Back in the early days of Playmobil, several sets were issued which contained a single figure with a few accessories, perhaps a horse or a wheelbarrow, a donkey or a barrel of beer.
Often known as ‘Singleklicky’ sets (it’s obvious why!), these were perhaps produced as ‘pocket money’ items with which children could supplement their growing PM collection. In this respect, they are fore-runners of the Specials or even Mystery Fi?ures. Each set had one figure (48 male, 11 female) with fixed wrists (non-rotatable) and several accessories. In many sets (perhaps all), there was a stand for the klicky’s feet, often in black but sometimes in grey, fawn or other dull colour.
These sets show a cross-section of klickies, themes and accessories from the first five years of Playmobil. Many of the parts (and all the klickies) were superceded by more sophisticated versions in the 1980s and later, but I find these early fixed-wrist figures and their often simple accessories have considerable charm. Some of these sets contain excellent and unique parts, like a range of fancy cloaks, the yoke for carrying two buckets in 3372x, the twin ink stand with yellow quills in 3375 or the yellow poke bonnet in 3345x.
By the way, many early set numbers were used again later, so I have followed the convention (as used by Heather in PlaymoDB) of adding an x to the number of the older set.
Here are the 59 sets I regard as falling within the Singleklicky category. This list differs slightly from, say, PlaymoDB (Heather has 45 sets in this category). I have added these additional 14 sets which Heather has listed in other themes (Police, Indians, Knights, Riding Stables, Construction, Farm) but which fit the criteria for singleklicky sets (fixed wrists, single klicky, date range).
I used the photos showing set contents at www.klickywelt.de (Datenbank-Setinhalt topic) to verify what each set contained, or box pictures (e.g. from www.playmobil.de) where the sets were not displayed in the Datenbank-Setinhalt topic.
Here are the 59 sets in order of year of release:
Pictures of individual sets (in order of year of release)
3124x Indian and Horse 1974
This set has only a few simple accessories; similar parts were included in several other early Indian sets. 3255x is a similar (if not identical) set from 1974-5.
3134x Knight and Horse 1974
Another simple set with few accessories. Chrome torsos were found in sets issued between 1974 and 1977.
3138x Knight 1974
Another chrome torso. This one has an unusual halberd and a black stand,
3210y Construction Worker with Wheelbarrow 1974-5
An old-style wheelbarrow, plenty of tools and a hard hat convert this klicky into a construction worker. The old style of hard hat differs a lot from later versions, but the tools have changed little over the years.
3265y Knight on Horse 1974-5
Another chrome-torso’d knight with a small red (or orange) cloak and an old-style red (or orange) flag. The flagpoles were chrome in the early days, replaced with black ones later on.
3380 Nuremburg Guard 1974-5
Stickers on tabard, trumpet, flag and drum with the striking black-on-yellow eagle and red and white diagonal stripes make this a distinctive livery, used in other sets.
3311 Construction Worker 1975
Another construction worker with different tools, a toolbox (that design has not changed over the years!), an old-style hard hat and a ladder.
3312 Construction Worker 1975
This guy is a plasterer, with a float, trowel, plaster trug for mixing the plaster in (some use old baths for this) and a crate of beer so he and his mates can also get “plastered.” (English, slang= to get drunk).
3313 Construction Worker 1975
The orange and white striped hat and tabard match his traffic cone; I guess this is (or was) the livery of road construction workers in Germany?
3314x Construction Worker 1975
Another road worker with cap and tabard, plus a hand-held road roller.
3321x Travelling Man 1975
Or Sitting-on-a-bench-in-the-Southern-Rail-region Man. He has a unique pale green collar, green trilby and a couple of old-style suitcases (different handle and two equal halves- see the next picture-, unlike the later suitcases).
3322x Man With Umbrella 1975
He has a lovely yellow “brolly” with a brown handle, a yellow skullcap hat and a couple of those old-style suitcases.
3323x Porter 1975
Now extinct on railway platforms around the world, this chap would cheerfully help you load your excessive baggage onto the train with his handy sack truck. The truck has extra handles at the back so he can push it with his fixed wrists.
