Hi all and thanks to one and all for the smurfy warm receiption from all you humans and smurfs alike... and those who may actually be smurfs trapped in human form.!?!
I have been collecting seriously for 3-4 years. I originally only owned one smurf back when they were popular and had "smurf envy" of all my primary school friends whom had real collections. Now I'm all grown up (cough) and realized that the unappeased smurf envy has shaped my like into the obsessive type who has to collect them all!!!! I'm not crazy really!! Unfortunately the nz importers stopped importing them in the mid 90s so we haven't been able to buy them from the shops when I did finally decide to work out this obsession. But thats where the thrill of the chase comes into it, getting them over the internet and getting in contact with lots of other collectors.
I have been fortunate in being offered very good deals and rare or unusual smurfing oportunities in the last few years. I have also been stung on ebay a few times where the picture wasn't the exact smurf being sold.. aka missing bits, repainted or those packages that get lost in the mail have tainted the experience. As a result of this and to appease the devil smurf on my shoulder who makes me spend too much on the procurement of smurfs, I have resorted to making my own versions of the blue captains, two majorettes, yellow cake and frogman.. I wouldn't otherwise be able to afford them (assuming I could find them) and I forego the sinking feeling that seems to happen when you spend twice your weekly food bill on one smurf only to find its back on your "to get" list. Some like the #1 graduation and praying xmas smurfs are reproductions, but thats okay because thats what I paid for them as. Most on my collection (99%) are genuine.
All in all my collection has slowed down in the last six months to almost nothing so the customization of spares has been what has been keeping me involved with our wee blue friends. On the to-make list in the next few weeks include Xena (aerobics), dracula (spy), the riddler (astro) and screem (judge) among others.
Re the Wallaby rugby smurf.. I haven't seen an original version despite looking.. not even sure if there ever was one made??? but I thought no collection of rugby smurfs would be complete without someone to beat
re Timeless trinkets.. I have admired peoples handy work there for quite some time and wanted to give it a go one day. So this year I made it happen. I day after I created the website I emailed Marla at Timeless trinkets whom promptly featured my smurfs and a link to my site. Very flattering to be considered to be up there with those whos handy work inspired mine.
Smurfs are from Mars and Smurfettes are from Venus!