[Smurfysmurf]

Just had another conversation with my grandmother, who now lives with me, and was wondering if you ever had similar conversations with people of your family.

She has been going on lately about my collection and how unnatural it is (especially since I don't have the room anymore to display it, but she thought my smurf room was a shrine and not natural either), and has been in total shock last week, when she went to Chattanooga with me, and we found so many new smurf items. She was greatly shocked by the prices, but also by how much is out right now.
This morning, I told her what I was planning on buying for myself, and pretty much told her the story of my first smurf who I got when I was four years old. I thought it was a cute story, but she ended up belittling it and my collection again.

Just wondering if you come across similar things when your family learns of your hobby and sees your collection.

I need to add, as much as it gets on my nerves, it no longer brings me down...and I don't hide the fact I am collecting smurfs..it's something that I do..and have been doing all of my life Went a bit overboard with it a few years ago, but by now I think I am taking a more sensible approach to it

[Tintin]

Hi Maureen

You made me laugh.
My grandmother didn't like it at all.......................

Keep your money into your pocket !!
Are you going to a fair again ???
Haven't you got enough smurfs already ???
Now it's time to quit right ???
Didn't you have them already when we came back from a fair and showed her the new ones i bought................
What in the ....... are you doing with all the smurfs ???
How do you keep it all clean ???

And a can go on and on .........................

But she was a great person, and nobody got the best koffie in the world !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She even let me put a few smurfs into her house.

But collections..................she never understood

Tintin

[bwalters]

I know for me at least. We never as a child had anything. So as I grew up and made my own life and living. I always wanted the things I couldn't have as a child. Now Smurfs were never a part of my childhood, but toys were. I have always been facinated with toys. However I can't collect everything. I did dabble in other things, but Smurfs got me the most. When I put my first windmill together and it worked to perfection. I was amazed. And yes my family doesn't understand my collecting Smurfs. But as far as I'm conserned they don't need to understand it. But I will say this they are always amazed when they come to my house.

[Pitufo]

Well, I think I have heard a million times all the same questions Tintin has just added...

I remember a very funny conversation at Jon´s house. Jon is a spanish collector I knew time ago at an airport and we have bcoem very ggod friends. he lives about 800 km far from my house so I ´had not seen his collection. Two years ago I went to visit him, his city and his collections with three friends of mine (non smurfers). And his grandmother asked me the first minute I met her: aren´t you too old to collect rubber figurines???



Later I discovered she was a very very nice woman, but I admit her first question was really a surprise fro me. I didn´t knwo what to answer

[Tintin]

Hi Joaquin

It would have been nice to see your face when she asked you that

Tintin

[Gerda]

At times for me anyway it feels like it should be a dirty little secret, I think smurf collectors don't get much respect because they are "toys" and not looked at as collector items. So yes I have the same conversations with my family, theres some that talk real nice and act like they are interested and others that just look at me like i've grown another head. Good thing for the forum or us smurfers would feel all alone.

[Smurfysmurf]

I think I can handle the weird looks...what I can't handle is the constant nagging when I dare to buy something else.

I have found a way around it, but you gotta feel for Staci who has to store my stuff ..will be one heck of a birthday package in October

Last week I got three packages at once which caused a full blown family crises

Not sure what to expect this week when I receive a couple more packages..as you can tell nagging has not kept me from ordering stuff yet

[bwalters]

Nor would it me Moey. I really don't get a lot of nagging, but most people that find out I collect Smurfs the look in their eyes tells it all.

[Tracker Smurf]

Most people I know know I collect toys. Since part of my job at the school and church I work at is working with puppets most people expect me to be a little goofy so whether its Smurfs (which is still fairly a new Hobby for me) or my transformers or my SUperhero toys) people have just gotten used to it at work. My in laws think its odd, but the best part of this is having a very understanding wife. She has always accepted my hobbies if she doesn't always go along with them. The Smurf thing however has taken over our household since it is not just my hobby but really my 5 year old daughter's hobby. My wife is constantly looking for Smurf items and I think we might even be able to get her to wear a Smurf hat for halloween when we all dress as smurfs this year.