DER SCHLUMPF KATALOG 4 German to English translations Compliments of www.MushroomVillage.com Your #1 Smurf Collector's Internet Resource!! TABLE OF CONTENTS The Catalog - 5 How do I read the catalog? - 6 The market - the price - 8 Smurf chapters - 10 Selling and buying Smurfs - 12 Fakes - 13 Peyo and the Smurfs - 15 Regular Smurfs - 16 Special Releases - 166 Super Smurfs - 180 Promotional Smurfs - 206 Promotional Smurfs on stands - 230 Jubilee Smurfs - 243 Smurf-A-Grams - 244 Raw Smurfs - 284 Fakes - 300 Mini Smurfs - 308 Soccer Smurfs - 316 Smurfy misc. - 321 playsets - 332 Smurf index - 337 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many thanks to Heinz Oswald for his time and patience with showing hundreds of Smurfs from their best side. Many thanks also to Markus Vorbauer for his technical know-how and valuable help with the design and layout. Many thanks to all collectors who helped make this catalog by donating valuable information and "rental" Smurfs. Special thanks to: Sascha Baier Andreas Jost Matthias Brahmann Martin Royle Jens Strehlow Yves Leonhardt Norman Oschlies Eugene Oorsprong (Smurf museum in Nijmegen, Netherlands) Special thanks to the numereous Smurf fans who showered us with criticism, praise and suggestions. All rights to the pictured figurines and items are protected under copyright and trademark laws. The publisher does not give any guarantees for the correctness of the information given in this catalog. Reprint or distribution - whole or partial - is only with written permission of the publisher. The publisher reserves all rights for reproduction, saving with electronic devices or the translation in foreign languages. THE CATALOG The SMURF CATALOG was originally meant to be for our own personal use. As passionate Smurf fans and collectors, we found out pretty fast that for "fair" collecting, swapping, buying and selling of our little blue friends, an open reference book was absolutely necessary. This is now already the 4th generation of the "Schlumpf Katalog", which is meant to be an open and informative reference book for "beginners" as well as for "experts". Since "Smurfing" became very attractive and more and more collectors discovered the thrill of this collecting field, a lot of questions arose: -Which Smurfs do exist? -What color and mold variations are known? -Which are the rarest figurines? -How high is the value of these figurines? -What do the Smurfs look like? We feel our Smurf catalog can answer these questions. We don't claim our catalog to be 100% correct and final. Even though we deal very intensively with the little gnomes, there will always come up new variations, rumors or information. This is the thrill of Smurf collecting - everybody can be the "discoverer" of an unknown Smurf or variation. Ever since the release of our first black and white catalog in 1996, we have received a lot of enthusiastic encouragement. The "SMOERFER'S" Smurf catalog 2000 has helped Smurf lovers from all over the world with their "hunt" for missing figurines and gives them a guideline for swapping and trading Smurfs. Since the "Smurf-scene" has changed quite a bit over the past years, it really was about time for an updated, new and improved "Smurf Catalog IV". Besides the update of prices, a lot of newly discovered variations to regular figurines were added and chapters about "Promotional Smurfs," "Smurf-A-Grams" and "Raw Smurfs" were heavily extended and improved. With the help of many great collectors, we succeeded to catalogue almost all Smurfs and their variations that were produced by Schleich and Bully. We are far from claiming absolute certainty - every once in a while new figurines are being discovered, but still, Smurfs that are not mentioned in this catalog should be approached with caution. Our worries to have made a catalogue exclusively for "Smurf professionals" vanish while leafing through the pages and the fun one has by looking at the many hundred different blue faces. And now, have fun browsing! HOW DO I READ THE CATALOG? We've tried to include as much information as possible about each figurine. In order to be able to read this information at a glance, you will have to get used to some rules and ways of display: The production number e.g. 2.0125 We used Schleich's production numbers to obtain a standardized numbering. Those numberings caught on very well in the collector's scene for trading, wanted lists, etc. The variations This is the most controversial subject among "Smurfologists". How do I define variations of a figurine? Smurfs often differ in color and shape. Over the years, many Smurfs have been made from 2 or more different molds (sitting Smurf was made in 2 completely different shapes). Some collectors already have more than 4,000 Smurfs and are still looking for new, slightly different variations ("light pink" and "very light pink"). In this catalog we only mentioned variations that are easy to distinguish. Also, different markings are supposed to help determine a variation. Smurfs with different markings but otherwise identical in color and shape are not considered new variations (Sonstige). Variations printed in blue e.g. 2 Sonstige 