Part III - Two Policemen (and their rides) and a FiremanSome months ago, I saw a few Click N' Play sets on discount on Amazon and decided to give them a try. The line is definitely more toy-like and basic than the high-end collectibles we discuss on the forum, but as discussed above, it is a potential source for plenty of useful kitbash material. Weathering and details can be added to the accessories, while the bodies (which are pretty loose) can be swapped out for better ones. There is the added bonus of being able to purchase loose accessories at low prices directly from the company (see Part II above). Clothing, especially when non-elastic, as in the case of the sets discussed here (except maybe the fireman), tends to be a bit tight on seamless bodies, if not outright impossible, but more conventional hard plastic bodies would likely fit just fine.
Pick N' Click has at least four police officer figures, of which I got two. The first is the mounted police, who comes complete with a horse. The box includes a city downtown backdrop, and plenty of plastic supports and twisties. The figure rides pretty well, and the horse is more articulated than usual (neck, front legs in three places, hind legs in one). I wonder if a good paint job and texturing can make the horse look more realistic, but the horsey people did not let me know when I first showed it in the last clothing seamless bodies installment. The mane could use plenty of improvement, too, as can the tack. The policeman comes with a bullhorn (megaphone), walkie-talkie, extendable baton, cuffs, and a gun that fits into the holster, as well as a helmet (no chinstrap, it just sits on top of his head, precariously) and translucent sunglasses. The tie is sown onto the shirt! The boots are probably too simplistic to be compete with higher end ones.
The second policeman is called City Patrol and comes with a police motorcycle. While rather simplistic, it seems roughly right to me, but I expect to be informed better by our resident expert, Mark (or someone else). Nothing lights up, but the two containers at the back open up, and there is a removable support at the bottom; with it in place, the motorcycle stays upright securely. Apart from the different uniform, the police officer has the same accessories as the Mounted Police (same helmet, sunglasses, gun, bullhorn, walkie talkie, handcuffs, and baton -- I kept most of the accessories in the functional compartments). And we get another downtown image as a backdrop. Again, I think a determined customizer could get a lot out of this set. For two other police officers, see the image of the back of the box at the end.
Click N' Play also produced at least three firefighters, of whom I picked up the Urban Fire Fighting set. There is no ride -- a Firetruck in sixth scale might be a bit beyond even Click N' Play (careful if you see one, they make toys in smaller scales, too). Accessories include the Nomex hood, helmet with visor, breathing mask hooked up to an oxygen tank strapped over the back, fire extinguisher, flashlight, walkie-talkie, and a fire hydrant with a shortish hose with a nozzle and handle -- this comes off, which is helpful when you want to get it into the stiff thickish hand sculpt. The thin hose connecting the breathing mask to the tank broke off and I had to reglue it to the mask; it broke off again after taking the photos. For the other two policemen, see the photo of the back of the box at the end.
All in all, not bad for the price, suitable for a toy or as a base for a more ambitious kitbash/modification. These sets vary in price significantly (both at different times and amongst themselves), but the smaller ones like the firefighter could be as little as $18 and the larger ones like the mounted police about $51. Many are available (e.g., at Amazon) long after they were first released. I think this line (or some variation of it) was also carried by Big Lots, at least in the past.
