Hummel Miniatures and Robert Olszewsk

By Evelyn Whitaker

In California you can find a shop called Goebel Miniatures where they produce miniature renditions of the M.I. Hummel figurines. These miniatures are about the size of a dime. This shop is the only shop and the sole producer of these little miniatures.

A few years before this shop came about, an artist by the name of Robert Olszewski made several miniature replicas of Hummel figurines in gold. He was not aware that he needed to get permission from Goebel in order to do this. Before Goebel found out about Robert's work and stopped him, he had made the following five miniatures:

Barnyard Hero
Stormy Weather
Kiss Me
Ring Around the Rosie
Ride into Christmas

Robert had also made a few solid gold bracelets with each one of the above named miniatures attached. These bracelets and the unauthorized miniatures have since become highly sought after and are worth alot of money.

Goebel recognized Robert's talent and realized there was a market for the miniatures. The interesting result was the birth of the Goebel Miniatures Shop where Robert was hired under contract with Goebel. As of 1994, Robert no longer works for Goebel.

When the very first Hummel miniatures were released in 1988, they all got a circular backstamp trademark which carried the mold number, the year and the name Olszewski along with Goebel's name. These are also highly sought after.

People are sometimes surprised at the cost of these little miniatures. What most people don't realize though what is all involved in creating these little treasures. First of all, they are not made of earthenware, but of bronze instead. It also takes the artist about 200 hours or more to carve the new creation in wax. The wax sculpture is then converted into a sterling silver master mold. From this silver mold the plaster molds are made and the moulten bronze is poured into these. The final steps is the painting and packaging.

Goebel Miniatures has made many other types of miniatures besides just the M.I. Hummels. Of the M.I. Hummels there was a series that they call "Kinder Way" It was a set of six little Bavarian buildings and settings that were all connected by little bridges and are named as follows:

Market Square
Flower Stand
Countryside School
Wayside Shrine
Bavarian Cottage
Bavarian Village

In early 1992 Goebel announced that the Kinder Way Bavarian Village settings would be permanently retired. They also announced that the production of the M.I. Hummel figurines miniatures would also be suspended indefinitely. To this day, Goebel has no plans to resume production of these cute little miniatures, although there have been at least three produced since 1992 as special editions only. They are:

Ring Around the Rosie
The Mail is Here
Honey Lover

M.I. Hummel miniatures are cute and different and add extensively to any Hummel collection. Robert Olszewski's work is also highly sought after, so if you have any miniatures by him, you may want to consider hanging onto them!



Evelyn Whitaker writes articles for Deutsches Haus http://www.deutscheshaus.cc which is located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Deutsches Haus offers German collectibles, souvenirs, gifts and foods.

Article Source: http://www.dummiesguideto.com

Hummels are Not Completely Problem Free

By Evelyn Whitaker

There's more to taking care of your Hummels than you think! The value of Hummel figurines never goes down, only up - so it is important to know how to preserve your keepsake. Read on to learn some interesting facts about preserving the value of Hummel figurines.



The best way to clean your Hummel:

Over time your Hummels will be come dirty. There are a few important things you should know about Hummel Figurines before you clean them.



M. I. Hummels are made of earthenware, a type of ceramic. Any part of the figurine not protected by a glaze is able to absorb moisture.



These Hummels are also created with an air hole. These holes are usually in a spot where you wouldn't notice. The reason for the hole is so gasses can escape during the firing process. If this hole was not there, the Hummel could be ruined.



The insides of the figurines are not glazed. If you put a figurine in water to clean it without covering the air hole, water can get inside. Once this happens, you will have moisture in the inside, which can gradually discolor the figurine. This discoloration process starts from the inside out and eventually the colors will start fading on the outside. So many people wonder why their Hummel's colors fade even though they keep it out of direct sunlight. Little do they know it was because of the way they were cleaning it!



If you cover the air hole, cleaning with water should not hurt it. I would still be careful about leaving it in water too long though. Just be sure to use a mild soap or shampoo or just wiping with a soft cloth will do it.



Important - A Hummel figurine can be as slippery as ice when coated with soap and water. Clean over a surface that would protect the Hummel just in case it should slip out of your hands.



