Everyone knows them: Advent calendars – the timekeepers that not only shorten the waiting time for Christmas for children.
The Richard Sellmer Verlag from Stuttgart has specialized in the production of this beautiful pre-Christmas tradition for over 75 years, since the company's founding. To this day, every Advent calendar that leaves the house is also produced there.
The success story of the publishing house began in 1945 in the living room of the company founder Richard Sellmer. There, he handcrafted the first Advent calendar of the publishing house (The Little Town), which was also the first Advent calendar The Little Town after World War II. With this calendar, the triumph of the Advent calendar in the USA began, where this pre-Christmas tradition was previously completely unknown.
Since 2005, this Advent calendar has been available again as a reprint.

The publishing program today includes about 130 different Advent calendars. Each year, about 15 new designs are added to the program by freelance graphic artists. In recent years, reprints of old designs, which the publisher has reintroduced into its program, have been very popular.
This year, the Richard Sellmer Verlag has expanded its varied Christmas calendar program with some attractive new items in different sizes and versions.

The company philosophy of Richard Sellmer Verlag includes that the image on the back continues the picture on the front. In all religious Advent calendars, the Christmas story is told in pictures on the back during the Advent season. To emphasize this, the corresponding Bible verses for the back image are printed on the inside of the doors, usually in English.

While everything was previously handcrafted, today various machines take over this work. For example, there is a machine that applies the Glitter on the Advent calendars. Since such a machine was not available on the market, Tim Sellmer (the son of the company founder) developed this machine himself.

The publisher is also specialized in custom-made orders for external companies.
They are particularly proud of the custom orders for Buckingham Palace in London and for the luxury department stores Liberty and Fortnum & Mason. Advent calendars have now been delivered to Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and The Royal Muse in England.
Advent calendars with royal motifs, "By appointment of Her Majesty," so to speak.

To complete the range, Richard Sellmer Verlag also offers chocolate Advent calendars. On the one hand, from popular motifs of the publishing program and on the other hand as custom-made products. The client provides a motif, and from this, Richard Sellmer Verlag produces chocolate Advent calendars. This offer has become increasingly popular in recent years.

Even after more than 75 years since its founding, the success of the Stuttgart publishing house remains unbroken. Deliveries are made to over 25 different countries, including the USA, Great Britain, Japan, Australia, Brazil, and many others.
Due to high demand, there has been a dedicated sales office near Birmingham since 2001.

The online sales of Advent calendars are also steadily growing. Sellmer Advent calendars have even been delivered to Greenland. What many cannot imagine is that production starts again right after Christmas. Orders from overseas must be shipped starting in March. In January/February, Richard Sellmer Verlag also exhibits at various trade fairs, such as the Frankfurt Paperworld, the Nuremberg Toy Fair, and the Springfair in Birmingham. In July, the publisher is also represented with a booth at the Trendset in Munich and at Nordstil in Hamburg.

In August 2008, Tim Sellmer, the son of the company founder, passed away, and his sons Frank Sellmer and Oliver Sellmer took over the company management. Richard Sellmer Verlag does not have to worry about the future, as even the 4th generation is actively involved in the company with 5 great-grandchildren of the founder.