Tintin Forums

A request for help from a fan in Belgium:

I have found a Bobbie (Snowy) toy in my attic and I wounder if anyone can tell me if it is an original/genuine official Tintin toy? I have some photos of the toy. One shows that on the back of the toy, is a Tintin/Kuifje logo. Regards, Pieter S.

View photos: [Broken links removed]

Looks like an original to me - judging from the logo on the back, it was probably offered as part of the Timbre Tintin/ Kuifje Bon/ Cheques Tintin promotion, where you collected stamps printed on products such as soap flakes and in newspapers, and could exchange them for Tintin items.
The Snowy is therefore from 1950 to the 1960s, probably toward the late 1950s (at a guess)? Hergé & Tintin Reporters says that the Tintin stamps lasted around twenty years.

That's really interesting, Richard: do you have any idea what other premiums might have been available over the period of the offer?

I found an image of the stamp for the offer; Tintin's head is slightly oddly shaped, and his nose and mouth don't look quite right (too big?), so I wonder if this is by a studio artist, or even an agency artist?

I never find such interesting items - that's the problem with not having an attic, I suppose...

Hergé & Tintin Reporters talks about purses, crayons, soap, writing paper, shirts, wallpaper, fabric, caps, penants and puzzles being available.
There was also the Voir et Savoir series of chromos, and later on, books about geography, history and the like not related to Tintin.

You're right about the stamp image, jock, it does look a little odd.
Perhaps the features had to be exaggerated since it would have been printed extremely small, and the printing plate itself would doubtless have needed to be replaced a considerable number of times?

Thank you for the interesting information!
My dad told me that he used to play with it during his childhood.
So about the date you were correct, he was born in '53.
Can you give a value of this item? It's not easy, I know, as the price is what a buyer is willing to pay.
But you might have seen comparable toys?

Thanks for the info, Richard - I'm envious of anyone who got Tintin wallpaper growing up!