How to get rid of that silvery sheen:

Ever seen this? It looks like shiny spots and has a silvery look to it. No matter how hard you try, it cannot be removed! It's called oxidation. It's caused by re-oxidation of the metallic oxide paint used by Goebel artists to hand-paint the figurines. The oxidation can be caused by excessively damp storage or by wrapping the figurine in silk paper. How do you prevent this? Just make sure you store your Hummel in a dry cool place and avoid extreme temperature changes. Make sure they are wrapped in colorless foam or some sort of bubble wrap. But what if it's too late? What if your Hummel already has this silvery sheen? How do you get rid of it? Well, you'll be happy to know there is a cure! Professional refireing will restore the figurines to its original appearance.



My Hummel looks like it has spider webs growing on it:

Have you ever seen figurines that look like they have spider webs on them? This is usually a bigger problem than getting cracks or chips in your Hummel. Crazing is hairline cracks in the glaze on the Hummel. It doesn't hurt your Hummel, but it's not the prettiest thing to look at! To prevent crazing, keep your Hummel in an area where the temperature and humidity levels are fairly consistent. High humidity areas are not good because then we are back to the moisture problem, which can cause discoloration. Moving your Hummel from humid areas to dry areas back and forth will cause expansion and contraction and this is how the crazing begins.



How to keep your Hummel from discoloring:

Try not to keep your Hummel in direct sunlight. If your Hummel is displayed in a windowsill, move it! Direct light over time will discolor your Hummel. Also, take care in cleaning your Hummel. Make sure you cover the little hole we talked about earlier.



How to store your Hummels:

A lot of people like to store fragile items in newspapers. But I can tell you that this is one big "no no" for Hummel Figurines! Why? The ink from the newspapers will start to blend with the colors on your Hummel. Don't get me wrong - this is something that can be fixed, but it's time consuming and not all that fun!



The best way to store your Hummel is to keep the box and the padding to protect it. Always store this way if you can. If you don't have the box anymore here's what you can do:



Wrap the figurine well in something like colorless foam or bubble wrap. Try to put it in it's own box if possible for the best protection. As I mentioned earlier, make sure that the Hummel will not be stored in an area where there are extreme temperature changes (crazing) or excessive humidity (discoloration).



Make sure when you are purchasing a Hummel from a retailer that it is coming from a secured cabinet. Retailers that care about their Hummels will keep them stored this way to prevent damage from customers constantly picking them up. How would you know if the Hummel you are buying does not already have moisture build up or damage on the inside? You probably wouldn't. But making sure it is coming from a reputable retailer that takes care in displaying his merchandise will give you peace of mind. After all, Hummels don't come cheap!



Evelyn Becker writes articles for Deutsches Haus http://www.deutscheshaus.cc which is located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Deutsches Haus offers German collectibles, souvenirs, gifts and foods.

The History of Hummels

In our nearly 30 years in the business of dealing Hummel collectibles, we’re often asked about the history of the Hummel figurines and how they’ve become so treasured by collectors worldwide.

Whether you’re a seasoned Hummel collector or someone who’s just considering getting started, understanding the history of Hummel figurines will help you understand why these unique pieces have touched so many people with their beauty, simplicity and value.

Although Hummel figurines made their first mark on the world in 1935, their true history dates back to the year 1909, when a girl named Berta Hummel was born in the small town of Massing, Bavaria as one of six children.

A naturally-talented artist, at the age of 12, her parents recognized that her home schooling wasn’t the best setting to fully develop her creative gifts, and she was sent to the Institute of English Sisters, Marienhoehe, about 20 miles away from her home.

While there, she was educated in a variety of artistic media as well as a host of other academic subjects. But upon graduation at the age of 18, it was determined that she needed further tutelage to ensure that her artistic talents were developed to their fullest potential. Consequently, she set out for Munich, a thriving center for art at the time.

Berta enrolled in the Academy of Applied Arts, where she continued to expand her education in the arts as well as other disciplines. However, despite this additional training, she never tired of her whimsical, precious drawings of children that would serve to inspire the most iconic figurines ever created.

