SPECIAL ISSUE! - NEW PROMO SMURF "DISCOVERED" - "THE CANDY STORE" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------- We are pleased to announce the discovery of a previously undocumented Smurf-a-Gram: "The Candy Store" in Johnstown, Pennsylvania! HOW MANY PRICE GUIDES HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED TO DATE? Three or four in Europe, three in the U.S.? None of them feature a promotional Smurf-A-Gram produced for an American Company! WHY IT IS RARE: - Most advertising Smurf items were produced by Schleich for European companies...This advertising Smurf-A-Gram was produced by Wallace Berrie for an American company! - Most advertising items do not have a production date and we do not know how many were produced...This advertising Smurf-A-Gram was produced in 1981, with an edition size of just 1200 pieces! HISTORY: "The Candy Store" is a small "Mom & Pop" type penny candy and gift store in the rural town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. In 1981, while Smurf madness was in full swing in the United States, the owners contacted Wallace Berrie to produce a special promotional Smurf-a-Gram. The piece features 20090 "Jester" on a yellow triangular base and reads "The Candy Store Johnstown, Pa." in white letters. This piece was not widely distributed. It was available only from this small store for a short period of time. The piece was unknown to collectors until we recently discovered a small cache of Mint in Bag pieces, which had never been sold! MORE INFO: The find has been documented and authenticated by the Smurf Collectors Club International. It will be featured in an upcoming issue of the SCCI newsletter, and will also appear in the next edition of the German Smurf Katalog. eSmurfs.com is very proud to bring this discovery to the Smurf collecting world! Here is your chance to become a part of Smurf collecting history by obtaining one of these rare and desirable American promotional Smurf-a-Grams, straight from the source who discovered them! These have an estimated value of $35-$50 each. We will be offering them on a first-come, first-serve basis at just $25 each, while our limited supply lasts. An image of this exciting piece is attached. You can also view and order it by visiting eSmurfs.com at http://www.esmurfs.com, Your #1 Internet Smurfs Collectors Resource! Remember, all orders ship fully insured for the entire month of June! -Pete eSmurfs.com The "Smurfy News" is a free biweekly e-mail newsletter published by eSmurfs.com. Joining or leaving the list is voluntary, we cannot add or delete you! To subscribe to the Smurfy News send an e-mail to SmurfyNews-subscribe@listbot.com. To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to SmurfyNews-unsubscribe@listbot.com. To view the Smurfy News archive, visit http://www.listbot.com/cgi-bin/subscriber?Act=view_archive&list_id=SmurfyNew s Want to submit an article or information for publication in a future issue of the Smurfy News? Send it to esmurfs@esmurfs.com or hit reply now. All letters will be considered for publication unless the author requests otherwise. They may be edited for clarity and space, and we may print your first name and State or Country unless you request that we do not. All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, without the express written consent of the author. Use info contained herein at your own risk. Nothing in life is guaranteed. Let the buyer beware. A stitch in time gathers no moss. Oh, and SMURF ON!!