[Smurfysmurf]

Thanks for reminding us of the houses, Al...I have two of them but completely forgot about them

Do you agree, that they released way more smurfs in those packages than are shown on the back of the packages or are these additional smurfs from a different release?

Here are mine
http://www.hiddeninthewoods.com/smurfsinpackaging.html
Scroll towards the middle of the page

[Arnhem Smurfs]

Azrael, thx for all this info!
I might come back to you (or earlier Michelle) to see how we can complete our collection.
The houses/cottages where indeed mentioned in the statement from IRWIN which I quoted above, but I have never seen them. You have pictures /info somewhere? Than I could edit my listing above with that info.
Help me with "ASDA". English not being my native tongue i got lost there.
About the Sun Article: maybe nice to put a quote or link here as well?
It was after all my goal to have all there is to know about these smurfs together in one topic...(easier still I think than making a complete or only Schleich catlog...

Ron

[Arnhem Smurfs]

Do you agree, that they released way more smurfs in those packages than are shown on the back of the packages or are these additional smurfs from a different release?

Maureen, these packages where used by IRWIN in their stores for both Toy Island as Schleich smurfs. These same packing, but not from Irwin but directly from "Toy Island" seems to be used in many other countries.
I agree that a probably a much longer listing of smurfs has besides the Schleich new and old box, also this kind of carded version as packing.

Many of you categorise these smurfs together under "IRWIN", but I think that is not really correct. The smurfs are either Toy Island or Schleich, (see the markings on the smurf itself) and they might be in an IRWIN packing. Obviously you can see right away the pvc or hard plastic difference.

Would be similar to that I would categorise my last 2009 series not as Schleich's but as Kaufhof, because that is where I happend to buy them (they appear much earlier in Germany in the shops than here in the Netherlands). Differenct in this case is ofcours that the packing is in some cases really IRWIN, but for instance the Minimates are not even labeled IRWIN in our collection.

In my "Toy Island" above list I might have to add that package numbers as shown on your page (tell me please the numbers, i can't read them, just above the IRWIN logo) are similar packings, but NOT Toy Island Smurfs.
On the IRWIN packages for the bigger sets, they are actually mixed advertised, see a previous post and pic above.

I have to google again for another article on the launch of these which might suggest that it ws not so much IRWIN who thought about the relaunch, but Toy Island - Hong Kong themselves, but teemed up with IRWIN for US/Canada. After all, not everywhere were IRWIN shops, and as other also state the same smurfs were also available at other US Toy Shops. Weather yes or no secretly the same holding I don't know.

Ron

[Smurfysmurf]

Well, I have always considered the smurfs I showed as normal Schleich figures as they are the same no matter their packaging and thought Irwin was just the distributor of them in the 90s in the US.

The smurfs you call Toy Island, I have always called Irwin smurfs and categorized them in a different section.

Are Toy Island actual stores? I don't think Irwin ever had stores, it's just the distributor...kind of like the new Play along smurfs are distributed by Play along but sold at Walmart or Target over here and in different stores in Europe and Australia.

Like I said, I have never categorized any of my smurfs by the store I bought them in, but rather by the distributor, I think it causes too much confusion to do it by store

[Smurfysmurf]

I just re-read your post, Ron...I have to admit it's too early over here to be clearly thinking...I think we actually categorize our smurfs the same.

I haven't looked at the markings on my Irwin smurfs (the ones you call Toy Island) so you may very well be correct that they are not really Irwin smurfs per say. I have always gone by the packaging which doesn't mention Toy Island so I may be wrong there

The houses are the normal Schleich cottages, which is why I put them with my Schleich cottages

[Arnhem Smurfs]

II have to admit it's too early over here to be clearly thinking...I think we actually categorize our smurfs the same.

You are forgiven, noon as I write this here, so yes I'm awake for some already, and yes I agree.