3324x Policeman / 2 road signs 1975
He has the two road signs, a night stick/truncheon, handcuffs/manacles, a loud hailer and a riot shield, all useful tools when doing Crime Prevention talks at the local Primary School. The box picture for this set shows a pair of cuffs linked by a straight rod in place of the more familiar manacles, but I have never seen this part and maybe it was never created in the form it is shown on the box. A 1976 version may have had longer cuffs.
3331x King And Throne 1975
Nice chrome parts and a long flowing cloak. Nice throne too! This is the 1975 version, the following year the set was issued with a crown with a centre ‘dome’ covering his head and blond hair.
3332x Black & Yellow Herald 1975
More chrome parts, a tabard and flag with eagle stickers, trumpet, drum and two drumsticks.
3333 Bowman and Horse 1975
The old-style crossbow in this set really fires the arrows, with the help of a rubber band (German ‘gummi’). See 3337x for another one and a better view of the old-style quiver. From back in the time when toys were toys and parents weren’t nervous!
3334x Knight With Trunk 1975
Another chrome halberd, a shield with molded cross and a large trunk. But no elephants in sight.
3341x Sheriff with Rocking Chair 1975
This was a popular figure (judging by how often it appears in collections of old Playmobil) with the silver embossed star on the chest. This is the 1975 version with a handle-less rifle. The following year, sets had a short handle behind the trigger (see 3343x), to allow the sheriff to hold his weapon at eye level, rather than shooting from the hip!
3342x Cowboy with Horse 1975
With five Colts (hand guns), this guy has plenty of fire-power (when first issued in 1975 he maybe had only one gun but by 1976 he had all five).
3343x Mexican Bandit / Horse 1975
With his red sombrero, black face-mask and ammo belt, this yellow guy on a black horse is a stereotype bandito! His rifle is the 1976 version, with handle (the 1975 version had no handle).
3344x Mexican / Cooking Set 1975
A blue poncho and yellow sombrero and all red suit for this Mexican. No doubt the cookpot contains beans! The 1975 version had a rifle with no handle, 5 cups and a light brown cookpot. In the second version in 1976 (below) there were just 3 cups, a white cookpot and a handle on the rifle.
3351x Indian With Horse 1975
A red Indian with a gummi bow; one which fires arrows with the help of a rubber band. One in the eye for the safe toy lobby. The second version in 1976 perhaps had two extra blue cuff decorations.
3352x Indian 1975
This guy has a canoe with paddles, a knife, spear, tomohawk , peace pipe and bucket, plus decorative feathers, ankle, wrist and neck decorations. Some sets from 1976 vary and have a red headband instead of yellow, white head feather instead of red and light brown canoe instead of white.
3353x U.S. General 1975
A trilby, red collar, pair of cuffs, chrome sword and horse set this guy out as officer material.
3354x U.S. Soldier / Flag 1975
A nice range of accessories, including pale blue cuffs which are quite hard to come by. The 1975 version had no handle on the rifle but the 1976 version may have had a handle.
3315x Cleaning Lady 1976
A woman’s place? Not that Geobra were promoting gender stereotyping! The first female figure in the Singleklicky range came in 1976 with this lady in a blue headscarf, yellow neckerchief and red torso with yellow arms and legs. A good range of accessories, including an early vacuum cleaner.
3322y Woman with Umbrella 1976
Reusing the set number to create a female set, this lady has a red umbrella with black handle and different luggage from her male counterpart.
3326x Rider and Horse 1976
The early horses had saddles but neither bridles nor reins. I think the bucket may contain oats for the horse.
3335x Queen 1976
The queen has her own throne, a six-pointed crown, a chrome candlestick and goblet and a floor-length cape.
3336x Countess 1976
This Lady has a nice red hennin with white veil, yellow necklace, yellow basket and a fancy trunk to keep it all in. Still no elephant.
3337x Green Archer 1976
Perhaps this is Robin Hood, all in green. I like his unusual spear (a boar spear) and dangerous crossbow. Actually, Robin Hood didn’t use a crossbow, this must be someone else!
3345x Girl With Umbrella 1976
She has a red umbrella with black handle, a yellow basket and a pretty yellow poke bonnet.
3346x Banker 1976
Man with top hat, brown bag, yellow walking stick and brown desk. That makes him a banker?
3355 Squaw 1976
Doing the cooking! She wears her cuff decorations on her ankles to prevent them catching on fire.
