[steveparkes]

Nice to have some old smurfs back repackaged, but I can't believe that Schleich has nothing planned for 2011...do they know a smurf movie is coming out??????

[Gerda]

Thanks for posting, Lia.

Btw. guys: I was just wondering how the values of some of the elderly figurines will be affected by the re-release? I know that Angry used to be valuable, but since he's one of the re-releases, I think that his value is going to drop. What's your opinion on that topic?

I think surely the value of them will go down, after all with much more in supply why pay more than you have to. BUT the different Mold variations could still be the same in prize.


This is the same box that is used in the sets that came out here in the u.s. Also it looks like it is in english so there is hope that the stores here might carry these. fingers crossed because importing them will be a fortune on shipping.
I'm torn though if this is a good idea or not. On the one hand yes it is a cop out to reisue old smurfs but on the other hand you are reintroducing them to people who may have only seen them years ago and in doing so you want them to go "hey I use to have this little guy" If we take ourselves out of the collectors circle for a moment then this don't seem like such a bad move to show old and some newer smurfs to people. and lets face it, we are a hard crowd to please so unless they come up with new promos every few months, new color markings or playsets then we will complain (me being in that crowd of complainers of course) I'm still hopefull that they have something up there sleeves and we will be surprised.. and if not as long as they don't announce that smurfs will no longer be made i'll be happy.

[Azrael]

PHEW! I thought I was alone in my 'boo- schleich'.. Now after a few days it seems I can sleep well again!

As a kid I WISHED for the black smurf as I could never find it It was like, my holy grail. Oh well.

[Gerda]

Robert brought up a good point when I mentioned to him the new (old) smurfs coming out. He wondered if they will have all the new markings like with the address on them? If so it will be VERY easy to see which smurfs are the old ones or not.


g

[Smurfysmurf]

Yes, I am convinced they will have the latest markings on them..I also think the paint will be different so they should be easy to identify

[Gerda]

just noticed this on the harvest set, except for the traveler smurf it is the same smurfs used in the german kombi sets that came with the play mat and supers.

[barrufet]

For me it's a very BAD news not to have new smurfs with new molds.
For the very first time in lots of years we won't have new smurfs.
Personally I won't buy any of these boxes. The only interesting smurf is the one with the football cup because it's quite expensive now.

If Schleich really have all the old molds and if they REALLY would like to celebrate the 50th -or even the 52nd anniversary- they KNOW what they should release:
the pair of praying smurfs, smurf with wreath, baseball smurfette, xmas prototype smurfs, astrosmurf with car, ETC, ETC, ETC...
If they don't want to waste any of these old smurfs because they want to keep the special molds with them until all smurf collectors die
they could release at least ONE special smurf like the one they did for the 40th anniversary. Just ONE.

Nothing of these seems it's gonna happen, so, for me this is a big LIE.
As a protest, no one should buy these boxes.

Now I wonder: if there would be no smurf movie, what would happen to Schleich smurfs? It would be the END !?

[lobo]

I totally agree with barrufet.I am really disappointed and I won´t buy any of these boxes.If at least they had included the one I still miss - red and golden cone - or some of the now expensive and rare smurfs as a favor to collectors like us I´d think of buying them but they have chosen easy-to-find smurfs instead.
They have just lost a great opportunity to make things well and if this is the end Goodbye, Schleich.I´m sure another company will take your place with new and fresh ideas.

[Cassiebsg]

I´m sure another company will take your place with new and fresh ideas.

Jakks pacific? I really like those smurfs! (even though most are "identical" to the Schleich ones).
Right now, it's easier to find these than the Schleich ones, and then they're cheaper (you get 2 smurfs for almost same price as one Schleich). Every toy shop and super/hypermarket are carying the Jakks Smurfs. While only on 1 or 2 toy shops you can be lucky to find the PVCs....

Maybe I'll be lucky and these smurfs will start showing up as lose figures for auction and then I can acquire the only 2 I'm missing of these.

[lobo]

Jakks Pacific.
Yes, I love these smurfs.Unfortunately I can´t find them in Spain and on e-bay they are really expensive.I miss the last wave and I´d love to have them.
Yes, maybe Jakks will be the future but we´ll see what happens after the movie... Even Schleich may wake up and do something else

--- keep dreaming, Carlos----

[Smurfysmurf]

If Schleich really have all the old molds and if they REALLY would like to celebrate the 50th -or even the 52nd anniversary- they KNOW what they should release:
the pair of praying smurfs, smurf with wreath, baseball smurfette, xmas prototype smurfs, astrosmurf with car, ETC, ETC, ETC...

