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.
