Fastest-selling Playmobil figure

The fastest-selling Playmobil character was a figure of the 16th-century Protestant Reformer Martin Luther, which, according to the toy manufacturer, sold out all 34,000 units within 72 hours of its release in February 2015 – an average rate of 472.2 per hour. Luther was the founder of Germany’s Protestant Church and translated the Bible from Latin into German, so it’s no surprise that Germany is where 95 percent of the sales originated. The toy was released in the run-up to the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017.

Playmobil figures have been iconic children’s toys for generations (originally sold in the UK as "Playpeople"). The 7.5-cm figures were created by German inventor Hans Beck in the early 1970s. Beck went to great pains to design a toy that was neither too complex nor too simple for children to enjoy.

Over the decades the Playmobil range has expanded to cover themes ranging from Vikings to astronauts.

In February 2014, the company announced record sales for the previous year of EUR 612 m ($660 m; £463 m).