BASF Dr Dinch Smurf

Back in 2008 a special promotional Smurf was created by Schleich for BASF, referred to as Dr Dinch. The Smurf can be found wearing protective glasses, a white lab while pouring a test tube into a beaker. BASF is a large international chemical company based in Germany.

But what makes this Smurf a little usual, is that it is one of the few promotional Smurfs produced by Schleich since 2000. This special smurf was given away at a trade show in 2007 and was never sold directly to the public. So when it first sighted for sale on eBay there was much excitement about this new promotional Smurf.

BASF explains

This was also one of the few promotional Smurfs that was given it’s own special name – Dr Dinch. BASF explains the name like this:

Dinch: Di-Iso Nonyl-Cycle-Hexane.

Every Smurf contains Hexamoll DINCH, the unique plasticizer manufactured by BASF for sensitive applications.

Each Dr Dinch Smurf also comes with a coloured tag. The tag attached to his leg reads, BASF The Chemical Company / SMURF © Peyo – 2007 – I.M.P.S (Brussels). BASF does research for the real world. www.basf.com The tag can be found in six different colours: light blue, dark blue, light green, dark green, orange and red.

The markings fortunately can be found under his feet not on the back of his head. Made in Germany Schleich S Germany © Peyo 2007 CE.

So if you had the opportunity to buy a Dr Dinch promotional Smurf without it’s coloured tag, would you buy it? Or do you feel that without its tag it is less valuable and not worth collecting? Also without its tag, how would you know this was a promotional Smurf made for BASF. These are questions only you can answer, as it comes down to how you collect.

For me, I don’t think it really matters. But I have kept the tag on him so people can see it was a special Smurf made for BASF.

Keep on Smurfin

Kath B

BMX Bike Super Smurf

What do you know about BMX Bike Smurf? Released from 1999 to 2015 by Schleich, BMX Bike Smurf #40252 is also referred to as Biker. Wearing light purple pants, with a lighter purple zipped jacket, with green knee and shoulder proctive pads and a white helmet, while riding a red bike with yellow wheels.

Like many of the last Super Smurfs produced by Schleich there are only a couple of different markings to be found with BMX Bike Super Smurf. There also appears very little changes made to the figurine and the bike over the years.

The first version can be found with lighter colours and with the markings under the feet. There are no markings on the bike. The box used has a Smurf logo with a dancing smurfs pattern.

Made in China CE under the right foot.
© Peyo 98 Schleich S Germany under the left foot.

Around the second half of 2009 Schleich changed the markings on their Smurfs. For BMX Bike Super Smurf it was painted in slightly darker colours. They continued to use the same bike. The box used has a Peyo Creations logo with a dancing smurfs pattern.

Made in China CE under the right foot.
© Peyo 98 Schleich S with a timestamp under the left foot
Am Limes 69 D-73527 Schw. Gmund on the back

Voted 1 by SCCI Members

In 1999 the Smurf Collectors Club International (SCCI) asked their members to complete a survey to vote for their favourite Super Smurf from 1999. In 1999 there were five new Super Smurfs released and this included:

#40252 BMX Smurf
#40253 Motor Scooter Smurf
#40254 Motor Scooter Smurfette
#40255 Red Racing Driver
#40256 Silver Racing Driver

Voted 1 by SCCI members was BMX Bike and runner up was Motor Scooter Smurfette. By reading the newsletters it is unclear how many people actually voted. But still it is interesting to see what Smurf collectors voted for back in 1999.

As a result, this could explain why Schleich continued to sell BMX Bike well longer than the other Super Smurfs from 1999. The other good news is it is still easy to find today and it makes a great display piece.

Keep on Smurfin

Kath B

Gardener Smurf – is it a Regular or Super Smurf?

What do you know about Gardener Smurf? The regular version or Super Smurf version? What’s the difference between the two versions of Gardener Smurf. I am no expert, but is it just the wheelbarrow that makes the difference? So many questions !!

Regular Gardener Smurf

The Gardener Smurf #20028 was produced as a small and large mould. In 1976/77 Schleich released the small mould version. This can be found wearing a dark green apron and with W.Germany © Peyo markings on the back of the arms. Some even have unpainted eyebrows. Also his right foot is upturned, as if he is in a walking position.

In the USA, Wallace Berrie shows the small mould variation of Gardener in their 1979 catalogue. I don’t think this was never made out of Hong Kong. By 1981 they showed the large mould variation of Gardener, which has a wider, fuller face and both feet are on the ground. This was made out of Hong Kong.

One of the interesting things about that the first version of Gardener Smurf, there are collectors out there that believe he should be carrying two white buckets. In one sense this makes sense due to the position of his arms but in another sense I have never seen any pictures from catalogues or posters with Gardener carrying anything.

Gardener was sold by Schleich from 1977 to 1986 and then again 1993 to 1995. So it’s possible to find the large mould with a CE marking. I also have a couple with a blue paint dot, which for a long time had no idea where they came from.

There are many different green colours on the apron on both the small and bigger versions. Of recent times many Gardeners have been appearing with different coloured aprons, most likely to be hand-painted by collectors.

