Most Hummel figurines are worth approximately $20-60 each today, and many common pieces from the 1970s onward sell for less, often in mixed lots. Prices peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, when millions were bought as gifts and collectibles, and there are now far more sellers than collectors. The exceptions are real, though. Figurines with the early crown or full bee trademarks, large sizes, rare molds and a few special series such as the International figurines can sell for hundreds or thousands. The trademark on the base, the mold number and the condition decide which group yours belongs to.
Quick answer
- Most Hummels with the Last Bee, Missing Bee or later marks sell for $10-60 each.
- Look at the trademark on the base, the incised mold number and size designation, and check for chips and repairs.
- Value rises for crown and full bee marks, large sizes, rare and early molds, and undamaged pieces with original boxes.
How to check yours, step by step
- Turn it over and find the trademark. Look at the underside of the base in good light. You are looking for a small printed or incised mark: a crown, a bee inside a V, a stylized bee, a "three line" text mark, or a later crown and "Goebel" mark. The section below shows how to read each one.
- Find the mold number. Also on the base, often incised (pressed in) rather than printed, you will see a number such as "47" or "Hum 47", sometimes followed by a size code like 3/0, /0, /I or /II. This identifies the design and its size.
- Check the signature. On the back or side of the base, look for the incised "M.I. Hummel" signature. Genuine Goebel Hummels carry it. Figurines without it are usually look-alikes made by other companies.
- Ignore the incised year at first. Many bases show a year, such as "© 1938". This is usually the copyright date of the design, not the year your figurine was made. The trademark dates the piece.
- Look for other marks. "U.S. Zone Germany" or "Western Germany" alongside a crown mark points to the late 1940s and adds interest. "Mel" with a number is an uncommon early mark discussed below.
- Check condition closely. Run a fingertip over the tips: noses, fingers, hats, umbrellas, baskets and the edge of the base. Look at the glaze in raking light for fine cracks, and under a UV torch for repairs, which glow differently from the original glaze.
- Measure it. Note the height in inches. Large sizes sell higher, and height helps confirm the size code.
The trademarks and what they mean
Goebel, the German porcelain firm that made the figurines from 1935, changed the base trademark several times. Collectors call these TMK-1 through TMK-8, and later.
| Trademark | Approximate years | What it looks like | Typical value for common figurines |
|---|---|---|---|
| TMK-1 Crown | 1935 to about 1949 | A crown with WG below, often incised | $75-400 |
| TMK-2 Full Bee | About 1950 to 1959 | A large bee flying inside a V | $50-250 |
| TMK-3 Stylized Bee | Late 1950s to early 1970s | A smaller, stylized bee inside the V | $30-120 |
| TMK-4 Three Line | About 1964 to 1972 | The stylized bee with three lines of text beside it | $25-80 |
| TMK-5 Last Bee | About 1970 to 1979 | A small bee above the V, with "Goebel" | $15-60 |
| TMK-6 Missing Bee | About 1979 to 1990 | "Goebel" with no bee | $10-50 |
| TMK-7 Hummel Mark | About 1991 to 1999 | A crown above the Goebel name | $10-50 |
| TMK-8 Millennium Bee | About 2000 to 2008 | A bee returns, with "Goebel" | $15-60 |
| Later marks | 2009 onward | Marks from the later Rödental makers | $20-80, small production |
Dates overlap at the edges because molds and stamps changed over time. Mixed marks also exist, such as a crown and a full bee on the same base, which some collectors seek out. For marks on other porcelain, our guide on how to read pottery marks covers the major makers.
Why most Hummels are worth $20-60
Goebel made Hummels in very large numbers, especially from the 1960s to the 1990s, and much of that output was bought by collectors who kept it carefully. Those collectors are now downsizing or their families are clearing estates, and younger buyers rarely collect figurines. The result is a buyer's market. The same thing has happened to old china dishes and Depression glass.
Price guides from the 1990s often list values several times higher than what pieces sell for today. Those books record a retail market that no longer exists. Sold listings on auction sites are the better reference.
