Vintage Smurf Review: Judge Smurf #20016

At first, Smurf collecting can seem overwhelming. Collectors are constantly sharing their collection’s online, or the latest Smurf merchandise release is creating a frenzy. Smurf collecting doesn’t have to be a hobby that breaks the bank. Vintage figurines from the 1970’s is a great place to start building your dream collection. For example let’s look at Judge Smurf, first sold in 1972 by Schleich.

I have chosen to review Judge Smurf because it was mass produced. In Australia you will typically find Judge Smurf wearing a red robe with Hong Kong markings. From my experience, these old BP Smurfs are making a comeback. Typically from a generation who are going through their grown up adult child toys.

Whereas in Europe you are more likely to find a Judge Smurf with a black or red robe. In the beginning Judge was first sold with a black robe by Schleich. However, between 1974 to 1977 when Bully had the rights to produce the Smurfs they changed the robe to red. Ever since the robe has stayed red.

Smurf Tip!

Though buying online has its advantages to getting rare Smurfs, it also has its disadvantages. From my own experience, I was able to buy a Judge Smurf with a red robe, with Portugal markings. The Smurf itself was not expensive but the postage was. Also when it arrived it smelt like disinfectant and had to be aired outside for 2 days. My advice is to get to know the Seller before buying.

Whether you are just wanting one or starting a collection, there are plenty of vintage Smurfs out there. Most vintage Smurfs are worth collecting and displaying around your house or work desk. Most people are fascinated with vintage Smurfs and will be happy to share their stories with you.

Keep on Smurfin
Kath B

Fast Facts on Judge Smurf:

Schleich: 1971 – 1973/1976 – 1985/1991 – 1992, made in W/Germany and Portugal

Bully: 1975 – 1977, made in West Germany

Wallace Berrie: 1979 – 1980, made in Hong Kong

BP Australia: 1979 – 1982, made in Hong Kong

The Smurf Song by Father Abraham

This week on 8th November 2022, Father Abraham passed away at the age of 87. You don’t even have to be from the Netherlands or Belgium to know The Smurf Song or know who Father Abraham was. Any fan of the Smurfs of a certain generation will happily and proudly sing his song to you.

I didn’t grow up listening to Father Abraham’s vinyl records but there are plenty who did. Reading the comments posted regarding the death of Father Abraham, some still have his vinyl records. Whoever decided the Smurfs should team upon with Father Abraham must have thought they struck gold.

However, I do recall seeing a clip on YouTube with Father Abraham and Andre Rieu performing the Song Smurf. It was priceless watching grown up adults singing and mimicking the song. Some of the choir even wore white hats, to portray the image of the Smurfs. Everyone seemed to be hypnotise by it all.

In my opinion, the Smurf Song is the unofficial anthem for Smurf fans and collectors throughout the world. Whether the song is in Dutch or English, we can all happily sing the chorus together – Yes, sing along. La la… And now, the second part. And now all together. La la…

Keep on Smurfin
Kath B

How to judge a Smurf?

Are you a good judge of recognising a fake Smurf? Recently I received a Judge Smurf #20016 that looked genuine at first glance but wasn’t.

Judge Smurf was first sold wearing a black robe with black glasses and points with one hand. His mouth is also wide open showing his red mouth. Later the robe was painted red, which is more common variant.

So far everything seemed to be what I expected. Though it wasn’t until I inspected more closely that certain aspects of the Judge Smurf made me feel it was a fake.

Firstly, the ears were lacking their inner curved shape and looked flat. The other thing the hands also looked flat, especially the index finger that was pointing out. There was also no flexibility in the pvc material. One could call it a rock.

Like other Smurfs sold before 1974, when Bully won the production rights from Schleich they removed the Schleich emblem from the Smurf.

However if you look closely at these markings, you can often see the outline of the round emblem. Oddly enough I could not see this, though instead it had the markings W.Germany Peyo. Just because a Smurf has markings doesn’t mean it’s not a fake.

In summary, enjoy the experience of getting to know your Smurfs. Genuine or fake. No one is going to judge you for your purchases except you.

Keep on Smurfin
Kath B

P.S Here, is another article I wrote that features Judge Smurf

http://www.smurfs.com.au/random-smurf-thoughts/smurfs-discover-australia-1979/