2010 Mass Market US Sets Hit eBay Target

So far, four sets have appeared which mix existing parts into pleasing ways. We have not yet spotted these in the wild, but odds are they're hitting Targets. Here are some links to auctions showing the images which, if you're too far in the future, will be long dead.

5897: Orca Whale Watching - Orca, boat, figure, similar to a set sold about 14 years ago
5898: Alaska Set - SUV, moose. Gotta get a moose.
5884: Deluxe Mermaids Blister Pack - Mermaid (adult), Mermaid (girl), big seahorse, little seahorse, clam, etc.
5888: Deluxe Knights Blister - Horse, weapon rack, knights, weapons, helmets, the works

Happy Hunting, and Happy New Year! UPDATE DECEMBER 31 2009: The large blisters showed up at a Los Angeles-area Target for $5.99. The large moose set was $19.99. No sign of the Orca at press time. UPDATE JANUARY 1 2010: The 5897 Orca set was spotted by us at a Target around Oxnard, CA. $9.99, cheep.

Playmobil Specials Return to Toys "R" Us?

It seems like the single-boxed figure has returned to Toys "R" Us! We spotted a whole rack of 4685 Zulu Warrior figures at $3.49 a pop. There were no other Specials available, but seeing as US TRU stores haven't had these in some time, this might be a good sign for these guys returning to American big box toy stores. Happy hunting!

New Vikings, Pirates Blisters Found

USA residents: your local Target stores may have two new sets for you to pick up at a mere $2.99 a hit.



5802 Pirates (seemingly inspired by but different from existing figures)
5848 Viking Warriors (seemingly recycled from existing sets)

Happy hunting!

Yet More New Sets at Toys "R" US (USA)

Apparently the reset a few weeks ago with the Egypt series and the Ghost Pirates was just the tip of the iceberg-- more new sets are hitting your local Toys "R" Us stores! Assuming you live in the USA, that is. Here are some of the highlights:

Vet Blister Packs 5821 and 5822 (previously seen on eBay)

Log Cabin 5918 (reissue of 3826, may have slight modifications), $39.99

Fairy Tale Castle 5873, $29.99. A Unicorn Playset ($19.99) and a Carriage ($9.99) were also available.

Other new sets are expected, so happy hunting!

New Playmobil Hits Toys "R" Us... in the USA

USA fans, check your local Toys "R" Us for some new themes. The holiday reset is starting now with a very healthy selection of Ghost Pirate and Ancient Egypt themed sets. You'll find the Whale Skeleton for about $30, the Pyramid, the Sphinx, and other sets starting at about $10. We're still researching what's out there, so if you're out and about this weekend see what you can find!

Toys "R" Us has 25% Off Playmobil This Week

Hey kids! Toys "R" Us stores in the USA have 25% off their existing Playmobil stock. Sounds like a great time to get something if you've been holding off.

Before we were interrupted...

For some reason we've been having an extreme problem updating for many months. Files simply would not go up. And now? Well, it's working. As such, if you're finding us, please take our sincerest apologies for the gap in coverage and expect more news stuffs very shortly.

Since the last time we updated, Toys "R" Us has put the bulk of its Dinosaurs line on clearance, Target has essentially phased out Playmobil almost entirely, Wal-Mart seems to be making up its mind, and Kmart has picked it up and seems to be giving it decent support.

We'll have more fun shortly.

Kmart Gets Playmobil 2-Packs

While doing a tour of stores around the USA, we just spotted a bunch of new Playmobil sets at a Kmart in Phoenix, AZ. Interestingly, the retail prices are a few dollars cheaper than Los Angeles and they are also carrying a few items we have not seen previously. Pirate set 5826 and Crusaders set 5825 were $3.99 each. We hear the prices are higher at other Kmarts, and are not yet able to confirm Wal-Mart or other store pricing.

Toys "R" Us Gets Lots of New Playmobil (if you're in the USA)

It seems that all of a sudden, some (but not all) Toys "R" Us stores in the USA are getting a massive push of new product. Some stores have stuff in more than one aisle, with all sorts of sizes and price points to delight and amuse. Even more astonishing, there were loads of sets I haven't seen before, so being my lazy self, I didn't write down all the numbers for your reference. (Sorry.) Here are some of the things we saw in today's runs:

Circus
Small clown, $100 tent, dog act, pony act, tightrope, and what probably amounted to the entire new theme minus one or two sets.

Take Alongs
In addition to the 4774 Barbarian set we reported earlier, a new Knight set (4775) and Pirate set (4776) were available. It didn't seem like there was a spot for a fourth set, so that seems to be that.