9.00 4.50 The last variation of each Smurf is printed bold and in blue. This marks the most common and least expensive variation of that Smurf. This is valuable information for collectors who want to have one sample of each Smurf "for now." The prices stated in the index reflect those variations. The bigger, circled picture of the Smurf shows that variation. The "original" Smurf Many collectors specialize in collecting the "original version" of each Smurf, which means the very first issued variation of a Smurf. This original version is the first one stated (1). The markings e.g. Schleich S W. Germany A great help for distinguishing different variations are the markings (most common under the foot) of a Smurf. To simplify things, we abbreviated the markings in the catalog - if a Smurf is marked "Peyo Schleich S 1994 Made In Portugal," the catalog will state this under "markings" as "Made In Portugal." The year states the year of licensing - not when the Smurf was produced or sold! No markings are shown if the Smurfs do not differ in shape or color (Sonstige). A colored dot can often be found under the foot, which indicates where the Smurf was painted. The timeline * * * * 69 70 71 72 * * * 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 * * * * The timeline shows in which years a Smurf was officially available for sale in Germany - but note that sometimes Smurfs, although "officially available" for sale, were not at all or only in small quantities, available in stores. Years in which a Smurf was not officially sold are not listed in the timeline. The first year in the timeline marks the year the Smurf was first issued birthyear. Smurfs that, according to the timeline, have never been sold officially, were only available in foreign countries. The condition Most of the older Smurfs (offered at flea markets etc.) are used - which means they show signs of wear, are dirty, are missing paint in spots or are slightly damaged. Mint Smurfs show no signs of use or wear, and still have their original shine. They are in perfect, like new condition with no missing parts and come with their original box (if applicable). The price e.g.: 9.00 Prices are stated in "Euro" and only apply to absolutely mint, like new Smurfs. They vary with the condition of the Smurf. Example: A slightly used Smurf with minor paint rubs is valued at approx. 60% to 70% of the price stated in the catalog. The collection checklist Sammlungs-Check O Collectors can check off the circles of the Smurfs they already have in their collection. This way you'll always know which Smurfs still have to be "hunted." Also, this collection checklist helps avoiding the purchase of duplicate Smurfs. THE MARKET - THE PRICE What do we need prices for? To make a collectors market work, some kind of unit to express the value of certain items is needed. The first step usually looks something like this: "I'll give you three of the red ones for one of the yellow ones!" Obviously, the yellow one must be rarer and therefore more expensive than the red one. But how does a collector who doesn't have a red one get hold of a yellow one that he's still missing? He pays for it! If the amount he is willing to pay matches the amount the other collector would be willing to let the yellow one go for, a price has been established. "But that's not fun anymore!" grumble some collectors, they fear they will no longer be able to find real bargains at the flea markets if everybody knows the figurines values. Actually, quite often now, the fear of selling a rare Smurf for less than its value has caused almost "worthless" figurines to be offered at prices way too high. Besides, catalog prices for "flea market Smurfs" very rarely pass the 3 Euro mark, which seems to have quite a sobering effect to most dealers. It is our opinion that fair trade is only possible if both parties have the same level of information available. By putting prices on Smurfs, some of the rare Smurfs that have been "forgotten" in basements and attics, will suddenly resurface and be offered for sale. This way collectors will be able to get hold of Smurfs which they had been "hunting" for at flea markets for years, and they won't mind if that "object of desire" cuts into their budget a little more. How are prices set? Since the "Smurf collectors scene" is still a growing community, prices are most likely to fluctuate strongly over the next few years. Some Smurfs will show up in larger quantities that there are today. Other Smurfs will increase in value due to the rising demand caused by a growing number of collectors. It became obvious with other collectibles like Swatches or Kinder Surprise toys or perfume miniatures that collectors who completed their collection at the beginning of the "collecting-boom" always did best (and often made huge profits). The rule for setting the prices in this catalog is the following: The more difficult to find the Smurf is, the more expensive he is. -Smurfs that were only available for sale for a short time -Smurfs that were produced in small quantities -Smurfs that were only distributed in other countries -Smurfs that didn't meet safety regulations and were therefore