[Smurfysmurf]

This is just one of my famous randomn thoughts

I think, a lot of us have rare items in our collections that we spent a bit more on that we "should" have but we wanted to have it. Some of us even have really rare items that were released only in a limited number..or so we thought at the time we got the item.

How do you feel, when you realize that other collectors suddenly are able to get the same item and it's no longer that rare. Is it any less special for you...or does it not matter how many others have the same item?

I am thinking for example of the Fix & Foxi smurfs which were, I think, very rare, until a warehouse load was found..and now it seems, most collectors have at least one....then we have the so called Christmas prototypes which are turning out to be not quite so unique as originally thought

[Smurf1303]

Interesting question, thanks for posing.

For me if something is very expensive (more than £100 say), then I've bought it because I really really want it and no matter how many other people have it, it would still be something that would make me happy.

My most expensive item is my Astro playset and even if everyone had one I'd still love it as it's my favourite of the smurf stories.

I would never spend a lot of money on something unless I really wanted it for itself rather than its rareness. Of course if I won the lottery or by other means acquired a hell of a lot of money I might take a different view...

[Tintin]

Hi Maureen

Great question.

When you know you buy a rare item for a "rare" price ofcourse you want it to stay rare................but somehow you know that's not always going to happen.
So if i buy a smurf that i really want, i am just happy to have the change to buy it.

Tintin

[Smurfysmurf]

I feel the same, but then again, I don't have any of those really rare or unique smurfs that are worth that much money, so I really don't know how I would feel if one of them suddenly becomes less unique

Of course, you are always happy for a collector who is able to afford something like it, so that's not really the question..it's more how you feel about your own smurf..

I hope I am making sense

I do have a few smurfy items in my collection that aren't worth much but that I am proud of..because I know they are unique..not worth a lot of money..but pretty rare and unique (and they are official items). Since they aren't worth much, I always wondered if I would still be proud of them, if I knew of 10 other collectors who had them

[Tintin]

Hi

Well i think everyone has a unique smurf in his or her collection.
A few months ago you bought a great sokkel ................. and i am sure you have more items.

And it's not always the smurf that makes it unique but also the story behind it. If a good friend or family gives you a smurf, it can be unique to.
Then it doesn't cost a thing, but it can be priceless !!!!!

Tintin

[Smurfysmurf]

True, TinTin...those are the jewels of our collections, aren't they?

[Pitufo]

Intresting question, Maureen...But I have another one for you...

then we have the so called Christmas prototypes which are turning out to be not quite so unique as originally thought

WHERE can I find them???

[Tintin]

Hi Joaquin

This doesn't ring a bell with me.............. how about you ??

Tintin

[Smurfysmurf]

Intresting question, Maureen...But I have another one for you...

then we have the so called Christmas prototypes which are turning out to be not quite so unique as originally thought

WHERE can I find them???

Oh, you'll find them..if you are willing (or able) to pay for them

[smurfowen]

First of all we have to relise the difference between the word rare and specail. I think with a lot of people, they feel that if they own a rare smurf it makes them more special than the rest. In my opinion a rare smurf is one created by the hand of pierre culliford himself, painted by him and that there is only one in the world! What is rare on the old end of the day. First we thought that the Christmas prototypes were unobtainable, and that if you did not have one you were less a collector than others. Then we found out that they were not so difficult to get, problem is people think the more you pay the more rare it is. What a joke.

To me there are rare smurfs, hula smurf, the train set, blue overall shell smurf.
To me there are special smurfs, the first one that my dad gave me 33 years ago.

So to answer the question, I really don't care if someone has a rare £10000 smurf, I care if it means something to them.

[Tintin]

Hi

Maybe i am guilty in this, i like to collect superrare smurfs ( rare because they are hardly to be found, not because they are rare in price )

But i don't feel myself better then anyone else when i find one.

Just like you Owen i have special smurfs from family and friends..........
And they are the most important ones !!!!!

Tintin

[smurfowen]

Hi


Just like you Owen i have special smurfs from family and friends..........
And they are the most important ones !!!!!

Tintin

This is why i like you

lol

[André]

As many of you have said rare necessarily don´t mean expensive.

For example I have many very rare markingvariations and boxvariations, but not that many collect those and they are not always that expensive. Most collectors want differences you can easily see, like paintvariations and promos and they therefore also costs more. I don´t have many of those, on the other hand those are the ones easiest to fake??

