Your partner may always have your best interests at heart, when comes to renovating the house. However it is always best to go with your own instinct and remove your smurf collection before it is too late or it could end up in tears, like it almost did for me. Allow me to demonstrate this with a series of photographs.
1.Husband decides to paint window frame ensuring me that I won’t need to move any smurfs – Tennis Smurfette ends up in paint tin
Famous last words quoted by my husband — ‘no you won’t need to move your smurfs, they will be fine where they are!’
2. A series of nasty looks and exchanges are made towards the husband, while Tennis Smurfette is being rescued from the paint tin.
‘She will be fine’ my husband tells me as he retrieves Tennis Smurfette out of the paint tin
3. I continue to mutter under my breath, while Tennis Smurfette is given a bath in a jar of turps. At this point it should be stated I am not amused by all of this.
Slowly the white paint is disappearing and I start to see Tennis Smurfette as she should be
4. Tennis Smurfette has survived her ordeal! My husband has also survived from his ordeal!
You would hardly know Tennis Smurfette had fallen into a tin of white paint and my husband was almost divorced.
The moral of my story is when doing any paint or repair work around your house and it involves your precious smurf collection, don’t listen to your partner who thinks they know what is best, go with what your own heart is telling you.
I can’t stand when people try to flog incomplete Super Smurfs. A couple of good examples of this is Smurf in Bathtub #40235 where people try to sell just the smurf without the bathtub or Smurf on Raft #40246 without the raft. However back in 1990 Applause did just this as they sold the Smurfette with Tea Set without the table.
Smurfette with Tea Set was first sold in the USA in 1984. Around 1984 Wallace Berrie had also rebranded itself with the new name of Applause. So this possibly why you can find Smurfette with Hong Kong W. Berrie Co markings but sold in an Applause box. From my understanding only six Super Smurfs were sold with this Applause box. So this is considered extremely rare especially outside the USA.
Like a lot of smurfs made out of Hong Kong, Smurfette is a dark blue colour. She is wearing a light pink apron, and is holding a lavender cup and teapot. It comes with a light pink table top, lavender cup, dark brown bread. The under side of the table is brown.
It wasn’t until 1986 that Schleich started selling their version of Smurfette with Tea set. In the end it was sold by Schleich right through to 1993, so it is possible to find a version with a CE marking. Smurfette can be found painted in a lighter blue colour, pink apron, pink cup and teapot. The table cloth is a darker pink colour compared to the Hong Kong version and underside of the table is same colour.
Smurfette markings: China Applause ™ Peyo CE
In 1990 Applause released their last smurfs in the USA. In the SCCI (Smurf Collectors Club International) newsletter they called them ‘The Eleven Figurines’. All eleven smurfs are old releases with new markings China Applause ™ Peyo CE. As part of the release they included Smurfette with Teapot (without a table).
It is unclear exactly why Applause decided to do this, one suggestion is that it could have been a child safety issue with the small loose items such as the teacup and bread that previously would be displayed on the table.
This is a very cute Super Smurf and is well worth collecting whether it be with a table or without. Displaying Smurfette can be a little tricky especially if you have one that leans to the left, like I do. Lucky for me I have been able to find a little wooden box to display her which helps her from falling over.
Do you recall the song ‘ I wanna be a Cowboy’ by artist Boys Don’t Cry released back in 2002. In the song it had infamous line – ‘I want to be a cowboy and you can be my cowgirl’. Don’t worry too much if you don’t as it is not really considered a classic song to most, but for some reason I always think of this line when I think of Cowboy smurf #20122 and Cowgirl Smurfette #20147.
Surpisely Cowboy was first released in Europe in 1981 and then in the following year it was released in Australia and America in 1982. There are at least three different variations to be found with Cowboy. This may have something to do with Cowboy being made W.Germany/Germany, Portugal and Hong Kong.
Brown shoes, red pants, black belt, brown gun, white rope, brown vest, red bandanna, brown hat, white injected mould. Typically found with shiny paint colours.
Brown shoes, red pants, black belt, silver gun, tan rope, brown vest, red bandanna, brown hat, blue injected mould. Commonly found with dull paint colours.
Light brown shoes, red pants, black belt, silver gun, tan rope, light brown vest, red bandanna, light brown hat, blue injected mould.
