Neat VW Beetle and T1 Camper Bus...by Playmobil

[Brian Austin]

Roughly 1:18 scale plastic toys that offer much in the way of accessories and "play value".  :-)

 

https://www.figures.com/2021/01/26/review-playmobil-vw-fun-volkswagon-beetle-70177-and-t1-camper-bus-70176/

[Oldcarfan27]

They look great!

When I was a kid, I looked for toys that realistically mimicked real cars that I saw on the streets. I enjoyed accurate details even then.

These would've been the kinds of toys I'd ask for for Christmas!

[ChrisBcritter]

[Brian Austin]

I missed that one.  :-)

 

Somebody has a sense of humor.

 

 

Here's another review, shows the products as they look from the box:

 

https://mudpiefridays.com/2021/02/12/review-playmobil-volkswagen-beetle-camping-bus/

 

And here's what can be done with LEGO bricks:

 

https://theplasticbrick.com/shop/item/volkswagen-beetle-vw-beetle-lego-set-10187-1

 

 

Getting back to Playmobil, they have issued many vehicles over the years. In 2017 they issued a slightly simplified yet still nifty Ghostbusters Ectomobile.  Proportions appear to be fairly close.

[Casey]

I had Playmobil figures/sets when I was very young, and the sets have definitely advanced quite a bit since then. I have checked out the tires on various vehicles to see if they'd work for models, but they are still a bit too toy like, understandably so.

[Tom Geiger]

And we’re getting the new Fisher Price mail truck too!

[Brian Austin]

Here's a neat article discussing the appeal of the Playmobil brand, from 2019.  Apparently that year a Playmobil film was released.  I don't recall hearing anything about it.  From what I've read it did not do very well in either ticket sales or reviews.

 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-playmobil-went-from-simple-smiling-figure-worldwide-sensation-180973676/

 

Interesting quote from the article: 

...However, one industry analyst thinks there is more to the story. Richard Gottlieb, principal and founder of Global Toy Experts, credits the European model for toy-making as a reason for the toy’s longevity and sustainability.

“Europeans see toys one way, Americans see them another,” he says. “In the United States, toys are more of an impulse buy. In Europe, they are a planned purchase. They make them to be durable so they can be passed down from generation to generation. I think that’s a wonderful way to look at toys.”

He adds, “I like to refer to the toys from Europe as legacy toys and the ones from America as landfill toys.”

 

I'm slightly confused regarding Playmobil's scaling.  As I noted above, the reviews claim 1:18, but I knew of them in the '80s and they were around 1:24-1:22.  They even have their own G-Gauge train sets.