Knights
A red dragon-with-barbarian is available for $20. It's the older dragon mold (the one with arms).

Dinosaurs
Seemingly the entire line is being sold at Toys "R" Us for roughly the same prices Playmobil sold it for directly in January. Even the boring little quad is there.

Romans
There's a Roman camp, 5838 Gladiators with tiger, and some larger sets you have no doubt seen elsewhere.

Christmas
The return of the Nativity Scene, and a new advent calendar packed with little woodland creatures. In other words, zzzzz.

Now if I wasn't so cheap to not have a camera phone, I could probably share pictures. Since so many new items were there today, it seems unlikely there would be too much more-- but it's nice to see the biggest toy retailer in the US picking up some serious slack for the brand. It's as close as we've ever seen to a full year's line outside of a specialty toy retailer.

Sadly, there were no new Specials (or Pals) to be seen, and there were no sign of the new blister packs we're told are being sold at select larger Wal-Mart stores. There were, however, a large number of older sets which have been at the stores for ages or have been restocked.

More New Playmobil Castle (or Knights) at Target

Tonight's journeys yielded not one, but two new Playmobil sets with knights in them. As part of the new (and seemingly US exclusive) winged knights and dragons theme, this new assortment was spotted at Target for $9.99 a pop.

5836 Green Knight and Cannon
5832 Dragon Wing Knight and Fire Catapult

The Green Knight and Cannon looks more or less like a standard entry in any of the swords-and-sorcery sets. The Dragon Wing Knight is uniquely new, and it has a really slick catapult that, as you may have guessed, launches little plastic balls of fire. I think these are new to this set. Each has a couple of figures and a smattering of accessories, making it a fairly decent deal for the price. They certainly aren't stunning values or what we'd consider a must-buy set, but you're likely to get your fun out of them.

New Playmobil Specials/Mass Market Twin Packs at USA Wal-Mart

Over on Playmoboard is a thread showcasing four new twin packs of Playmobil figures which, it seems, are showing up at Wal-Mart. As the first products to hit the mega retailer in years (or possibly ever), it's pretty big news.

The sets are:
5825 Crusaders
5826 Pirates
5827 Romans
5828 Knights

All seem to be previously released figures with minimal changes. Happy hunting!

New Mass Market Playmobil Sets Arriving

We're spotting numerous new sets around town these days, and here are two new releases you can watch out for.

4774 Take-Along Barbarians Fort
Includes two figures, some accessories, and a small take-along fort that folds up to store parts and pieces. This is part of a new line, and other themes will have similar sets released in the near future. It's $9.99.

5837 Roman Arena
A much smaller version of the set sold a couple of years back with fewer parts. If anything, it may work as an expansion to the large set. It's $39.99.

Toys "R" Us Gets Playmobil Dinosaurs

In the USA, national toy store chain Toys "R" Us is starting to receive the Dinosaur sets. Specifically, 4170 Triceratops with Volcano. It's apparently in the same box as the international/specialty release, and costs $49.99. If for some reason you didn't already buy it direct or at a Playmobil-specific venue, now's your chance!

3611 Submarine Hits USA

I keep forgetting to post this.

The fancy yellow submarine (which, presumably, we all live in) has hit stores. Toys "R" Us has it for about $19.99, and specialty stores have it as well-- although we didn't write down the price. Happy hunting!

5833 Speedboat with Underwater Motor in USA

A new set is showing up in US stores. The 5833 Speedboat with Underwater Motor can be found at several retail Toys "R" Us stores for a mere $9.99 a pop. You get a boat, a motor for said boat, and a figure in a box. If you consider that the motor itself sells for $5.99 direct (or through stores that sell the add-ons line), it's a pretty sweet deal overall. Happy hunting!

4414 Skate Park Returns to US Retail

While rumors are flying to the contrary, we're happy to report that the Toys "R" Us chain is getting in 4414 Playmobil Skate Park sets once more. They're $29.99 each and seem to be in non-mass-market packaging, which means the sets we saw were not specifically named on the box. Since a number of sellers on eBay are claiming this one is long gone, you might want to hit up your local stores before paying a premium on the secondary market.

New Sea Themed Sets at Toys "R" Us, Fry's Marketplace, Fred Meyer

After weeks of waiting, we're glad to say that the 5834 Shark Cage and 5835 Sea Life Show have shown up in the USA at Toys "R" Us, which means it should see decent distribution. We spotted these at the Porter Ranch Toys "R" Us in Los Angeles, and the items are also available from the Toys "R" Us web site as reported previously.

