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The Berlin virologist Christian Drosten has developed into a bestseller for handicrafts in the Ore Mountains: as a smoking man figure with a smoking head.
Actually, he should have sent his seven permanent employees full short-time work from January, said wood artist Tino Günther on Thursday on request.
But in order to process the orders for his smoking drosten, he has now recruited additional staff.
More than 5,000 orders were received from private individuals alone, plus many inquiries from trading partners and retailers.
The figure is also in demand from abroad, such as Austria, the USA and Japan, as reported by the “Free Press” (Thursday edition).
"The response is sensational," said Günther happily.
Numerous media also from abroad reported about his character.
"With every report, the demand has gone up like the contagion curve." The orders have now made up a volume that is usually achieved in a year at Christmas markets.
Wood artist Tino Günther is happy about the high demand
Source: REUTERS
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Smokers aren't actually his specialty: “I'm a toy maker, not a wood turner.” That is why he has outsourced work to other companies in the region, such as the manufacture of arms or felt work.
The 26 centimeter high figure with a white coat and disheveled hair stands on a stylized corona virus.
She also wears a face mask.
The smoke does not come out of the mouth of the smoker as is usually the case - it is rather his head that smokes.
More than 100 pieces have been produced so far.
"Production is only just beginning," explained Günther.
Because the production is manual work.
However, given the success of his Drosten figure, the wood artist is not planning any further figures with Corona motifs or a virologist series.
The reason for this suggests a bow to the music: “After a hit, the second song is often a failure.” His next project is rather characters for a wooden game in collaboration with a children's book author.