With Christmas approaching we thought we would reproduce one of Matt's 'The Goebel King' articles on Goebel for all those at WCN who have not read his column before. This one features Goebel items from Christmas Past.

Picture #1 begins with figurines of that jolly ole soul, SANTA CLAUS. From left to right, we have 44 333 10, 44 331 10, 44 350 09.

The second picture depicts two very similar looking gentlemen. I think we all agree that the man in red is another goebel version of Santa, but how many of you think the man in blue is Santa? I don’t remember any stories about him with a pick, but he sure looks like him.

There are no numbers on either of these two. Picture # 3 contains some very large items. 44 030 20 is a night light which illuminates the entire figurine if I had a bulb in it. We have Santa’s helper and it also includes a candleholder. The teddy bear is 36 557 14 and Santa is 15 007 18

Santa is most famous for his toys, so picture # 4 shows teddy bears in three more sizes. The largest one is marked with 539. It and the next each come in three different poses with different color bow ties. I included shots of each of the three smallest ones because they are so different. Picture # 5 continues with the toy theme beginning with a boot (57 401 08) to be filled up by Santa, a rocking horse, which is also a candle holder (54 403 08). Lastly, we have a choo choo train. I believe goebel also made the various cars to follow the locomotive.

Goebel made many Christmas figurines as are illustrated beginning with picture # 6. The boy with the horn is 13 907 09, the boy with the star is 13 916, the boy on the sled is 13 904 07 and the nutcracker is 13 902 09. Picture # 7 continues with the snowman, 13 900 09. The man with the violin is 13 913 11. The lamp is 54 429 and the guard is 13 912. There is also a woman caroler that goes with these.

Christmas means snow, and with snow, we have snowmen. Picture # 8 depicts a proud set of snowparents (13 920 12) admiring their snowchildren, 13917 on the skies, 919 on the sled and the not so good skier has no number. Such a day tires the little ones out, so they relax in the form of candleholders in picture # 9 (54 017 09, 54 018 06, 54 016 10). Let’s not ever think little girls will be outdone by snowkids.

Pictures # 10 and # 11 show a girl skiing with one ski, 11701, a girl on a sled, and a girl ice skating 11 702. They get a little rougher in a snowball fight, 11 703, but she calms down to build a snowman in 11 705 and as 11 706 she is trying her skill at curling.

Do what I did and look it up in a dictionary. Our Scottish friends don’t have to look it up.

In 1978, goebel began an annual ornament series with the year of issue in relief somewhere on the figurine. Pictures # 12, # 13 & # 14 show the twelve years of ornaments. 1978 is Santa, 1979 an angel, 1980 Mrs Claus, 1981 a nutcracker. This nutcracker can also be found in blue, orange and yellow, but is most common in red.

1982 is Santa again, this time going down the chimney, 1983 a clown, 1984 a snowman, and 1985 another angel.

In 1986 we have the little drummer boy. There was a song written for him, you know. 1987 a rocking horse, 1988 a very pretty little girl dressed in her Christmas best and the last in the series in 1989, the Dove of Peace.


In 1984, goebel began another series of ornaments in the form of bells. The obverse of the 1984 is a Christmas tree. Picture # 15 continues with Santa in 1985, a poinsettia in 1988 and a rocking horse in 1991. These and the angel bell ornaments are some of the very few series continued by goebel to this day.

Picture # 16 has some miscellaneous ornaments. We have a ( I can’t believe it’s another Santa), a ( oh no, another snowman too), and finally a boot.

Picture # 17 picks out a few of the angel bell series which began in 1976 as shown. Each year had the angel playing a different musical instrument until 1987 gave us the conductor. The candle was goebel’s choice for 1988 and in 1991, the bell was downsized and the design changed slightly. 1991 shows a teddy bear and 1995 a choo choo train. Each year’s motif was produced in three different colors as well as in white bisque so you could have quite a collection just by getting one of each possible combination of angel bells.

One of the easiest goebel items to collect are the snowbirds, CV 72, 73,and 74. Well, guess what! Goebel made them as ornaments too in these three colors as shown in picture # 18 and in solid red.

Picture #19 shows us small miscellaneous ornaments goebel produced in about five different color schemes. There are many, many of these, too numerous to mention.

We close with picture #20 with our Christmas angels, 41 132, 41 145, 41 136. Goebel made hundreds of religious figurines with Christmas themes as well as without. Their dealings with Sister Hummel’s convent might have influenced goebel to produce a wider selection of religious motifs, but that is another column or two.