Welcome to the October 2002 issue of the "Smurfy News," a free e-mail newsletter delivered to over 2,226 Smurf lovers by www.MushroomVillage.com (formerly eSmurfs.com) Welcome to our new subscribers! If you know a Smurf fan that might enjoy the Smurfy News, please forward this e-mail to them. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or edit your profile, please visit www.MushroomVillage.com and enter you e-mail address in the Smurfy News subscription form, or see the bottom of this e-mail. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= With the publication of this issue of the Smurfy News, I am announcing that eSmurfs.com has changed its name and moved to www.MushroomVillage.com! When you visit the new site you will see it is essentially the same site you are used to, short of the name change and new address. PLEASE UPDATE YOUR LINKS, BOOKMARKS and FAVORITE PLACES as our auto-forwarder will be in place at the old site for a limited time! You can expect the same quality and service from www.MushroomVillage.com as you have come to expect from eSmurfs.com - only our name has changed! I'm also in the market for some design work, as I need some new banners, etc. made for the new site. If this is up your alley, please hit reply now! I can pay with good old cash, or I can trade for store credit at MushroomVillage.com! I'm sorry to report that the change ate up most of my free time this past month, and so there are no new listings and I was not able to add much all-new material to the site. I did finally get around to adding the 2002 Smurfs to the collector checklists, and reformatted most pages so that there will be fewer problems with printing out information from the bulletin board and informational pages. Well, let's get on with it! -Pete www.MushroomVillage.com =-=-=-=-= CONTENTS =-=-=-=-= 1) NEW IN THE SMURF SHOP 2) FROM THE MAILBAG 3) SMURFS - HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY 1957-1987 4) BOY COLLECTS SMURF TOYS 5) SMURFY NEWS GIVE-A-WAY 6) CLOSING =============================================== -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 1) NEW IN THE SMURF SHOP -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- As I mentioned above, the move did not allow me to add any all-new items, although I did note during the move that www.MushroomVillage.com now shows in excess of 1,000 pieces of Smurfabilia - most notably the entire basic range of Smurf PVC's by Schleich. Of course, most of these items are no longer in production, and of limited availability. Even so, www.MushroomVillage.com has stock in well over 500 of those items! As always, our stock is in pristine condition. We go to great lengths to ensure our Smurfs are top collector quality, Mint only pieces - that is what we strive to be known for! We are also looking to obtain as many pieces as possible of cheap Smurfy items to use as freebies. Stickers and other light-weight "smalls" are ideal! Currently, every order ships with a FREE Schleich minicatalog featuring the current production for 2002! Orders over $50 ship with a FREE Smurf key chain! These are not just Smurf PVC's with a chain in their head, these are printed two-dimensional, die-cut flexible PVC keychains - collect all three! Here are the few back-in-stock items: 20003 Astro (finger up) [Markings: Hong Kong] 20008 Spy [Markings: Hong Kong, no paint dot] 20022 Author [Markings: Hong Kong, no paint dot] 20046 Emperor (yellow crown) [Markings: Hong Kong, no paint dot] 20130 Graduation (blue) [Markings: Hong Kong, Wallace Berrie, no paint dot] 20167 Indian Smurfette [Markings: Hong Kong, Wallace Berrie, no paint dot] 20497 Smurfette in Bunny suit [Markings: Portugal, no paint dot] Click here to see the most recent additions: http://search.cartserver.com/search/search.cgi?cartid=a-6296&category=instock&maxhits=20&keywords=new1002 AOL Click Here! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 2) FROM THE MAILBAG =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Hi, I have a question that I think a Smurf expert like you could help me with! What do the Smurfs say in the episode the purple Smurfs? I guess it's a four letter word they say when they are walking around purple after the other Smurfs. I would really appreciate your help!! Thanks! Jessie" --- It was "G'nap! G'nap!" Or "Ga-nap, ga-nap!" One of my favorite episodes! A great little story! -Pete ----- "Here are my comments on the Smurfs. The only Smurf I am really concerned with as of right now is Grouchy. I can't understand what his problem is. Why does he have to have that name? Why does he have to hate everything? Can't he cheer up for anything? On the other hand, here is something that really doesn't make sense: He loves Baby Smurf the most?! I'd say just have him removed from the village. Either that or just forbid him to be with Baby Smurf and/or Sassette (since she's the other one he loves) until he changes that negative attitude completely. I am beginning to think I'll never understand him. (comments left with a contest submission)" --- Thanks for sharing your concerns :) -Pete ----- "I love this site. I never realized how many people actually collect Smurfs. I've never met anyone else that does. Well, anyway, have a Smurfy day! Kerry Gross" "I have been collecting Smurfs for about 2 years now. I do have a large collection. I really enjoy reading your newsletter. -Pat McVay" Hi Pete, the site is still going strong and I love to hear how more and more Smurf collectors around the world are finding your site. I think it's great when they