[trebleshot]

I voted for the third option. For me, I never needed a playset or anything for Transformers, since they fought all across the universe. About the only thing I ever wanted as a kid for my TFs was a version of Teletraan I (I tried the mail-away but got stiffed). Even back then, I knew that Cybertron and Unicron were impossible (well, until years later, that is). Years later a 3rd party released a brilliant version of it, but by that point, I no longer cared. Maybe I might pick it up some day at a convention or through a trade, but it's very low on my priority list.

Of course, I did have Castle Grayskull for my MOTU figures and some of the Joe vehicles I had doubled as mobile command centers. I definitely agree that some lines practically require playsets (like TMNT and MOTU). But I firmly believe that with a child's imagination, anything can become a playset, or any other prop.

As I said, I didn't have a lot of the playsets when I was a kid so I made do with what I had. Castle Grayskull became Destro's castle one day and Dr. Doom's the next.

Ultimately, I agree they can be important but it depends not only on the toys involved, but the kids involved as well.