February 2018

There were 4 posts published in February 2018 (this is page 1 of 1).

Smurfs celebrate 50 years in 2008

Before we start to give our opinions and two bobs worth on the 2018 soccer smurfs I thought we should look back to 2008 when the Party smurfs were first released. The Party Smurfs were a set of eight smurfs that were also referred to as the Anniversary or 50 Jubilee set.  This is because the smurfs were celebrating their 50th anniversary.

#20701 Jubilee or Anniversary was the first one released. Wrapped like a present with a yellow ribbon wrapped around itself and ready to give a hug.

#20702 This description was given to Party Gargamel and was taken from the Schleich website back in 2008 ‘Gargamel is tricked out in his party hat and handful of posies’.

#20703 ‘With a bow on his tail and a hat on his head, Azrael is a real party animal’. Before you all start to moan at the sad joke, it is important to remember that the description was taken from the Schleich website back in 2008.

#20704 Out of the eight smurfs released as the Celebration set, Surprise Smurfette is the only one that refers to the number 50. When pictures were first released of Surprise Smurfette was shown with the two dots next to the 50 as being painted pink and the two candles right in the front where yellow and blue. Though when it was actually released the two dots next to the 50 were unpainted and the two candles in the front were yellow and purple. If you are lucky enough there was a limited release of Surprise Smurfette sold with the candle flames being painted yellow. Typically they are found with an orange yellow paint colour.

#20705 Party Smurf can be found blowing a green party flute with red polka dots on it while wearing a red and yellow party hat.

#20706 Papa Tuxedo, is also known as Papa in tails. Wearing a matte black tuxedo, green bow tie and shiny black shoes. I am not sure why he is only wearing a white glove on his right hand.

#20707 Trommel was also referred to as Drummer or Party Drum, wearing his checkered drum with the words Happy Birthday written in the centre while both drumsticks are raised. Sometimes you can come across this one with the Happy Birthday appearing upside down. I love these kind of errors!

All of these smurfs were only available from 2008 to 2011. So if you are lucky enough you should be able to find two different marking variations.

#20708 Champagne Bottle Smurf was the only one from the Party Smurfs set that was sold right through to 2015. Sometimes this smurf was also called Bottle. Licking his lips at the oversized bottle of champagne that reads Happy Birthday. If you look at the picture from the Toydreamer website you will notice that the label on the bottle is blank. I don’t think these were ever sold like this. Perhaps the smurf licked the label!

Back in 2008 it wasn’t just smurf fans that were excited about the 50th anniversary, here I found an article from the ABC News http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-01-15/smurfs-celebrate-50-years/1012948

Keep on Smurfin

Kath B

Smurf Greetings

“You’re Smurftastic”, “Happy Birthday”, “Get Well Soon”, “Congratulations”, “I Love You”, do these phrases sound kind of familiar to you. They should as these are the phrases that were added to the triangle pedestals first released back in 1981 in Australia by BP Australia. Back then these were sold for just $1.99

Like the majority of smurfs made for Australia, the Greeting Smurfs were made in Hong Kong and the markings can be found on the inside of the triangle pedestal: Schleich S © Peyo Made in Hong Kong Wallace Berrie Co Inc. I don’t think the Australia ones were ever sold in the USA after BP Australia stopped selling smurfs in late 1982 but I might be wrong.

By looking around at old catalogues, posters, reference books and personal smurf collection sites, I believe there were about 13  to 15 Greeting Smurfs produced. Here I have created a list, if you feel something is not correct please let me know.

  1. #20005 Gold Smurf on orange pedestal
    Congratulations
  2. #20020 Gymnast on pink pedestal
    Get Well Soon
  3. #20036  Hang Glider on pink pedestal
    Get Well Soon
  4. #20039 Mallet Smurf on yellow pedestal
    Happy Birthday
  5. #20040 Gift Smurf  on orange pedestal
    I Love You
  6. #20044 Lover Smurf  on orange pedestal
    I Love You
  7. #20051 Bowler Smurf on orange pedestal
    Congratulations
  8. #20054 First Aid on pink pedestal
    Get Well Soon
  9. #20056 Card Player on red pedestal
    You’re Smurftastic
  10. #20078 Beer Smurf on orange pedestal
    Congratulations
  11. #20100 Cake Smurf on yellow pedestal
    Happy Birthday
  12. #20102 Archer Smurf on red pedestal
    You’re Smurftastic
  13. #20124 Santa on red pedestal
    Happy Christmas
  14. #20127 Superman on red pedestal
    You’re Smurftastic

By looking at the list, it looks like 3 smurf figures were used on the same triangle pedestal except for the Santa Greeting Smurf. 

