For over 35 years, Playmobil has been one of the most popular toy series around. While the simple figurines and the many accessories might seem similar to LEGO sets, the lack of a construction factor makes it more of an interactive, imaginative toy. The world of Playmobil explores many facets of o day-to-day modern life and even historical eras — such as Ancient Rome and Egypte. The high-level of detail and ability to mix sets makes it an ideal toy for imaginative play for a variety of age groups.
Playmobil was kind of born out of the 1973 Oil Crisis. Faced with rising petroleum costs, the parent company that creator Hans Beck worked for was looking to get more out of the plastics the company was purchasing. The system of customizable toys, with its interchangeable parts, offered unlimited possibilities for re-combination and expansion, and became a highly marketable toy.
Here are some fun facts about this iconic and always popular toy:
- Playmobil figures are built on 1:24 scale
- The first Playmobil sets were of Native Americans, construction workers and knights
- There are 33 available Playmobil themes and 19 retired themes
- Discontinued themes include Antartica, Grocery, Space and Old House
- Proposed themes have included Chinese Railroad Workers, Grave Digger and Medieval Torture Room. Prototypes were made. However, these sets were considered insensitive and inappropriate for young children, and were never released
- Founder Hans Bec, nicknamed “The Father of Playmobil”, died earlier in 2009 at the age of 79
- Playmobil figures are great for stop-motion animation films.
Featured in this post: Firing Catapault ($11.99); you can get this set, and many other new Playmobil sets at Arsa Toys now.
