Blue Cavern

I have read in André's website that Schleich declared itself bancrupt in january 1987.
Then what happened exacly between 1987 and 1990 ?
I mean, can we say about any smurf created between 1987 and 1990 : when he was drawn, when he was produced in PVC, when he was sold in shops ?
Looking at sellers catalogs and collectors flyers here on the forum, I see that :
1987-seller catalog : 20401-20405 : the smurflings are announced new ones and PVC prototypes are shown (looking like the smurfs we will know later, except that Puppy will get its original grey, we can read that in the SCCI letters) ; but are they available for sellers ? In Europe and in USA ?
1988-flyer : 20401-20405 are announced new ones (but they are not, so were they sold in 1987 ?), 20229 and 20230 PVC model (architect with white hat) / 20228 and 20231 sketches : these ones were not all ready to be trade when flyer was printed, but maybe sold in 1988 ??
1989-seller catalog : 20401-20405 once more announced as new ones, 20228-20231 PVC model all ready, but Hula prototype not sold this way.
1990-seller catalog : 20406-20409 announced as new ones, 20228-20231 Hula as communly known + 20401-20405 in catalog : for sure, in 1990 they were sold in shops.

How can we explain that 20401-20405 were shown in 1987, before 20228-20231 ? not logical with the numbers ?
Are there some of you who can say which smurf 20228-20231 and 20401-20405 was avaible in shops in which year ?
On my smurfs listing, I wrote that I bought my Hula in 1989, but I could be wrong, it seems strange, because the commun model is not shown before 1990's catalog...

One problem is that the 1988 seller catalog is not online here : it is the collector flyer 1988. I don't know where to find it ?

A good question Arno!

First I can say that what you remember from the Hula is correct. It was sold in 1989. The catalogues are made the year before the releases of the smurfs so sometimes the figurines or boxes printed are just prototypes that never are sold. That happens today also in the catalogues.

In the SCCI letters you can read that in summer 1989 they could buy the Hulasmurfette. Also they tell us in the first letter from 1990 that they then changed her hair to yellow. So if you got it in 1989 you should have the one with sandcoloured hair.

In my broschure about the new Schleich started in 1987, when they split the Company into 2 new companies: Schleich Spielzueg Vertriebs-Gmbh and S Spielzeug Production Gmbh. This was from January 1987 or at least as they say : Seit Anfang 1987, so I would guess the fact we have been Reading Before that they were declared bancrupt in January 1987 is correct. But as the SCCI letter say the factory was still working, but they made lots of Changes and a restart of the Company or then 2 new companies. Or actually not companies but maybe more departments??

When it comes to the years they were sold it could be in different dates suring a year. Like today when Schleich have releases in January, May and September. I have a broschure from Autumn 1986 when Schleich added new smurfs not shown in the 1986 catalogue. So it is not always easy to pinpoint one exact year.

For example the Architecht: SCCI tells us that was possible to get in late 1988, but actually releaseyear was 1989.

I would date them like this:

During the years 1987-1992 Schleich used 2 articlenumberseries. The old generation smurfs and the new generation smurfs. My guess regarding this would be that the old generation smurfs were ideas or molds already created Before 1987?? And the new generation started with the restart of the Company??

So for 1987:

Old generation: 20225,20226,20227
New generation: the 5 smurflings: 20401-20405. Those were possible to get in late 1987. Because Peyo already in late 1987 tells the SCCI he was not pleased with the choice of colours on some of the new figurines. So the first set of these were later changed. Also pumpkin and quarterback was sold in Europé for the first time. So 10 new figurines for Europe but only 8 for US.

1988: Schleich told SCCI that 4 new smurfs should be made for 1989. But I Think that some you could get in late 1988. Like architect?? And you could also get the bodybuildersmurf in 1988, but it could have been sold late 1987 also as promotion. BUt it seems the number was added in 1988. 20228 for the bodybuilder when it was sold first.

1989. They changed the bodybuilder with the fitness-smurf. So he got articlenumber 20228 instead. So officially 1989 is the releaseyear for Wild, Architecht, Fitness and Hula and then they were possible to get in stores. So then they only added smurfs to the old generationserie: 20228-20231.

After this they only added to the new genaration serie except for Gargamel. Probably because it was an old mold already existing but changed from supersmurf to regular figurine.

In 1990 they added 4 new ones to the new generationserie. Also in this case you can see a prototype of the patriotflag.

So officially no new smurfs were sold in 1988, but it still is a fact that Bodybuilder was added then. But since he was replaced with fitness and he is officially a 1989 release no new smurfs were sold in 1988.

Arno regarding the catalogue 1988 is only a booklet is that I do not Think any catalogue was made then.

Most likely because of the bancruptcy.

The catalogue for 1987 was made bacause probably they already had new items to sell that they started with Before the bancruptcy.

In 1988 they only made a booklet with the smurfs to be released in 1989. So you could say that was made for 1989?? The 4 new ones got the releaseyear 1989.

Well, there must be some truth in your words !
The SCCI letters are helpful and I must read them to understand better. I did not know for the bodybuilder for example.

Yes, my hula bought in 1989 has orange hair. Later, when I get one with yellow hair, I was kind of shocked ! But after, I thought : well of course, it is better like that.
I would love to have the Hula prototype we can see in the 1989 catalog.

It is a fact that to date correctly, it is better to say the year + month or season of production.
As a big goal to reach, I thought it would be needed to have every seller's catalogs from every firm + brochures in different countries.
It also would be great to know how many smurfs were produced each year (for each mold).

But for that, a lot of old documentation is needed. Get brochures of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s or 1990s is not easy.
As I said many times, what surprises me is that it is so difficult to learn something for the firms that made all that. They have no interest in their history (a few) and seem to loose their archives or keep them very secret. For that, BP seems to be in advance, no ?