20021

There are 2 posts tagged 20021 (this is page 1 of 1).

Surprise Cone Smurfs

Today I feel like a Smurf with a Surprise Cone. It almost feels like my first day of the school and I feel a mixture of excitement and nervousness. For the past few last months, Melbourne has been in lockdown and it’s now finally over. We can now go visit family and family more than 15 kilometres. Or visit our favourite cafe or bar and have a drink. There is no wonder I feel like a Smurf with a Surprise Cone.

Each Smurf is carrying a surprise cone fill with lollies and sweets. This is to replicate a German tradition upon where a child receives a surprise cone (Zuckertute) on their first day of school. There are three different Smurfs with Surprise Cones; green, pink and orange. Some say these are most sought after regular Smurfs because of nostalgia and the fact that Schleich only sold them for a short period.

In 1987 Schleich declared bankruptcy and new enforced child safety laws introduced in the early 1990’s impacted on the sale of the Surprise Cone Smurfs. Basically any Smurf with a removable or separate part could no longer be sold by Schleich. Luckily years on, you can still get your hands on a Surprise Cone Smurf. However, like me you may need to patient.

Green Surprise Cone

In my opinion, this is the hardest one to find. The surprise cone is painted in green and yellow angled stripes. It can also have the cone attached to the left or right foot and also not glued at all. Though I have also seen a photo of this one on a tree stump sharpener but I am not if it was ever sold like this by Schleich.

Pink Surprise Cone

I like this one the best because it was my first one. The cone is made out of pink pvc and also painted in a lighter pink colour. Like the others, the cone can be glued to the left or right foot or not at all.

Orange Surprise Cone

Painted in an orange an gold colours, this one reminds me of Christmas. In my view this is more red then orange but it really doesn’t matter.

Each of the Smurfs are wearing their customary white trousers and hat, and have the same markings under it’s feet – W.Germany Schleich S Peyo 1982. Some also have a black paint dot. The figurine was also used for Apple and Pumpkin Smurfs.

This week I hope you all enjoy and appreciate the small things in life. Most of all, I hope you all feel excited and happy just like the Surprise Cone Smurfs.

Keep on Smurfin
Kath B

Sleepwalker

With winter now behind us and warmer days are becoming more frequent, it is time for me to buy new pyjamas. So what better smurf to give me inspiration than Sleepwalker Smurf first produced by Schleich in 1972 seen wearing a long white nightgown with a yellow pom pom on his hat. Sleepwalker appears to be sleepwalking as he has both arms stretched out in front of him with eyes closed. 

During the time Bully produced smurfs, 1974 through to 1977 they sold Sleepwalker with a red pom pom on his hat. During this time Bully changed the colours on a number of smurfs they acquired from Schleich. By the time Schleich started producing smurfs again in 1977 they painted the pom pom yellow  or green. 

In Australia, Sleepwalker was first sold in 1980 by BP Australia and was made in Hong Kong. This most likely around the same time it was sold by Wallace Berrie in the USA. This version of Sleepwalker only ever was produced with a yellow pom pom. 

In the Smurf Collectors Club Newsletter 2 published in 1986 they list a version of Sleepwalker with a black pom pom. I never heard or seen a version with a black pom pom, so I presume it never actually existed. Also in the Der Schlumpf Katalog IV published in 2003, they list a version of Sleepwalker with an orange pom pom. This is considered a fake by most serious smurf collectors. 

Bully also produced a series of mini Sleepwalker smurfs for a variety of boardgames. Each figure can be found with a red, green, blue, black or yellow body with white pants and hat, with a round base it is standing on. Underneath the base are Bully © Peyo hand etched markings. 

Around 1980/81 Schleich also produced their own version of a mini Sleepwalker with a loop on the top of the hat and © Peyo marking on the base. These came in a variety of solid colours such as black, blue, green, yellow, orange, red and also produced transparent coloured one. 

Sleepwalker was last sold in 1984 by Schleich and is one that most adults recall having as part of their collection when they were a child. Now back to looking for new pyjamas without anymore distractions.

Keep on Smurfin

Kath B