Blue Cavern

Why does Schleich release new smurfs after Christmas (thus missing the holiday buying spree).

Things like that leave me suspicious of smurfs future. For example, do the Schleich animals hit the stores before Christmas? Do smurfs come after the holiday because that's when there's room on the assembly line (after the important toy production ends)?

IS THERE A SCHLEICH REPRESENTATIVE IN THE HOUSE?

Good question Tim....they really should release them before Christmas shouldn't they

Releasing before christmas sounds like a smarter thing to do. Maybe someone could ask this from Schleich. All the collectors surely buy these after christmas too, but maybe "normal people" won't buy them this time.

Actually some of the new lines are released at different times of the year. Most of the new products are released in January of each year but then some of the new knights have been released in May and September of previous years and have actually been later coming out than the new smurfs so I don't think there is any favouritism as such. I know that the new smurfs are being made and painted as we speak, everything should be ready before Schleich goes on Christmas hols, but then there are sometimes quality issues which puts things back a few weeks like it did last year with baby smurf. I think it is more because they want to make sure they get rid of any discontinued lines at the busiest time of the year. I know that they decide to discontinue certain lines and then they simply stop making them a few months before the stop date, so they only have what is left in stock to sell. Last year they weren't holding much stock of the buildings so that's why they ran out so quickly. At the time I asked why we couldn't be given more notice and they said it's because if retailers thought these lines were being discontinued they were worried they wouldn't take them and they would end up with a lot of stock left. I know with all deleted lines they don't sell any residue stock after end of December, everything gets literally thrown back into the melting pot so the pvc can be used for something else. So I am sure they delete old lines at the busiest time of the year to ensure stocks are pretty much sold out of these lines, and then in comes the new after Christmas.

In the past smurf figures have been released at different times, I remember them not coming out till late Spring one year. The other thing to consider is that they are released each year. Would we all be happy waiting for an extra 9 or 10 months for them so they could be released just before Christmas?

I know with all deleted lines they don't sell any residue stock after end of December, everything gets literally thrown back into the melting pot so the pvc can be used for something else.

Oh that's a horrible image in my head now

can you eat this stuff??? sounds kinda

like blueberry stew?

Hmmmmmmmmm STEW i like STEW. It dos sound a little scarry dosnt it. "Sorry smurfies you wern't sold, its the melting pot for you bluey!!!"
Smurfy regards, Steve.

can you eat this stuff??? sounds kinda

like blueberry stew?

That was where Smurfs Non-Toxico revolutionized the industry. I wouldn't feel safe snacking on Schleich smurfs, but I served Non-Toxico's at my last garden party and the guests raved.

everything should be ready before Schleich goes on Christmas hols, but then there are sometimes quality issues which puts things back a few weeks like it did last year with baby smurf.

Thanks Karen! I was locked in on thinking like the American market. With American retailers (toys, video games, and so on), not releasing a new product in time for the holiday season is something that causes stock prices to plummet and CEOs to leap from windows. I didn't conceive that Schleich, being a German company, followed a different timetable than in America.