I overlooked actually also the middle man "distributor". I did not even realise that IRWIN was "just" a distributor from Canadian origin. I just looked on wikipedia.
I think all of what I call Toy Island Smurfs are actally really made by the HONG KONG based toy factory Toy Island. Just as everyone calls the Schleich smurfs also after the factory.
Well, both than actually use(d) subcontractors where the actual production or part of production was done.
In that sense Toy Island has a mixed role as well: They own or owned themselves factories, but they also act as contractor/distributor, as the middle man for small China based factories to reach a big market, and for Western importers not to have to deal with all kind of small companies and Chinese customs (in tax and behavour :p )

Since I find the same smurfs sold in US, Europe and Australia and brought there by different distributors, but all comming from in my opinion the Toy Island "source", I file these under Toy island, and indeed would file anything in a similar wrapping but the contents from Schleich, under Schleich, as we all do.
The markings I find are or NOT mentioning the producer, not other than by "made in China" OR have markings like "Made in China Toy Island" (minimates 13000 series) or mention Toy Island on the markings of the DIE-CASTS, for instance the boat:
(smurf) © PEYO 1996-IMPS (Brussels) Made in China
(boat) Toy Island Manufacturing Co.Ltd. Made in China

We could create even bigger confusion by bringing in terms like Licensee or Licensed by?

[Arnhem Smurfs]

Pictures say more than words isn't it.

So Maureen's "Irwin" Artist:


and Ron & Aly's:


Same smurf, I would bet the same markings (ours: "© PEYO 1996 - IMPS (Brussels) Made In China" ) but see the labeling on the packing:
IRWIN logo versus Toy Island logo.

We collect smurfs, not packings, so we do archive and list or picture the kind of packaging, but for us it is about what comes out of the box

[Smurfysmurf]

Yeah, it's the same smurf. I had no idea about the different distributors of those, so I think we are both correct, it's just we are on different continents

I will change my classification to Irwin/Toy Island smurf on the website, I think this will cause less confusion

Wow, this discussion turned out to be very interesting. I had no idea how many different ones are out there

[Arnhem Smurfs]

I will change my classification to Irwin/Toy Island smurf on the website, I think this will cause less confusion

I win I win, lol. I keep the Toy Island category, but mention the IRWIN labelling for those who actually have that...

Wow, this discussion turned out to be very interesting. I had no idea how many different ones are out there

Glad (?) to keep you busy

[Azrael]

I'm currently working on my dislays, but I'll certainly take pics of the cottages when I can..

Nice to meet you by the way!

I also have the Sun newspaper cutting somewhere.... time to start digging!

[Arnhem Smurfs]

I'm currently working on my dislays,
//
I also have the Sun newspaper cutting somewhere.... time to start digging!

Looking forward to see them! And thx for the welcome!
The cottages: are they Schleich ones or Toy Island ones?
As mentioned before and as Muureen mentiones as well, the similar packaging was used by Irwin as well for the Schleich normal and super smurfs. I love to hear the numbers on the packages from someone, than I can exclude these number from the Toy Island listing.
In that sense I'm still wondering if the cottages you mention are Schleich ones or (never seen by me before...) Toy Island "creations".

[Azrael]

They are the newer (1995) Schleich ones in Toy Island packaging. Pretty much the same as the supers in the packaging but obv. bigger and come with a smurf. I'm always suprised that they rarely appear in DSK's and web lists as they ARE official Schleich ones.. especially when collectors collect such a range of boxes.

[Arnhem Smurfs]

They are the newer (1995) Schleich ones in Toy Island packaging.

I think that if you will look closely at the packaging of these houses, there might be no Toy Island on the box at all, just IRWIN I would guess.
I wanted to produce a full list of Smurfs with let's say Toy Island markings on them. These house are as you say Schleich houses, with as I imagine Schleich markings.
At the start of this topic I listed the package numbers which contain these kind of Toy Island Smurfs but I like to add (please ) and list the package numbers which contain Schleich normal, supers or houses. If only for the reason of ruling out these as packages for having Schleich Smurfs, not Toy Island Smurfs.

