Blue Cavern

I thought I would start this early as the end of the year may be a bit busy for me due to working on Panto in Windsor... working on the stage crew, but the pay is lousy but I know, I know... beggars can't be choosers and cannot moan...

I did say to Martin in Feb this year that things had been a little slow and that there weren't many things on ebay... well here goes to some of the ones I've found since then

These are my 'Nice Finds'

NICE FINDS.
20012- Mechanic- Portugal red dot
20033- Clown, portgual, (trousers without stripes, but paint faded a bit at the front )
20057- Thirsty orange bottle- red dot
20057- Thirst green bottle- red dot
20069- Jungle- Bully mustard dot
20071- Flying- Bully mustard dot
20084- Handstand- Bully mustard dot ones
20143- CB Radio- detachable aerial, no dot
20174- Papa book with red Magic and symbols, plus 2 others
20191- Brainy ref- first HK version
20217- Gown- W.Germany, no dot
20406- Nanny- Germany, China, CE
20420- Scruple-lighter hair variation
20745- Winner- eyes looking up

Then some:

PROMOS.
20057- Thirsty green bottle promos
20058- both BP promo Champions
20417- Sports and Fitness promo
20480- Have a heart- W.Berrie & Co, HK
20549- GATZ Indian Canoe promo
BASF PROMOS
40216- Super Fireman keychain promo (not the one Felix sold with the fire Dep Emblem)

A few green dots.... not as many as Martin would have found though

20049- Tennis- green dot
20094- Oboe- green dot
20102- Archer green dot
20111- Cupid- green dot
20134- Judo green dot

Some UK stuff

UK VARIATIONS.
Chain Gang- UK box & Mai Borges box
Cage- UK box
Garden playset 2- UK box
Skateboard- UK box- yellow shirt
UK House in box (box is ripped in places though )

Here are my Gems of the Year! I've added my UK ones to the pic May be a few more before the year is out

GEMS
20003- Bully Astro, blue top
20049- Tennis- all in one mold
20054- First aid with molded loop for keyring
20058- Champion- green wreath, red berries
20057- Thirsty- brown bottle
20065- White pvc British Lions rugby
20065- Dark blue French rugby ( a HUGE Thank You to Andreas!!!! )
20069- Jungle- brown loin cloth
20102- Archer- green and red colours
20103- Pupil, yellow satchel
20156- Valentine- pink dress
20431- Monk- light brown variation

How has everyone else's year been for smurf finds???

p.s. don't think I will beat this lot next year unless I win the lottery

Well, Tommo, that is a very massive diamond necklace !
This year, I have bought very few smurfs as I have so many full boxes to list.
I can remember :
- 20024 with black lantern
- many CNT smurfs bought in Spain
- some early Schleich smurfs

Thinking about it Arno, over the year it most probably is I daren’t add it up. Next year will be different though especially as here in the UK we’ll be hit with VAT on anything coming from the EU

You need to open those boxes quicker so we can see what you’ve got! Do you think you’ll have them all listed by the end of next year?

No way I can compete with that Tommo!!!

I need to read that list again as some I did not even know existed

Highlights wd be:

Gardener brown buckets
Ski green dot- a bastard to get
Cushion green dot
Traveller green dot
Brainy red dot
Ski first Bully edition and muster
Tankwart Shell
Baby blue CE black dot

Great news about the panto work Tommo!

I remember as a kid getting a huge kiss from Mollie Sugden during a Christmas run at the Liverpool Empire

Well, that would be great to have listed them by end of 2021 ; but I am not sure because it takes so much time - I can't complain to have them, but I must say I am overwhelmed

It didn't mean for it to look like a competition Martin and the ones on your list, as well as your Alchemists, are just as impressive, if not more so, than my little gems. I will definitely cut back next year and try to hunt out the remaining early Schleich and Bully smurfs. As you've said, I don't think the rarity of these early smurfs is highlighted enough or given much importance compared to colour variations. Maybe it's just that those who do the books are not aware of them? Just flicking through Davi's book, he's got the hand etched Bully Astro with all white suit as a 3 star, the same as a peyo only Flying

With the amount of smurfs you have Arno, I'm not surprised that you are overwhelmed Even with mine, I got another blue storage box today which brings the count to 60 boxes, I feel that I've got too many and my collection is a fraction of yours.