Not sure I would like that...a re-release of those smurfs would decrease the value of the existing ones quite a bit

Anybody thought of it this way?
How many of these display boxes will actually still be intact in a few years? Most parents and kids will take the smurfs out of the display boxes..so I'd say it will be fairly hard to get a complete box (set) in a few years and the ones we are able to get now will be quite valuable. Take the village playsets (Harvest, school, traffic) with the maps as an example. When these came out, they probably were fairly cheap to get as Schleich never looked at them as a collectible item...but if you want to get one now you have to be prepared to spend a lot of money for those. The same applies to the School/playground platysets, the Gargamel castle and the farmhouse.

As to whether Schleich will stop wtih the smurf production...I'd say that depends on their sales numbers and the interest in smurfs From what I have seen in the toystores in Germany, the interest is definitely there, but it's the "real" smurfs (meaning not the Halloween, star signs, Indian smurfs) that were sold while I was there

One thing I would like Schleich to do is follow the Disney example and release the "common" smurfs that everybody can afford and release limited item smurfs for us collectors

[Tracker Smurf]

All this doom and gloom...has schleich implied that smurfs are not doing well? As I have recently (within the last couple of years) gotten into smurf collecting again as has my daughter (4) I'm guessing their are more situations like this. In fact as a teacher having shared my interest (we do a smurf themed website) I've actually found myself racing to places that we find sell smurfs before my students beat me to them. I think with the movie coming out and more of us willing to share our interest with the next generations smurfs is far from dead... When I was a child I had no idea smurfs had been around as long as it has... i thought the cartoon was something new. When I saw smurfs as an adult I was quite surprised they were still around. Smurfs are what they refer to in the toy industry as an evergreen property. Now on the schleich issue... I don't think they would be willing to give up an evergreen property. Perhaps this year to tie in with the movie the felt marketing the 5 packs would be great for the new children fans. Is this a wise move? maybe not... but as someone who wants these smurfs for my children I will buy them... as a collector I'd prefer to hunt for the originals but I don't think my daughter cares if they are or not. ANyways we just need to wait and see what happens... I wonder what is at a greater cost for schleich though... 8 news msurfs or rereleasing 25 older smurfs?
Sorry for rambling on just sharing some of my thoughts. I hope smurfs continue on for years to come.. under schleich or someone else (and trust me if schleich drops them I'm sure somebody would step up.

[André]

I don´t think Schleich has problems. But when you ask toystoreowners in Sweden they usually say that children buy animals and adults buy smurfs. And you see on the shelves that the smurf are not selling so well. But this is only in Sweden maybe??? And it could change and probably will with the new movie.

I think the new boxes is a "strategic choice" and for buyers like Tracker smurfs daughter, children. They don´t care if it is a new mold or not. They were not around when these molds were sold last time, right??

So maybe Schleich just picked the best seller during these years??? I think the soccersmurfs sold pretty well??? Or they just picked charaters from the comics being released again. Like papa, angry, spy etc. ?? I have no idea how they were thinking but I hope they will give us more items during next year???

And regarding the jakks pacific. It is also a company with shareholders, owners etc. They will probably act exactly the same way, whatever the reasons are, like Schleich. Schleich has been making smurfs since 1965. Jaaks pacific has made them for 2 years, so if they don´t introduce any new smurfs next year. Will you be angry at them to and suggest that nobody should buy any potential old mold releases from them???

Personally I am happy for all new smurfs no matter which company!!

[stampysmurf]

I think that's why they came out with the display packs too, they wanted to get the original smurf figures out to children that play with toys. I think I remember somebody on here saying once that Schleich told them "we sell toys, not collectibles"
I don't know if I will buy any of the new display packs but I'm happy to see that smurfs are back on the shelves in toy stores!!

[agent smurf]

maybe they gonna release 12 smurfs in 2012

[Schleicher]

Those sets are the only new Smurf items Schleich will launch in January 2011. But Schleich has three launches each year. January, May and September. You will see new Smurf items in the May launch. And you will know what they are once you have the 2011 Schleich catalogue in your hands.

[Smurfysmurf]

Does anybody know which smurfs are being discontinued? Usually we know by now

[angelsmurf]

...You will see new Smurf items in the May launch. And you will know what they are once you have the 2011 Schleich catalogue in your hands.

Schleicher, I can't hardly wait to continue with my catalogue postings

[Cassiebsg]

You will see new Smurf items in the May launch. And you will know what they are once you have the 2011 Schleich catalogue in your hands.

Oh, something to look forward to!
Thanks for the heads up Schleicher.

[André]

Those sets are the only new Smurf items Schleich will launch in January 2011. But Schleich has three launches each year. January, May and September. You will see new Smurf items in the May launch. And you will know what they are once you have the 2011 Schleich catalogue in your hands.

Thanks Schleicher!!

I love to hear that!!

By the way do you know if Schleich have plans to only sell smurfs in boxes or still sell them as loose items like the animals??