Smurf Distribution during the early 1980s

Terry and Irene Anderson introduced Smurfs into the UK and they were also the founders of the British Smurf Collecting Club. They have kindly allowed us to scan some photographs of those early years when smurfs literally took the world by storm!

Date: Circa 1980

Location: On the steps of the Cathedral where St Paul is buried in Santiago de la Compostela in Spain, just across the Portuguese border.

Information: This trip was organised following the initial opening of the first factory in Portugal to employ any females. The factory was located in Oporto and established to hand paint all smurf figurines, which were supplied in moulded form from Schleich's factory in "Helikofen" near Schwäbishgmünd, Germany.

Personnel: Guests of Victor Maia, Oporto (Factory Owner).

Centre left: General Manager of Schleich "Ulli Köester"

Centre right: Owner of new Oporto Factory with wife and daughter

Extreme right: Terry & Irene Anderson, UK & National Benzole distributor

Behind centre: The group of European Smurf Distributors for France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Spain & Sweden.

Date: Circa 1982

Location: Farmhouse Hotel outside Nuremburg, Germany, during Nuremburg Toy Fair Party.

Personnel: right - Terry Anderson, nr right - "Peyo" Pierre Culliford, centre - Herman Schneider, owner of "Schleich", left - new Venezuelan distributors

Date: Circa 1982

Location: Visit to the opening of the new Sri Lanka Factory (Quality Crafts Ltd) outside Columbo Airport, in the jungle.

Personnel: Group right: Terry & Irene Anderson, Centre group: "Peyo" Pierre Culliford and Janine Culliford, Extreme left: William Li, owner of Hong Kong smurf factory (in red striped shirt) with his brother Bill

Location: Outside the Sri Lankan Factory gates prior to the opening. Following the opening of a new road to the factory (off the airport road), by an elephant (!) lifting a large tree log off barrier supports to signify the private drive to the factory was now open.

Personnel: Centre: Herman Schneider, Schleich, Group: "Marlene" (red dress), wife of French distributor and Victor Maia with family (Portuguese distributor).

More Smurf Distribution pictures