only available for a short time -Rare variations of Smurfs (Promotional Smurfs, old molds, Jubilee (anniversary) Smurfs, Bundesliga Smurfs, etc.) are more expensive. -Smurfs that were sold in large quantities over the years and can easily be found at every flea market are cheap. -The 50 Smurfs of Schleich's current production can be purchased at many toy stores for 3 Euro each. The prices in the catalog only apply to mint, like new figurines. Only 1 out of 10 Smurfs offered to a collector can be considered mint, like fresh from the store. All other figurines show minor to major flaws: they are missing paint, are dirty, smaller parts have been chewed on, have cracks or are bent. These figurines are considered "used" or "played with." Prices for "used" figurines are set at a fraction of the price of a new one, since collectors who spend more than 3 Euros on a Smurf are always striving to find one in the best possible condition. Smurfs that were originally sold with a box (e.g Super Smurfs) are only considered mint if still accompanied by that box. A missing box drops the value of that Smurf 25% to 30% below the catalog price. Smurfs in very bad condition (missing parts, extremely dirty, etc.) are basically considered worthless to collectors. The Schleich Company has not re-issued any older Smurfs since 1999 and to the best of our knowledge, hasn't planned to do so either in the near future. Each year about 8 to 10 new Smurfs are being issued and the same amount of Smurfs are being pulled out of production. The Market Unlike most other fields of collectibles, "Smurf collecting" is truly international. More and more Smurf fans from New Zealand to Finland communicate with each other, share information and buy and sell these cute blue goblins. This compensates regional differences. This means that the market prices no longer just relate to the German market, but evolve by international demands. By this, larger numbers of Smurfs (e.g. green St. Patrick) and super Smurfs appeared from old store stock. Those figurines were sold relatively cheap. The market seems to have recovered already, the prices have bounced back and are pretty close to the catalog prices again. Being that word has spread about their popularity, it is highly unlikely that more large lots of old store stock Smurfs are lurking around somewhere. On the other hand, many Smurfs (e.g. Angry, Sprinter, Easter Smurfs) are quite common in Germany, but very sought after in other countries. Due to the steadily increasing number of collectors, some of the unnoticed Smurfs are now harder and harder to find (e.g. Gold, sunbather, tracker). On top of that, more collectors have nearly completed their collections and are now focusing on color and mold variations, which are already showing an increase in price. Also, the possibility of growing your collection with raw Smurfs and Smurf-a-grams has become more attractive. Promo Smurfs are still the hot item among collectors. A continuous increase is certain, due mostly to the very small editions of only 200 to 500 pieces, in comparison to the number of collectors who want to have those "treasures." SMURF CHAPTERS Regular Smurfs If you mention the name "Smurfs" everybody pictures one of the little blue goblins that have been produced by Bully and Schleich since 1965 and were sold in the millions worldwide. During the first years, the figurines were made after the characters from the comics. Later more and more areas (school, sports, leisure) were covered with the little blue gnomes. The newer figurines from the '80s originated from the cartoon series (Hefty, Puppy, Smoogle, Sassette, etc.). Smurfs are trendy - that's how Cellphone Smurf, Inlineskater, Techno, CyberSmurf, etc. were born over the past years. Meanwhile, there are more than 330 regular Smurfs - a great incentive to collect. Compared to other fields of collecting, Smurf collecting is affordable for everyone - most figurines can be purchased for less than 10 Euros. Of course some figurines are more common than others - depending on the produced number. Really rare ones are only the Christmas Smurfs (praying Smurf, praying Smurfette, Smurf with wreath, Smurf on candy cane), some Smurfs that were sold mainly in the USA (baseball Smurfette, graduation Smurf) and the Smurfs holding surprise cones, which were sold only for a short time. But it is also getting more difficult to find the first 100 Smurfs made (gold Smurf, angry, thirsty, congratulation, etc.) in good condition. Besides, collectors have to remember that over the past few years, many Smurfs were only produced for a short time (caveman, jockey, monk, viking, etc.). Due to the fact that the number of collectors keeps growing, it is almost certain, that Smurfs that are today considered "mass-produced," will become scarcer in the near future. Super Smurfs Since 1978 Schleich produced Smurfs with movable parts that were sold in small boxes - the super Smurfs. It is quite obvious that the small parts can easily be lost. So it is not very surprising that it is becoming more challenging for the collector to find complete super Smurfs. Super Smurfs in their original boxes are being offered