A used Willow Tree figurine by Susan Lordi for DEMDACO sells for about $8-25 as of November 2026, based on recent Mercari and eBay sold listings, and most change hands around $10-20. A piece still in its box brings about $15-45. Nativity pieces sell for $12-80 each, and a complete nativity with its star backdrop sells for roughly $160-235. Early 1999 and 2000 dates and retired designs add little.
The line has been in production since January 2000 and is sold through gift shops and Hallmark stores, so most designs can still be bought new, and nothing was a limited edition. The pieces that hold value are nativity sets, large display pieces and anything new in its box.
Quick answer
- Loose Willow Tree figure, any common design: about $8-25.
- New in box: about $15-45. Ornaments: about $5-25.
- Single nativity pieces: $12-80. Complete nativity with backdrop: about $160-235.
- Large pieces of 14 to 24 inches: about $15-80.
- A 1999 or 2000 date on the base, a retired design or a pen signature adds little on its own.
How to identify a Willow Tree figurine, step by step
- Look at the face. Every Willow Tree figure is faceless. The line's own description says expression comes only from gesture: the tilt of the head, the placement of the hands, the turn of the body. A figure with painted eyes or a mouth is not Willow Tree.
- Check the material and finish. Willow Tree pieces are hand-painted resin cast from Lordi's hand-carved originals, with a matte, wood-like finish that shows carving marks. Angels have separate wings, and many pieces have small wire or metal details such as flowers, wings or a halo.
- Turn it over and read the base. Look for a copyright line with Susan Lordi's name, a year and DEMDACO, for example "Susan Lordi 2001 DEMDACO". No Lordi or DEMDACO marking at all usually means a lookalike.
- Do not read the year as the year it was made. It is the copyright year of the design. Popular pieces were made for years with the same date, so a "Together" figure marked 2000 may have been bought new in 2011.
- Find the name and the item number. The box, if you have it, names the piece and carries a five-digit item number. Early designs are in the 26000s (the Donkey is 26005, the Three Wisemen 26027, Brothers 26056, Cherish 26082); later pieces run into the 27000s and 28000s. Search the name and number to match it.
- Note the size. Most figures are 4 to 9 inches tall. Large display pieces, such as the 14 to 15 inch figures and the 24 inch Christmas Story Sanctuary creche, are a separate, better-selling group.
- Inspect for damage. The thin parts break: wing tips, wire details, hands, hem edges. Look closely where wings meet the back; a reglued wing is the common repair.
- Find the box, insert and sentiment card. Buyers giving the piece as a gift pay 50-100 percent more for a boxed figure.
What are Willow Tree figurines worth?
Sold prices from Mercari and eBay (read through the 130point sold-price search) as of November 2026, checked against Poshmark and ShopGoodwill. On eBay, single figures sold for a median of about $14 and nativity pieces about $41. Poshmark fits the ranges for loose figures ($10-26), boxed pieces ($18-46), nativity pieces ($15-85) and small lots ($20-28), and larger 13 to 15 piece nativities sold there for $200-250. Musical figures sell below the single $48 Mercari sale: eight sold on Poshmark for $16-35, most near $30, and ShopGoodwill musicals closed at $7-10. The 24 inch creche matches Mercari's $80: two sold on Poshmark for $98-100, and on ShopGoodwill a new-in-box creche closed at $66.56 and a stable alone at $51.01. Unsold listings asking $40-100 for common figures are not the market.
