A good question Arno!
First I can say that what you remember from the Hula is correct. It was sold in 1989. The catalogues are made the year before the releases of the smurfs so sometimes the figurines or boxes printed are just prototypes that never are sold. That happens today also in the catalogues.
In the SCCI letters you can read that in summer 1989 they could buy the Hulasmurfette. Also they tell us in the first letter from 1990 that they then changed her hair to yellow. So if you got it in 1989 you should have the one with sandcoloured hair.
In my broschure about the new Schleich started in 1987, when they split the Company into 2 new companies: Schleich Spielzueg Vertriebs-Gmbh and S Spielzeug Production Gmbh. This was from January 1987 or at least as they say : Seit Anfang 1987, so I would guess the fact we have been Reading Before that they were declared bancrupt in January 1987 is correct. But as the SCCI letter say the factory was still working, but they made lots of Changes and a restart of the Company or then 2 new companies. Or actually not companies but maybe more departments??
When it comes to the years they were sold it could be in different dates suring a year. Like today when Schleich have releases in January, May and September. I have a broschure from Autumn 1986 when Schleich added new smurfs not shown in the 1986 catalogue. So it is not always easy to pinpoint one exact year.
For example the Architecht: SCCI tells us that was possible to get in late 1988, but actually releaseyear was 1989.
I would date them like this:
During the years 1987-1992 Schleich used 2 articlenumberseries. The old generation smurfs and the new generation smurfs. My guess regarding this would be that the old generation smurfs were ideas or molds already created Before 1987??
![Confused :-?](./images/smilies/102.gif)
And the new generation started with the restart of the Company??
So for 1987:
Old generation: 20225,20226,20227
New generation: the 5 smurflings: 20401-20405. Those were possible to get in late 1987. Because Peyo already in late 1987 tells the SCCI he was not pleased with the choice of colours on some of the new figurines. So the first set of these were later changed. Also pumpkin and quarterback was sold in Europé for the first time. So 10 new figurines for Europe but only 8 for US.
1988: Schleich told SCCI that 4 new smurfs should be made for 1989. But I Think that some you could get in late 1988. Like architect?? And you could also get the bodybuildersmurf in 1988, but it could have been sold late 1987 also as promotion. BUt it seems the number was added in 1988. 20228 for the bodybuilder when it was sold first.
1989. They changed the bodybuilder with the fitness-smurf. So he got articlenumber 20228 instead. So officially 1989 is the releaseyear for Wild, Architecht, Fitness and Hula and then they were possible to get in stores. So then they only added smurfs to the old generationserie: 20228-20231.
After this they only added to the new genaration serie except for Gargamel. Probably because it was an old mold already existing but changed from supersmurf to regular figurine.
In 1990 they added 4 new ones to the new generationserie. Also in this case you can see a prototype of the patriotflag.
So officially no new smurfs were sold in 1988, but it still is a fact that Bodybuilder was added then. But since he was replaced with fitness and he is officially a 1989 release no new smurfs were sold in 1988.
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/lol.gif)