For me the most important and valuable ones are the ones with a history, as others also have said!!

[Lia]

I agree that there is a difference between "rare" and "special"

For me, the rare ones ( no matter their value) are the ones that I wanted with all my heart and finally ( after years of searching...!) managed to find, like the angler with ribbons or some very rare beloved spanish smurfs.

The special smurfs however are the gifts of real friends ànd vice versa!They have a place forever in my heart!

Lia

[Gerda]

I agree with Maureens point of view that it is frustrating to obtain a smurf you thought was rare and then shortly there after find tons of them for much much less, that always gets me when I think of the money I could have saved.
But I also agree that there are special smurfs that are priceless to me that I would never part with where others would consider them junk (like my little kicker smurf) Even my first handfull of original smurfs from my childhood have more value to me than anything I have collected since and would never part with even if the day came where I sold all my smurfy's those few would stay with me always.
I also have some that I spent more money on simply because I needed them to complete the collection of pvc's, point being the baseball smurfette, altough she has been on ebay alot when I needed her to finish off my pvc's I could not get her to save my butt and finally went all out to obtain her thus spending more than I knew she was worth, but I did not care, still don't as I know that the joy of finishing off a set of something is a great feeling.

[Tojo]

I must admit that I'm not in a position to say that I have spent lots for something that I thought was rare only for it to become more common later. I was really glad that those Fix & Foxis turned up as otherwise I quite probably wouldn't have one now.

The rarest items I have are the carneval medals as I know for a fact that there were only around 75 to 150 or so made of each one (the older ones were made in smaller numbers) so they will never become common.

I think I would possibly also include the smurfs I have that Steve made. They didn't cost the earth but I love them & they are special as they were made by him & I can't see Steve making & painting hundreds of Clockwork Smurfettes in the near future Anyway he's too busy making Gremlins & building his village at the moment

[Ritter_Schlumpfenherz]

First of all we have to relise the difference between the word rare and specail. I think with a lot of people, they feel that if they own a rare smurf it makes them more special than the rest. In my opinion a rare smurf is one created by the hand of pierre culliford himself, painted by him and that there is only one in the world! What is rare on the old end of the day. First we thought that the Christmas prototypes were unobtainable, and that if you did not have one you were less a collector than others. Then we found out that they were not so difficult to get, problem is people think the more you pay the more rare it is. What a joke.

To me there are rare smurfs, hula smurf, the train set, blue overall shell smurf.
To me there are special smurfs, the first one that my dad gave me 33 years ago.

So to answer the question, I really don't care if someone has a rare £10000 smurf, I care if it means something to them.

Very well said, Pierre.

I'm not jealous of anyone who can afford a rare piece. I do cherish my special smurfs (such as the ones Steve created for me and the ones I got from my late Granny, my parents or anyone of you). True, I'm happy when I come across a rare cutie for a decent price, but any variant or mispainting would do just the same.

[bwalters]

I have a few of what are considered rare. But for me my letter I got from Wallace berry back in the 80's is my most prized item. Not because it is expensive, but as far as I know. I am the only one that has one. I'm sure that other people also recieved it from them, but I doubt that anyone else kept it. Or at least they haven't came forward. And even if 100 people show up with one tomorrow it will still be special to me. When the TV station came to my house the day after the movie came out. One of the questions they asked was "what is your favorite item". I said " You are always excited about the last item you got". Actually I think I said door. At that moment, I had just recieved the build a bear Smurfs. Back in the 80's I bought out a Smurf dealer. It contained a Collectors center full of Smurfs 92 I think. And a plastic tray (I thought was Smurf) full of the child with gargamel mask, #1 grads and several other Smurfs that had just came out. I paid $75 for all of it. The collectors center was full of Smurfettes (batter) and many other sports type smurfs.

[André]

I just wrote this email and thought it would fit here??
Made some adjustments though, before telling more.

"Since I am mostly interested in finding out the history( that is what makes everything intresting), rather than actually having the items, it is so nice getting to the sources. Like the items I bought from a wife of a former Schleichemployee who several times had met Herman Schneider. Those items are really special just because of the history. Also these ones. They are a very big part of the Schleich history and also this is from a person who worked there and can tell the history of what really happend when XXXXXX had the rights for the smurfs in the early 80s. That really makes it special, compared to buying it for a lot of money from a smurfseller???"