Since just as you, I presume, we are Smurf collectors, and not packing or box collectors, it might be interesting to know in what kind of packaging these house were sold and distributed, they are for this specific topic of less interest to me, just as the Schleich normal and Supers in similar packings interest me, but are NOT part of the range of range of Smurfs produced in Toy Island factories with Toy Island markings...
Confused now?
Take a or use this handy device: I need one...
Ron

[Smurfysmurf]

I am not sure if it's possible to get a complete list of the Schleich figures in the Irwin packaging, Ron..there are so many different ones and then you have the US package and the Candadian/French one

The three newer cottages were released in the box but I agree, they are official Schleich products and not Toy Island ones. I still maintain that Irwin was the distributor of smurfs in the 90s in the US and released the commonly known as Irwin smurfs (Toy Islands) and also Schleich smurfs in their own Irwin package but there is a definite difference between those two and I don't think we should put them together into one category.

to answer your question about the number of the Irwin house box
I have two of them and they have the same number
#41015, and the markings are actually Schleich...and Irwin, no mention of Toy island which only supports my theory.

Here is the fun part though..on the back of the box are pictures of the Toy Island/Irwin smurfs as well as pictures of the Schleich smurfs. Let me know if you want a picture of the back of the house box

[Arnhem Smurfs]

I am not sure if it's possible to get a complete list of the Schleich figures in the Irwin packaging, Ron..there are so many different ones and then you have the US package and the Candadian/French one

Couldn't agree more with you... So that is exactly what I DON'T want to do...

The three newer cottages were released in the box but I agree, they are official Schleich products and not Toy Island ones. I still maintain that Irwin was the distributor of smurfs in the 90s in the US and released the commonly known as Irwin smurfs (Toy Islands) and also Schleich smurfs in their own Irwin package but there is a definite difference between those two and I don't think we should put them together into one category.

Again I couldn't agree more with you...
Yes, IRWIN as a distributor used for ALL the Smurfs that they disytributed in US, Canada and even maybe other places these kind of packaging.
We do really say the same: In these packages you will find a mix of Schleich Smurfs, and also NON-Schleich Smurfs.
In this topic I only am interested in trying to get a full listing of the NON-Schleich Smurfs. These I call "Toy Island" because that name I find on the packages if they don't have IRWIN on it (also because these are for instance Danish or Belgium origin packing) and on some of these Smurfs that is actually the marking on them.

to answer your question about the number of the Irwin house box
I have two of them and they have the same number
#41015, and the markings are actually Schleich...and Irwin, no mention of Toy island which only supports my theory.

So again we agree!
So in a packing with for instance #13000, 13010, 13040 you will find the "Toy Island" type of Smurfs, but the package might be labeld with the actual ditributor for the region, IRWIN, Toy ISland, IDEAL etc.

And finaly you give me a package number (41015) which looks similar as a package but contains Schleich houses..

Here is the fun part though..on the back of the box are pictures of the Toy Island/Irwin smurfs as well as pictures of the Schleich smurfs. Let me know if you want a picture of the back of the house box

I'm not surprised!
Earlier I posted a detail from the Picnic-Wish, which as well shows BOTH categories of Smurfs:

I bet the picture on the back of your houses is quite alike!

lol...will we get the same discussion again with the Play Along Smurfs soon, if they are introduced by JAKKS in other parts of the world under another name than Play Along? They would still for sure have the JAKKS markings.. I have not even uploaded my Play Along page, and I think i will already add (JAKKS) behind the title...

Ron

[Smurfysmurf]

No, I think we are good there.

Playalong is a division of JAKKs, according to the packaging, so it's really the same and PlayAlong is the part of JAKKs that made/released the smurfs

and more importantly

PlayAlong smurfs sounds much much better than JAKKs smurfs

[Arnhem Smurfs]

and more importantly

PlayAlong smurfs sounds much much better than JAKKs smurfs

I agree again!
"Jakkes" you might recognise easily I guess as the dutch equivalent of "yuck"

[SmurfingH]

I've just received my 1st 2 Toy Island smurfs and I love them! They're soooooo much nicer than Irwin. They're both clowns, one is on rollerblades, but they don't have all their accessories. They're really cute though.

[Arnhem Smurfs]

Nice Hilary!
With all these recent smurfs, you even have more work to do to update your site...lol...i just updated ours with the Play Along's.

For extending your Toy Islands maybe Azrael can help you, he said he has some...and Michelle as well...

And now the hunt for some spare parts?

Ron

[Ritter_Schlumpfenherz]

Congratulations Hilary.

See why I love the clowns dearly.