[XoioX2000]

Good morning all on this very fine Sunday morning!
(Well not quite morning I agree but I have just got up... so still morning for me :) )

First of all, it is very nice to see so many names that I know on here!
(Some of you may remember me for trading on eBay). I am actually kicking myself for not joining this forum earlier!!!!
I can see there is a wealth of Smurfy knowledge! I hope I can add my 2 cents worth from time to time!

In the mean time I have a question for you:
I am trying to find logos of the companies who have used Smurfs as promotional items. The one where I get stuck is INA.
Do you know if the company who used these great rubbery Smurfs is:
http://www.ina.de/
and when they released these Smurfs?

Thanks for your help!

Best regards to everyone on this forum!

David
XoioX2000

[Rachel]

Hi David, how are you? It has been a while.

Welcome aboard, fantastic news you joining us here, another very knowledgable smurfer. I am afraid I don't know very much about the company INA and I am in and out of the garden this afternoon but I will have a little dig later to see what info I can find.

Great to see you.

[eggie smurf]

Welcome, David! Although I don't know the answer to your INA question, I wanted to give you a smurfy "HI"!

[Guest]

Hi David

Glad you have joined us. I know from what you have told me in the past that your collection is quite impressive which will be interesting to hear about!

I don't know anything about the INAs, Rachel, Steve and Mart are the resident experts so I am sure between them they will have an answer.

However,

I am in and out of the garden this afternoon but I will have a little dig later to see what info I can find

I don't think you will find much by digging in the garden Rachel! LOL

[Rachel]

You would be suprised what I find in the garden Karen.



Although in this case nothing smurfy thank goodness.

David, I haven't really come up with anything solid about the INA promo smurfs. INA is a world wide company and has been around since at least 1946. I don't have any of these smurfs, I am presuming you have. If not here are the markings on the feet - courtesy of: http://www.figuren-friese.de/



Sorry I couldn't be of more help. I will keep looking though.

[Guest]

I have asked the person who supplied me my INAs if they can help. I will let you know if they come up with anything.

[XoioX2000]

Big Smurfy Hi to Staci , Many thanks for looking to Rachel & Karen!

I have 5 INA Smurfs. I believe there are only 6
- Schoolboy
- Pirate
- Surgeon/Doctor with Stethoscope
- Shy
- With big hammer
- Chef tasting with spoon (Missing from my collection )

According to the Comicfiguren 2002/2003 catalog, there are some painted variations of the 6 above... but I have my doubts on whether they were released that way. (see page 193).

You see the logo on the pic posted by Rachel (big thank you): It is completely different to the logo of that german INA company I was on about. That's why I don't think it is that one... but they may have changed their logo over time (Also not sure when these Smrfs were released)... and I can't find any other reasonable match...

Thanks for all your efforts! (Rachel, Karen is right: don't dig too deep in that garden... mind you never know!)

Cheers,

David

[Guest]

I've just received a response from the very nice German retailer who I bought the INAs from originally. He has looked at the website link you gave David and says this: -

I've looked at the page and I don't think that the blue Smurfs were issued by this company. You could buy them in the 80's in regular shops.

Not much help but a few more clues!

[Guest]

Many thanks Karen...

I'll keep on looking... I have a feeling these smurfers are actually erasers (But I won't dare trying to rub some pencil with one!) and there may be a company manufacturing erasers for kids called INA...

I'll keep you posted if I found something!

Cheers,

David

[Guest]

I may have some "not so good ones" so I will see if I can try the eraser theory out. They do seem like that kind of material don't they? I have also emailed IMPS to ask if they can shed any light on the subject. I'll let you know if they respond, they probably won't but if you don't ask you don't know!

[XoioX2000]

Well I have found 2 "other" INA candidates:

INA - International Nanny Association... in the states...
I think they started in 1996... so unlikely to be them...

INA (in France)
Seems to be some sort of Traning/Higher education for adult...
Likely contender? Not sure why but I think unlikely...

I have looked for Gummi (Eraser in German), Gomme (Same in French) associated with INA... but did not come up with anything

The quest continues!

Cheers,

David

[Guest]

Well I dug out one of my rougher looking INAs tonight and tried him out as a rubber. He did rub out some pencil although he is not going to get a gold medal for erasing (sorry smurf). It was a bit like rubbing out with a cheap eraser.

He doesn't look too bad for his little episode so I am actually going to be having a competition soon to win this now notorious smurf! More news on the competition later!

[XoioX2000]

This quest is taking some epic proportion!

A poor Smurf put at the test, survived, becomes famous and now about to become the prime prize in a competition... All this for the sake of the INA quest!

Karen: Thank you!


Cheers,

David

[Syd Smurf]

Well Karen takes the members here and their questions very seriously as you might remember I asked her about the toughness of her Astro Rocket in her collection and whether it would be okay for little children to play with it, so she drop 2 bricks on it and absolutely smashed it to pieces. We found out through this test that the rocket isn't that strong afterall and that dropping bricks on something that expensive was a pretty silly thing to do. Still, you don't know until you try these things do you and Karen has now become the expert tester on all smurfs.

Dyar

PS - Karen can you test out a theory for me. I was wondering if you tie a piece of string to your Chain Gang smurf and drag it behind your car at 90kmh that it won't actually cause any damage such as paint rubs or discolouring/disfigurement and that the little smurf will still be holding his pick hammer after a 30 minute drive at that speed. I think that it should be fine but I want to make sure before I do it myself. Can you test this out for me please Karen.

PPS - I am also working on my next theory which is if you put a Papa Conductor in pirahna infested waters that they actually won't attack the smurf. I don't think they will but I have been wrong before.

[Smurfboy]

Andrew don't do the pirahna one! We did that when I was little, my dad used to have pirahnas and jack dempsey fish, and we were playing pirate smurfs and a few had to walk the plank! OOoops! Shredded pvc!!! LOL!!

[Guest]

I emailed IMPS to ask if they knew the origins of the INA smurf and they replied to me today, unfortunately they don't know the origins either. I might try posting on the German board.

[Syd Smurf]

I am amazed that there is so much unknown about the history and production of smurfs, if you find out about the INA's then I would love to know Karen.

Good luck

Dyar

[Guest]

I couldn't figure out the German board, they don't speak enough English, LOL. I posted on MV to see if anyone there knows, it's got me intrigued now!

[Syd Smurf]

I couldn't figure out the German board, they don't speak enough English, LOL.

LOL....I have the same problem with the Asian boards as I only know the swear words and that hasn't proved very helpful in making new friends so far.....although I have learnt a few new ones along the way.....I think.

Dyar

[XoioX2000]

Thanks for carrying on the quest!!

No news on my side... I found lots of INA companies... but none that seem to fit the bill. (Quite a few only started trading in the mid 90s so that rules them out...)

Cheers,

David