Goebel figurines were originally made in the 19th century in Germany. After about fifty years, the company became aware of the work of Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel. Sister Hummel had shown promise as a young artist and studied art, but she eventually pursued her religious calling while continuing to design beautiful works of art that came to be manufactured by the Goebel Company. Goebel ultimately became known as the maker of the MI Hummel line.
There is some confusion about the relationship between the Goebel and Hummel figurines. The MI Hummel figurines were made by Goebel, not the other way around. Goebel also adapted the art of many other artists in his figures. This confusion is compounded by the relatively recent demise of the Goebel company and the sale of its assets and trademarks to another company. Manufacturing continues, and there is even confusion as to whether alleged Goebel figurines made in places like Thailand are authentic.
Goebel employed a series of trademarks in his works that occurred at the bottom of each one. The pieces created by his master sculptors also bear his names. Sister MI Hummel signed those articles derived from his work until his untimely death at an early age. Goebel trademarks can be easily found on the Internet, and there are collector groups dedicated not only to the widely popular Hummels, but also to the broader genre of Goebels.
Hummel figurines are always in high demand. They may be the most sought after type of figurine in the world. If you look up Hummel figurine sales on online auction sites, you’ll see that they typically sell for thousands of dollars. The market for Goebel figurines of other styles is not as expensive and within the financial reach of a much wider range of devotees.
People build their collections of these figurines in different ways. Some people are interested in acquiring only the figures that have already accumulated value. This would include older, harder-to-find figures, as well as recently retired pieces. Others prefer to build their collection for future value and buy more modern designs relatively cheaply.
If you intend to become a collector of these items, you would be very wise to familiarize yourself with their markings. There are collector groups on the Internet that produce newsletters and a great deal of information about the items and the market.
