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Author
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Topic: Unpainted Gargamel Figurine?
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<Oppa>
unregistered
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posted 05-04-2003 06:25 AM
While looking through eBay, I happened upon this:
Unpainted Gargamel and others
WHERE do these strange figurines come from? How does one know if they're homemade? They could all come from little do-it-yourself molding kit, no?
How does one authenticate these items?
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
From: Deep within Gargamel's Lair
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michellehl
Baby Smurf
Member # 230
Member Rated:
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posted 05-04-2003 08:25 AM
Hi Oppa,
Figues #1-#6 are most likely "Waldbaur" Promo Smurfs. It's a German chocolate candy that sold boxes of candy with one of those raw but semi-painted Smurfs in it. They are technically not raws because they have a bit of painting but a lot of people still call them raws.
Figures #7-#10 are raws. They are much newer than the other figures. The speculation is that someone is bringing them out of the factory before they've been painted. Basically, Schleich casts the base color PVC for a figure in whatever color is most predominant on the piece so there is less painting. On the Gargamel his robe is the largest area so the piece was cast in black. Devil = red skin....you get the idea. A lot of collectors like to add these to their collections.
I love the Waldbaurs but don't care for the other raws. I feel like they're just an unfinished piece.
Hope this sort of answers your question Oppa.
Michelle ![[Smurfette]](graemlins/smurfette.gif)
Posts: 11 | From: St. Louis | Registered: Aug 2002
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Thewebs
Smurfling
Member # 56
Rate Member
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posted 05-04-2003 09:06 AM
Hi, I haven't really got much to add to what Michelle has said. I am not that sure why some figurines were made with different colours, I totally agree with Michelle about the main colour being the base material colour BUT there are some raw figures made from totally different colours.
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Smurfy Greetings
Rachel
The Webs
Posts: 145 | From: Wales, UK. | Registered: Jun 2001
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<Oppa>
unregistered
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posted 05-05-2003 07:41 AM
Michelle, Rachel, great info.
In my research into the figurines, I had gathered that certain little guys had different base colors, but I had never seen those "Waldbaur" promo Smurfs before. I agree, they are appealing. But the "raw" figurines just seem like an incomplete product...
I may be able to add a little information with regard to where the raws come from: assembly-line "rejection". I spent 6 months studying a certain assembly line process a few years ago, so I have seen this first-hand.
From what I gleaned regarding the production process, Smurfs are mass-produced in numbered molds. If the process has been modernized at all, there will be a computer-controlled analysis done to check for imperfections. The computer (using a variety of criterion) will "chuck" out whatever it feels is imperfect. Ever seen a conveyer belt chucking out bad fruit? Well, the process is similar for a lot of products.
To the naked eye, a lot of these "rejects" appear perfectly fine. From what I've observed on the production floor, it would be very, very easy to simply pick these rejects up and walk away. No one would question the employee, and they could easily wind-up for sale somewhere.
From: Deep within Gargamel's Lair
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