more scarcely than before. The catalog prices refer to super Smurfs in their original boxes - prices for figurines without boxes are set about 25% less. The design of the boxes changed in 1995. Some collectors prefer boxes with the old design. No distinction is made between old and new design, since it is difficult to find those Smurfs with boxes at all. Promo Smurfs Promo Smurfs are pictured in their own chapter. The area of promos is likely to be the most interesting one for "Smurfologists" - new and undiscovered promo Smurfs appear here and there. Even recently, Smurfs are being used as advertising medium (e.g. McDonald's 1998). Those promotional figurines are always issued in limited editions, so collectors should always ensure to get their samples before they become expensive. We were able to picture most of the well-known figurines, in cases where the same logo is used on different Smurfs (Sparkasse logo, Smurf in BP bags, etc.), we only pictured a few of them. Due to their limited edition and very high demand, promo Smurfs are "hot" items and are changing hands for great amounts of money, and the problem of fakes is quite present. More in the chapter "fakes". Non-Toxico Many Smurf figurines were reproduced in Spain during the '80s. Schleich's old tools were used for that purpose, that explains their smaller size, the slight inaccuracy in shape and the somewhat harder material. These figurines bear no markings, it had to be omitted for legal reasons. Originally, all those Smurfs came with a little sticker saying "Comics non toxico" (non-toxic comics). They are interesting for many collectors because they were not painted following Schleich's guidelines. Many new color variations originated this way - there are for example 10 differently painted variations of the French Fries Smurf (bag red, green, yellow, blue, etc.). Since the choice of colors is arbitrary and edition unknown, no extremely high prices are paid for "Comics non toxico" Smurfs. The colorful variations certainly make a nice addition to a large collection, still, they are not considered original. Mini Smurfs Mini Smurfs are a rather unexplored area of Smurf collecting. Those figurines are about 2 cm (0.8") tall and are remakes of the "big" Smurfs. Mini Smurfs are made of different materials. The sleepwalker Smurfs on small, round stands are game tokens from a Smurf board game, nonetheless, they are being collected separately. Not too many collectors have focused on this field, so it can't be said for sure which figurines are more common and which ones are rare. Presumably, many more minis will appear that are not yet listed in this catalog. Smurf-A-Grams The figurine stands on a pedestal, a rectangular base, a musical box or a cloverleaf. The Smurfs on pedestals in association with a printed text were sold as little presents and "greeting-figurines." Sometimes they came with a special packaging, intended as gift box or for mailing. All Smurfs on triangular and rectangular stands with cards, that were officially sold in Germany, are listed in this catalog. Smurf-a-grams not mentioned here are not original. Since Schleich also sold other cartoon figurines on stands, some "home makers" try to benefit from the collector's enthusiasm and glue Smurfs to the stands of other cartoon characters. Those "fakes" should not be bought. Whoever offers such stands cannot be considered a trustworthy dealer. In addition to that, many stands were made for foreign markets (USA, England, Italy, France, Netherlands, Denmark), with imprints in their particular language. This area of collecting bears many secrets as well - it can't be said how many foreign stands exist. Our prices refer to the numbers of stands known to us, and might change significantly. Raw Smurfs The figurines are single colored and unpainted. Naturally, there is one (sometimes two different) single colored raw of each Smurf. That's how the Smurf looks before he is painted. For better understanding, we'll call these figurines "unpainted Smurfs" instead of "raw Smurfs." Although many collectors are looking for those unpainted Smurfs (the price should not be higher than twice the price of the regular painted Smurf), raw Smurfs are made from different colored material and were not painted. In the '70s, A company named Waldbaur used those raw Smurfs as give-a-ways for their chocolate products. Sometimes Bully and Schleich made raw Smurfs in very small editions as "test versions" to test run tools and materials. Today many collectors are enthused over unpainted and raw Smurfs. Those figurines made from different colored material can only be faked with very great effort. Many raw Smurfs exist in very limited numbers and are therefore very sought after and expensive. Raw Smurfs of newer Smurf characters should be approached carefully since it is not exactly known how many of them actually exist. BUYING AND SELLING SMURFS Buying Smurfs The current 50 Smurfs are being sold in toy and department stores for around 3 Euros. Collectors who are looking for older Smurfs often find them at toy fairs, Kinder Surprise fairs, etc. Many collectors find "hunting" at flea markets most enjoyable. With