Playmobil Deals & Offers

Playmobil Sales, Toys, and Sets From hotukdeals

Created in Germany in the 1970s, Playmobil rose quickly to become a mainstay of toy collections from Tokyo to Tennessee, and it remains one of the UK's toy favourite brands. Introducing over 160 separate designs every year, it's also one of the most productive toy brands in the business, with a constantly developing portfolio of buildings, vehicles, and characters for kids to enjoy.

With so many new products, it's easy for parents to become slightly overwhelmed. But don't worry, hotukdeals has your back. This buyer's guide will introduce what Playmobil offers, run through some of its iconic and newest offerings, and suggest ways to save money when building a collection. But before we get into that, it's story time. Playmobil has an intriguing back-story, and it's well worth knowing before you plunge into the huge range of cheap Playmobil products at hotukdeals.

The Story of the Playmobil Toy Brand

Playmobil's story dates back to Germany in the 1970s. As the 60s ended, and the Oil Crisis began, companies dependent on global plastic supplies suddenly saw their costs rise, and that included some of the country's biggest toy and playset makers. However, one CEO had a plan. Horst Brandstatter of the family firm Geobra Brandstatter saw the need for smaller toys that economised on plastic. Instead of hula hoops and bulky plastic figures, he enlisted the toy inventor Hans Beck to come up with something more compact – and more engaging.

From 1973-74, Beck set about the project, and Playmobil was the result. Beck came up with the idea of 7.5cm tall figures, who would have a wide range of movement – and what became a trademark smiling expression.

Beginning with the Dutch market, Playmobil started to market a whole host of figures, from medieval knights, to Native Americans, and construction workers. It took a little time, but children started to fall in love with the toys, for their mixture of positivity and realism.

After that, global expansion was swift – just as it was for another European export, Lego. By the 1980s, figures were becoming slightly more customisable, with hands that gripped and could be rotated 360 degrees, as well as detachable headgear. Buildings swiftly joined figurines, as well as vehicles and other accessories, allowing kids to create elaborate townscapes and social situations.

In the 2000s, another major change took place, when “System X” was introduced. Now, connecting pieces would allow much more sophisticated constructions, with Playmobil keeping pace with Lego in the flexibility department. And with computer games and movies in the pipeline, not to mention an endless array of kits and characters, the brand looks set to go from strength to strength.

How Does Playmobil Work?

Playmobil's major competitor is Lego, but the two brands aren't really in the same category. While Lego's offerings are all about creativity and engineering, Playmobil's sets come fully formed, with much less practical work required to get them up and running.

The idea behind the toy collection is also very different to Lego's. With Playmobil, the fun comes from putting the figures in various settings, and creating real-life situations. It's a great way to spark youthful imaginations, without having to wrestle with complex construction plans (and with far fewer small parts to lose track of).

But what are Playmobil toys made of, and are they dangerous for kids? Almost all Playmobil toys are made in Malaysia, Malta, Germany, or Spain from plastic, and there are no tiny metal components. They should be relatively safe if children somehow put them in their mouths, but do present a choking risk, so it's important to keep them away from toddlers and babies if at all possible.

With that in mind, you might be wondering what age is Playmobil suitable for? Well, the manufacturers suggest that an appropriate age range would be 4-10 years of age. That sounds about right. Below that point, kids will struggle with small figurines, and safety will be an issue. Above it, and children tend to graduate to more complex toys. But within that age range, Playmobil has captured millions of young imaginations across the world.

However, there is one important exception to this age rating. Recently, Playmobil has launched a collection called 1-2-3, which caters for children under the age of 4. It features colourful, safe toys, with chunky designs that aren't based around small parts or jagged edges. If your toddler is into Vtech or Fisher Price toys, it could be a nice way to transition to more grown-up toys.

Getting to Grips with the Playmobil Product Range

Playmobil has a constantly evolving product range, and plenty of discontinued models. However, the current catalogue contains plenty of classics and future classics that buyers will almost certainly encounter at hotukdeals.

Figurines remain at the heart of the Playmobil product range, and can be ordered in a variety of ways. The most affordable is probably to buy sets of 16 figurines, (which are divided into “boys” and “girls” sections). Each pack contains a lucky dip of characters, so some duplicates could occur, but by and large it's good way to build a Playmobil community.

