[The Smurf Collector]

I recently rediscovered some information I was sent when I originally purchased the Native American Set from Mushroom Village.

The flyer makes for interesting reading, looking back at now seven years later.

It tells us about I.M.P.S has struck a movie deal for 2008.

Though what I found most interesting was that the smurfs were designed/mold-injected in Germany and hand painted/labelled in Tunisia.

Which made me think does Schleich still get the smurfs painted in Tunisia? Or did this stop around 2009 when they started using the new address marking. The other thing is how would one know where smurfs are painted as on the markings it only tells us that Made in Germany.

Please let me know if you would like me to transcribe the flyer as it is a little hard to photograph.

[André]

Hi Kath,

it is correct that the smurfs are still painted in Tunisia sometimes. At least a few years ago.

You know this if you check the long articlenumber by Schleich. If the digits are like this: 1020507000201. Just took a random articlenumber 20507

First number 10 means nothing today. They it is the articlenumber. The last six numbers tells us about packing, country of orgin etc. So 02 means painted in Tunisia but still marked W Germany.

I will show you a box regarding this later.

[André]

Hi Kath,

I can not find a box which tells us they are still painted in Tunisia. I think I wrote about that I found info that the smurfs were painted in Tunisia a few years ago, but my memory could be wrong about that.

It would be great to know what the flyer said Kath!

[Schleicher]

All Schleich items have an internal 13-digit item number. Smurfs "Made in Germany" are all injected in Germany (Herlikofen) and painted in Tunisia; the 13 digit item numbers are 10XXXXX000102

10 = Fixed prefix (for future use)
XXXXX = Catalogue number
00 = Sellable item (items made from different parts: the sub-parts will have number .01, .02, 03. and so on..)
01 = tagged with a EAN tag
02 = injected in Germany, painted in Tunisia

[The Smurf Collector]

Here is a pic of the flyer I mentioned earlier.

Please let me know if you cannot read it and I'll type out the flyer.

I would also like to thank Schleicher for his information. I do remember reading about the digits on the tags before but I wasn't aware surfs could still possibly been painted in Tunisia.

Thanks

[André]

Great Picture Kath!

Many thanks Schleicher for helping me with the number.

I got the order of the numbers wrong. The last 2 are the countryinformation. So my memory was correct but I could not find it because I got the number wrong. So in that case my memory was incorrect.


Anyway Kath,
here is an example then. The centuryboxes had smurfs painted in Tunisia but manufactured in Germany.

[The Smurf Collector]

Hi Andre

Thank you for the picture displaying the 13 digit number.

Is it possible we can break down on individual smurfs with a tag. I find it hard trying to work out what the numbers stand for.

Thanks

[André]

Hi Andre

Thank you for the picture displaying the 13 digit number.

Is it possible we can break down on individual smurfs with a tag. I find it hard trying to work out what the numbers stand for.

Thanks

The tags are not the same Kath. They are for the stores and used when shooting the barcode.

The 13 digit number is an internal Schleich-number and it just helps us getting this information. It is not meant for the customers or collectors.

But I am just glad there are some way to see where they are painted.

[André]

All Schleich items have an internal 13-digit item number. Smurfs "Made in Germany" are all injected in Germany (Herlikofen) and painted in Tunisia; the 13 digit item numbers are 10XXXXX000102

10 = Fixed prefix (for future use)
XXXXX = Catalogue number
00 = Sellable item (items made from different parts: the sub-parts will have number .01, .02, 03. and so on..)
01 = tagged with a EAN tag
02 = injected in Germany, painted in Tunisia

Hi Schleicher,

On the latest boxes the number ends with 0101. Does this mean they are both injected and painted in germany now?

[Schleicher]

All Schleich items have an internal 13-digit item number. Smurfs "Made in Germany" are all injected in Germany (Herlikofen) and painted in Tunisia; the 13 digit item numbers are 10XXXXX000102

10 = Fixed prefix (for future use)
XXXXX = Catalogue number
00 = Sellable item (items made from different parts: the sub-parts will have number .01, .02, 03. and so on..)
01 = tagged with a EAN tag
02 = injected in Germany, painted in Tunisia

Hi Schleicher,

On the latest boxes the number ends with 0101. Does this mean they are both injected and painted in germany now?

What you se is the item number of the sole box, not the finished (packed) product. It means that the box for 20906 is printed in Germany (01)

1020906
99 - Sub-Part-Number for the box
01 - with EAN tag (or - in this case - printed EAN Barcode on the box)
01 - Made in Germany

You would need the 13 digit nuber of each smurf to see where the smurf was made. (All Smurfs of at least the last 10 years that are marked "Made in Germany" are also painted in Tunisia).

[André]

Thanks Schleicher.

Now I understand.

Great to know that all smurfs the last years were painted in Tunisia.

[Schleicher]

One more detail you might want to know: The -01 on the packaging (after the thirteen digit item number) refers to the version number of the packaging. The version number on packaging was only introduced about two years ago.

[André]

Thanks Schleicher,

I noticed that the 13 digit number is not on the older displayboxes. Did this also started about 2010/2011?

[Schleicher]

Sorry, can't help here.