[Papa Smurf]

Out of the 20 "mint" smurfs I have some have just very very small manufacture bubbles...very very small - the untrained eye would just miss it - is it still mint?

[Guest]

I think the beauty of smurfs is that they are handpainted and so you won't find each one exactly the same. Mint really means no rubs, no discolouration, missing pieces, damages, etc. As you have found out, even smurfs direct rom the manufacturer don't always arrive in A1 mint condition, but I couldn't reject them for minor paint bubbles as they would just say it is because they are handpainted. However, I wouldn't pass these on to the customer saying they were mint if I felt these paint bubbles were noticeable. You will find that one person's idea of mint is very different to another's. I am very fussy and reject the slightest thing, but I am often supplied smurfs supposedly mint and they are definitely not, but it is very difficult to know where to draw the line. You also find that you look at a smurf one day and it seems fine and look at the same smurf the next day and you notice a problem, very difficult!

Karen

[Guest]

Kitty,

That's brillianlty rounded up - Thanks very much!!!

[Papa Smurf]

Oops again - The above post if by me...Papa Smurf...sorry?

[Papa Smurf]

I guess it's down to grading and personal evaluation compared the the best mint condition you've seen...

[Papa Smurf]

I will learn to grade the condition by what I buy and what I expect from the Ebay Sellers description...

[Papa Smurf]

ahhhh....angry smurf....has reared his grumpy head...lol - duplicate posts...Kitty please delete those...sorry for the inconvinience

[Syd Smurf]

I agree Karen

Everybody has a different idea of mint smurfs. I bought one last week that was advertised as mint and he smelt more like plastic to me. Then again they don't let me out of my cage very much these days

Syd