[SmurfingH]

I bought this praying smurf recently without checking on here first. I know, I'm a bad smurfer! It was a good price though and either way I thought it was worth the risk. Now I've got him, I have no idea whether he's real or a fake. I've read all the articles I could find and have been gazing at all the photos I could find too. Sometimes I think he's real and sometimes I'm not so sure. Either way he's a sweetie and he's staying.

I know it's hard to tell from photos, but what do you think?

He has strong colours and there is a mould line down the front but it's very faint:


There is a gap between his hands and his chin:




He is red all the way through - someone (not me) has stuck a pin in him to find out!


This isn't the best photo, but his markings aren't as clear as I would have expected:

[Azrael]

I really want the praying smurfs, but have still not bought them as I am worried there are so many fakes!

Does anybody know a good link on ebay where real ones are sold for a good price?

I know what you mean about worrying if that one is genuine! Its the only reason I don't have him yet!

[smurfieduck]

Does he feel hard, Hilary? Or has he similar mold to other smurfs that you have - a softer, rubbery feel?

Last year, I bought a praying smurfette from a German seller (before I knew better) and she turned out to definitely be a fake. From a pic you can't tell if she is fake or not but as soon as I held her, I knew she was.

Anyhow, I really hope that yours is ok. Though, as you say you got him for a good price and he is still a little cutie.

[Guest]

Hello Hils, i've been checking Dyar's website and according to his page on this smurf, the fake has a seam running down the front of the left leg, and your's appears to be down the side which would say its genuine !

I have'nt got a fake to compare, but someone should be able to tell you more

[Lia]

In my opinion, it s absolutely REAL!
it has all the correct looks and markings
Georg Wolff made a very good site, where you can check all the smurfs that are so often faked. see: http://www.interfool.at/schluuumpf/falsch_beten.html

hope, this info helps!

Lia

[SmurfingH]

Ooh! I'm getting excited again! He feels normal, Duckie. Thanks Beers - I'll check Dyar's site too. And thanks Lia! I'm struggling with the German on your link but I'll run it through babelfish.

Azrael - I totally know where you're coming from. I was very lucky with this little chap. I got him from an American seller on buy it now and I don't think she really knew what she had. She knew it was rare, but not the real price. I took a gamble that she was being honest and it may have paid off! I only paid £30 for him!

[smurfieduck]

I am absolutely thrilled for you, Hilary!! Well done on an excellent find!

[steveparkes]

I would say looking at him he seems to be real Hilary..his face is nice and round, whereas the fakes seem to be sort of squashed..it's diffucult to tell from a photo, but I'd plump for REAL

[FlamingO]

Congratulations on getting your praying smurf Hilary

It can be hard to tell a real from a fake and I still don't remember all the differences but I have to say I always look at them in exactly the same way as Steve does

[Rachel]

Hi Hilary, as mentioned it is always difficult to tell from a pic. The fact it is not obviously harder material is a good thing to start with. Really the best way of checking is the markings, if they are nice and clear, it is genuine. The fakes (except the hard material ones) have quite blurred markings.

Here is some more info:

http://www.blueimps.com/smurfs_news24.html

[SmurfingH]

Thanks Rachel. Yours was the first site I looked at!

Steve & Sue - thank you both! This has quite made my day!

[Gerda]

By looking at the pictures I would say he is real. the face looks like the real deal as he fake one is more squashed in and oval looking.
I would say you got yourself a nice deal there


gerda

[Guest]

oh the easiest way is to buy the fake and later on try to get a figure that is looking better as the fake...

This was working for me perfectly fine for the praying smurfette and #1 Grad smurf.
It was not working for the candycane because after I bought the fake I came to the conclusion my fake is also original one---> after I get the another real one...

[bradley]

I thought the most obvious way to tell if you have a fake or genuine is the gap between the hands and face. If there is a gap, then its authentic. If there is no gap then its a fake.

Funny thing, I recieved my first praying smurf today, the smurfette praying. She is gorgeous. I won her for 49.50EURO, an excellent price I thought. I studied pics last week as well.

Brad.

[SmurfingH]

Oh wow! I'd love to see pics of her Brad. My little chap does have the gap between his hands and face. I'm not sure it's that clear in the photos.

You got yours for an excellent price too!

[Guest]

Brad that is a great price for a praying smurfette, so well done and enjoy your new smurfette, she is lovely is'nt she ?