Goebel to Stop Hummel Production in October

News from Germany is that Goebel will stop producing the once popular M.I. Hummel figurines as of October 31, 2008. Goebel, who brought the figurines to life starting in 1935, is looking for other alternatives to keep the production of the figurine alive. The figurines, which are based on the drawings of Sister Maria Innocentia (1909-1946), have lost their appeal with the public in the recent past and prices have been slumping. Sister Innocentia, born Berta Hummel in Bavaria, was a brilliant artist whose depictions of children first brought her to the attention of Goebel.

In addition to stopping production of Hummels, Goebel has also announced that the Goebel Information Center and the M.I. Hummel Club Center, both in Rodental, Germany will close within the next couple of months. The International Club Convention in Germany which supposed to have been held on October 17-18, 2008 has also been cancelled. However, as of this writing, the 2009 International Club Convention that is scheduled to take place in September 2009 in Western New York (Buffalo and Niagrara Falls, New York) area is still a go.