Quilts and Treasures, a downtown Fredericksburg toy shop, has received a collection of 3,000 Playmobil items to sell.

Downtown Fredericksburg toy shop is selling a collection of 3,000 boxes of old and rare Playmobils

Date published: 5/4/2006

By CATHY JETT

Cindy Dennis couldn't believe it when a collector dropped off a treasure-trove of unopened Playmobil boxes for her to resell at the downtown Fredericksburg toy store she manages.

She knew the Norfolk man had an extensive collection of the popular castles, pirate ships and dollhouses peopled by tiny plastic figures, because he'd been buying from Quilts and Treasures for nearly a decade.

But 3,000 boxes?

Some of which were rare, special editions?

And a few that are more than 30 years old?

"Never, in my wildest dreams, did I expect this," Dennis said as she stood in the Caroline Street shop's storage room surrounded by stacks and stacks of the boxes she hasn't had time to price.

The collector, a Generation-Xer who doesn't want his name disclosed, discovered Quilts and Treasures about nine years ago while on business in the Fredericksburg area.

"He saw Playmobil in our window and stopped," Dennis said. "He probably bought $1,300 worth that day."

The collector kept in touch, buying both new and, especially, retired Playmobil sets. The German-based company discontinues about 25 to 20 percent of its award-winning line every year so that it can introduce new products. Quilts and Treasures sells both new and discontinued sets.

Eventually, the collector's garage got so stuffed with Playmobil that his wife couldn't park her car there. She put her foot down. The sets had to go.

"It was a passion. I do think it became overwhelming for his wife," Dennis said. "It probably took up a good portion of his life."

The collector called her and asked if Quilts and Treasures would sell them on consignment, something the store had never done. But because he was such a good customer, Dennis agreed.

So last week he drove up in a 17-foot-long U-Haul chock full of Playmobil. Most of the sets were still in their original boxes and had never been opened. Dennis said she started shaking when she realized how many there were, and called Ed Breen, her representative from Playmobil, to help her figure out prices.

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Date published: 5/4/2006