Do you sometimes have a hard time trying to figure out some of the variations. I know I do constantly especially when I am trying to figure out if it is a regular smurf or a super smurf. A couple of good examples of this are the Gardener smurf and the Ice Hockey smurf.

Let’s start with the Gardener smurf.
Regular Gardener: 20028
Super Smurf Gardener: 40206

If you are like me and grew up in Australia, you would have been quite surprised to find that Schleich made two moulds of the Gardener smurf. The version commonly found in Australia is the large mould with the wider face and has both flat feet on the ground. This was made in Hong Kong around 1978/79. This was sold only as a regular smurf and was given the reference number 20028. It was never sold as Super Smurf.

The smaller mould has a narrower face was sold as a regular smurf and as a Super Smurf .  It was first sold as a regular smurf around 1977/78 through to 1984. The Gardener Super Smurf was sold around the same time in Europe. It was also briefly sold by Wallace Berrie as a Super Smurf around 1982 to 1983.

Later on the large mould Gardener smurf was sold with the Garden playset, Schleich Ref# 40620 released between 1998 to 2004.

The Ice Hockey smurf is another one that I always find confusing.
Regular Ice Hockey: 20032
Super Smurf Ice Hockey: 40505

The regular version of Ice Hockey was only sold in Europe for a very short of time around 1977/78. It was then sold as a Super Smurf between 1979 to 1981. In the US it was first sold as a regular smurf in 1979 and then the following years up until 1984 it was sold as both, regular and Super smurf. 

There are thought to be only three marking versions of the Ice Hockey smurfs. The most common one has © Peyo on the blade of the ice skate and is generally found in a darker yellow colour. 

The next two versions were made out of Hong Kong for the US market. The first version can be found with the Made in Hong Kong Schleich emblem © Peyo on the side of the head. The second version made after 1978 removed all the markings from the head and added the new markings Hong Kong Schleich S © Peyo 1978 to the ice skate blades. I believe both versions were sold as regular and super smurfs. 

Just to add confusion to the Ice Hockey smurfs you can also find these with different coloured sticks. Though the smurf is genuine, the sticks are not as you will notice that the pucks sit behind the stick. It is thought these sticks were made for different figurines. 

I hope I have not confused you anymore but in someway assisted you in identifying your smurfs. Just when you think you understand the markings found on your smurfs, another one will turn up with a marking you have not seen before.

Keep on Smurfin

Kath B