I should also point out that just because in Australia we called them Greeting Smurfs doesn’t mean these were called this in other places. In Europe they quite often referred to as  a Sockel which is the German word for base. In the USA they were called Smurf-A-Grams. More recently they have been referred to as stands or pedestals. 

One of the challenges when buying triangle pedestals is knowing if it is genuine or not. I know I have been caught out before buying one with the Policeman on the pedestal and the German phrase ‘Zur Geburt des Küken HERZLICHEN GLÜCKWUNSCH!’ Which I later found out the phrase translated into English meant ‘To the birth of the chick! Congratulations’. My guess is that this was not an official smurf  triangle pedestal but belonged to another smurf figure!

Keep on Smurfin

Kath B

 

Snowboarding Smurfs

Fact: Snowboarder Smurf  and Smurfette were released back in 1998 in honour of the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan and the introduction of snowboarding into the games. Twenty years later in 2018 both of these smurfs, are still as popular as ever.

#20452 Snowboarder

Snowboarder Smurf can be found riding a red snowboard with a blue star on the front, while wearing an orange ski jacket, black gloves, brown pants and wearing silver goggles. Schleich produced Snowbaorder Smurf from 1998 to 2006. 

Snowboarder Smurfette can be found wearing a green ski jumper, mustard coloured pants, while riding a purple snowboard with a pink diamond on the front. Smurfette is also wearing wrap around sunglasses and matching navy blue gloves and boots. Schleich only produced Snowboarder Smurfette between 1998 to 2002. Which makes her a little more harder to find.  

#20453 Snowboarder Smurfette

For the hard core collectors out there who like to collect smurfs with different markings, there are two interesting things to note with the snowboarding pair.

  1. Snowboarder Smurf was the last smurf made in Portugal. 
  2. The Peyo marking on the Snowboarder Smurfette was more of signature marking than a standard text like others released around this time. 

The smurfs have had a long association with the Olympic Games. Back in 1980 the smurfs were the official mascot for the Belgian Olympic Team for the Moscow Summer Olympics. In parts of Europe at the same time, Coca Cola ran a promotion that included the smurfs. 

In 1979 Schleich released the Olympia Super Smurfs that displayed the Olympic rings on the box. These boxes only were produced with German writing on them – Olympia Schlumpf. You can also find these boxes with the Olympic rings blacked out. 

By 1980 these Super Smurfs were given the name ‘Die Schlumpfiade Superschlumpfe’ The following text is taken and translated from the 1980 Schleich catalogue

The Smurfs are getting more and more sporty. They have mastered a total of 12 disciplines, and in the olympic year they have their own smurfs

It is unclear why the sport themed smurfs were given their own special article numbers: 4.501 to 4.0512.

If you like to have something to do while watching the 2018 Winter Olympic Games – try this

http://games.smurf.com/snowboard/

Keep on Smurfin

Kath B

Smurf cottages

If moving house is meant to be one of the most stressful things you will experience in your lifetime, just take a moment to think what it is like for the smurfs when they need to move a new mushroom cottage.

Like everything else to do with smurf collecting there many variations to be  to be found with the smurf cottages. It would be naive of me to think that the only variations are only to be found in the colour of the roof; red, blue and green with the older style cottage and two different colours with the newer style.

When I say older style of cottage I am referring to the ones made between 1978 to 1986 and then again from 1991 to 1995. It should also be noted that Smurfette’s Cottage wasn’t released until 1983. The newer style of cottage are the ones made after 1996 through to 2010.

With the older style of cottage, the door can be found with a heart shaped window. Later the window changed to more of a bell shaped window with curtains. The newer style cottages can only be found with the bell shaped window with curtains. Smurfette’s cottage can only be found with a heart shaped window both the older and newer styles. 

Other coloured variations to be found with the older styles of cottages are with the door and window & door frames. Anywhere from light grey to light tan brown to dark brown. The new style of cottages are commonly found with dark brown doors, window & door frames. 

All cottages were originally sold with a butterfly, though over the years these tend to get lost. Typically the red, blue and green cottages had a yellow butterfly with blue detailed wings. Smurfette’s cottage can be found with a light lavender butterfly sometimes these can be painted but always.

The butterfly with the newer style of cottage can vary depending on the cottage. For example the red/yellow roof cottage can be found with a red butterfly, the blue/dark red cottage can be found with a light blue butterfly and the new Smurfette Cottage with a yellow butterfly. 

In Australia, BP only sold the red and green roof cottages as far as I am aware. The first picture of the red cottage was shown back in 1980. However the blue roof cottage was never made in Hong Kong, but I am not sure why this was.

Also back in the good old days BP Australia sold the cottage for only $3.99. Imagine buying yourself a new cottage for just $3.99!

Keep on Smurfin

Kath B