PRODUCTION OF HUMMEL FIGURINES TO STOP SOON
Goebel Germany is stopping production of Hummel figurines on October 31, 2008. Demand has dropped to one third of expected sales. They will sell the figurines as long as they have supplies. We spoke to Carrie Kulak, the American media contact, and she said the 2008 International Club Convention in Germany October, 17th and 18th is cancelled. An announcement will be made in Germany at a special event on the 18th about the "solution" to the question "will there be more Hummels?" We are sure the rights to make the figurines will go to another manufacturer. Will prices for old Hummels go up or down? What do you think?
51 comments:
It's supply and demand. If they flood the market with more figurines, the prices will go down. If the halt production the prices will go up.
Probably will go up in around 50 years.
Hummels are a dying issue if not already dead. They will continue to decline in value, just as commemorative plates, spoons, etc. Young collectors do not have the "accumulation" passion of Baby Boomers and their parents. Supply and Demand, the First rule for collectibles value!
Like so many collectables the market has been flooded for years. It probably will take several decades or two generations to start collecting again
The only way they would go up in valu is if the present company does not let them reproduce the exisiting Hummel figurines. If they sell the name and they create a new design that is as interesting and they keep the numbers down & the quality up, new collecters as well as old would enjoy them for many years to come.
Hummels have run their course I think. There might be a cheaper verson is Hummel sells the franchise but as collectables they hav run the course.
Initially, down. Later (many years), up.
Sara
What will ever go down in prices even if they stopped making these figurines? People will for pay what they ask, so why would they sell for less? It's just like gas prices, people complained, but didn't have the the initiative to do anything aboutit, but whine.Guess it's the nature of the human beast! Wise up...nothing is going to be cheaper in the years to come...why dream?
Like other collectible figurines, the values will go down. E-bay brought accessibility to everyone and prices have steadily decreased. The younger generations don't have any interest in collecting dust catchers. I just hope they don't sell to a Chinese factory who will inundate the market with polyresin figures,new and old.
hummels have have been dead for years they are very hard to sell .the company produced them in massive amounts, How many could the consumers buy.One would make more money investing in banks.
I have several Hummel's I've tried to sell for years with no success. They are from the 50's, but the people who collect Hummels are dead or dying. The young people have no affinity for them. I agree with another comment about E-Bay driving prices down. Too bad we don't have any more footstools from Phila. What a ridiculous price!
think that eventually, the stopping of production will affect prices, but it is something we will not see for a long, long time.
Early issues are now higher priced, and if anything, will increase in value. But I think that basically, we will not see any increase in values of the many, many pieces that are "out there" for quite some time.
I think that is terribly sad. I live in Germany, and love finding old Hummels. The history behind it is wonderful. It is so German. And the old ones have magic...
Production will be transfered to Asia somewhere and quality will go down. but they will still be marketed as the "real thing" whick legally they will be, and prices will be adjusted according to how the "new" ones sell. Too bad.
It's a crap shoot. It looks like younger people who inherit collections are selling them for $10-20 dollars on ebay. I don't think the demand for this precious collectable will return for 40 - 50 years.
The imitations are already out. My husband bought 5 Hummels, two of which turned out to be "Studio Hummel"(s), product of Thailand, Goebel 1996. One in front of me now is "Nature's Prayer" 33591. I agree that Hummels have been dead in the water for some time, and I do not think the prices will rise for a very long time. I have found that in my store it is only the older generation that still collects.
I expect a slight rise in the after market. People will want what they can't buy any longer as they have done with other collectibles that are no longer produced. Hopefully the molds will not go to China and if they do, all bets are off. Actually, the market in Hummel's has steadied over the last year or so with my web sales being very consistant.
If they do what's been done in the US, they will begin production in China! Disgusting!
I think they will go down in the short term but over time the originals may appreciate somewhat. They are not very desireable at this time.
Regardless of what you collect, I believe it should touch your heart, not simply hold the possibility of increasing in value. I've collected Hummels which reminded me of accomplishments or the hobbies of my loved ones and because my first-generation American grandfather's middle name was Hummel. Regardless of what value they hold for others, they will always be special to me.