Various sub-collections have been added to the catalogue, beyond traditional options like town occupations or medieval knights. Buyers will find collections related to Ghostbusters, dinosaurs, dragons (a loose Game of Thrones reference), the beach, and Dreamworks' Spirit movie franchise. All include a mix of exclusive figurines, vehicles (or dragons), and buildings. Buildings range incredibly widely, including everything from castles to hospitals.

Some parts of the catalogue deserve special mention here. For instance, Playmobil City Life is a particularly popular part of the collection, and has been since the late 1970s. This is the place to look for schools and fire stations, allowing kids and parents to craft imagined communities out of nothing.

Taking a completely different approach, Playmobil Country includes an array of rural-themed characters, as well as cottages, farming equipment, farm animals, and much more. And the Playmobil Crystal Palace range has a wonderful fairy tale theme that little princesses will adore.

Playmobil's product range can be ordered online via the company's own website, but many buyers will want to know what shops sell Playmobil? As you'll see when you browse through our listings of Playmobil deals, plenty of popular UK toy merchants stock the brand, including Smyths, John Lewis, Debenhams, and Argos. You can also order new sets online from Amazon and various eBay sellers, which is also a good place to hunt for second hand playmobil sets.

Some of the Best Playmobil Sets for Boys

Often, buyers will need to work out what kind of toys to buy for boisterous boys. If that's your predicament, Playmobil offers plenty of possibilities. There are some old favourites, and some innovative new sets that all boys will enjoy grappling with. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• The Playmobil Pirate Ship – One of the brand's most successful creations, the Pirate Ship is also one of the more expensive kits in the company's range. But it's worth it. Enabling kids to play the role of a budding Jack Sparrow, the Raiders Ship comes with cannons that actually fire. And, if you combine it with an underwater motor, you can actually see the ship sailing into battle. If you already have the Pirate Ship, don't stop there. The Playmobil Pirates range goes much further, including rafts and naval vessels, dolphins, “ghost pirates”, treasure hideouts, and extra cannons, if you aren't happy with your flagship's fighting abilities.

• The Playmobil Fire Engine – Back on dry land, the Playmobil Fire Engine is always a popular option. Part of the City Action collection, the Fire Engine comes with a battery pack installed, and a water cannon that really does spurt water on command. Users can combine it with radio controllers to move around the home, and you can insert 4 brave characters in the cabin to create a realistic fire-fighting effect.

• The Playmobil Castle – Also known as the Hawk Knight's Castle, this kit has a hefty price tag (even more than the Pirate Ship), but it justifies it, with secret trapdoors and staircases, workable draw-bridges, cannons, swords, bows and arrows, and plenty of space in the secure dungeon. It's a great starting point for a Dragon collection, or just an army of standard Playmobil Knights.

Great Playmobil Products for Girls

But what if you are buying Playmobil for girls? Well, the German brand doesn't let girls down, and there should be no shortage of kits to consider (assuming your daughter isn't crazy about the Pirate Ship or Fire Engine we've already considered). Here are some options that always work well:

• The Playmobil Crystal Palace – This dazzling ice palace costs slightly more than the Hawk Knights Castle. The centrepiece here is the lighting array, which uses 3 AAA batteries to illuminate the Crystal Throne. It comes with the Princes figurine, whose own skirt actually changes colour in different temperatures – a truly magical touch.

• The Playmobil Hospital – Playmobil actually offers a couple of hospital models for buyers to choose from, and both will be great for girls and boys who are interested in the medical profession. The Large Hospital has the most features, with wards, an operating theatre, waiting rooms, ambulances, and the staff needed to keep things running. The Furnished Children's Hospital is a great companion piece, with special wards for children and features like interactive operating table lights.

• The Playmobil Pony Farm – Playmobil caters really well for kids who love the countryside, and this Farm set is a great base for a rural collection. Part of the Country collection, it features three pony figurines, a hayloft, an adaptable fence, and playpen for the ponies to strut their stuff.

Can You Purchase Second Hand Playmobil Sets?

Although we've mainly been talking about purchasing brand new Playmobil kits, there may be a good reason to look for pre-owned sets on hotukdeals. Many Playmobil products have gone out of production, and are only available second hand. Fortunately, there's a thriving marketplace for used toys on eBay, so if you want to recreate the set-ups of your youth, it should be possible.

