“We were born out of a crisis,” says Matthias Fauser, the head of Playmobil’s Malta operation. Forty years on, Playmobil is one of the most successful toy companies in the world, beaten only by Mattel, Hasbro, Bandai and Lego – all of whom lean heavily on the world of TV and film for inspiration. You can find Indiana Jones Lego or a Darth Vader Mr Potato Head, but the world of Playmobil is entirely self-contained. More than that, hardly a single AA battery is involved.