I think prices will go up some IF they don't sell to another company. I have noticed the prices being down at auctions I attend, except for the oldest pieces. At least they didn't start having their products made in Thailand or China as Doulton did. When the word gets around that Hummel will stop making figurines, there will be somewhat of a frenzie to buy them up. Hopefully, if another company does buy them out, the mark on the base will change to reflect it.
The large or very early pieces may still be collectible, but indeed the supply is far exceeding the demand, and I doubt that the market will ever "rally".
Goebel wasn't as blatant as ENESCO was with Precious Moments, who produced the same fiqure from the same molds in inexpensive Chinese plants, just with a different mark every year. They went from $200 - 300 million a year in sales to bankruptcy.
Hummels do have good production control, but the market has been dissapearing for 20 years ~ it was a post WWII fad.
Things go in cycles. Money is tight right now. Come better economic times, collectables will become "in" again. Young collectors will want them because their grandparents had them.
I believe the value will stay down until they get "rediscovered". Many different collectables cycle around. It could be 10 years, it could be 50.
China will acquire the rights to them, and they will be showing up at a Big Lots near you soon!
I believe if the current company stops production and another company takes over, the current company's hummel prices will go up. The new company will probably have a hard time selling the new ones and will never be worth as much as the originals.
If you truly love these figurines they will always be of value. I hope my kids can find that appreciation some day. My great grandparents and grandparents were middle class and could comfortably afford them. My parents and I are middle class and seriously can't afford them right now...but some day if I wanted one badly enough as I had in the past I would pay. I believe this has more to do with our declining economy over the past several years. So while they will go down in value like everything else lately they will be sought after again some day.
I always thought Hummel Figurines were schlock, over-produced, over-hyped and over-priced. Even if production halts completely, it will take years before they gain any value as they become rarer
I expect the value to go down, like salt boxes, colbalt blue and depression glass, no one wants to buy them from our store. Very adorable but i think their collectability for the next 30 or 40 years has run its course.
I am a nurse and work at a assisted living facility, the residents just love their hummels, some have extensive collections. Each one has a unique quality. I believe the value will go up. The residents husbands had sent the hummels to their loved ones here in the United States while fighting in the war overseas and mean a lot to the current owners. :))
Like all collectibles they will rise over time, a long time I think. I will be leaving the few Hummel Member pieces I have to my youngest neice. Perhaps her great granddaughter may find they are worth something, long after I am dust. All in thier original boxes and never displayed.
I have had a set of Hummels beginning with one brought home by my uncle after the war and ending when my aunt died in 1970. According to book value they were worth about $1,100. I do not appreciate Hummels much so I thought, what a wonderful opportunity to sell on eBay back in the 90's! Wrong, if there is one thing that eBay does very well, it's depreciate the price of most everything, Hummels in particular. If Hummel stops and does not allow those aleady created to be made again, there may be a possibility of prices rising, but not until there is a very focused campaign to reacquaint the public with these figurines. Jeanne
I'm about to sell 2 Hummel Plaques on Ebay. One is called 'The Fiddler' and has the TMK 1 trademark, incised crown with WG, stamped full bee mark and the hummel name on the front of the plaque. The other is called 'The Merry Wanderer'. This one is TMK 2. Incised Full Bee, stamped full bee and Incised M I Hummel on the back. In 7 days, since that's how long the auction will last, I'll come back here and let you know what happens with them. I already expect to not get nearly what the second hand market value for them is. Ebay has really brought prices down but unfortunately I have no idea where to list such items like this besides Ebay. Wish me luck. If I didn't need the money i would pack them away for 50 years for my great-great grandchildren by that point. Be back in 7 days!!!!
Monica :)
I also blame QVC. The show started selling Hummels years ago. I believe this brought down the appreciation of this great art. People were buying handfuls at a time. That's not the way to collect. I am a very discerning collector. People bought but didn't explain to there children/heirs about what this art meant to them or the process of making them. It's sad that we are such a disposable society. We know the price of everything and the value of nothing. May Gerhardt Skrobek rest in peace.
