back to article Life in plastic, it's fantastic: Playmobil supremo dies at 81

Horst Brandstätter, the man behind the global Playmobil phenomenon, has died aged 81. Horst Brandstatter. Pic: Brandstätter Group Horst Brandstätter. Pic: Brandstätter Group According to the official obit, Brandstätter passed away on 3 June at his home in Zirndorf, Bavaria, having continued to work to the end on what was " …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Please pass our condolences to our Playmonaut

  2. 's water music

    Disappointed

    Expected to see a reconstruction. Are you sure it really happened?

  3. frank ly

    RIP

    There aren't many people who can claim to have brought years of fun and pleasure to millions of kids and big kids.

  4. Inventor of the Marmite Laser Silver badge

    Playmobil

    Or it didn't happen

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    And it's still appreciated today...

    ...and unlike LEGO, it's still pretty much the same as ever, updated, but still the same principles.

    My youngest daughter loves her Playmobil Car and Caravan set and plays with it almost daily.

  6. wolfetone Silver badge

    Will Playmonaught be given special leave to attend the funeral?

  7. choleric
    Paris Hilton

    He'll go far, that one.

    "exported 2.2 billion figurines to 70 countries"

    And to the edge of space.

  8. montyburns56

    If only I'd kept it...

    My parents bought me one of the Native American figures in the mid 70s, but I never realised that it was one of the first models that they released.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Joke

      Re: If only I'd kept it...

      I had all three, a couple more and I would of had the Village people.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Big fucking deal

    It's not anywhere even close to Lego.

    1. hplasm
      Trollface

      Re: Big fucking deal

      Meh - you're not anywhere close to the icon here.

      1. Michael Habel

        Re: Big fucking deal

        He's probably a sibling of some American Child that choked to death on a McDonald's Happymeal (Playmobil), Toy, back in the '80s...

    2. Schlimnitz

      Re: Big fucking deal

      Forgive me for a serious answer to stupid trolling but:

      Lego and Playmobil don't work the same way. Playmobil is about "let's pretend" type playing, where they're used to construct stories. My kids sometimes set out epic-scale 'sets' with detailed stories about what everyone is doing.

      Lego is more about the pleasure of inventing, building, doing. So there's still the creativity but it's put into creating 'things', not stories.

      Completely complimentary, and adapted to different types of children, or the same children for different types of play. In a past age, I would have said that Playmobil is for girls and Lego for boys, but beside the fact that you can't say that stuff any more, it was only ever an approximation.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Unhappy

        Re: Big fucking deal

        Apart from Lego these days is more like build what it says in the instructions and that's pretty much it.

  10. Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse

    When I was a kid...

    One of my best friends dad was a salesman for Playmobil and his garage was literally stuffed to the rafters with the stuff. The scuba diver was always my favourite, thus mirroring my favourite pastime now I am (almost) all grown up.

    Happy memories.

    RIP Horst.

  11. earl grey
    Pint

    our sincere regrets

    to his family and close friends. i didn't know you, but i (and my sprog) know your creations and thank you.

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