| Piece | Example designs | Typical sold price |
|---|---|---|
| Single figure, loose | Angel of Mine, Remember, Courage, The Dancer, Brothers | $8-25 |
| Couple and family pieces | Together, Promise, Generations, Close to Me | $12-28 |
| Angels from 1999 to 2002 | Angel of Learning (1999), Angel of Grace (2001), Angel of Autumn (2001) | $10-18 |
| New in box | Welcoming Angel (2002), Friendship, Angel of Mine | $15-45 |
| Ornaments | Annual and Trellis ornaments | $5-25 |
| Musical figures | A Tree, A Prayer, Promise, Guardian; play a tune | About $15-48, most near $30 |
| Nativity animals | Donkey 26005, camel, sheep | $19-66 |
| Three Wisemen 26027 | Kneeling wise men | $23 used, about $80 new in box |
| Holy Family pieces, larger sizes | Christmas Story figures, 14.5 inch | About $45-70 |
| Christmas Story Sanctuary creche, 24 inch | Wooden stable backdrop | About $50-100 |
| Complete nativity with backdrop | Holy Family, Wise Men, star backdrops, Song of Joy angel | About $160-235 |
| Large single figure, 15 inch | Welcoming Spirit (1999), Hearth and Home | About $15-75 |
| Lots of three or four figures | Mixed designs | $15-40 for the lot |
Susan Lordi has signed figures by hand at events, and a "Lots of Love" figure described as signed by her sold for $39, about double the unsigned price. That applies only to a pen signature, not the printed copyright line every base carries.
Are retired Willow Tree figurines worth more?
Usually not. DEMDACO retires designs from time to time, and sellers add "retired" or "rare" to almost every listing, but most retired pieces are a few clicks away on the resale market. A 1999 Angel of Learning sold for $10 and a 1999 Angel of Protection for about $12. A retired piece earns more only when it completes a nativity or is new in its box.
Willow Tree nativities
The nativity sells best because people add to it every Christmas and need matching pieces. A six-piece nativity was among the very first Willow Tree pieces when the line launched at the Dallas and Atlanta gift shows in January 2000, according to DEMDACO, and the set has grown since with shepherds, animals, angels, a stable and star backdrops.
What sells:
- Complete sets with a backdrop sell for about $160-235. A set with the Holy Family, the Three Wisemen and two star backdrops sold for about $235.
- Single pieces that complete a set sell for $19-80, with the Three Wisemen new in box at about $80 and animals with their box around $66.
- The large Christmas Story versions at 14 to 24 inches sell for about $45-100 a piece.
Sell nativities in October and November, when buyers are setting up for the season. The same set listed in February sits.
A worked example
Say you are clearing a relative's shelf and find eleven Willow Tree figures: seven loose angels and couples, a boxed "Friendship", and a nativity with Mary, Joseph, the baby, a donkey and a camel, no backdrop. Each base reads Susan Lordi with a year between 1999 and 2005 and DEMDACO.
The seven loose figures are worth about $10-20 each, or $70-140, but as one lot they will likely bring $40-70. The boxed Friendship is about $19. The five nativity pieces sell best together: about $60-100 without the backdrop, more in late autumn. All in, about $150-250 if you list carefully, or $80-120 gone in one sale.
What changes the price
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Faceless, matte, Lordi and DEMDACO on the base | The baseline for the prices above |
| Original box, insert and card | Adds about 50-100 percent on a common figure |
| Broken or reglued wing, missing wire detail | Under half; often unsellable singly |
| Pen signature by Susan Lordi | Modest premium, about double a common figure |
| Early copyright year (1999, 2000) | Little to no premium |
| Large size, 14 inches and up | Usually higher, about $15-80 |
| Part of a nativity | Higher, and highest as a complete set |
| Faded paint, chips on hem edges | About a third off |
How to sell Willow Tree figurines
Loose common figures sell for about $8-25 each, so seven or eight of them usually go faster as one lot than one at a time. List singly: anything new in its box with the insert and card, the large 14 to 24 inch pieces, musical figures, and any figure with a pen signature by Susan Lordi. Keep a nativity together. A complete set with its backdrop sells for about $160-235, more than the same pieces listed one by one, and single nativity pieces sell to buyers completing their own sets.
Single pieces and nativities sell on Mercari, eBay and Facebook Marketplace. A large collection, a complete nativity or a run of new-in-box figures suits a local consignment shop in October or November. Gift shops that sell the line new will not buy used pieces. List nativities in October and November, when buyers set up for the season.