the information from the Smurf catalog right at your fingertips, chances are good to find a bargain, although it is getting more difficult to find Smurfs in good condition at flea markets. Sometimes you can order Smurfs from dealers for collectibles who often carry inventory of older Smurfs. You won't find any super bargains at a trustworthy dealer, but you'll get Smurfs you've been looking for in very good condition plus a return policy and no worries about shady deals. If you have plenty of time on your hands and are in a "hunting mood," you might also try to enlarge your collection at Internet auctions. "I saw a Smurf for 4 Euros, the catalog states the value at 10 Euros. The catalog prices are wrong!" We've been receiving similar criticism a lot lately. The item (in this case the Smurf) seems to be really cheap up until the very end of the auction, but the final price is determined after auction end with many bids being placed during the last minutes. In addition to that the sometimes high cost for shipping has to be taken into consideration - if the alleged bargain for 4 Euros carries a shipping cost of 3 Euros, the total is 7 Euros, with no guarantee about the Smurf being in good condition and also a lot of time spent with bidding and emails. We conducted an experiment to see if it turns out to be less expensive to buy a complete collection of Smurfs over the internet and had to cancel the project because many of the Smurfs weren't even offered, damaged or Smurfs in bad condition aggravated us, and some of the Smurfs never arrived despite payment. There is certainly the opportunity to find much wanted Smurfs at fair prices via Internet - but chances of receiving fakes or bad quality are very high. Selling Smurfs You would like to sell your Smurf collection? For that purpose you'll determine the current value of your collection with the help of the Smurf catalog by adding up the prices for all your figurines. Disappointment sets in when you can't find a buyer for the total. Are the catalog prices wrong? First, you'll have to think whom you would like to sell your collection to. Naturally, a dealer cannot pay the prices stated in the catalog - he has high overhead, has to pay taxes and has to add your Smurfs to his inventory, without a quick return of his invested money - and he has to make a profit! A dealer will very rarely pay more than 20% to 50% of the catalog prices for the less rare figurines. For very rare pieces that can be resold immediately by the dealer, you could often receive 50% to over 100% of the catalog prices. For a collection of average Smurfs in various conditions, a dealer will offer you a flat price (appr. 1 Euro to 3 Euros) per piece. Placing an ad in the classifieds could help you locate collectors in your area. A collector is more likely to be willing to pay close to the catalog prices for Smurfs he still needs. He will however still expect a discount on the catalog prices because he could just as well buy the wanted pieces from a dealer with ease and peace of mind (condition, returns, etc.). A collector will only buy a whole collection if it is really cheap, because he is only looking for certain figurines and not interested in too many duplicates. Another fair opportunity to sell a collection is Internet auctions. You can expect 20% to 50% of the catalog price for a collection in very good condition. You can increase the profit by offering the pieces individually - but this is also more time-consuming and more costly. FAKES Unfortunately, we'll have to deal thoroughly with fakes. It was foreseeable that some dealers would do anything to come up with ideas for scams, due to the growing collectors market and the large amounts of money spent on Smurfs worldwide. We want to try to spare our readers from becoming victims of such scams. Although, the impression might arise that fake Smurfs are everywhere, it's not that bad after all: -Although the collector's market has grown quite big - it attracts attention if many "valuable" Smurfs emerge from one certain source. Collectors communicate with each other and such a sudden abundance of rare Smurfs will be announced via Internet and in bulletins. Also, it is highly unlikely for counterfeiters to pull a "real big" scam. Almost no dealer would take the risk of getting caught and being put on the collector's blacklist, considering the great effort it takes to make fakes compared to the relatively small profits. Fake Smurfs are almost always single pieces made by shady dealers. -Smurf paint can't be removed! The special paint Schleich uses to paint their Smurfs penetrates deep into the pvc. It cannot be "wiped off" with thinner or other chemical substances in order to "create" a raw Smurf. -You can always tell a repainted Smurf! Smurfs that have been repainted show visible stroke marks from the paint brush. If painted areas have been repainted, the original paint will shine through. Paint that was applied afterwards is usually too glossy or too flat. -Schleich figurines are made with high quality tools. A simple remold can be recognized right away by the seams, loss of detail and low-grade paint jobs. Smurf-like figurines