If you’re on the hunt for Courting smurf also known as Rendez Vous you may want to have a look at this list first of things you should keep in mind and not all are obvious!
- Courting was first made by Bully in 1973. This first version has no markings and is made out of a very soft pvc material. The leaf is not connected to the flower, making it extremely fragile.
- Because of this Bully made a change to the mould so the leaf is connected to the flower. It also added © Peyo marking behind the flower. The flower on this variation is noticeably thicker.
- Around 1976 Bully made a new mould that included a steam behind the flower. I have one where the steam is painted green and another that is painted white. The © Peyo marking has been removed from the back of the flower and the Bully markings have been added to the feet.
- Courting was also made out of Hong Kong and has Hong Kong Bully © Peyo markings. Typically it can be found with dark blue skin and is made out of hard pvc material. This variation also has a quite a thin flower compared to the others.
- Bully changed the markings again around 1978 to WEST BULLY GERMANY in a circle.
- There are thought to be at least two different Schleich versions. The first one has just blocked out the Bully marking in the circle and added Schleich S to the feet.
- The other Schleich version was made out of Sri Lanka. It can be found with the Schleich S on the back of the flower steam, © 1973 and Peyo are on the petals. Made in Sri Lanka on the back of the left arm and a red paint dot can be found under the feet.
- Courting was used as a promotional smurf. The word ‘Cederan’ is vertically stamped in black text on the side of the smurf’s head.
- Courting can also be found in different colours such as red and yellow. This has always created debate amongst die hard collectors whether they are genuine or not. Buyer beware, some sellers just want to make money and will do anything to pass something off as genuine. Check the condition of the paint to make sure it is not just a repaint job.
I hope this list will become a valuable a reference tool when looking out for Courting smurf. If you feel something is not quite right or something needs to be added to the list just let me know.
Keep on Smurfin
Kath B