Upon graduation at the top of her class in 1931, she decided to devote her life to God, and entered the Convent of Siessen which had been founded nearly 700 years earlier.

While there, she taught at St. Anna Girls’ School in nearby Saulgau. Upon the completion of her novitiate, she became a full-fledged nun and took the name Maria Innocentia, dedicating the remainder of her life to serving God.

Within a few years, an enterprising and dedicated porcelain manufacturer named Franz Goebel approached Maria Innocentia and proposed a partnership. Her drawings were unlike any he’d ever seen, and he instinctively knew they would translate well into figurines that would ultimately become an instant success.

Promising her the utmost in quality control, adherence to her vision, and that all royalties would be returned to the convent, Herr Goebel signed an exclusive contract with Maria Innocentia for the manufacture and distribution of her work through his W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik firm.

Their contract was signed January 9th, 1935, and, following a successful showing at the 1935 Leipzig Spring Fair, the figurines were an even greater success than Goebel had originally imagined. Sadly, the life of Maria Innocentia was cut all too short on November 6, 1946 when, at only age 37, she died of complications from tuberculosis. Although her life was over all too quickly, her legacy lived on, as it does to this day, through her beloved figurines that hearken back to her childhood days in the Bavarian countryside.

Article written by Debbie Bowen

Special hummel figurines

I find old Hummel figurines at art auctions all the time. I’ve been collecting them for my mother and her sister for a long time. They don’t have the time to go to art auctions, but they have the money to buy nice figurines.
The Apple Tree Boy Hummel figurine I found for my aunt last year was so cute. I attended an art auction about an hour away from my house and they had lots of decorative collectibles. I was able to find several items for my mother and also for my father.

My mother and her sister both want to have an Umbrella Boy Hummel figurine. I have only been able to find one at all of the art auctions I’ve attended. They share the piece equally while I’m looking for a second piece.

The whimsical Hummel figurine called Pleasant Journey is so cute. It was the first Hummel that mother and my aunt ever received. The scene is of two children pulling a third child in a wagon. My grandmother found it at an art auction and it reminded her of her children. She gave it to her two daughters on their shared birthday.

My dad sings in a barbershop quartet. My mother asked me to find an appropriate Hummel figurine at one of the art auctions I attend to give to him for his birthday. I actually was unable to find just the right item for over a year.

My mother was thrilled when I found the Harmony in Four Parts Hummel figurine at an art auction in our hometown. She presented it to him on his birthday and he really liked it. I think she may have liked it more, but that is okay with him. He has always been very supportive of my mother’s collecting.

My mother gave my son a Hummel figurine when he graduated from high school. I thought it was an odd gift to give a kid that had never expressed any interest in collecting them. She did choose a nice piece from her collection that I had purchased for her several years ago at an art auction. She gave him the Hummel figurine Little Fiddler because he plays the violin.

When my aunt went on a cruise, I decided to find her a nautical Hummel figurine. I had to attend four art auctions before I found one. I ended up purchasing the Hummel figurine called Land in Sight. She loved it.

Hummel figurine Let’s Tell The World was a special piece. It is really pretty and it depicts three children ringing a bell. My cousin has been going with me to art auctions looking for it. She thinks that we need to give it to our mothers to share like they do the Umbrella Boy.

I don’t usually collect Hummel figurines. I leave that to my mother and my aunt. The only exception to this is the “Can I Play?” Hummel figurine. I found it at an art auction and it reminded me of playing at my grandmother’s house when I was a child with my brother and my cousin.

The most expensive Hummel figurine that I’ve found at an art auction in the last couple of years was a vintage piece called School Girls. I got into a bidding frenzy with another collector and ended up spending a thousand dollars. The piece was celebrated with a party at my aunt’s house. John Ugoshowa. For more information about Aquariums and fish care see the art aquarium and fish care section of The Free Ad John Ugoshowa. For more information about art auctions see the art auction section of The Free Ad Forum at: http://www.thefreeadforum.com/infowizards/CAT/Art-Auctions_82_1.html You are welcome to reproduce this article in your ezine or website as long as you include our link and bio above.