[André]

Hi again,

I wanted to explain one thing many collectors write.

It is common that we write the Schleich factory in Hongkong, portugal, Sri Lanka and Tunesia. I do so also. But I want to clearify that these factories are not owned by Schleich. It is just factories used by Schleich. So they can actually stop using that factory if they want, or only use it when the demand is high.

For example the tunesian factory also makes figurines for Steiff, Bullyland, Ferrero, Märklin, tipp-kick, Dom-plastik etc.

Same with the Portugal-factory owned by Maia Borges. Schleich never owns these factories as faar as I know, they only use them for making their items!!

Same with Wallace Berrie. It was only a marketing firm from San Fernando Valley, which Stuart Ross used to sell the smurfs in the US. And they had a contract with Schleich only concerning the PVC-figurines and other contracts for other smurf-products with other companies.

So W Berrie never made any figurines. Schleich used a factory in Hongkong to make smurfs for W Berrie! So just because it has a W Berrie or Applause marking does not mean those companies made the figurines.

[André]

Another intresting thing from the SCCI letters are that they write that Schleich sold smurfs with Bully markings and Bully sold smurfs with Schleich markings.

And since they had pretty good contacts with Schleich we can assume that is correct!