[DrunkSmurf]

Hi, ya know---

Whenever I check out (American / British / Aussie) ebay, a Black / Angry Smurf is for auction somewhere.

However, I'm yet to find Hefty (with the heart tattoo, but not the mountain climber). A lot of 1990s smurfs hardly ever appear on ebay.

Granted, I may be seeing a skewed market -- considering smurfs went underground here (USA) in the mid-1980s, pre-1985 smurfs are commoner here than post-1985 (and most of the Black Smurfs I see are from England).

But considering I probably have more opportunities to get Black Smurf than Hefty, how do I judge which one is rarer?

Heh, well, I'm being a little stupid, but if this rings true with anyone (er, the email, not me being stupid), I'd be interested in your thoughts.

[attombomb7]

hi rare smurf!

I used to have a hard time when I first started collecting getting a blacksmurf too!..they were are tofind for some reason then and always went formore then I could mentally pay.. hehe

but I thought the larger black mold one with red teeth was the hardest for me to find ...

not sure what is now..its more of what is plentyful and what is not!
for variations or even for any smurf! supply and demand..

so for you its really which ever black one your don't see often would be rare..

[Guest]

Do you mean 2.0429 Hefty? You can find him in my shop for £3.95

http://www.kittyscavern.com/shop/catego ... gory_id=17

I am not trying to sell him to you but you will note I don't have any Angry Smurfs. Generally if my prices are quite reasonable then this means I can get hold of them quite easily. If my prices are dear or dearer than the book price (like Snowboarder Smurfette) this means the smurf is hard to find or rare. Snowboarder Smurfette is a fairly recent smurf but there are not that many around in my opinion and I sell the ones I have for £6.50 each. If they were easier to find they wouldn't sell at that price, and some of my customers for her are German so that is always a good indication of how difficult to find something is. Angry smurfs on ebay always go to prices that are a little too expensive for me to buy and resell, I don't even own a normal Angry smurf myself because I have never found one at a price I like.

I hope this helps. And Attom put your specs on, that's not Raresmurf you're talking to, lol.

[attombomb7]

oh! oh! here I go again! mixing up people! its my brain drain!

I see now its Drunky smurf!!

thanks!

karen

[Syd Smurf]

Attom, I wouldn't take that abuse from Karen.....you should send me a few of your new smurfs to get back at her.....that will teach her a lesson.

Your best friend

Dyar

[Syd Smurf]

Hey Karen, Attom has all of sudden taken offence to what yous aid about him and you should hear what he is planning to do as revenge....you should get in first and send me a Fixi & Foxi to stop him in his tracks....that will teach him a lesson.

Your best friend

Dyar

[Fram]

I seem to remember that there was a good question at the top of this thread before it got hijacked

One of the reasons that the catlogue is different from the American market is that it is German, and while some Smurfs were popular over there (Historicals, baseball, ...), others were more popular in Germany (Tiroler? Beer? ). The old models of course were available in Germany some ten years before they ever reached the US, so that makes them less rare in Germany as well. I can imagine that a Bully Handgeritzt isn't very easy to find in the US.
And as Karen said, recent Smurfs are still making their own market, and prices for some of those may well be higher than the catalogue indicates (snowboard, but also the marching band, or the stone agers, or the fitness, or the newspaper seller, ...).
And then you have the clueless bidders and sellers, as you can see over in our eBay section

2000 posts! I wonder what I'll be called now (or with the next post).

[Rachel]

Hi Tim, you have made a very good point. I know exactly what you mean about what is perceived as rare. Many of the guides were first released before the internet became so popular so prices do sometimes reflect this to an extent. Also the more recent releases are still at relatively low prices even though they are not easy to find, some have only been produced for a couple of years and I am sure their real value will rise soon enough, a good example being the marching band set, it was only released in 2002 then discontinued in 2003, prices are already rising on them.

Congratulations on becoming a Pop Rocky smurf Fram, full gold smurfs for you.

[Guest]

Yes the football smurfs will be next to go up in value, I would put money on those being discontinued at the end of the year.

[DrunkSmurf]

Yes the football smurfs will be next to go up in value, I would put money on those being discontinued at the end of the year.

Hopefully, only the football smurfs will be discontinued! (and hopefully 8 more will replace them!)

Karen, It's interesting to hear about Snowboarder Smurfette's growing rarity. I was very lucky with her--last December, a woman selling her son's collection on ebay reached his last 20 unsold smurfs and put them up for auction free shipping and $3 each. I picked up a snowboarder smurfette (with snowboarder smurf) in mint condition for the price of a Golden 50 Smurf! I guess I shouldn't always complain about ebay...........

[Fram]

Yes the football smurfs will be next to go up in value, I would put money on those being discontinued at the end of the year.

Karen, you already owe me a Fix & Foxi Smurf, and now you will have to give me all your money as well
I doubt very much that they will discontinue the football smurfs at the end of 2005, as Germany hosts the WC Football (Soccer) in 2006... Now that would be one of the stupidest business decisions of recent times

[Guest]

Ooo yes I see what you mean Fram!!! I didn't realise that was happening, in that case I take back what I said, ignore me, I know nafffinngggg...

[Syd Smurf]

You don't even know how to spell "nothing".....framen hell.....Fram's throwing spears at me again for interrupting......

[hugofilia]

hi to all, this is difficult to say which one are rare or uncommon depending where you live. You all made a good point and all are probably right. For instance the snow boarder smurfs ( i am in Canada i know about snow)
I NEVER sold one , i have some of them but never had any bidder on them, so it makes them what??? very common??? no one wants them???
Here pitchers are more abundant than in europe so are the catchers, not rare. The katalog list the picher at $100, i would sell very happily any i have at $ 45, but never did. s not so rare Etc... i could give many example . Black can be find relatively easy here.
Not easy to define what is really rare ( praying smurfs are)
John

[attombomb7]

hi!

I think it all makes sense!! its all about who wants what...

I agree even discontinued items may get a bit more money but
if they aren't extremely rare then no one wants them..

we forget that Schleich makes thousands or more of a smurf! that makes it not that rare..( compared to other collectables.)

I think the price guides are way out of date..since EBAY has changed things so much and will in the future... but the more we collect the more they exist!.. and one day they will flood the markets!


its always better to collect anything that is rare...as in one of a kinds or

a small run...

for me it seems to be promos or rare variations ...or short run items.

[Guest]

Do you mean the snowboarder smurf or smurfette John? I am talking about the smurfette. The smurf I don't sell very often. Perhaps I will have to see if you can trade me some angrys because I need some of those, the prices I am offered are too high.

[hugofilia]

Hi Karen, i meant both the smurf snd the smurfette. I have listed tem more than 6 times over a 1 year period and never had any bid.
It is difficult to pin point what is uncommon. for example, look at the smurfs auctions of last week end. Gran pa at $ 30.00??? wow lucky seller.
John

[Guest]

Well I think those prices have calmed down now. I emailed the high bidder on one of my auctions (the Gargamel net one) to tell him not to bid higher because he would be going over my normal retail price. I don't like to see people paying through the nose for stuff when I sell it cheaper on my website.

I've been looking at the Smurf with mop and pail, he's one you don't see very often and he is definitely pricey, you don't see many of those around do you?