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SITE OF THE MONTH – WINNERS’ ARCHIVE
(Last Updated: 21 September 2009)
Here you will find a list of all the past winners of Kinder Surprise Site of the Month. Scroll on down to check it out!
JANUARY 2003
Mary-Line Joudon’s Kinder Surprise Collection
I chose this site as my inaugural Kinder Surprise Site of the Month because it is an absolutely fantastic resource for K toys. Browse through the pages on this site and you will discover toy and paper variations you never knew you had – I certainly did! I have yet to discover a site quite as thorough, especially when it comes to paper variations. In terms of usefulness to collectors, this would have to rank as one of the top three sites in the world, I reckon. A very worthy Site of the Month indeed. If you are serious about collecting K toys, you simply must go here!
FEBRUARY 2003
Mika Aarnio’s Virtual Kinder Surprise Collection
We went from France to Finland in February. If the site I profiled in January is the best site for K toys (and it’s not too bad for hand-painted figurine papers either), this one is unquestionably the best (at least in the English language) for German toys. If you collect German toys, you cannot be without this site. It is simply indispensable. The site features scans of German papers going all the way back to 1993/94, and also has an in-depth spreadsheet. The combination of these two features will help you identify many a German toy you might otherwise never have a hope of figuring out (especially if it doesn’t come with a paper). However, the site also features other Kinder Surprise toys too and is a reasonable reference source for those too. A favourite feature of mine is Mika’s toy stats – being a stathead myself, I enjoy checking those out! Anyway, every Kinder Surprise collector, especially of German toys, should have this site bookmarked. A very well deserving February Kinder Surprise Site of the Month.
MARCH 2003
Arkones's Kinder Surprise Toys
This site has long been one of my personal favourites. It is a very handy reference source, especially for K toys, and features an excellent Pictures section. The site also has interesting snippets of news and a links section to other Kinder Surprise sites that is second to none. Not only does the site feature Kinder Surprise toys, but there are a number of interesting sections devoted to other collectables. So if you’ve never discovered the delights this site holds, then make sure you pay it a visit today!
APRIL 2003
Euro Katalog
I had previously said that Mika Aarnio’s site was the best around for German toys. Well, that was until I discovered this site. It is still true to say that Mika’s site is the best English-language one for German toys, but I reckon this one is (or rather, was) the best overall. I found the Jahrgangslisten (lists of the toys issued each year in Germany and Austria) to be an especially valuable resource. But the site contained many other very useful pages as well. Sadly, the site has now become defunct. It is a most sad loss.
MAY 2003
Richard’s Kinder Surprise Web Site
This used to be one of the best British Kinder Surprise sites. It was updated regularly, and had a few things that couldn’t be found on other sites, such as pictures of different Kinder Surprise egg foils from around the world. Another fun aspect of this site was monthly competitions. Not too bad a reference source either, with pretty thorough overviews of most toys. His links page was also pretty good, although his assessment of this site was not entirely accurate. Still, the site was a fun and informative place for Kinder Surprise collectors to visit. Unfortunately, it is no longer operational.
JUNE 2003
Kinder Eggs South Africa
This month, we travelled to the African continent for what was possibly the first (and to date, only) Kinder Surprise site anywhere in Africa! As the title said, the site was based in South Africa, and touted itself as the “unofficial South African Web site” for Kinder Surprise eggs. Among the many interesting features this site contained were a brief Kinder Surprise history, lists of toys from the K95 to the K03 series, collecting and swapping tips, an FAQ page and some interesting facts and figures. Plus there was a “Trading Bay” if you want to swap, and a couple of other features besides. Alas, it has now gone, leaving Africa once again bereft of Kinder Surprise sites.
JULY 2003
Kinderlea’s Kinder Surprise Page
We went across the Tasman for the July Site of the Month. Kinderlea’s page is well-organised and quite informative. My favourite feature is the Kinder News From Australia page, but the various “My Collection” pages are also well worth a look. This was definitely one of Australia’s best Kinder Surprise sites, but sadly, it seems to have closed down now.
AUGUST 2003
None (I never got round to picking one!)
SEPTEMBER 2003
Ueberraschungseier – Kinder Surprise
This is one of Austria’s few English-language Kinder Surprise sites. It has one of the most up-to-date news sections anywhere around. (It was on this site that I learned about the new Romanian Cybertop paper, for instance.) Another really good feature is the helpful lists of the names hand-painted series have in different countries and the years they were released in those countries (look under “Variantes“). Definitely worth checking out if you want to stay informed with some of the very latest Kinder happenings.
OCTOBER 2003
None (I never got round to picking one!)
NOVEMBER 2003
There’s so much good stuff in this German site that’s it’s difficult to know where to begin. There’s an online price catalogue (for German hand-painted figurines only though), an online shop, variation archive, several software programs for keeping track of your collection, info on fakes, a forum, games and other great stuff besides. Knowing German is a distinct advantage here, but if you do have a reasonably good command of it, you will have an absolute ball at this site.
DECEMBER 2003
None (I never got round to picking one!)