introduce themselves on the board. Keep up the good work! - Andrew Somer" "I love this newsletter. It's great to read comments from people who love smurfs as much as I do. - Amy Goodie, Old Town ME" "We love getting your newsletter and I know that we must check the bulletin board on your website AT LEAST once a day! J.B. is 13 and addicted to SMURFS!!! But I enjoy it too. J.B. and LeAndra McDonald, Sterling OK" "I think your website is so great. I check the bulletins almost everyday. It's comforting to find so many other people who are as crazy about Smurfs as I am. Keep up the good work!! - Deborah Lee, Ontario Canada" " I really love this site. I came across it a couple of months ago and now I am totally Smurf addicted again. Keep up the great work! - Amy Girimonti, Clearwater FL" "The Smurfy News newsletter is one of my favorite things to read. Just like everyone, I am a collector in Japan and am gradually extending my collection, thanks to your site. Keep up the good work Pete, and I'll be waiting for the next issue! - Mnagaoka10, Kanagawa Japan" "This site is absolutely incredible! It's impossible to even find the Smurfs on television, or in stores anymore for that matter. Your site, Pete, is like a connection to the past, back to my childhood. It feels great to know that so many other people have not forgotten about the Smurfs! Great job, keep on Smurfing! -Joseph Thurber" --- Thanks for all these kind words! I appreciate all of the nice comments my visitors send each day! It's nice to know your efforts don't go unnoticed :) -Pete ----- "Hey there - Enjoyed your latest article very much, and wanted to pass on a hint. I bought a large amount of rather dirty Smurfs at a thrift store recently. I received excellent results when I used Pampers baby wipes to clean them off! The wipes are gentle but thorough, very durable, do not leave the PVC sticky or carrying the odor of the wipes. This method has worked fine on all kinds of surface dirt on my PVC figures, and really leaves them bright and like-new. Looking forward to more Smurfy News - and maybe we should send a petition to Cartoon Network!! -April Cronenberg, Las Vegas, NV" --- That's a new one! Thanks for telling us how it worked out for you! -Pete ----- " Like your Smurf site. After giving a presentation on Smurfs at my club, Collector's Circle of Texas, I started collecting Smurfs again. - Melissa De Monic, Plano, TX" --- The more the merrier! Hope you join us at the bulletin boards! -Pete =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 3) SMURFS - HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY 1957-1987 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Published in an unknown publication during 1987. Reprinted in SCCI newsletter #7, Winter 1987 "Once upon a time, not so long ago, in Brussels, Belgium there lived a kind cartoonist, PIERRO "PEYO" CULLIFORD. He so loved the world and all of its people, he conceived an idea for a fairytale. It had 100 new characters looking somewhat like people, only more cuddly, three apples high and blue in color. Now all PEYO (his chosen name) needed for his wonderful little blue people was a name people could identify them with. He gave this a lot of thought but couldn't come up with anything that fit. Then one night at the dinner table he happened to ask his father to pass the salt and pepper; calling them "SCHTROMPF" a French colloquialism, meaning "watchamacallit." In Dutch this translates to SMURF. And so, quite by accident LES SCHTROUMPFS / THE SMURFS were born. They first saw the light of print throughout Europe in 1957 as a comic strip in the pages of the comic weekly Spirou under the title of JOHAN ET PIRLOUIT. PEYO's first creation begun in 1947, which PEYO had brought to Spirou in 1954. From this strip evolved his most endearing creation LES SCHTROUMPFS / THE SMURFS. It soon became the main staple of Spirou and reached unheard of heights of popularity internationally by way of 25 best selling books and toys throughout Europe. Peyo has won honors for his creations with several cartooning awards. PEYO found an audience among adults as well as children. "In Europe I know doctors and lawyers who have come home exhausted and picked up one of my books and were totally relaxed. It's a form of recreation." The World of Smurfs is, indeed, worldwide! Smurfs, as we know them in the English-speaking countries, answer to many other names: Schtroumpf in Belgium and France; Puffi in Italy; Pitufos in Spain; Sumafu in Japan; Smolf in Denmark & Norway; Schlumpf in West Germany; Smurfen in Holland; and Ha-dar-door-seamn' in Israel. In 1965, Schleich (a West German firm), started marketing delightful "Cartoon Character Collectibles" in the form of 2" figurines. These Smurf figurines are a great favorite among collectors who thrive on the challenge of assembling a complete set. Such a set would consist of hundreds of pieces. In addition, fascinating variations were made, many of which are very RARE and considered "Gold" by the serious collector. Serious Smurf collectors have it all: Destroyed molds, discontinued markings, and even some one-of-a-kind paint variations. All figurines are hand-painted; human errors are often found on pieces. Of course, The World of Smurfs also offers the collector a full range of highly diverse items: Absolutely everything from Animation Art to Posters, Postcards and Zipper pulls. Smurf Memorabilia from the 50s and 60s are highly sought after. In 1986 collectors united with the formation of the Smurf Collectors' Club. (200 members) Some of the members have traveled all over Europe to collect Smurf Memorabilia. There is even a member who dreams of someday opening a Smurf Museum. He owns Memorabilia in every language mentioned above. His collection numbers in the hundreds of thousands, everything and everything pertaining to Smurfs." NOTE: The Smurf Collector's Club was brought to a close and all club members were referred to MushroomVillage.com which continues to be, as the SCC was, the world's largest association of Smurf collectors. View this and many other Smurf-related articles in the Article Archive: http://www.mushroomvillage.com/smurfs-library.html AOL Click here! