Blue Cavern

Just like the thirsty, the cleaner was never sold in US.

But it was also made in Hongkong like thirsty.

Thirsty was sold in Australia with Hongkong-markings.
But I have never seen the cleaner sold in Australia. And not on any BP Australia pictures.

Now I know that the cleaner with Hongkong-marking was sold in New Zealand.

But still the angry with Hongkong-markings is a mystery!!

Also the Bully flying with Hongkongmarking( shown by Tintin in the variation thread) was made for the New Zealand market.

Hi

Sorry for asking, how do you know it's from the New Zealand market ??

Tintin

That is a good question Frank.

In the beginning the unmarked hongkongsmurfs were sold in Europe. Around 1977/78. We know that the early smurfs made for the National Benzole was made their but because of the leadpaintscandal they stopped with the Hongkongsmurfs in UK.

After this Schleich only used the Hongkongfactory for the markets outside Europe. As we know ,for example, they were made for the US market. Schleich also sold the Hongkongsmurfs in Australia and New Zealand until 1981 and 1982.

But some of these Hongkongmarked smurfs we can not find in catalogues by W Berrie or on Autralian posters. So they must have been sold elsewhere outside Europe.

Later in around 1984/85 when the sales dropped and the demand for the smurfs fell dramaticly in the US, the Hongkong-made smurfs were also sold in Europe. But then with W Berrie-markings since that was the last marking used in the US when the sales dropped.

Before 1982 the Hongkongmolds also did not have any W Berrie-marking, because they were sold in other countries where W Berrie did not sell smurfs. After 1982 they could add W Berrie in the molds because then all smurfs made in Hongkong were sold by W Berrie.

I have checked many auctions in new Zealand and for example the cleaner and the thirsty are very common in those lots and always marked Hongkong. So they were definatly sold a lot there. Could off course have been sold in other countries also. But not in Europe since we then used the dot-system, right!

New Zealand is a relatively small market and I think a lot of Kiwis travel a lot to Australia and/or Asia so I don't think it impossible to believe they may have picked up a lot of smurfs in Australia..I don't think Schleich sent different smurfs to New zealand than what they sent to Australia though..it would have not been worth the effort, would it?

Thanks is correct Maureen,

they have the exact same markings on almost all of them. But there are some differences.

For example the Smurfee and VFL was not sold in New zealand as far as I know. But on the other hand a few other smurfs seems to have been sold there. I think the BP cleaner only was sold in Australia and the white shirt cleaner was sold instead on New Zealand.

So there are some differences. But as you say they mainly sold the same smurfs. But I do think they sent them directly from Hongkong to the countries separatly, so they do not have to had sold exactly the same ones, right!

Hi Andre

Ok, this time ..........................
Sorry for all my difficult questions and curiosity, but that's me.
My glass is always half empty and not half full if you know what i mean

Tintin

New Zealand is a relatively small market and I think a lot of Kiwis travel a lot to Australia and/or Asia so I don't think it impossible to believe they may have picked up a lot of smurfs in Australia..I don't think Schleich sent different smurfs to New zealand than what they sent to Australia though..it would have not been worth the effort, would it?

I have to say this also Maureen.

When I say I check lots, I mean lots with more than 50 smurfs and old collections. So then it is very likely they bought them in New Zealand if they say so.

Also BP tells on their website that New zealand was one of the countries they sold smurfs in.

"BP stations in the Netherlands gave customers a free Smurf figurine with every fuel purchase. The Smurfs, the creation of a Belgian cartoonist, had been enjoying a growing, underground celebrity in Europe.

Promotions at BP-owned stations in the UK, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa followed, fanning a sweep of Smurf mania. At times cars backed up at the pumps, with families anxious to fill up and get the latest figurine. "

BP- owned, means National Benzole in UK.

This is a good example of such a auction Maureen.

Only Hongkong-marked smurfs and only smurfs made to 1981/1982 when BP stopped selling in New Zealand and Australia. Every smurfs goes perfect with the time they were sold there. Those type of auctions are the ones we should look for when getting the history.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/antiques-colle ... 282261.htm

Check the pictures. All goes very well with smurfs marked only Hongkong and without W Berrie!!

Hi Andre

Ok, this time ..........................
Sorry for all my difficult questions and curiosity, but that's me.
My glass is always half empty and not half full if you know what i mean

Tintin

Frank,

I love questions like yours!

No fun if everybody agrees with everything always right?

You seem to be right again...I checked my all white soccer player keyring from New Zealand and it's Hong kong as well

I think they always used hongkongmade smurfs. But in the beginning there were some smurfs sold or given away with yellow dots. Probably because there were then some smurfs not yet made in Hongkong. Or that they did not have many enough in some cases? In those cases when using the not hongkong-marked ones they used the same ones that was sold in UK for National, since basicly they were made for the same company.

An exception is then off course the BP playset. The reason for this being a european-made item is that the petrol pump was never made in Hongkong. So this item was made in Europe and then sent to BP Australia, that could also be a reason why many collectors thought that it was sold in Europe??

Kind of like the windmill. Never made in Hongkong but sold in US by W Berrie in the germanymade box with the germanmade parts.