Blue Cavern

Kitytycavern has some very nice photos I have been looking at many times.

http://www.kittyscavern.com/smurfdistri ... istory.htm

Now when I have learned a lot more about the history, these are even more intresting.

This helps us with the approximatly dating of the dots.

And also it is intresting to see a picture of a NEW venezuelean distributer on a picture from 1982. This tells us that it was during this time Schleich sold smurfs in southamerica.?? So maybe 1983 and 1984 could be correct for Hering?

Regarding dots.

Yellow dots. Probably started 1979, because UK newspaper told us the first smurfs sold in UK was painted in Hongkong ( suspected toxic paint) and therefore they started with the dots then. Portugal factory opened around 1980 according the pictures. I guess in 1979.
So yellow dots were used 1979 to 1985.

Green dots were used for the Tunesia-painted smurfs between 1982 and 1983??

Red dots. Sri Lanka factory opened 1982 according to the picture. My guess is that they from 1983 did not need to paint smurfs in Tunesia and only used Portugal factory and Sri Lanka factory for the smurfs sold in the EC. So red dots between 1983 and 1987.

After 1987/88 I don´t think any of these dots were used!! Only black, white and blue???

This is just thoughts as usual but they seem so faar going very well with the chronological order of the markings and dots we have seen so faar in the threads?? What do you think??

Another interesting, but complicated subject!
So, for instance, my indian wgermany with green dot is painted in Tunesia, but .. my indian sri lanka has a black dot Or is the dot black because the feet are red and a red dot wouldn`t be seen??

Lia

Yes it is a bit complicated, Lia!!

That is the reason I ask you all the time!! I need to know your opinions all the time to see if my thoughts are right. And always great to get questions.

Yes, your indian green dot is painted in Tunesia approx. 1982.

Your black dot indian is painted after 1987. they probably used black dots on some and white dots on some, depending on which colour the base had. For example they could not paint a white dot if it had a white base??

Intresting with the red dot on red base-question. How did they paint the yellow dot if the base was yellow??? Maybe placed the dot somewhere else?? Because I don´t think they used more than one colour for each country all the time to 1986. But intresting question.

Sometimes they didn't use the paint dots, but a sticker. This sticker is very easy to remove and won't restick, so I bet there are a lot of smurfs out there that originally were sold with the sticker, but we'll never know.

I always thought that the dot was used if the smurf was painted in a different country than it was made/produced.
For example...Lia's Indian was made in Sri Lanka (marking) but painted in Portugal (black dot)

Here is a link to Rachel's page about the markings and dots. Doesn't go much into detail but I use it to remind me which country the color dots stand for

http://www.blueimps.com/smurf_markings.html

Great thoughts.

But if you check your markings the dots are strictly yearbased.

For example, no smurfs made after 1987, have red, yellow or green dots. Because from around 1987/88 they started with the black and white dots. Before they started with the printed CE. White dots were used when the smurf had a black base.

Smurfs made before this have red, yellow and red dots depending on which country it was painted in.

But like Frank told us this ONLY goes for the smurfs being painted outside EC and sold in the EC. So for example the smurfs sold in US never needed the dots. And the smurfs made in germany and sold in Germany did not need any dots!!

So I still think it is like this:

Yellow dot Portugal( 1979-1985) Portugal then joins the EC and no dots are needed.

Green dot Tunesia ( 1982-1983).

Red dot Sri Lanka ( 1983-1986).

All smurfs made after 1987 got a black or white dot if they were painted outside EC and sold in EC. No country connection as faar as I know.

Blue dot ( China) they started using later.

If anyone has a smurf that don´t go with this please add this. Then I promise I change my mind!!?? Maybe??

Regarding the years they are approximate +- one year???

Regarding Lia's question- if a smurf with a red mold was painted in SL or part of the smurf eg legs were to be painted red then a black dot was often used

I have a few like this....

Thanks Martin!!