Collector series reference
Hummel Plates and Bells: Value and Backstamps
Hummel plates and bells are the collector-series side of the Goebel output: wall plates and porcelain bells carrying motifs adapted from existing M.I. Hummel figurine designs, issued one design per year through subscription and gift channels. The annual plate series began in 1971 and ran into the mid-1990s, with anniversary plates at roughly five-year intervals and an annual bell series from the late 1970s.
The blunt part is that these were produced in very large numbers for a subscription audience, sold at full gift retail, and stored boxed rather than used. As a result the great majority now trade well below their original issue price. Early first issues and low-distribution editions are the exceptions worth identifying individually.
Visual reference
Mark shapes to compare first
These original code-drawn symbols help describe a mark shape. They do not authenticate a maker, workshop, date, or metal standard.
The Hummel collector series at a glance
Identify which series a piece belongs to before you try to price it. The series decides how many were made and therefore how the market treats it.
| Series | Approximate run | Form | Market note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual plate | From 1971 into the mid-1990s, one design per year | Wall plate with a relief or printed motif adapted from an existing figurine design | The 1971 first issue is the one collectors single out. Later years in the run are common and plentiful. |
| Anniversary plate | From the mid-1970s, at roughly five-year intervals | A larger plate, issued in a much smaller number of designs than the annual series | Fewer issues overall, but still produced in commercial quantities for a subscription market. |
| Annual bell | From the late 1970s into the early 1990s | Porcelain bell with a relief motif and a dated backstamp | Sold heavily through gift channels. Very common on the secondary market and usually sold boxed. |
| Christmas bell and ornament ranges | Late 1980s onward, with the exact run varying by series and by market | Bells and hanging ornaments, usually boxed as a seasonal gift line | Several overlapping ranges were issued. Match a specific piece against a dedicated series checklist rather than assuming one series. |
| Collector club editions | From the 1970s, distributed through the M.I. Hummel collector club | Figurines, plaques, and small plates restricted to club members | Restricted distribution helps, but club membership was large, so scarcity here is relative rather than absolute. |
| Non-Goebel plates using Hummel-style art | Various, produced by unrelated firms | These are a separate and generally lower market. Read the maker name on the reverse before assuming a Goebel product. |
First and last years, issue counts, and regional distribution differ between published checklists, and some series were released differently in North America and Europe. Verify any specific year or issue against a dedicated series checklist before relying on it for a sale.
What to read on the back of a plate or inside a bell
Series pieces carry more printed information than figurines do, and most of it is descriptive rather than valuable. Knowing which is which saves time.
| What you find | What it tells you | Cautions |
|---|---|---|
| A year in the backstamp | The issue year of that design within its series | This is a series year, not a scarcity indicator. Every plate in the run carries one. |
| Which Goebel trademark era the piece was produced in | Series pieces sit in the later trademark eras by definition, so the mark almost never adds a premium here. | |
| A HUM mould number | The catalogue reference for that specific design | Useful for matching against a checklist. It is not a date and not a quantity. |
| M.I. Hummel wording and the artist signature | That the design is licensed M.I. Hummel artwork produced by Goebel | Similar subjects were issued by unrelated firms. Read the maker name, not just the style of the picture. |
| Original box, certificate, and foam insert | Complete presentation, which this market does expect | Missing packaging reduces an already modest figure, because boxed examples are the norm rather than the exception. |
| Hairlines, rim chips, and hanger damage | The condition problems that are actually common on wall-hung plates | Check the rim under raking light and inspect the reverse around the hanger foot, where chips hide behind fittings. |
Why annual collector series generally trade below issue price
This is the part sellers most often find surprising. It is a structural feature of subscription collectables rather than a temporary market dip.
| Reason | Detail | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Made to the size of demand, not to a small edition | Annual issues were produced in the numbers needed to satisfy subscription buyers, which was a very large number | There is no underlying scarcity to support a resale premium on ordinary years. |
| Sold at full gift retail | Issue prices included a normal retail margin, as with any gift-shop purchase | There was never a wholesale discount to recover, so the issue price was not a floor. |
| Nearly all survive boxed and mint | Bought as collectables and stored rather than displayed hard or used | Condition cannot separate one example from another, so price drifts toward whatever the most motivated seller accepts. |
| Limited edition wording is often misread | On several series the edition was limited to a single production year rather than to a stated small quantity | A limited-edition line does not imply a small edition. Check what the limit was actually limited to. |
| Estate supply arrives in runs | Complete sequences come to market together as collections are dispersed | |
| The exceptions are specific | Early first issues, genuinely low-distribution editions, and pieces with documented production errors | Worth identifying individually before a whole run is sold as one lot at lot prices. |
How to identify it, step by step
- 1
Identify the series before the individual piece
Establish whether you are holding an annual plate, an anniversary plate, an annual bell, a Christmas range piece, or a club edition. The series sets the production scale, and production scale sets the market.