However, prices aren't always low, and they tend to vary wildly for similar products. This means that anyone who buys second hand should consult price guides before making a purchase if they want to avoid paying over the odds. PlayMoDB is a good resource, both for finding out what toys are available, when they were made, and how much they should cost.

If eBay isn't full of suitable deals, be sure to check Gumtree and other second hand marketplaces, as it has special sections for Playmobil toys. And don't discount car boot sales as well. Playmobil is the kind of product that regularly appears in sellers' lots, often at extremely low prices.

What Other Playmobil Products Will You Find at hotukdeals?

Aside from hospital and pirate galleons, Playmobil has plenty of offer. As mentioned above, figurines are a good place to start, because they can be purchased relatively cheaply, and the same applies to accessories like animals, tools, and vehicles. But even they hardly exhaust the Playmobil buying options to be found at hotukdeals. Here are some other products or purchases that you might think about investigating:

Playmobil the Movie – After the phenomenal success of the Lego Movie, it was probably inevitable that Playmobil would follow suit. Sure enough, an animated movie duly arrived in 2019. Entitled “Playmobil: the Movie”, the film follows a brother and sister pairing called Charlie and Marla, who are transported into the Playmobil universe. When they arrive, the duo are separated in a chaotic battle involving (as you'd expect with Playmobil) a bizarre mix of pirates and vikings. After that, the plot deals with Marla's quest to be reunited with her brother, with plenty of thrills along the way. The movie was released in cinemas on August 7, 2019, and DVD releases are a certainty, so watch this space.

It's worth noting here that Playmobil have come up with a special Playmobil: the Movie collection, featuring scenes from the film. So, if your kids adore the storyline and want to relive it for themselves, it's a good collection to browse.

Playmobil Advent Calendar is a good idea when Christmas rolls around, and Playmobil have the answer for parents who don't want to feed their kids sugary snacks every day in December. The Playmobil Advent Calendar is themed around Santa's Workshop, where the bearded present provider cooks up new toy designs. Instead of chocolates, the calendar delivers 24 separate toys from the Playmobil range. It's not the cheapest way to supplement a figurine collection, but it's great fun, and the ideal way to kick-start the Christmas season.

How and When to Find the Very Best Playmobil Offers

Playmobil continues to effortlessly capture the imagination of generations of children. Maybe it's the wide selection of realistic characters and environments, the interactivity of the toys, or the ability to echo popular movies and cultural references. Whatever the secret of its success, the German toy brand knows how to satisfy young appetites for excitement.

Sadly, it also knows how to empty the wallets of unsuspecting parents. The most expensive Playmobil sets can cost upwards of £150, and that's before you factor in extra components like motors, or accessories like figurines and vehicles. The toy collection is at its most enjoyable with a wide range of figures and buildings to play with, so how can buyers build their collections for less?

First off, being patient is a virtue for those on a budget. You can pick up bundles with figures, accessories, and vehicles for relatively little, and slowly work your way to a much bigger Playmobil community. When you have enough smaller items, you can buy a bigger ticket item like the hospital or the Knights Castle.

Alternatively, buyers can just hunt for the toys they want in the hotukdeals Playmobil sale. Our listings bring together Playmobil deals from a huge variety of merchants, including Amazon, Argos, Smyths, John Lewis, and the Playmobil Shop. You'll also find discounts from many eBay sellers – including the best second hand deals around.

If you're aiming for a spectacular Christmas present, it makes sense to use our listings to find big savings on smaller Playmobil products. Then, when Black Friday arrives, look for the bigger sets. The mid-November sales event will usually deliver the lowest annual prices, often slashing the cost of high-end kits. So don't forget to check back with hotukdeals as November gets underway.

Create a Whole New World for Your Kids with the Playmobil Offers at hotukdeals

Few toys feed youthful imaginations like Playmobil. Born in Germany, but enjoyed across the world, this toy collection allows children to create their own universe, with characters and storylines that range from Viking longboats to pirate galleons, busy urban hospitals, and fairy tale palaces. The possibilities are endless. So take a look at the hotukdeals Playmobil listings, and find a set or two that your child will love.