Yeahh some of your smurfs are really impressive. And sometimes you have to cut down the expenses.
And the fun you had getting the yellow shirt skateboarder smurf cheaply is much more compared to just paying a lot of money

Thank you Andreas! I completely agree with it being more fun finding bargains The First Aid 20054 with the molded loop on the top of the head I got for around €7, which was another great find. I enjoy more finding the early Schleich and Bully smurfs wihout the markings or just peyo. I love it that I have these ones in the picture, but I think next year will be a lot tighter budget wise. Plus, I decided today to work out how much I have spent this year on smurfs The postage costs amount to 25% of the total and to be honest I would prefer to use the postage costs to pay for trips to smurf fairs where I can meet some great people, see some great sights and get to see the smurfs before I buy them... saying that, Ebay is still great for bargains if you can find them
cheers, Tommo

I forgot about the Alchemists!!

If my wife looks at my outgoings for smurfs, you will see my name in the obituary columns

Tommo, tell me more about:

20057- Thirst green bottle- red dot
20143- CB Radio- detachable aerial, no dot
20191- Brainy ref- first HK version
20406- Nanny- Germany, China, CE
20420- Scruple-lighter hair variation

Esp the CB......!!

Thanks

Hi Martin,

CB is posted in the thread, you even commented on it There is one on Ebay at the moment I think, will send you the link. Nanny I've also posted, green bottle Thirsty red dot I've posted as well and Scruples with lighter hair I've posted André explains about the first HK version of the Referee thread
cheers, Tommo

God help me.......this virus must have laid waste to my memory banks.......thanks Tommo

Martin, I think it's down to the fact that everyone else isn't working their arses off, flat out, in a heavily underfunded NHS, in the middle of a second wave of Coronavirus with a government that hasn't changed or learnt anything since the first wave... hope you bought that CB Radio I sent you the link to, Bent is a good seller!

For me, this year has been a unusual year in regards to collecting Smurfs.

It was the first time I brought Smurfs from America and also two large lots of mixed Smurfs from Blue Dwarfs (The Netherlands). Not only is postage to Australia expensive but it is taking a longer to receive the goods. Anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks from Europe or America.

Finding rare Smurfs in within Australia has also become a challenge. Because of this, the starting price is often ridiculous and not worth bidding on. Also in the past, I was able to go to a shop that sold second hand Smurfs but it was closed during 3 months of lockdown. But in saying this, there has been many positives.

20007 Angry with Peyo marking (2 holes under feet)
20009 Drummer with Dupuis Union markings
20024 Lantern with black lantern
20057 Thirsty with green bottle
20059 Teacher with brown book with red writing
20063 Tailor with Hong Kong markings
20064 Toothbrush with W. Berrie Co 1980 markings
20065 Rugby keyring with W.B.CO markings
20077 Naughty with Dupuis Union markings
20096 Sledgehammer with a mustard paint dot
20135 Tennis Smurfette with Portugal markings with a red paint dot
20145 Haymaker with a mustard paint dot
20221 Orange Surprise Cone
20412 Bride with blue paint dot
20413 Groom with blue paint dot
20477 Beach Volley with matte paint colours and no paint dot

51907 Candy Cane with Hong markings

20054 First Aid with green case (Flanders Red Cross)
20202 Pink Baby on Maia & Borges round pedestal
16 OMO Blue mini Smurfs
40247 Jokey with trick box

I also added some CNT Smurfs and Super Smurfs with their corresponding boxes to my collection.

The other Smurf I added to my collection was one metre tall plush Smurf toy that sits at my dinning table while I work from home. I have basically worked from home since April and will continue to do so until at least to Christmas. A great companion during lockdown.

There are some amazing finds there Kath, well done!!!

I loved it when I was going down your list how my eyes kept lighting up!

Teacher with brown book and red writing! Fantastic! With the embossed print? Still haven't found this one!!

Dupuis Union ones!!!! Must start collecting these, and Rugby W.B.Co !! Great!!! Very Jealous. I love the rugby ones.

Being here in Old Blighty and complaining, to myself, about the cost of shipping from America, you being in Australia is a completely different ball game. Even with the dumb ass Brexit next year, the cost of smurfs and especially the shipping will still be so much lower than what you have to put up with. Sorry to hear that prices are a bit crazy for you within Australia.

Great finds for the year Kath!!!!

Thanks Tommo
Am hoping for his sake that the cb seller isn’t English with a name like that.....he wouldn’t have survived otherwise

Thanks Tommo, I will confess most of mine are far from being in mint condition but I don’t care. Smurfs were made as toys not as collectibles.

I think we all enjoy seeing each other’s latest addition or discovery. This forum is also a special as it allows us to escape to another place away from the reality of life.