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Der Schlumpf Katalog IV - 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. |
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