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