Figurines from series like "Sniks" or "Gnomes" are often mistaken for Smurfs or fake Smurfs. They are, however, an officially produced, separate series of figurines. We've already introduced the "Comics non toxico" Smurfs in their own chapter. There are numerous fake Smurfs and re-molds which can easily be recognized by their low quality casting and sloppy paint job - even by the inexperienced collector. The decision if one of those "ugly" pieces should be a part of a collection is entirely up to the collector's themselves! The only fake Smurfs that were made in a big style scam to make collectors pay huge sums of money for supposedly valuable figurines are: the praying Smurfs, Smurf riding a candy cane and graduation Smurf. Unlike a few years ago, almost every Smurf collector now knows the features by which those fakes can be recognized: The fake Smurfs show low quality paint jobs, are a little smaller, have rough seams and the markings are not crisp and detailed. Promo Smurfs Be cautious with promo Smurfs where many different figurines were imprinted with the same simple logo (Shell, Sparkasse). Inspect those figurines thoroughly and buy them only from a trustworthy dealer. Color variations Be extremely aware of faked color variations where the "color variation" covers an originally white part of the Smurf (rendez-vous, kicker, torch bearer), as it is much easier to paint those parts over. An experienced Smurf collector however can tell if the paint is original. "New color variations" that are not mentioned in this catalog, like "hat red" etc., are fake and should not be purchased. Accessories There were definitely prototypes of Smurf accessories made which are very rare. On the other hand, relatively large amounts of such "prototypes" appeared: Hallbardier with different colored hallbards or the Smurf with different rakes. In those cases one should wait and see how many more of those will still appear. In no case should one pay more than 10 to 15 Euros for them. Expensive figurines and Smurf variations that are not listed in this catalog are to be treated with caution and should only be purchased from a trustworthy dealer who can prove their authenticity. If you should suspect that you were being sold a fake Smurf, you can notify "GASCHers" (frage@gaschers.de) with information about the fake Smurf and the seller. Should those suspicions amount or be confirmed, we will relay the information to Schleich or the licencee IMPS. The production and trade of fake Smurf merchandise could lead to a citation for fraud and a lawsuit for piracy. PEYO AND THE SMURFS The father of the Smurfs Pierre Culliford, better known under the name Peyo, was born in June 1928 in Brussels, Belgium. His mother was Belgian and loved fine arts; his father was English, born and raised in Brussels. While studying at the Academy Of Fine Arts in 1945, the then 17-year old worked part-time at an animation studio. One year later, he worked as an illustrator, writing and drawing some comic strips which he already signed as Peyo, short for his first name Pierrot. Being an enthusiastic story-teller since childhood, he made his passion his profession and in 1946 created the medieval world of Page John, followed by the adventures of the young indian Pied-Tendre and the antics of the cheeky cat Poussy. In 1952 he decided to work as a professional cartoonist and quit his job as illustrator. The Smurfs first appeared as side characters in the story "The flute with the six holes." Back then; they still looked like emaciated little gnomes. The story with the adorable blue goblins was so successful that Peyo decided to make them main characters in their own comic strips. These fable creatures were called "Stroumpf." This name was created during a vacation of Peyo and his friend Franquin. They came up with the idea of replacing every verb and noun, that they couldn't think of at that moment, with "stroumpf" which means as much as "whatchamacallit." One of the cutest Smurf characteristics was born - the (stroumpf) Smurf language! From now on, the triumph of the Smurfs could not be stopped. In many countries kids grew up with the Smurf comic books (In Germany, Smurfs had their first appearance in the mid '60s in the "Fix & Foxi" comic books), the lovable Smurf figurines populated every kid's room, and from candy wrappings to bike bells, the little blue gnomes were everywhere. In 1977, the hit song "The Smurfsong" by Father Abraham triggered a Smurf wave in Germany. The 250 cartoons, produced by the Hanna-Barbara Studios (Flintstones, tec.), aired worldwide plus the movie "The Smurfs and the magic flute" finally made the Smurfs popular enough to be mentioned in a sentence along with Mickey Mouse or Snoopy. Techno smash hits like "Schlumpfen-Cowboy-Joe" are proof that Smurfs are still trendy today. After Peyo's death in 1992, his son continued his father's lifework. One year prior to his death, Peyo had opened up the "Walibi-Smurf" theme park, his legacy to all Smurf fans. WHO COLLECTS SMURFS? Smurfs are the classics among comic figurines. With a variety of over 430 different figurines, the little hand painted rubber dwarfs with the lovely