If you have a child that is into pirates and you want to get them started with Playmobil toys, here are five sets that can help test the waters. There’s no sense in spending a lot of money on the larger sets until you know that they are going to be played with. While these are mostly figures, they do come with some great accessories. Be sure to check the age range on the box as some of them have extremely small pieces that child could choke on.
Row Boat Pirate: 3937 (2000)
This is a fun smaller sized set that would make a great starter or introduction set to the Pirate theme. Not only do you get a colorful looking figure but you get a fishing rod with magnetic tip, three fish that you can ‘catch’ with the pole, bait bucket, water bottle, sword and a boat with two oars. The boat can be used in water and can accommodate two figures but only one comes with the set. It sells for about four dollars and is a great addition to any pirate scene. The line on the fishing pole is extremely strong so make sure younger kids are aware of this, it can get twisted around fingers or toes and cause serious injury. For the money this is one of the best magnetic styled sets you can get.
Pirate Captain: 3936 (2000)
This isn’t your run of the mill pirate captain; this one has a peg leg, patched eye and a bevy of accessories. The faux wooden barrel with plank top can be used with the map pieces or for him to stand on as a makeshift lookout area. The sword is really nice and has a good bit of detail to it. Likewise the sexton and compass are great finds in a small set like this. There are several pirate captains in the Playmobil line so make sure you use the product number (3936) if you are going to try and find it online. You can get this for about five dollars, less if you are willing to shop around and look for a bargain. This can easily be added to any pirate scene but works best with the larger Pirate Cove or Pirate Treasure Chest.
Pirate Captain: 3913 (1999)
Another variation of the pirate captain however this one looks a tad bit meaner than others. The thick scruffy beard is a dead giveaway that he won’t tolerate scallywagging on his ship. The barrel and stand pieces can be used for a variety of things and the three goblets and pitcher are awesome finds. There are two different pistols in the set; a long barrel black one and a metallic gold smaller sized piece. You even get a long blade sword! All of the items in this set can be handled by this figure as well as being interchangeable with other standard sized Playmobil people. I would have went with different colors for the captain, orange and blue doesn’t exactly strike fear into people. All in all a good set for four dollars, its worth it just got the gobbles and pitcher alone. Looks great with almost any off the Special or Pals sets and also with the Mermaid and Enchanted Mermaid add ons.
Admiral: 3110 (2001)
If you are looking for a regal and royal looking figure to head up your next adventure at sea, this snappy looking admiral is just the man for the job. Don’t let the dapper attire fool you, he is completely seaworthy. His accessories include a slant top desk, two map pieces (larger than most others in the pirate series), quill and ink pot, pointer for the maps, pistol, map easel, sword, open book (two page view) and a bird. That is a lot of stuff for the meager price of five dollars. This can be added to a boat deck or on of the cut away ships that allow you to crack it open in the middle and see the inside decks.
Blackbeard: 5730 (2003)
Wow, not only is Blackbeard colorful he comes with some great pieces. The cannon can shoot its cannonballs (two in the set) a few feet so that adds a little bit of interactive fun to the set. Blackbeard has a hook hand, hat with plume, sword and pistol as accessories; the cannonballs are nice and have texture to them but they can get lost easily. I wasn’t sure what the stick looking piece was at first then I realized it was a torch to light the cannon. The tray that you get is supposed to be used for the cannonballs but it ultimately got used on one of the pirate ships to store weapons. Blackbeard is of standard size, almost three inches tall so he can be posed with other figures without being out of scale. Kids love to play with this and thankfully it is strong enough to put up with a lot of use and abuse. It can be moved or placed anywhere, on land or on a boat. It is a versatile small set that costs about five dollars; you can get it for less online but you have to make sure that you use the product code (5730) because there are a few older sets that have the Blackbeard name to them.
