[Max]

This smurf was made years ago for thanking workers inside Schleich.
It's signed by Frau Schleich.
My source is direct and obviously reserved.
The writing in the pic is voluntarily not clear...fakers never sleep.

Max

p.s.: wow, this is my 200th post in 6 years!

[Tintin]

Hi Max

Great catch again, and you are right ......... a lot of fakers around.

Congrats with the 200th post.
I am sure you have way more smurfs you can show so you can reach 250 or even more posts

Tintin

[Smurfysmurf]

Another great one for your collection, Max.

Is her signature printed or did she sign each little card. No need to post a close up picture because you are correct about fakers, but I'd be interested to know just in case I am as lucky as you are with this one .....one day....way in the future.....a girl can dream, can she not?

[André]

Hi,

Maureen, I don´t think it is the real "Frau Schleich". Friedrich Schleich died in 1978 and was 78 years old. I doubt that his wife still was active in the company in 1998, unless there was a big difference in age between them??? I am not sure when she died.

So it is probably another signature??? Or a symbolic thing??

Here are the years and owners of Schleich:

"Friedrich Schleich sold the company in 1977 and died in 1978, 78 years old.
Hermann Schneider resigned after the bancruptcy in 1987.
Scholz company, Franz-Ulrich Köster, Klaus Schwarz and Paul Kraut Sr took over. In 1997 Köster, Schwarz and Kraut accuired the remaining shares owned by Scholz. So Scholz was no longer owner in 1997. Paul Kraut Junior joined Schleich in herlikofen 1999.
F-U Köster stepped down in 2003. Paul Kraut Jr has headed the company since 2004.

All of them sold their shares to the equity fund HG Capital in 2006.

Erich Schefold joined the company in 2007."

[André]

Schleich had 2 daughters with his first wife Hedwig. None of them were interested in take over the buisness. His second wife wanted to take more part in the company, but was also the reason for the family row with Volkmar Klaus, when he left Schleich and started his own firm Bully. When Schleich sold the company in 1977 maybe his second wife stayed at Schleich longer, but I have no idea for how long. But probably not all the way to 1998/99??

The smurf on the picture was sold the first time in 1999.

It is very easy to put any sign you want in that "board"??

[Tintin]

Hi

Maybe just a kind of thank you from a female manager to some Schleich workers

But these things can be faked very easely .......

Tintin

[André]

Yes Frank,

they are easy to fake and I have seen other smurfs like this with other cards inside.

[Tintin]

Hi Andre

We will never know for sure, but knowing Max .... i believe him !!

Tintin

[Max]

Thanks Tintin
I'll ask to my friend, being relative of that family, their family tree.
Come on...
Laugh with me, Tintin!


Max

[André]

Hi Andre

We will never know for sure, but knowing Max .... i believe him !!

Tintin

Could be genuine. Depends on what is written!!

I just try to help with facts so all collectors can make up their own opinions.

And there are so many fakes out there with strange loose accessories, prints and paintvariations. When checking ebay it seems there are new variations every week. And it seems if they put Shell, BP or similair on the smurfs they immediatly are considered genuine.

[André]

Max,

what is your opinion about these items?

http://www.ebay.de/itm/PILZ-BANK-2-SCHL ... 20c47ab6f0

http://www.ebay.de/itm/MECHANIKER-SCHLU ... 20c4803fba

http://www.ebay.de/itm/MECHANIKER-SCHLU ... 20c4803d2b

Do you for example think the red bench was made by Schleich?

[Smurfysmurf]

I don't think the seller claims they are originals, does he?

I do understand where you are coming from, Andre and you know that I agree with you in regards to fakes and home mades.

In the case of Max's smurf, I did not consider the dates so it probably was not signed by either of the two Frau Schleichs but as TinTin said it might have been signed as a synomym. But on the other hand, there is no reason to believe it's not a genuine smurf given out to the workers of Schleich at the time..and we all know Max has his contacts for such items

[Max]

Thanks Maureen.
Every other reply is superfluous.

Max

[André]

Hi everyone!!

I can now confirm that the smurf Max showed in the beginning of this thread is a genuine smurf. I have talked to the person at Schleich who made this. So I know which name the signature is and he himself prepared these ones for his co-workers at his department at Schleich!!