design make adorable collectibles. Since 1965, several millions of these lovable plastic gnomes made by the German companies "Bully" and "Schleich," have been sold all over the world. The "SMURF" is known in Lebanon, and the cabbie in Lima has a "PITUFFO" glued to his dashboard. Smurfs are international - collectors can swap with like-minded in many countries. More and more collectors of "Kinder Surprise Figurines" find a liking in the easy-to-grasp field of Smurf collecting. More or less huge collections are still slumbering in thousands of attics and former kid's rooms, waiting to be completed. Plus, "Smurfing" is "in" - it is "hip" to be a "Smurfer." This catalog is intended to support those trends and to bring fun to all Smurf fans on their "hunt" for the little blue fellas and their discovery of the world of Smurfs. COMMENTS THROUGHOUT GUIDE Foot of every page Prices apply only to mint figures! Page 17 The figure is as good as worthless without plastic helmet. 18 The older variations painted with goldbronze almost always show signs of wear. 22 There is a larger and a smaller figurine of each variation. 25 The flower is easily lost. Almost impossible to find with the old felt flower in top condition. 31 Ice hockey smurfs made of lemon yellow material are part of super smurf 4.0505. 33 Not to get confused with 20416 "New Football" with CE mark and black/white ball. 49 The inside of hands is not "cut" like 20125 "Have a heart" and 20155 "traffic." 84 Caution with purchase of "colored" rakes - their authenticity could not be proven. 102 Variation "1" and "2" almost always have a smeared, illegible imprint. The price increases by 50% with perfect imprint. 110 There are smurfettes with colored scoops whose authenticity could not be proven (A). 12,00 each. 113 Caution - a fake exists! Darker blue, blurry markings. 173 A fake exists! Blurry markings. (F) 174 The figurine was made from red as well as white material. Fake - see preface. 175-176 This figurine never went into production. Only 5 samples are known to exist - collectors price? 213 Since the "Karamalz" smurfs are handwritten, it is hard to recognize the fakes. 215 The special editions of the SCCI should only be purchased with certificate. 233 There are white and yellow stands - the yellow ones are more common. 234 There are different stands with red "Sparkasse logo" decal - they should not be more expensive than a "regular" smurf on stand, because they are easy to fake. 235 The current Schönwald smurf-a-grams can be purchased for 4 Euros at the Schönwald tourism office. 237 Shell decal self applied - always a welcome fake! 243 19 Jubilee smurfs in blisterpacks were issued in 1985 for the 20-year anniversary. Jubilee Smurfs in their original packaging are very hard to find, lose jubilee smurfs (recognizable by the golden wreath with year imprint on their hat) on the other hand, are frequently offered for sale. Smurfs without their original packaging are being sold for about 15 Euros each. 249 Schleich officially promoted these German triangular stands. There are always figurines on stands whose authenticity cannot be proven. The following markings on the triangular stands are known (in chronological order): Figurengrüsse von Schleich sharp corners, thin walls C 1980 Schleich S W Germany sharp corners, thin walls C 1980 Schleich S W Germany rounded corners, thinner walls W Germany rounded corners, larger lettering W Germany CE rounded corners, larger lettering Germany CE rounded corners, larger lettering Hong Kong rounded corners, larger lettering 254 American stands always "Made in Hong Kong" French triangular stands: 257 With the French stands, smurfs were frequently glued to stands that originally had other figurines. It is not known yet which stands are "original." 263 Australian stands always "Made in Hong Kong." Nordic triangular stands: 267 Dutch triangular stands: Italian triangular stands: 294 *These raws first appeared in the year 2000. It is still unknown, if they were ever officially produced, and if so in which numbers. 299 There are several other smurfs made of brass. 300 The Dupuis smurfs were the first licenced pvc smurfs. Sniks are not smurfs, they are a separate series made by Bully. There are about 35 different figurines. Sniks were made in red, green, pink and blue. 301 About 25 different ones of the smurf-like gnomes were sold in the US. 305 There's a vast amount of poorly made fakes. Whether they are worth collecting is up to each collector's discretion. 309 Smurfs with "OMO" imprint. 311 There are Sleepwalker Minis on circular stands in different colors. They were part of a smurf game. 318 Prices are good for smurfs in original packaging with decal and part of the "Bundesliga ladder" Lose figurines are being sold for about 50% of those prices. 320 The stands of the teams exist in the colors blue, yellow, green, pink, red and white. 40 Example: figurine in original packaging with decal and part of the "Bundesliga ladder." 329 About 10 different smurfs on jewelery box were sold. 336 Garden set, Wishing Well set, snail cart set since 1998. Composition of playsets 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8.