We first get a glimpse of Hula Smurfette as a sketch in the 1988 Schleich Catalogue along with #20229 Foreman, #20230 Wild as actual figurines and #20228 Fitness as a sketch. Hula Smurfette could be found dancing in a grass skirt, flowers on the edge of her hat and a lei around her neck.
It was not unusual for Schleich to show prototypes or sketches of figurines in their catalogues. This is because the catalogues were generally produced a year or so before the actual release of the smurfs. The sketch shown above is from the 1988 Schleich Catalogue.
So imagine the surprise for collectors when Hula was released and it was quite different to the one shown in the 1988 Schleich catalogue as a sketch and as actual figurine in the 1989 Schleich catalogue.
For whatever reasons the version shown in the 1989 Schleich catalogue was never actually released. Some say that it was never actually approved by Peyo or that it was just a little too sexy.
The other odd thing about Hula Smurfette was that in the first production her hair is the same colour as her grass skirt. Later productions this was corrected so Hula Smurfette’s hair was yellow.
The first production version can be a little harder to find and bares the markings: W.Germany Schleich S Peyo © 88 with a black paint dot.
The commonly found version where Hula Smurfette has yellow hair and is made of a harder pvc material bares the markings: Made in China Schleich S Germany Peyo © 88 CE
Hula Smurfette was produced between 1989 to 1995 and then again in 2000. Surprisedly Hula Smurfette can still be easily found today and it does not carry a high price tag. So for those of you who like their variations this is a good one to keep an eye out for.
Like a lot of prototypes Smurfs made by Schleich there are those out there who feel there must be at least one version Hula Smurfette that was made but never released. I guess we will never really know…..
Keep on Smurfin
Kath B