Blue Cavern

Hi everybody is there anyone else out there into the petrol station companie BENZOLE smurf stuff as i am and can't seem to see anything about it thanks

Hi cadger

First of all to the forum

What are the BENZOLE smurfs as I am not familiar with this name?...forgive me I haven't been smurfing for long but would be interested to know.



Dyar

hey! maybe its the same kinda stuff as the BP oil items?

Thanks for your replys, Ok I will try to explain as much as I know smurfs were introduced in the uk in many ways I think and one important way was through National Benzole petrol stations. This started around november 1978. When you filled up with fuel a reward was a smurf. I happen to have a dad that worked in one of these stations and was brought home the odd smurf.
The owner my dads boss died, garage changed hands the paper work was kept in an office with the widow, and in 1995 the widow rang and asked if we would clear the office for her as her late husband never got rid of anything. We did and in doing so found everything smurf related. P.S yes National changed to BP

cadger! I think this stuff is mostly referred to as National SMurfs and not Benzole, hence the misunderstanding. I think one of the UK members, perhaps Rachel, will be best placed to answer you. I do hope that when you found the things, you kept everything? Certainly the smurfs and the boxes, but also all promotional stuff, and perhaps letters, orders, everything that has a Smurf on it or information about the campaign?

Have you have any photos?

Thanks for your replys, Ok I will try to explain as much as I know smurfs were introduced in the uk in many ways I think and one important way was through National Benzole petrol stations. This started around november 1978. When you filled up with fuel a reward was a smurf. I happen to have a dad that worked in one of these stations and was brought home the odd smurf.
The owner my dads boss died, garage changed hands the paper work was kept in an office with the widow, and in 1995 the widow rang and asked if we would clear the office for her as her late husband never got rid of anything. We did and in doing so found everything smurf related. P.S yes National changed to BP

Hi Cadger Steve

Do you mean like this?

www.nationalgaragekids.com

Most of us in the UK started collecting from the National Garages, when you said Benzole I thought you meant something different?

Welcome aboard anyway!

Hi Cadger, welcome aboard.

You lucky thing, firstly to have a Dad who brought you smurfs home from work and then to be able to get the old promotional stuff when clearing the office.

As Karen mentioned, I think most UK collectors started collecting smurfs from the National garages when they were kids, kept the smurfs and then restarted in Adulthood (I use this word in the loosest of terms!). I know I for one, I used to make my Dad drive miles out of his way to go to the smurf garage.

What sort of stuff do you have, displays, promotional paperwork, rare smurfs?

It would be great to hear about it all. I went back to our local smurf garage a few years ago and actually spoke to the gentleman who owned the garage back then, unfortunately there was absolutely nothing left.

Looking forward to hearing another UK smurfer's story.

this sounds Exciting! you are so lucky!!

Great thanks for the replys sorry for confusing everyone with the name
The full company name was NATIONAL BENZOLE (BP) I was quoting off the sales promotions and advertisings.
I dont have a computer and therfore us my better halfs which is a lap top and havent done any photos. I would just like to say before i go any further how great kitty's cavern is as i have bought things on ebay from them and cant recommend them enough.
Ok well best place to start, is with a a4 folder with has smurfs on it and is called promoting for profit, this was given to each petrol station to keep all smurf stuff in. The smurf stuff starts with monthly (smurf news) basically the marketing bible listing each smurf as it enters the uk and how to promote it and all other stock as it is produced, I have 2years of these think everyone?
Next in folder is order forms for loads of different things, ads for cycle related stuff,National stickers ballons, 3pages of colour stock for xmas showing everything from cups to jumpers.Then theres posters more ads and posters and even a lookin mag was sent with a smurf sticker in. Now thats just the folder as you can tell Dad and I also never chuck stuff away like me dads boss, my collection continues to national aprons t shirts the service with a smurf outfit my dad had to wear in the garage, car window stickers sew on badges baby mobiles. Thats most of the petrol type stuff then theres the whole smurf collection, 25years of it, this scares me these little blue things arnt half collectable arnt they! does anyone else have any of the stuff i mention above? thanks steve

Thanks Steve, I have just made the connection! Wow your stuff sounds terrific, I love all the old National Garage memorabilia! I have a petrol pump sign which I treasure. I will dig out a link to the pic in a mo. I love the sound of the marketing bible. It would be great if you could scan some of it and post pics on the board for us, I would love to see it!

Here is my sign.

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Wow cadger...that stuff sounds amazing and if you are able to scan or post pics at anytime then I am sure we all would love to see it. You are very fortunate to be able to get your hands on that stuff and I would love to just read every little piece of info and see what they talking about.

I know Karen also has that National Petrol ad from the magazine and I have one for BP smurfs here in Australia but I have nothing like what you have.

I loved that sign too Karen...didn't know you had that but it looks really cool.

Thanks for sharing you guys

Dyar

like the sign as i have created some intrest and dont have the ability to take photos at the mo, i will do the next best thing for you smurfy fans.
I will sumerise the 1st (smurf news) for you:
9th November 1978
We hoped for distribution from 13th nov
Rigorous test procedures alerted us to poss defect in revised paint formulations as no risk to comply with toy safety act 1974
this imposed an impossible time schedule for german manufacture
thus limited stock
defer for two wks
Dippety day climbing up the charts smurfs very much in public eye

This is the best bits of the smurf news hope you like it thanks cadger

Steve you might have the answer to something I need to know. I am trying to find out about the Smurf lead paint scare that came about in the late 1970's. I've only ever found one other person who remembered it. Do you have details of that or is this what they are referring to? I don't think so because I remember having a few smaller mould smurfs without paint dots and then when my mum told me about the lead paint problems she said the ones with paint dots were ok but I had to wash my hands after touching the older ones without.

ok all i can give you is a date 27th october 1978 that looks like when the poo hit the fan! so with wot you have said about lead makes alot of sense with wot i have in front of me. so to summerise basically by wot i can tell the smurfs must of hit a lead scare in oct 1978 and were taken out of market for some 2weeks or so i hope this helps and i will ask the horses mouth (MY DAD) to see if he remembers Cadger

I'm really excited about finding out about this from your dad, can we borrow him to ask all those questions we've been dying to ask for years?!

Hi Cadger, as Karen says, this sounds like really exciting stuff. Maybe one day you maybe able to scan some of this paperwork or take a pic, it would be fascinating to see.

Do you have any displays or maybe any promotional smurfs?

Hi Cadger, I agree with both Karen & Rachel.....this is great stuff and I am interested to hear what your dear old Dad has to say.

Dyar

I have talked to me dad its hard he says to remember , but i got him thinking so lets hope he can remember more . the paint problem cant be remembered by my dad, but he remembers wot amount of petrol you had 2 buy 2 get smurf £10 or £12 he says. My mum used to set up the smurfs and cottages in the shop of the garage when she was waiting for dad to finish work , i never got these there was loads of them my dad remembers them getting sold off as xmas presents or given away , the garage never got the display stand as it had a large window in the shop, which is where my mum set them up, the correct display stand is great dont have it but have pictures and order forms with price lists, and yes when i can i will photo the ad for you. happy christmas everyone