Super Smurf Gardener

The Super Smurf Gardener #40206 was released in 1978 to 1984 by Schleich and in 1982 to 1983 by Wallace Berrie.

But before this Schleich released a wheelbarrow with the Smurf Garden Playset around 1977 in Europe and in 1980 in the USA by Wallace Berrie.

When Wallace Berrie sold the Gardener Super Smurf they only used the small mould variation. This was never made out of Hong Kong. So the Regular Gardener and Super Smurf Gardiner was never sold at the same time by Wallace Berrie.

The Gardener Super Smurf can be found both in a small or large mould variation, though only with a brown wheelbarrow. I think that the green wheelbarrow was only included in the Garden Playset.

In 1998 Schleich created a new playset that combined two old Playsets, the Fence and the Gate and the Gardener Super Smurf to make the Garden Playset. This was sold between 1998 to 2004, which may explain why I have ended up with Gardener with a blue paint dot. Like many Gardeners he has escaped !

Lots of Smurfs

Kath B

Papa Smurf Conductor

For some of you, this Papa Smurf is referred to as Band Leader not Papa Conductor. As this was the name used by Wallace Berrie in their catalogues. Regardless of what you call this Papa Smurf it’s a great one to have on display, so everyone can enjoy it. Whether it be facing other Smurfs, to give the impression he is conducting them, by itself looking outwards or in a group circle of Papa Conductors, they are all fun ways to appreciate Papa Conductor.

Bully

Papa Conductor #20092 was first produced and sold by Bully in 1978. Wearing a black waistcoat jacket, with a white bow tie, red hat and trousers while standing on a black square stand. In his right hand he is waving a baton around and with his left hand he is waving around.

Some variances can be found with Bully marked ones such as the yellow paint used for the baton. Some of mine almost look orange in colour. The red pvc material used can vary, anything from cherry red to dull red.

Made in Hong Kong

The ones made in Hong Kong are typically found with a shiny black jacket and stand. The blue paint is also a darker blue than the ones made by Bully. It was sold by Wallace Berrie from 1982 until 1984. I am not sure if it was ever sold in Australia or New Zealand by BP.

If you like to collect Smurfs with different markings, the Papa Conductor with just Made in Hong Kong Schleich S © 1977 Peyo markings is considered rare by most. Maybe 20 to 1 to find compared with Made in Hong Kong W. Berrie Co Schleich S © 1977 Peyo markings.

Schleich

After Bully lost the licence to produce Smurfs, Schleich continued to produce Papa Conductor right up until 1990. So you are likely to find different paint dots such as mustard, red or green added to the markings. During this period Papa Conductor was also added to triangle pedestals and music boxes produced and sold by Schleich.

Papa Conductor has also been popular in other parts of the world. In Spain, Comic Non Toxico produced their version referring to it as Director. Also many Papa Conductor fakes have also been produced out of places like Poland, Mexico and countless other countries. Then there is also the repaints by collector’s.

Let’s all celebrate Papa Conductor genuine or fake!

Keep on Smurfin

Kath B

Anyone for table tennis?

How many and what coloured shirts were produced for Table Tennis Smurf? I mean, how many genuine coloured shirts and not just not repaints? The actual answer might surprise you?

Table Tennis #20227 was produced by Schleich in 1987 wearing a wine burgundy coloured shirt. It was the same year Schleich declared bankruptcy. The other interesting thing to note is that supposedly Peyo had not approved the colours on some of these first production pieces and changes were to be made. This was reported in the Smurf Collectors Club Newsletter, Issue 7 published in July 1987.

In the same article, the Smurf Collector’s Club mention that they wrote to Peyo for clarification and his views on this. It goes on to say that Table Tennis has appeared in a wine coloured shirt and then green coloured shirt. Will this figurine be made with more different coloured shirts?

Peyo’s Answer: Indeed the Table Tennis Smurf is going to be made with a shirt of a different colour – it will now be a yellow one – after which no further modifications are foreseen.

What is interesting about this article is that there is no reference to a blue or purple coloured shirt for Table Tennis. So are these just repaints? If they are, they look pretty genuine to me. Also has anyone ever seen Table Tennis Smurf wearing a yellow shirt?

Sadly it is harder to find colour variations on the newer Smurf releases. The days of Smurfs being painted in different parts of the world just doesn’t exist like it did in the early 1980’s. But this should not stop Schleich producing different colour variations. In some ways, the colour variations are what makes collecting Smurfs so enjoyable.

Table Tennis Smurf is probably one of the last Smurfs ever produced that can be found with genuine colour variations. We know for sure by looking at old Schleich catalogues that they produced Table Tennis with burgundy and green coloured shirts. But not yellow, blue or purple. What do you think?

Another coloured variation to be found

Table Tennis Smurf was first released with a burgundy shirt, black handle on his table tennis paddle.

This was later changed to a green coloured shirt , red handle on table tennis paddle.

Schleich – bring back colour variations!

Keep on Smurfin

Kath B