The Hummels that are worth more
| Type | What to look for | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Crown mark common figurines | TMK-1 on popular designs such as Merry Wanderer, Apple Tree Girl, Goose Girl | $75-400 |
| Full Bee figurines | TMK-2, clean condition | $50-250 |
| Large sizes | Size codes /II, /III and larger, often 9 inches and up | $200-1,500 |
| Very large display pieces | Floor sized Merry Wanderer and similar, a few feet tall | $1,500 and up |
| Early or rare variations | Discontinued molds, color or design variants, early sample pieces | $300-3,000 |
| "Mel" figurines | An incised "Mel" with a number, early pieces from the last letters of the Hummel name | Hundreds to a few thousand |
| International figurines | Figurines in Hungarian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Swedish, Czech and Slovak costume from around 1940 | Often several thousand each |
| Annual plates and bells | Yearly issues from 1971 onward | $10-40, first issues higher |
| Club exclusives and limited editions | 1980s to 2000s club pieces | $20-100 |
Size codes are worth understanding. A mold number followed by 3/0 or 4/0 is a small size, /0 is standard, and /I, /II and /III step up. The same design can be worth $30 in a small size and several hundred in a large one.
Rare variations are the hardest to spot without references. Collectors track differences in a hat color, the position of an arm or the presence of a small object. A figurine that looks slightly different from the photos you find online is worth a closer look rather than a quick sale.
Condition
Hummels are fired earthenware and they chip easily. Condition can halve a value or worse.
- Mint: no chips, cracks or repairs, glaze intact. The ranges above assume this.
- Minor flaws: a tiny glaze flake on the base or slight crazing. Roughly 20 to 30 percent less.
- Chips: a chipped nose, finger, hat brim or umbrella tip. Roughly half the mint value or less.
- Restored: a repaired break or repainted area, often visible under UV light as a patch that glows differently. Often 50 to 80 percent less, and buyers expect disclosure.
- Crazing: a web of fine cracks in the glaze. Common on older pieces and less serious than a chip, but it still lowers value.
Original boxes add a little, mostly for later pieces sold to collectors who keep boxes. Paper Goebel tags and club era paperwork help with identification but add only modest value.
Hummel look-alikes
The Hummel style was widely copied. Japanese factories made similar children figurines in the 1950s and 1960s, and several American and European firms produced lookalikes. Some were marked "Hummel" without the "M.I. Hummel" signature or Goebel trademark. These usually sell for $5-20. The incised signature and a recognized trademark are what separate Goebel pieces from the rest.
The market reality for inherited collections
A collection of 30 or 50 Hummels from the 1970s and 1980s is often worth a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars in total, much less than the family remembers paying. Most auction houses decline lots of later marks, or group them into large mixed lots. Antique dealers buy at roughly 30 to 50 percent of resale prices.
The practical approach is to sort the collection first. Set aside anything with a crown, full bee or stylized bee mark, anything large, and anything that does not look like the common versions. Sell those individually. Sell the later, common pieces in lots, or keep the favorites. Often the most valuable thing in a Hummel collection is one or two early or large pieces hidden among many common ones.
Common mistakes
- Pricing from old price guides. 1990s books list values the market no longer pays.
- Dating from the incised year. It is usually the design's copyright date, not the production year.
- Assuming every figurine with a bee is old. The bee returns on TMK-8 pieces from 2000 onward.
- Missing small chips. Check noses, fingertips and hat brims carefully before listing.
- Cleaning with harsh products or a dishwasher. Lukewarm water and a soft brush are enough.
- Treating unsigned lookalikes as Hummels. Without the M.I. Hummel signature and a Goebel mark, the piece is not a Goebel Hummel.
- Selling an entire collection as one lot before pulling out the early marks and large sizes.
What to photograph
- The base, straight on, with the trademark and mold number sharp and readable.
- The incised M.I. Hummel signature on the back or side of the base.
- The figurine from the front, back and both sides on a plain background.
- Close-ups of the fragile points: face, hands, hat and anything held.
- A ruler or tape next to it for height.
- Any original box, tag or paperwork.
When to get it looked at in person
- An antique dealer or Hummel specialist can identify marks and variations quickly. Many will look at a collection without charge if they may make an offer. Expect them to buy at a discount.
- An appraiser charges roughly $100-300 per hour or a flat fee for a collection. Worth it for estate division or insurance, or when a collection contains many crown and full bee pieces.
- An auction house with a decorative arts department is worth contacting for International figurines, Mel pieces, very large sizes or rare variations. Commission usually runs 15 to 30 percent.
- Collector clubs and groups can confirm rare variations from photos, which is often the best way to spot something unusual.
WorthPic reads the trademark and mold number from your photos, names the figurine and its era, and estimates a value range, so you can quickly see which pieces in a collection deserve a closer look.