Hong Kong version
Portugal version
W.Germany/Germany
Cowboy was also released as a boxed pen set being a horse’s head. Wallace Berrie #7905
In both the Schleich and Wallace Berrie catalogues from 1983 the Cowgirl looks the same as both are wearing brown cowgirl boots and vest, white ruffled dress, a white cowgirl hat with a red strap tied under her chin. In her right hand is a raised plastic brown lasso.
The thing you can’t see is whether it is a triple or single knot in the lasso. The one with the W.Germany markings tends to be a triple knot and the one with the Hong Kong markings tend to be a single knot.
In 1989 Schleich released Special Smurfs Box Sets and both Cowboy and Cowgirl were included in Box 4: The Smurfs Aventures in the Far West theme. The other smurfs included in this set include Indian #20144, Violin #20159 and Indian Smurfette #20167. This was given the Schleich article number 20853 and is on my ‘most wanted list’.
Both can still be found easily today, though I tend to find the Cowboy with a mustard paint dot (painted in Portugal) the blue paint used for the arms look like they have stretch marks. This isn’t really shouldn’t be surprising considering their age and is only noticed when you closely examine the smurf that you see this.
For the past week I have been eagerly waiting for a special delivery of smurfs. These are not any ordinary smurfs these are the highly anticipated 2018 Football Smurfs released by Schleich. I first heard about them was back in August and have been counting down the days ever since. That’s approximately 230 days no more no less!
Football Papa Smurf Trainer
Football Smurfette
Football Smurf with Ball
#20804: Football Papa Smurf Trainer Something has happened to Papa Smurf’s head as it seems to be bigger than in the past. Wearing his customary red hat, navy blue suit with a white shirt and matching red tie. While wearing red and white shoes, with the left leg forward and the foot on the ground and the right leg is back and the foot rests on tips of his toes with the heal raised. Both of his hands are clenched into fists.
#20805: Football Smurfette When I first heard about this one, I was really excited by the news as I have fond memories of playing football when I was younger. Sporting her white hat and blonde hair, while wearing a dark pink shirt with black shorts. The right foot is resting on top of the ball and the left foot on the ground. I really like this one but I wish they had painted her hair with shiny yellow paint instead.
#20806: Football Smurf with Ball This one is probably the one I like the least as it looks like he is in trance with his arms stretched out in front of him. I think the concept was to display him in motion with his right leg back and his left foot resting to the ball. Wearing his white hat, yellow polo shirt, black shorts and black shoes with white strips on the sides and the cleats underneath.
Football Smurf with Trophy
Football Smurf Goalkeeper
Football Smurf Referee
#20807: Football Smurf with Trophy When trying to take a picture of this smurf, I found that because of his stance with his left foot resting on his heal and the right foot resting on the toes that it was a tad wobbly. Wearing a white hat, with a red polo shirt and black shorts while waving the trophy in his right hand and his left hand clench in fist; you can tell that this smurf is excited due to his big open smile.
The trophy is gold in colour, with engraved laurel wreath pattern.
#20808: Football Smurf Goalkeeper Eyes open, looking down towards the ball he is hugging close to his chest. His mouth is closed in a smile. Wearing his customary white hat, a long sleeved green shirt with an orange collar and matching orange gloves and brown shorts. Like the others he is wearing black shoes with two white strips on each side and cleats underneath.
#20809: Football Smurf Referee It was no surprise to discover that Brainy is the Football Smurf Referee as we can tell by his black glasses. Holding a red card out in his right hand while blowing on a silver whistle. Wearing his white hat, black long sleeved shirt and grey shorts.
My thoughts……. This isn’t the first time Schleich has produced football smurfs. It would be fair to say that not all collectors were thrilled by more football smurfs being produced. One of my dear friends summed up the sentiment with saying ‘seriously, how often do we need football smurfs’. Though this did not stop him or me buying the new football smurfs. Secretly I think he was quite impressed with them as he ending up getting two sets. Recently he sent me a picture of his football smurfs displayed around his desk at work with the comment – Go the Soccer Roos!
For this blog to continue to thrive, I would really appreciate you taking the time tell us your thoughts on the new football smurfs. I have told you mine, so now it’s your turn.