I believe the death of Gearhardt Skrobek is part of the result of the decline in Hummel quality. This man took pride in his work and had a sense of responsibility to this art. I had a couple of opportunities to meet him. I was in awe of his passion. Also a very approachable and nice man. At one time M. I. Hummel figurines were considered by the U.S. Treasury as works of art. It's such a shame what we hold as valuable today.
I believe the death of Gearhardt Skrobek is part of the result of the decline in Hummel quality. This man took pride in his work and had a sense of responsibility to this art. I had a couple of opportunities to meet him. I was in awe of his passion. Also a very approachable and nice man. At one time M. I. Hummel figurines were considered by the U.S. Treasury as works of art. It's such a shame what we hold as valuable today.
I, for one will never sell my Hummels. The first rule of thumb about collecting is that you buy because something touches your heart or evokes an emotion in you that you need to have it because it reminds you of something special. That, to me is collecting. That, to me is a Hummel. I feel sorry for all of you out there who are just worried about the money.
Also, before starting a collection know something about it. Don't blame EBay, blame yourself! I bet half the so called collectors have no knowledge of how a Hummel was produced. Do some research and you might think twice about cashing in.
The monetary value of M.I. Hummel figurines is secondary to their intrinsic value as high quality and authentic "German Ceramic Folk Art Pieces"... manufacturing porcelain and ceramic figurines of this level is a dying art which will probably never be revived again in Germany to this extent... but they are most certainly not a fad since they have been around since 1935 and will be around until the last one has been broken beyond repair... there always will be people appreciative of this art form collecting porcelain and ceramic figurines including M.I. Hummel figurines... and don't fool yourself... rare and mint pieces will increase in value... simple supply and demand story... and just to see how many responses this story has created...
I've been collecting Hummels for 30 years - still am, as a matter of fact. I just love those little buggers, and couldn't care less if they appreciated in value or not; that's not why I'm in the game.
The market for older models is finito for Goebel (hey, they've been producing some of them for 70 years now!), and they can't sell them with typical 'Goebel' prices anymore since anyone can buy them on eBay for a fraction of that retail price. So scratch these as a big moneymaker for Goebel anymore.
Goebel has been 'retiring' these older models like maniacs, but their newer model Hummels - while very attractive - are also extremely pricey. Who wants to pay $600 or $1000 for (let's face it) a mass produced ceramic. Even if found on eBay, they command a big price - more, I think, than most people are willing to shell out... especially when people see what happened to all those 'other' Hummels they bought for $300 and are now selling for $50. So scratch these newbies as a big moneymaker for Goebel.
Which leaves them -- shutting down the plant. It was probably the only sensible thing to do, all things considered.
I'm not overly distraught about Goebel's future plans, even though I agree that they're sure making it sound like they're negotiating with 'someone' to continue production. I look at the Berta Hummels - produced in China or Thailand with the official Goebel stamp. They never caught on, nor did they wreck the MI Hummel market (not positive, but I don't think they're even produced any more). They're more a novelty and have a distinctly 'different' (and less appealing) look from the 'real' Hummels. I suspect that any future figurines made in the Far East will be the same - they just won't be able to reproduce that special look that the current German Hummels have, and no matter how well made they are, they won't be considered 'real' Hummels by collectors.
I hope! hehehe Would I buy a really nice, super well made Chinese Hummel if the price was right? Yes I would, actually - just as I own a few Berta Hummels. If my choice is owning a $100 'semi-faux' Hummel that I can afford, vs. the $900 real Hummel that I can't afford ... !! Even assuming that the multitude thought along these same lines, I don't think it would wreck the desirability of the existing German Goebel Hummels. Time will tell.
So my prediction is that IF they find a buyer, it'll be China or Vietnam and they won't produce the older figurines at all - they'll concentrate on the newer ones, esp. large and complex ones that no one can afford, or ones that Goebel hasn't made yet. May even have Goebel sculptors create NEW ones for the Chinese plant. And they'll offer all these at a price that Goebel would just never be able to match. And they'll sell!
