Chocolate moulds
Chocolate moulds are made in a vast array of shapes-everything from beach balls to martini glasses-but given their use, holiday-based forms are much more common. Within the genre of Santa-shaped moulds, there exists a wide variety of types and sizes, and he can be found with a ‘Bad Boy', a ‘Good Girl', driving a sports car, or carrying sacks of toys. The majority of the original moulds were made in Germany from the late 1800s, so some shapes can be very traditional, depicting the more sombre figure of St. Nicholas, for instance. Some styles were very popular and so are easier to find, and also be aware that modern reproductions are on the market.
Santa Claus figurines
In a highly modern fashion, the ubiquitous red-suited figure of Christmas was popularized by the designs of Haddon Sundblom for a Coca-Cola advertising campaign beginning in 1931. Other figures, known as Father Christmas or ‘belsnickles' (a term from Pennsylvania Dutch meaning ‘St. Nicholas in fur') were produced in Germany from the turn of the 20th century until World War II. Figures made in the 1930s and earlier are the most desirable, and can be found in colours such as white, brown and blue. They were usually made from papier-mâché and decorated with felt, faux fur and detailed trimming. Later plastic models made in Japan, while not as sought-after as the earlier examples, are rising in value and becoming increasingly harder to find.
Royal Doulton's snowman
There are certain Christmas characters, though non-traditional, that retain their place in our hearts and memories for years, and the illustrated children's book The Snowman by Raymond Briggs struck just that chord. Published in 1978 and followed by the hugely popular animated film in 1982, the license for the character was obtained by Royal Doulton in 1985 to produce ceramic figures. Unfortunately, The Snowman was not as sought-after as hoped and the range was cancelled after nine years-only 19 figures and two musical boxes were produced. Thanks to the line's relatively short production run, as well as the Snowman's perpetual charm, the figures are collectible today. The line was revived in 1999 when a limited edition collection was commissioned by Lawleys By Post, but naturally, the first range is still the more sought-after.
0 Comment