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What I Like About Kinder Surprise
(Last Updated: 9 March 2018)
This may seem predictable, but I really like the "surprise" element of never knowing what you're going to get. The thrill of getting a "good one" is hard to beat!
Another great thing about Kinder Surprises is their sheer variety. It is possible to have many sub-collections! Indeed, some people choose to specialise in say, metal figurines or cartoon figures.
Assembling the toys is usually fun, especially if they have lots of stickers to apply! You get a sense of achievement when the toy is finally complete, almost as though it's your own creation! I also get a real buzz from watching the toy take shape as I’m putting it together – going from a bunch of bits to a complete and functional toy!
Excellent identification. Kinder Surprise toys have a straightforward identification system which makes them easy to catalogue. (Although with the recasts, this has slipped a bit.) Even better, this ID is clearly marked on almost all the toys.
Here are a few of my favourite Kinder Surprises:
· Vehicles (especially metal and wooden ones, plus all planes). The geared ones are great - you can race 'em for hours! · Snap-together character figurines (especially Smurfs) · Brass soliders (except Huns, which are so common it's not funny) · Hand-painted figurines (these are usually limited editions, and some of the more recent ones are quite elaborate and sophisticated, with lights even!) · Animal figurines (especially the "animal families" in the K96 and K97 series, but I also like the German animal figurines a lot, some of which are quite realistic and have info about the animal on the paper) · Toys where you combine a series to make one big toy (e.g. the tree with animals from the K97 series, one of my all-time favourites). · Ball games (e.g. the ball and skittles from the K95 series, or the soccer players and goalies from the K96 series - great play value!) · Paper clips. Can be very useful for e.g. holding a bunch of your papers together when you’re sorting them out! So they’re practical, and most of them look quite good too. · Playmobil/Lego-type figurines – there are some great ones in the German series! · Miniature buildings – some of these are very nice and have beautiful detail. A lot of thought seems to have gone into some of them. Most of these are in the German series, and part of the reason they look so good is that they reflect classic German architecture. · I have previously said that I didn’t like jigsaws, but I must admit they’ve kind of grown on me, and I would now classify them among my likes.
For the most part, I like the Argentine papers, which are great for variation collectors such as myself, as well as giving collectors in less “privileged” Kinder Surprise countries (and when it comes to Kinders, New Zealand is about as “Third World” as it gets!) something to swap with those lucky souls in Europe who get all the latest stuff. Speaking of which, I like the “C” toys, which are of very high quality, and the new papers are great too, rather leaving the old ones for dead! The future of Kinder Surprise looks bright under the aegis of the Magic Production Group.
More recently, I like the way toy types are now shown clearly on the wrappers. Want a toy aimed at girls? Look for Kinder Surprise wrappers with pink tips. Are you after a toy from say, the Despicable Me 3 set? Look for Kinder eggs with Despicable Me 3 characters on the wrapper! No more fretting over use-by dates and which ones might have certain toy types. Now much of that stress has been removed. But the surprise element is still there, because while you might know the specific type of toy you’ll be getting, you still won’t know the individual one until you’ve cracked that chocolate egg open.
Well, that's what I like about Kinder Surprise. Now I want to know what you like about them. Whether you agree or disagree with what I've said, please e-mail your comments and I'll post them on a page for feedback I receive. I would also love to know what your favourite Kinder Surprise toys are.
Where to Find Kinder Surprises in NZ
Current Kinder Surprise Situation in NZ
Current Kinder Surprise Situation in Other Countries
What I Don't Like About Kinder Surprise
Personal Kinder Surprise Collection
Kinder Surprise Toys for Sale or Trade
Links to Other Kinder Surprise Sites
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