JANUARY 2004
Collection Kinder Surprise A French site won the first-ever Kinder Surprise Site of the Month award, and to kick off 2004 I’m nominating another site from La Belle France. This site is, despite its unprepossessing name, most informative, well laid-out and colourful with upbeat music to entertain you as you browse through the site. Some people may be annoyed by the music, but personally I quite like it. The site is especially handy for info about hand-painted figurines, with excellent details about the various names of series and years of release. It helps if you know French, but if you do, you will find a visit to this site a rewarding experience and will certainly come away richer in Kinder knowledge.
Important Update: According to my Norton Internet Security 2009 programme, this site is unsafe and harbours the Downloader.Trojan virus. I have therefore removed the link to it. A pity about that, because it really was a cool little site.
FEBRUARY 2004
None (I never got round to picking one!)
MARCH 2004
Kay’s Kinder Surprise Web Site
I decided it was time to promote a Kinder Surprise site by a fellow-New Zealander, so picked the one run by Kay Bundo of Dunedin. It had quite a good news section, and a number of other interesting pages as well. Update on 11 October 2008: Sadly, this site is now defunct, and even more sadly, Kay passed away on 3 September 2008. See a special memorial page that I created for her here.
APRIL 2004
None (I never got round to picking one!)
MAY 2004
None (I never got round to picking one!)
JUNE 2004
Same as for April and May.
JULY 2004
Spielsachen aus dem Ü-Ei – der ff-Katalog I came across this site when looking for alternatives to the Euro Katalog, which was experiencing quite frequent outages. It is every bit as good as the latter, if not better – clearly laid out with excellent information on variations, and some good pictures too. You do have to know German to get the best out of the site, but take it from me, it is very well worth a visit, especially if you collect German toys seriously.
AUGUST 2004
Dr Düdeldei’s Ü-Eier
For the second time, an Austrian site was my Kinder Surprise Site of the Month. This site was one of the best in all Austria, especially after the fine Herbert’s Kinder-Überraschung Homepage became defunct. What I particularly liked about this site was the up-to-date news section, which had pictures of Kinder items that hadn’t even been released for general sale yet! The rest of the site was also very well worth perusing. Regrettably, Dr Düdeldei’s site has now gone the way of Herbert’s one, and so many other fine Kinder sites.
SEPTEMBER 2004
Italoei’s Ü-Eier Sammlerhomepage
For the second consecutive month, an Austrian site is my Site of the Month. But this is a real beauty, with a news section that is even more up to date than the site I featured last month! Lots of other interesting pages as well, including a news section for the Tirol region, so be sure to pay it a visit and enhance your Kinder knowledge in the process.
OCTOBER 2004
This month we crossed the Atlantic from Europe to Canada. The site featured this month is one of the most useful sources of information on Argentine toy variations, and isn't too shabby with other toys either! The site is growing and getting better all the time, and is increasingly becoming a must-see for all discerning Kinder collectors.
NOVEMBER 2004-FEBRUARY 2005
None (I never got round to picking one!)
MARCH 2005
Patricia's Kinder Surprise Site
I would rate this as the best Kinder Surprise site in Brazil. There is always news of Kinder happenings in Brazil, and a wealth of great photos to enjoy. The site is bilingual, in English and Portuguese, and the site creator’s English is excellent. If you want to know what’s going down on the South American Kinder Surprise scene, or just want to visit a site with lots of great information and pictures, then be sure to visit this one!
APRIL 2005
This French site is one of the “new kids on the block”. It is devoted entirely to metal figurines, and certainly provides pretty decent coverage of them. If metal figurines are among your favourite Kinder Surprise toys, then be sure to check this site out! Make sure you brush on your high school French first though. Now appears to be kaput.
MAY 2005
None (I never got round to picking one!)
JUNE 2005
Poland is one of the leading countries in the East European Kinder Surprise scene, and this site is arguably the best Kinder Surprise site in Poland. Among its most impressive features are the variation pics and an excellent news section. It’s in English too, which makes it accessible to a wider international audience. Before visiting it however, you might want to make extra sure that your protection is updated, as Norton Internet Security 2009 warned me of a possible “phishing attack” when I checked it out recently.
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2005
None (I never got round to picking one!)
OCTOBER 2005
Having made Kay Bundo’s Kinder site a feature on this page a while ago, I thought it was about time I gave a plug to the other main New Zealand Kinder Surprise site. As the name suggests, the emphasis is on trading, but there is an interesting table on the main page showing the statistical breakdown of the site creator’s collection. Some other pages have pictures, and you can get a clear idea of what the site author needs and what he doesn’t. A very user-friendly and straightforward site to navigate.
NOVEMBER 2005-AUGUST 2009
None (Ended up not bothering with it for years.)
Links to Other Kinder Surprise Sites
Where to Find Kinder Surprise in NZ
Current Kinder Surprise Situation in NZ
Current Kinder Surprise Situation in Other Countries
What I Like About Kinder Surprise
What I Don't Like About Kinder Surprise
Personal Kinder Surprise Collection
Kinder Surprise Toys For Sale Or Trade
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