Hummel Figurines Value: Most Are $15–75, a Few Sell for $1,000+
Most Hummel figurines sell for $15 to $75 today. That's a hard number for anyone who remembers what they cost new, or who inherited a cabinet full of them from a parent who was told they were an investment. The market for Hummels fell a long way as the generation that collected them aged out, and ordinary pieces from the 1970s onward are now worth less than their original price. A small number are worth real money: pieces with the earliest marks, the largest sizes, and a few rare models that sell for $1,000 to $5,000 or more. This guide shows you how to tell which is which from the mark on the base.
Start with the mark on the bottom
Every Hummel has a trademark stamped or incised on the base. The mark tells you roughly when it was made, and age is the biggest single factor in value. Collectors number the marks TMK-1 through TMK-8 and beyond.
| Mark | Called | Years | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| TMK-1 | Crown | 1935–1949 | A crown with "WG" below, often with "Germany" or "U.S. Zone Germany" |
| TMK-2 | Full Bee | 1950–1955 | A bee flying inside a V |
| TMK-3 | Stylized Bee | 1957–1963 | A simpler bee inside a V |
| TMK-4 | Three Line | 1964–1972 | The bee plus three lines of text |
| TMK-5 | Last Bee | 1972–1979 | "Goebel" with a small bee above |
| TMK-6 | Missing Bee | 1979–1991 | "Goebel" with no bee |
| TMK-7 | Hummel Mark | 1991–1999 | "Goebel Germany" with a crown and "M.I. Hummel" |
| TMK-8 | Goebel Bee | 2000–2008 | A bee inside a circle |
The rule of thumb: Crown and Full Bee pieces (before 1956) are the ones worth looking at closely. The same figurine with an early mark can sell for five to twenty times what it brings with a 1970s or 1980s mark.
You'll also find a model number (HUM) incised on the base, often with a size suffix: a Roman numeral or a fraction after a slash. A larger suffix means a larger figurine, and large sizes are scarcer.
What's worth money
Early marks. A Crown or Full Bee version of a common figurine, in good condition, typically sells for $100 to $500. The same piece with a later mark is often $20 to $50.
Large sizes. The biggest versions of popular figurines, such as the Apple Tree Boy and Apple Tree Girl in their largest size, are hard to find and sell for several hundred to a few thousand dollars.
Rare models. A handful of figurines are valuable in any mark because few were made:
- Adventure Bound (HUM 347), a group of seven boys, has sold for over $4,000.
- Signs of Spring (HUM 203) in its rare early version has reached $5,500 at auction.
- Ring Around the Rosie (HUM 348) and other large multi-figure groups sell for $1,000 and up.
- Dealer display plaques, the signs shops put next to their Hummel stock, have sold for $2,000 or more.
Unusual colours and variations. Early pieces sometimes differ from the standard design: a different colour on a hat or jacket, a different base, a missing or extra detail. Collectors pay a premium for documented variations.
What's not worth much
Most of what people own:
- 1970s to 1990s figurines (TMK-5 to TMK-7) in common models: $15 to $75. These were made in large numbers during the collecting boom.
- Annual plates and bells: usually $10 to $30. They were sold as collectibles and kept carefully, so supply is huge.
- Pieces with chips, cracks, repairs or crazing: a fraction of the clean price. Collectors can be very particular about condition.
- Pieces without a mark, or marked only "Germany": probably not Goebel Hummels at all, but one of the many imitations.
The hardest part for most families is that the "collector's price" paid in the 1980s is gone. A figurine bought for $150 in 1985 is a $30 figurine now. That's the market, not a mistake.
Condition
Check each piece in good light:
- Chips and flakes, especially on fingers, hat brims, flowers and the base edge.
- Cracks and hairlines, which can be faint. Hold the piece up to a lamp.
- Repairs, which show as slightly different colour or texture, or a dull spot where glaze should shine.
- Crazing, a fine network of lines in the glaze.
Any of these cut the value sharply. An original box and paperwork help a little, more for later pieces than early ones.
How to check what you have
- Turn the piece over and match the mark to the table above.
- Note the HUM number and any size suffix.
- Look up the figurine's name from the number, or read it off the base if it's there.
- Search the name, the mark name (for example "Full Bee") and the size on eBay, and filter to Sold items. Compare against pieces in similar condition.
For a whole cabinet, the Valued app can identify a figurine from a photo and give you a starting estimate, which helps you find the few early or large pieces that deserve a specialist's eye. The general method is in our guide to finding out what an antique is worth.
Selling Hummels
The early, large and rare pieces sell well at auction houses that handle figurines, and individually on eBay with clear photos of the mark. Ordinary pieces sell best in small lots, and local sales often beat shipping, because porcelain is fragile and heavy to post. If you have a large collection of common pieces, be realistic: a dealer will offer a fraction of retail, and selling piece by piece takes months.
Common questions
Are Hummel figurines worth anything anymore?
Most sell for $15 to $75. The market dropped as the collectors who bought them in the 1970s and 1980s aged out. Early pieces with Crown or Full Bee marks, large sizes and rare models still sell for hundreds to thousands.
How do I tell how old my Hummel is?
Look at the trademark on the base. A crown is 1935 to 1949, a bee inside a V is 1950 to 1963, "Goebel" with a small bee is the 1970s, "Goebel" without a bee is 1979 to 1991, and later marks include a crown or a bee in a circle.
What is the most valuable Hummel figurine?
Large multi-figure groups such as Adventure Bound and rare early versions of pieces like Signs of Spring have sold for $4,000 to $5,500. Early Crown-marked examples of common figurines and the largest sizes of popular models also sell for well into the hundreds.
Are Hummel plates worth anything?
Usually $10 to $30. Annual plates were bought as collectibles and kept in boxes by the thousand, so there are far more than there are buyers. The first annual plate from 1971 does better, around $50 to $150 in its box.