3361 Paramedic 1976
He has a stretcher, medical bag and walkie-talkie, but will have trouble bearing that stretcher alone! Paper stickers on his cap, armband and bag.
3362 Nurse and Wheelchair 1976
She also has red cross stickers on her headband and arm-band. Old-style wheelbarrow, I mean wheelchair.
3366x Fire Fighter 1976
A nice red helmet, face mask/ breathing apparatus, loud hailer, choice of tools (he chose the axe!) and an old-style fire extinguisher which looks like some sort of trumpet.
3367x Fire Fighter / Hydrant 1976
Similar to 3366x, but with a walkie-talkie, firehose and hydrant with nozzle. These old-style white fire hoses were solid plastic.
3280x Policeman 1977
A simple figure with grey collar, white cuffs, a simple crash helmet (no visor), traffic baton and stand.
3369x Builder / Cart 1977
Lovely cart, two crates, a tabard, hat and a pair of clogs.
3370x Blacksmith and Anvil 1977
The same clothing accessories as 3369x, plus the anvil and accessories which are still available today.
3371x Medieval Baker 1977
A nice chef’s hat, apron, getting-loaves-out-of-oven tool, flour scoop, pair of clogs and dough trough.
3372x Water Girl 1977
The yoke and hooks are unique to this set. The washtub is like the Victorian one in 5407 but the legs are different.
3373x Farmer 1977
His backpack was used later in other sets and the scythe and rake are pretty widespread.
3374x Maid 1977
Another nice bonnet, but most parts have been used in many different sets.
3375 Count / Table 1977
This guy has an interesting hat, fur collar and fur cuffs. The double inkstand and twin yellow quills, the scroll and candlestick are also nice parts.
3376 Countess 1977
She wears a long cloak, a kerchief on her head and a necklace. The chest is nice and a great place to hide when playing hide and shriek in the dark (hence the candle). Mind you, that cloak might get in the way!
3377 Musician 1977
With his viol, bow and lute, this guy entertains all and the dog provides ostinato howling perhaps?
3378 Night Guard 1977
He has a chrome-framed lamp, a chrome pike, white bugle, yellow cloak, fawn hat and yellow boot cuffs.
3379 Knight (Spain) 1977
This knight from 1977 has a chrome torso, chrome breastplate, helmet and handguard on his lance. The stickers on his tabard and shield show a yellow eagle on a pale blue background. This is an ancient Nürnburg livery. Famobil released an identical set in Spain in 1974, so this might explain the set being referred to as Knight (Spain).
3385 Pirate Captain 1978
One of the earliest klickies with a peg leg, this 1978 pirate had a sticker on his hat, a treasure map, treasure chest, 5 flintlock-style pistols and a silver cutlass.
3386x Barkeep 1978
His red jacket is a nice part, as are the spigot (tap) for the barrel and the mallet.
3387 Officer / Horse 1978
The rosette sticker on his hat and pointed blue cuffs are the more unusual parts here.
3388 Schildwache / Fahne 1978
The name translates as ‘Sentinel/Flag.’ Stickers on the hat, drum and flag and an old-style blue feather.
3389 Western Lady 1978
A nice wide-brimmed hat with white bow, a long blue pleated cloak, yellow necklace, a small hand basket and a trunk. (The elephant is irrelephant).
3390 Clown 1978
This musical clown has a blue feather in his bowler, a fan, conical hat and dark brown chair. This was the only figure in the fixed-wrist era to have different coloured arms. The box picture for this set (and set 3513 also from 1978) had the left arm yellow and the right arm red, but I suspect this was wrong and the picture had been reversed.
3316x Chimney Cleaner 1979
Perhaps Chimney Sweeps really did carry their ladders and other kit on bicycles at one time. He has a nice old-style red bike, top hat and pull-through tool which reappeared in the Special 4617.
3330x Jester and Donkey 1979
Some great parts here- the hat, ruff (it clips on) and fan especially.
End note:
None of the sets pictured above came from MISB sources. Although I was careful to include authentic accessories, some of the klickies I have used are Playpeople (Marx Toys) klickies, I now realise. Marx Toys klickies, made under licence in the UK, often had printed faces in which the mouth was different (often bigger) from German-produced klickies. Compare the two pictures below:
At some point in the future, I will redo the photos featuring Marx Toys klickies!