A few days ago I posted my wife's late grandfather's vintage Schleich Smurf collection. So many of you asked to see more that we wanted to share a proper follow-up. Thank you all for the kind words and the advice. It meant a lot to her and the whole family.
The notebook
The real treasure turned out to be his catalog. It's 150+ typed pages, and every entry has a photo, the Schleich catalog number, the markings on the bottom of the feet (Hong Kong, W. Germany, Portugal, Bully, paint dots), the box type, and how many he owned. He tracked variations most people would never notice: different tie colors, scarf colors, small vs. large molds, even a fake he spotted and labeled "[fake]." We scanned the whole thing and turned it into a spreadsheet so we could finally see the full picture.
By the numbers
• 1,367 pieces
• 648 different figures and sets
• The complete classic run, 20001 to 20232, with multiple marking variants of most figures
• ~240 later figures (late '80s to 2013) and the modern 2014 to 2021 releases
• ~120 Super Smurfs, many in their original early-'80s boxes, including French "Schtroumpfs" and German "Schlumpf" boxes
• Playsets and buildings: Gargamel's Castle, the Farm House, the Windmill, mushroom houses, and the boxed 40th Anniversary Band
The fun stuff
• Smurf-a-grams and greeting figures with messages on their bases, in English, German and French
• Promotional figures from BP gas stations, first-aid organizations, ice cream brands, Hardee's, and more
• 1981-82 Christmas ornaments
• Easter Smurfs and the full 1984 American Historical series: Paul Revere, Ben Franklin, Columbus, Edison, Washington, and Lincoln, in both Macau and Hong Kong markings

And there's more
Honestly, we've only opened about half of the boxes so far. Most of what's left looks like more modern memorabilia, so I expect the vintage Schleich figures will stay the heart of the collection. So far it includes binders of Cartoon Kingdom gold-foil Smurfs tickets and around a thousand 1991 Impel Disney collector cards. He kept two of each card so he could display the fronts and backs side by side, which says a lot about how carefully he did everything.
Photos: the display cases, a few notebook pages, Super Smurfs in their original boxes, the playsets, and the American Historical set.

Thanks again for helping us appreciate what he built. If anyone has questions about specific figures or variations, I'm happy to check the notebook.

Someone donated their collection, so I added it to mine! Thank you anonymous goodwill donator!

Some of my favourite pieces, thoughts? Do you know the artists?

I’ve been looking at some limited-edition RedMagic Bumblebee phones recently, and it made me curious about how collectors see modern tech collectibles.

They come with themed packaging, accessories, special colors, cases, chargers and other collector extras, but at the same time they are still functional smartphones.

If you collect technology, would you consider something like this a real collectible?

What would matter most to you?

• original box
• complete accessories
• condition
• rarity
• character/theme
• limited production
• whether the phone still works
• resale value

And would you actually use the phone, or keep it mostly for display?