What's more, the forum users out there (see links to the right) have reported seeing some of these at Fred Meyer and Fry's Marketplace grocery stores. These are owned by the Kroger company, as many grocers are, so check your local Kroger-variant for more. (Fry's Marketplace is not related to Fry's Electronics, nor is it identical to Fry's Food & Drug-- Fry's Marketplace actually has a significant toy and general merchandise selection, and is found in Phoenix, Arizona.)

More New Specials/Pals at Target

It's restock o'clock at Target in Burbank, CA! We found a couple of these out in Simi Valley over the weekend, and now we found all six in a single location. Since Playmobil typically releases new assortments in batches of 6 (new, old, or a mix) this is probably going to be all you see until Summer or Fall.

The 6 new releases you may see on your next trip to Target include:
4637 Surfer*
4645 Unicorn Princess
4646 Knight
4650 Ghost
4653 Gladiator
4654 Angry Pirate

It's worth noting that this is a reissue of the Surfer into the US mass market Pals assortment. It was previously released in different packaging around January of 2006. You can tell that it's the new one because the 2008 release does not have the name "Surfer" on the box and the 2006 release does.

The other five releases are new to this style of assortment in the US mass market. We snagged the 4654 Angry Pirate.

Target Gets New Specials (or Pals)

According to our research via eBay and various forums, it appears Target is currently getting in two new assortments of Specials/Pals with new (or newly repackaged) figures. One of them has the 4646 Knight and 4650 Ghost (shown below) as well as the 4645 Unicorn Princess (which we didn't get.) Each is $1.99.



Also shipping-- but we haven't seen them yet-- are the 4654 Angry Pirate and 4653 Gladiator. We'll have more as we find it, but feel free to leave a comment with what you're seeing!

Mass Market Skate Set (plus box error)

Last night we went over to Toys "R" Us and spotted some new mass market sets right here in Los Angeles. One of the ones we hadn't seen previously was the Skate Park, seen in the thumbnail here. What's interesting, though, is the top of the box-- it showcases a female skater that doesn't appear in the set. Interesting, no? Perhaps she'll appear in another configuration shortly, but hey, there's an oddity. The set is $9.99, or so says the shelf.

Still no sign of the diver sets that are supposedly showing up in my neck of the woods but some are showing up on eBay. Happy hunting!

Third New Blister 2-Pack Spotted

Over on the Playmofriends forums, user playmogirl has posted a shot of a previously unseen set she found at Toys "R" Us. Set 5818 contains two previously released specials: Sir Polka Dot and Sentry, both of which are slightly older and slightly harder to find sets these days. This may mean even more await you in the wilds of retail, and we'll keep you posted as we see more if we see more.

It's also worth noting that "Sir Polka Dot" was issued in Pals packaging in the USA a few years ago, but under the name "Battle Knight." Both sets were numbered 4567, although the Pals set has the distinction of actually having had the name "Battle Knight" written on its box.

Divers Set 5834 (4500) Confirmed Sighted

Over at the Laughing Giraffe Forums, user Tiermann (who runs Animobil) has found the shark diver set! Called Shark with Diver and labeled as set 5834 for the US mass market, this item was originally scheduled to show up in Germany later this year. But he found it a Fred Meyer, a grocery store chain with a decent toy department, just last week. Click through for lots of pictures and comments on his forum posting!

This set sports a nifty floating cage, a slick diver, a repainted shark, and yet another release of the orange eel. Which I think will make three of them for me when I find this cage set.

US 2009/Germany 2008 Diver Sets Out in USA?

A number of the still-not-released-in-Germany diver sets are on the US Toys "R" Us Web site and are being listed for sale, and in stock too. What's more, one of the sets listed has yet to appear in any German, American, or other catalog. Of note in this new set are some newly colored rockies, a small white seal (previously released in grey), and a nifty hat on the trainer. A new yellow submarine, presumably one we could all live in, is also shown as well as the 4500 Shark Cage Diver.

As of yet we haven't seen any of these in the wilds of retail.

2008 US Sets Hitting Now

During a toy run through Encino, CA today we found out that local store Gregory's Toys received a number of the new 2008 sets. The new releases included all seven new Dinosaurs sets and two of the new Fairy sets, which according to the new catalog are not due to be available for sale until March.

We picked up 4174 Spinosaurus and we'll be posting impressions and possibly a review in the coming days/weeks.

Also notable was the new 2008 Catalog because it featured the new add-on catalog. A number of old sets made a return, many of which were also marked down a few dollars. While we wouldn't say anything knocked our socks off, fans of Playmobil should, as always, pick up a copy and peruse it just in case.