pianist, (car is still put away because we got the royal carriage instead) newly put out in honor of kate & wills royal nuptuals :)

i think about the egypt stuff seriously about once a week. we are seriously STUFFED out around here...but that pyramid? and the sphinx? it's almost too much for my little egyptology-loving heart to stand.

my little princess loving daughter might be more into the castle though...but that's something she'd have to talk her nana into ;)

[lovebebes]

ack! THREW AWAY???? oh dear :(

we love our playmobil...we have a take along dollhouse, a bunny treehouse, 2 advent calendars, the nativity set, "skull island" take along dealy with pirates (not sure what it's really called), some random sets (cowboy set, princess takealong case), and all the wedding stuff (the church, the pavillion, the reception tent, the photographer, the pianist, (car is still put away because we got the royal carriage instead) newly put out in honor of kate & wills royal nuptuals :)

i think about the egypt stuff seriously about once a week. we are seriously STUFFED out around here...but that pyramid? and the sphinx? it's almost too much for my little egyptology-loving heart to stand.

my little princess loving daughter might be more into the castle though...but that's something she'd have to talk her nana into ;)

im sorry! I was REALLY mad at it. Like, it tried to take our life as we know it away LMAO.
It was the school :bag

[hellokitty]

Yes, huge failure here. I am glad I only got a few pieces on clearance. There was a snow truck that they liked, but it kept falling apart when they played with it, which I found extremely irritating. For easter, I just got them the crab and sting ray, b/c my kids love sea animals. They only played with it for a few days and now I don't even know where they are. DS1 was really interested in the pyramid (my boys love anything regarding ancient egyptians), but it was sold out everywhere at the time. Now I am glad I did not get it, I have doubts that it would have held his interest, b/c of our past hx with playmobile.

For my boys, building toys are still at the top (lego, blocks, lincoln logs, etc.), followed by bakugan.

[zoestargrove]

My older DS has been obsessed with all things ancient Egypt. We bought everything from that series. He was so excited! That pyramid is a really cool toy, but it is HUGE! - takes up a ton of space and it barely got used beyond the first few weeks.

BUT- that being said I discovered something. We all still very much love playmobil. From now on I will only buy the people and accessories and never buy a large structure again.


My boys prefer to use their other contruction toys (unit blocks, large hollow wooden blocks, magnatiles and kapla blocks) to build whatever they want. (They make Egyptian burial sites, libraries, museums, skate parks, etc.) and use the playmobil people and their accessories to decorate and play with. They use these ALL the time and the quality of this kind of play makes me really happy. I love listening in on this creative process. It's awesome!

As a bonus, this also makes organization and clean up easy. There is a bin for each kind of block and one for the playmobil pieces. Using the open ended blocks frees them to make and play ANYTHING their imaginations can conjure up and I don't have to find storage space for a farm, a hospital, a pyramid, a pirate ship, etc.

[Seitvonzu]

zoe--- that is a really good point about the pyramid. i *know* it's huge. i *know* we don't have the room ... i *know* it's more for me than my child. we have the church and the pavillion-- both are HUGE. esp. the pavillion. it's great for disney princess parties! but i think you're right- the little people & accessories are what make playmobil so fun- for the kids.... i bought some really cool egyptian figures/playset at target on mega clearance-- "mighty world?" or something. i also got a firefighting set... i thought they could be used with the playmobil firetruck we have, but no- they are way too big. still super cool :) and great for use with our blocks-- that said...

we too have tons of blocks. i need to keep those more available for random building....we have had fun making structures for our hex bug to crawl out of :)

[zoestargrove]

Seitvonzu- if you lived close, I'd loan you the pyramid and sphinx to try out. Have you been to playmobil's website? They have some very very cool Egyptian themed videos and games to go along with that series.

Did you get those Egyptian guys from target recently? I never heard of them and will have to check them out.

I had to share a few pictures of the library. It cracks me up.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g52/zoestargrove_2006/DSC_0418.jpg

and the circulation desk
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g52/zoestargrove_2006/DSC_0420.jpg

[hellokitty]

Lol, Zoestar, your kids are so creative. Everything my kids do have to do with destruction. I don't think it would ever dawn on them to make a block library for their figures, lol.

[KpbS]

Seitvonzu- if you lived close, I'd loan you the pyramid and sphinx to try out. Have you been to playmobil's website? They have some very very cool Egyptian themed videos and games to go along with that series.

Did you get those Egyptian guys from target recently? I never heard of them and will have to check them out.

I had to share a few pictures of the library. It cracks me up.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g52/zoestargrove_2006/DSC_0418.jpg

and the circulation desk
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g52/zoestargrove_2006/DSC_0420.jpg

So cool! I can't wait to show my DSs your pics! Mine do the same with their various blocks/magnatiles/etc. I'll try to attach some pics but have my doubts if it'll work!

[crl]

I detest Playmobile. The pieces are just too tiny. DS got one small set and when I realized how small the pieces were, well, that was it. Fortunately he didn't really love that set anyway.

Catherine

ETA. DS LOVES his unit blocks and uses them on a daily basis to build all kinds of things. He populates his constructions with his "kids" which are mostly FP Little People. This is fabulous for me because none of this is a choking hazard for my 14 month old dd.

[abh5e8]

i love that....its awesome! and the unit blocks...where did you get them? mine always make a bee line for the unit blocks at the library. i need to get some.


Seitvonzu- if you lived close, I'd loan you the pyramid and sphinx to try out. Have you been to playmobil's website? They have some very very cool Egyptian themed videos and games to go along with that series.

Did you get those Egyptian guys from target recently? I never heard of them and will have to check them out.

I had to share a few pictures of the library. It cracks me up.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g52/zoestargrove_2006/DSC_0418.jpg

and the circulation desk
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g52/zoestargrove_2006/DSC_0420.jpg

[zoestargrove]

half of them are from Barclay blocks and half were a craigslist find.

http://www.barclaywoods.com/
They usually do a sale in the summer or around September and lower the prices 20-30% if I remember correctly. It's their best price all year.