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4) BOY COLLECTS SMURF TOYS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Originally published September 23, 1987 in an unknown publication, by Sharon Thompson. Reprinted in SCCI newsletter #8, Spring 1988 It's always a Smurf day for Jonathan. Jonathan, 7, has a collection of Smurfs. He has more than 350 small characters, several play sets, Christmas ornaments, stuffed Smurfs, comics, coloring and story books, crayons, pencils and porcelain sets. He began his collection with a Papa Smurf when he was 3 years old. Even though the television cartoon still runs, the Smurf characters aren't as readily available at toy stores as they once were. His mother often finds them at garage sales and flea markets. Jonathan is a member of the Smurfs collectors club and has bought some rare pieces from other members. His most valued character is a Smurf holding a pink pig. It's valued at $99. He has paid as little as a quarter for some of the 2-inch tall characters. "It depends on how, rare it is," Jonathan said. The characters are all hand painted, said Jonathan, who points out the difference in colors. The variations are worth more because they're harder to find. Jonathan's favorite character is Brainy. "He wears glasses and always gets thrown around because he talks too much he said." View this and many other Smurf-related articles in the Article Archive: http://www.mushroomvillage.com/smurfs-library.html AOL Click here! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 5) SMURFY NEWS GIVE-A-WAY =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Congratulations Lisa Fierro in Jeffersonville, Indiana! You won the last Smurfy News Give-a-Way! Your 20030 Torchrunner with the Belgian emblem printed on his chest is in the mail and on it's way! This month's prize is a grab bag containing a few figurines - all for one winner! 20015 Earache [Hong Kong] 20089 Painter [Bully, West Germany] 20118 Umbrella (red)[Germany] 20120 Frogman [West Germany] Enter by completing this secret entry form for Smurfy News subscribers ONLY!! http://www.mushroomvillage.com/smurfs-contest.html AOL Click Here THE WINNER WILL BE DRAWN AND ANNOUNCED AT THE MUSHROOMVILLAGE BULLETIN BOARD BEFORE THE NEXT SMURFY NEWS: http://www.mushroomvillage.com/cgi-bin/forum/dcboard.cgi AOL Click Here! THE MUSHROOM VILLAGE BULLETIN BOARDS CONTINUES TO SERVE AS A PRIMARY STOP ON THE INTERNET FOR MANY SERIOUS SMURF COLLECTORS AROUND THE WORLD EVERY DAY!! It is a great place to meet and greet like-minded Smurf collectors, learn, share and have fun! Hope we see you there! =-=-=-=-=-= 6) CLOSING =-=-=-=-=-= I recently learned a "local" ice cream shop in Eastport, New York has added a new flavor to their line-up of almost 30 flavors. This one is called "Smurf," a blue raspberry flavored ice-cream with marshmallows! Yum! Well, looks like another newsletter has come to a close! I'm sorry the site move cost me a lot of lost time this month :( I'm looking forward to picking up where we left off - and continuing to expand the site. Please keep those suggestions and e-mails coming. I depend on your help, and so do your fellow collectors. Share your knowledge! -Pete www.MushroomVillage.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- THE SMALL PRINT =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This newsletter is (C) 2002 MushroomVillage.com All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, without the express written consent of MushroomVillage.com. The contents of this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the opinions of MushroomVillage.com. MushroomVillage.com makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, about the truth or accuracy of the contents or information provided by the sponsors or by the writers. Use info contained herein at your own risk. The "Smurfy News" is a FREE e-mail newsletter published for your enjoyment every month by your friends at www.MushroomVillage.com, joining or leaving the list is voluntary, we do not spam! MushroomVillage.com carries the full range of current production Smurf products by Schleich as well as much of the retired line and many other Smurf collectibles. If you enjoy this newsletter, please help support us with a purchase - Smurfs make great gifts! SHARING IS CARING!! Share what you know and learn with other Smurf collectors by submitting information, news, articles, stories and anything Smurf-related to eSmurfs.com - just hit reply now! We collect and disseminate information the world over to keep Smurf collectors united and having a Smurfy good time! The Smurf character is a registered trademark of Studio Peyo - License I.M.P.S. MushroomVillage.com is a collector resource and retail Smurf shop only, it is not affiliated with I.M.P.S. or Peyo. For information on licensing the Smurfs name and/or character, contact I.M.P.S. at rue du Cerf 85, Genval 1332, Belgium