Hummel figurines had been the premier collectible since their inception in the mid 1930's. Their demise simply confirms the collecting concept in American culture has taken its last breath. Look at the long roster of limited edition collectibles from as early as the 1970's that have ended up on the ash heap of percieved demand and value: Bradford Exchange collector plates, David Winter, Precious Moments, Dept.56, Beanie Babies, Barbie, Armanti, Lladro, and on. The demise of the collectible industry was a direct result from the excessive greed of the producers and manufacturers of those items. As a retailer of such items through three decades I can speak from first hand experience.
I recently was left a collection of 50 Hummel figurines dating from 1935 to 1949. It has many of the models that seem to peak collectors interest. I assumed the collection might be worth a few thousand dollars for my son's education and now I'm so disheartened listening to you all!
IF THE COMPANY IS SOLD I FEEL THE OLDER HUMMELS THAT ARE RETIRED AND NOT TO BE PRODUCED AGAIN WILL REGAIN VALUE. PIECES THAT ARE STILL BEING MADE OF THE OLDER HUMMELS HAVE A NEWER MARK. A TRUE COLLECTOR I BELIEVE WOULD PREFER A GENUINE M. I. HUMMEL TMK1, TMK2 OR 3 AND PAY THE PRICE. IF A NEW COMPANY RE-OPENS A RETIRED PIECE IT STILL WILL BE A NEW MARK.THESE OLDER, ORIGINAL HUMMELS CAN'T BE REPLACED. IF YOU WANT A NEW MARK THAT IS FINE AND ENJOY!
As the owner of a professional restoration studio, I repair hundreds of Hummels every year. In most cases the cost of the repair exceeds the current value of the item, but that does not discourage collectors from having this very expensive work done. The most important thing always is to bring the little treasure back to its original condition and help the owner recapture the memories that each of them bring. They may never be worth what they once were, but one cannot put a price on sentiment.
The congregation of Franciscan nuns at Siessen authorize Goebel to produce three-dimensional products from M.I.Hummel's paintings. I doubt that they will allow anyone else to produce Hummels, but who knows?
EBay actually helps determine the true market value of any collectible. I have tracked eBay sales of Hummels the last two years and have found on average you can expect 15 to 25% of catalog for newer Hummels and 35 to 50% for TM1.
I haven't checked lately, but I will start tracking and set up a database to see where the trend is going.
The beauty of Hummels is that you can enjoy them while you wait. If I was to start collecting I would only buy TM1 or TM2. Some pieces survived WWII and again supply and demand will keep their value up as the supply can only decrease, while I believe the demand will remain constant.
I'm twenty years old... and I love these figurines. They're gorgeous. I think that everyone is right in saying that its supply and demand, and that it's ebay, and many other things... but I ALSO know that Hummels sometimes go for a lot on ebay, and that us young people are not all terrible, and that we do appreciate good quality and good history. I'm a (mostly) typical american college kid, but i love my Hummels that my mother and I collect together. While prices may go down, they'll still go up again, and they're worth my mom and I still collecting.
I think if Hummel action figure stop production now, it is relate with economic laws. There is demand, then there is production.
My sister and I inherited our mothers collection and have been trying to sell it for a year. No luck. We have about 40 figurines,35 plates and 15 or so bells, Also various other collector plates. Don't collect anything because its all worhtless when trying to sell
The nativity Hummels are still going up in price.
Well, another German Porcelain Manufacturer has bought the rights to reproduce M.I. Hummel figurines... they are manufacturing in very limited quantities and it remains to be seen if they can make it... while it is correct that over-production and less interest by the younger generations have caused prices to come down drastically there is still a very strong secondary market on Ebay and other collectible sites for M.I. Hummel figurines... and as supply dwindles prices will creep back up... it's all about suply and demand...
Well, another German Porcelain Manufacturer has bought the rights to reproduce M.I. Hummel figurines... they are manufacturing in very limited quantities and it remains to be seen if they can make it... while it is correct that over-production and less interest by the younger generations have caused prices to come down drastically there is still a very strong secondary market on Ebay and other collectible sites for M.I. Hummel figurines... and as supply dwindles prices will creep back up... it's all about suply and demand...
Was just at a garage sale that had 20 Hummels prices between 15 and 25 dollars and nobody was interested. Unless they come out with the iHummel the market for these things will shrink more every year.
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