A Willow Tree buyer wants to see:
- the whole figure from the front, in daylight against a plain background
- the base straight on, with the Susan Lordi copyright line, year and DEMDACO readable
- the box and insert, with the name and five-digit item number
- the back, where the wings meet the body
- all nativity pieces together, with any backdrop or stable
Double box every piece, since resin wings and wire details snap in transit.
Do not call a piece vintage, rare or retired because of its year, and state any reglued wing or missing wire detail.
Common mistakes
- Listing a "2000" piece as vintage. Buyers who know the line will skip it or haggle.
- Splitting a nativity. A complete set with its backdrop sells for more than the same pieces listed one by one, and sells faster.
- Gluing a broken wing with household glue. Visible glue lines make a piece hard to sell at all. If it is for sale, list it honestly as broken.
- Shipping without double boxing. Resin wings and wire details snap in transit; a broken arrival on Mercari or eBay usually means a full refund.
- Confusing imitations with Willow Tree. Susan Lordi sued CVS Pharmacy over angel figures with wire-loop wings that she said imitated her designs, according to Wikipedia. Lookalike faceless angels from other makers have no Lordi or DEMDACO marking and sell for a few dollars.
How WorthPic reads Willow Tree photos
WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. For Willow Tree it matches the figure's pose, size and details, such as the wings, what the figure is holding, and how many figures are in the piece, against the named designs in the line. From a photo of the base it reads the copyright line, the year and DEMDACO, and from the box the name and item number. It looks for broken wing tips, missing wire details and glue lines, then gives an honest range based on recent sold prices for that design. It cannot tell from a photo whether a pen signature is genuine, and it cannot see a crack hidden under the base. It identifies and estimates. It does not authenticate, grade or appraise.
What to photograph
- The whole figure from the front in daylight against a plain background.
- The base, straight on, with the copyright line and year readable.
- The box and insert, if you have them, showing the name and item number.
- The back, where the wings meet the body and where repairs show.
- All nativity pieces together, with any backdrop or stable, so the set is clear.
- Any pen signature close up, if you think the piece was signed by the artist.
When to get it looked at in person
Almost never. No appraisal fee is worth paying for a Willow Tree figure; a sold-listing search with the exact name and size is the whole job. Gift shops that sell Willow Tree new will not buy used pieces, and estate-sale companies price them in lots. For a large collection, a complete nativity or a run of new-in-box figures, a local consignment shop in October or November is the best route. The same honest, common-is-common picture applies to Precious Moments, and for figurines that do hold value by maker and era, see our Hummel and Lladró guides. The antiques and art category page explains which figurines, pottery and decorative pieces hold value and which sell for a few dollars.
Sources
- DEMDACO: artist profile of Susan Lordi: the January 2000 launch at the Dallas and Atlanta gift shows, the first pieces including a six-piece Nativity, and hand-carved originals cast and painted by hand.
- Willow Tree: About Willow Tree: faceless design, Kansas City studio, carving and hand painting.
- Wikipedia: Willow Tree (figurines): resin construction, sales through gift shops and Hallmark stores, and the CVS imitation lawsuit.
- Mercari sold listings: Willow Tree figurine: single figure prices.
- Mercari sold listings: Willow Tree nativity: nativity set and piece prices, large pieces and early angels.
- Poshmark sold listings: Willow Tree figurines, nativity, ornaments and large figures: second check on figure, boxed, nativity, ornament and large piece prices, November 2, 2026.
- Poshmark sold listings: Willow Tree musical and creche: eight musical figures at $16-35 and two creche stables at $98-100, checked November 2, 2026.
- ShopGoodwill closed auctions: Willow Tree musical figures at $7-10 and creches at $51-67 alone, August to October 2026.
- 130point sold-price search (eBay sold listings): eBay medians for single figures and nativity pieces.