Erich Stauffer Figurines

Erich Stauffer, a porcelain figurine artist, is said to have been a designer for several different porcelain figurine companies including Goebel and Kalk, but probably only worked for Arnart Creation (also known as Original Arnart Creation, Japan or Original Arnart Creation, New York). Arnart was founded in 1953 in Japan to produce porcelain art, and has offices on 5th Avenue in New York, New York under their new name, Arnart Imports Inc.. Erich Stauffer designed fake versions of Hummels and Kalk figurines for Arnart from 1953 to 1970 under the brands Arnart Imports, 5th Avenue, ArMark, Royal Carlton, Royal Chintz, and Royal Crown.

Arnart is known by its crown and crossed arrow symbols on the bottom, some of which are printed with numbers in a series in porcelain or on a sticker. Erich Stauffer designed “fake Hummels,” which used a crown symbol. Goebel Hummels had similar marks in use from 1934 to 1942. Arnart also produced “fake Kalks,” which carry the two three-feathered crossed arrows, trade marks of the Porzellanmanufaktur Kalk company from Eisenberg, Thuringia in Germany. Because Arnart produced both fake Hummels and fake Kalks, some have speculated that Erich Stauffer worked for either or both in Germany, but this theory is not supported. It is most likely that Erich Stauffer only worked for Arnart.

Some people place Erich Stauffer figurines back to 1940 because of the United States ban on imports from Germany during World War II, which started in September 1939 when the United Kingdom and France both declared war on Germany. On December 11, 1941, the United States declared war on Germany. The New Deal, which was the name that President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave to a sequence of economic stimulus programs initiated between 1933 and 1938 to combat recession, included blocking imports from Germany to the United States. However, Arnart Creation was not founded until 1953, eight years after the end of World War II on August 15, 1945.

It is true that Hummel porcelain figurines were manufactured by Goebel in Germany, which was no longer able to export to the United States during World War II, but Arnart more than likely capitalized off not the import ban, but the general popularity of the premium porcelain brands of Goebel Hummel and Kalks. Erich Stauffer, a traditional German name, may even have been invented to make it seem as though the Arnart imports were from Germany. This could explain why it is so hard to find out information about Erich Stauffer, the designer.

Another reason why the import ban theory does not hold up is due to the fact that the ban also applied to Japan, where the figurines were initially produced. After World War II, Arnart was part of the influx of cheap Japanese imports flooding the US market. Arnart’s imitations began to tarnish their brand so in 1957 Arnart changed their name to “5th Avenue” after securing their 5th Avenue office in downtown New York and stopped using a printed stamped “Made in Japan” pottery mark, replacing it with a “Made in Japan” sticker. In 2000, 5th Avenue changed their name again to Arnart Imports Inc.

What is an Erich Stauffer Figurine Worth?

Erich Stauffer figurines selling on online auction services such as Ebay end anywhere from $5 to $40. The price varies by how clear the mark on the bottom is, whether a number exists or not, if there are any chips or cracks in the porcelain, and if it has a sticker. A sticker, because of the chance of removal over time, makes it more valuable. It is important to note that even though the figurines, also known as “fake Hummels” or “fake Kalks” are imitations, over time have become valuable in their own right. However, as long as Arnart Imports Inc. is still in business, the price of Erich Stauffer figurines will never be as high as Goebel’s Hummels.

Erich Stauffer figurines usually look like Hummels or Kalks and can be identified by the crown or crossed arrow symbols, but also by a beehive symbol or taglines such as “Made in West Germany” or “Designed by Erich Stauffer”. One person has also reported seeing “Divinity Artware” under one Erich Stauffer figurine. Figurines stating that they were made in Germany were not. They are hand-painted porcelain figurines from Japan. They may also say “New York,” but again, Erich Stauffer figurines which say “New York” originally had “Made in Japan” stickers and were made in Japan. The best way to find out what your figurine is worth is to have it professionally appraised or use one of the books below.