Cool Sphinx, but I Think the Mummification Process Failed this Time!
Written: Aug 24 '09 (Updated Aug 24 '09)
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Pros: Very cool sphinx, cool secret door, glow in the dark skeleton.
Cons: Stickers, not as many accessories as some sets, couple of flimsy pieces.
The Bottom Line: Not a great toy all by itself, but a good addition to your Egypt themed collection, and we had to have the Sphinx.
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| dagny21's Full Review: Playmobil Sphinx with Mummy #4242 |
I have anticipated the release of Playmobil's Egypt theme more than any other Playmobil theme that has been released since I started collecting. I'd love to have the Pyramid, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to wait until my birthday for that one. Thus I am making do with the smaller sets for now. The first set I purchased was the Tomb Raiders set that I had to have because I have kind of an odd thing for camels. The following week I picked up this set, because I just thought having our own Sphinx around the house would be awesome.
What You Get
~One Sphinx
~One orange landscape for the Sphinx to attach to
~Trees and plants
~Two figures with accessories
~One ankh key that opens the "secret" doorway in the Sphinx
~One urn
~One glow in-the-dark skeleton with jewelry to wear
~A mummy case for the skeleton
~Crook and Flail
The Good
It's A Sphinx
Well, we just had to have the Sphinx. Even though there are things that made this set a distant second choice over the Tomb set, I couldn't resist having a Sphinx in our house.
The Doorway
The "secret" doorway on the Sphinx is just cool. My son particularly likes it. To open it, you plug the little ankh key into this round blue space on the landscape and turn. The door slowly opens. To close it you do the same thing in reverse.
Glow-in-the-Dark Skeleton
I could not care less about glow-in-the-dark stuff, but my kid loves it, so it's a plus that this skeleton glows. I personally like that the skeleton comes with 4 pieces of jewelry that hang loosely off of him. Definitely adds to the realism.
The Not So Good
I Guess the Mummification Process was Unsuccessful
Why, oh why, is there a skeleton inside this mummy case. I've seen real mummies, and they don't look like skeletons. They look like mummies! Couldn't Playmobil have given us some approximation of a mummy, rather than the standard Playmobil skeleton figure?
Fewer Accessories
The retail price on this set is about $30 most places. For that price, many Playmobil sets come with more accessories. Of course, those sets don't necessarily come with a big Sphinx. Still, the few accessories makes this not such a great set by itself. I wouldn't buy it for someone as their first Egyptian themed set.
The Irritating
Stickers on the Sphinx
I really hate Playmobil's stickers. They are not as good quality as Lego stickers, and I hate applying them because I'm really picky, and I never feel like I get it just right. I was extremely disappointed that the blue and gold on the headdress of the Sphinx was not painted on, but was just stickers.
Flimsy Crook and Flail
For some reason, Playmobil made the Crook and Flail out of different plastic than most of the Playmobil accessories. It's really wimpy and flimsy, and that bugs me a bit. Playmobil usually produces such great stuff. When they cut little corners like that, it bugs me.
Play Value
I don't think this set is a great toy by itself, but it's a good addition to a growing Egypt collection. My son loves this Sphinx. In fact he claims to like it much more than the Tomb set. Of course, he uses a bunch of the accessories, the camel, and the figures from that set to play with this one.
Final Thoughts
There are some disappointments with this set, but the cool Sphinx with the "secret" opening makes up for it.
More Egypt Playmobil
Playmobil #4246 Tomb Raiders
More Egypt Stuff
Tutankhamen
Palace Walk
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 26.00
Type of Toy: Playscene
Age Range of Child: Other
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Epinions.com ID:
dagny21
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Member: Christine D
Location: Alaska
Reviews written: 388
Trusted by: 66 members
About Me:
Happily married mother of one boy.
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