- 2
Photograph and transcribe the whole backstamp
Record the year, the mould number, the trademark, the maker name, and any series wording exactly as printed. Partial transcriptions are what send people to the wrong checklist entry.
- 3
Inspect the rim and the hanger area
Wall-hung plates chip at the rim and crack from hanger pressure, and both faults hide behind fittings. Use raking light across the rim and check the reverse with the hanger removed if one is fitted.
- 4
Keep packaging and paperwork with the piece
Boxed and complete is the market standard for this category, so original cartons, inserts, and certificates should be stored with the item rather than discarded or separated from it.
- 5
Price piece by piece before selling as a lot
Check whether any first issues, anniversary plates, or low-distribution editions are in the group. Selling a full run as a single lot is convenient, but it prices the exceptions at the level of the ordinary years.
Mistakes that cost money
- Reading limited edition on the box as evidence of a small edition when the limit was to a single production year.
- Treating the original issue price as a floor. It was full gift retail with a retail margin included.
- Missing hairline cracks running from the hanger foot, which are the most common and most value-destroying fault on wall plates.
- Assuming any plate with children in Bavarian dress is a Goebel product. Unrelated firms issued similar subjects.
- Selling a complete run as one lot without first checking whether a first issue or a low-distribution edition is inside it.
What this is generally worth
Hummel collector series pieces sit at the lower end of the category, with a small number of genuine exceptions. General secondary-market direction only, not appraisals.
Common annual plates and bells, loose
Very low, usually sold in multiples rather than singly
Without packaging these compete against a large supply of identical, undamaged examples.
Common annual issues, boxed with paperwork
Low, with a modest premium over loose examples
Complete presentation is what buyers in this market expect, so it protects value more than it adds to it.
First-issue and early-year plates
Above the rest of the run, though still well below the strong figurine tier
The 1971 first annual plate is the piece most often singled out. Condition of the rim decides how much of that premium survives.
Complete runs and matched sets
Sold as a lot, generally at a discount per piece
Buyers for complete sequences are few, and the convenience of a single transaction is priced in.
Documented errors and genuinely low-distribution editions
Case by case, with specialist input
Production errors need documenting rather than asserting, because unverified error claims do not carry weight with buyers.
Condition and rarity decide it. Series, issue year, packaging, rim and hanger condition, and current collector demand together set what any individual plate or bell will actually realise, and only completed comparable sales give a usable figure. Nothing on this page is an appraisal. For anything you plan to insure, sell, or divide, use a qualified appraiser or auction specialist.
Frequently asked questions
Are Hummel plates worth anything?
Most annual plates are worth small amounts, because they were produced in very large numbers for subscription buyers and almost all survive boxed and undamaged. Early first issues and genuinely low-distribution editions do better. Condition of the rim and presence of the original box are the two variables that matter most.
What was the first Hummel annual plate?
The annual plate series began in 1971, and that first issue is the one collectors consistently single out from the run. Later years were produced in larger numbers as the subscription base grew. Confirm the specific design and mould number against a dedicated series checklist before selling.
How do I find the year of a Hummel plate?
The year is printed in the backstamp on the reverse, alongside the mould number, the maker wording, and the Goebel trademark. Read the year as the series issue year rather than as a scarcity signal, since every plate in the run carries one and all of them were made in quantity.
Do I need the original box to sell Hummel plates?
It helps noticeably, because boxed and complete is the market norm rather than a bonus in this category. A missing box will not make a plate unsellable, but it puts your example behind the many boxed ones already available. Keep certificates and inserts with the piece.
Are Hummel bells collectable?
They have a following, but the annual bell series ran through the same subscription channels as the plates and was produced in comparable quantities. Most trade at modest levels. Check for chips at the rim and confirm the clapper is present and original, since replacements are common.
Where can I sell this?
Compare the likely value, packing risk, time available, and certainty of attribution before choosing a channel. Auction houses commonly suit specialist or higher-value objects; dealers offer speed but need a resale margin; marketplaces provide control but require photography, buyer communication, packing, and returns management. Use the AntiqScope selling-channel guide to compare the trade-offs before accepting an offer. Compare selling channels.
Before pricing or selling
Condition assessment
Inspect fingers, hats, tools, animal ears, and base rims for chips.
Use strong light to find hairlines through the body and base.
Compare paint gloss and colour for restoration or touch-up.
Check crazing, fading, and staining across the whole figure.
Keep the original box and paperwork with the correct mould number.
Photograph the complete base before cleaning it.
Editorial record
Published and reviewed
Published · Updated
Written by AntiqScope Editorial Desk · Edited by AntiqScope Research Review Desk
Photo-first research
Capture the mould number and TMK
Photograph the entire base in one frame, including the signature, mould number, size suffix, and trademark.
First 3 scans are free. Not a formal appraisal.
Continue in this reference
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