10 Most Valuable Hummel Plates: Value and Price Guide

M.I. Hummel, an unforgettable name in the vintage and antique sales community is a brand famous for its figurines, its latter production of dinner plates ruled the dining table setting from 1971 to 1995 (peak plate collecting era.)

Condition is the biggest price influencer of a Hummel plate which is why a packaged Heavenly Angel sells for about $2,500 against a naked one at $100 – $200. However, other Hummel plates sell lower at $30 – $100.

You can identify and value Hummel plates with ease if you follow this guide diligently.

A Brief History of the M.I. Hummel Plates

In 1935, the Goebel pottery company teamed up with Sister Maria Innocentia, born Bertha Hummel of theSiessenconvent, to transform her impressive artwork into figurines.

The partnership was profitable and what started as an experiment evolved into a lucrative business.

After the success of the M.I. Hummel Figurines, Goebel thought, “Hmm, these characters can fit on the dinner table,” hence the birth of Hummel Plates in 1971.

Top 10 Most Valuable Hummel Plates

Although there are eight editions of the Hummel plates, the Annual plates are the most valuable because they’re the rarest. So, don’t be surprised to see them leading this list as you scroll through.

All prices are according to the Antique Prices list.

No.	Name	Edition	Year	Hum No	Price
1	Heavenly Angel	Annual	1971	264	$2,500
2	Shepard’s Boy	Annual	1990	286	$100 – $150
2	Feeding Time	Annual	1987	283	$100 – $150
4	Wayside Harmony	Annual	1992	288	$100 – $120
5	Postman	Annual	1976	276	$70 – $100
6	Globetrotter	Annual	1973	266	$75
6	Hear Ye, Hear Ye	Annual	1972	265	$75
8	Ride Into Christmas	Annual	1975	268	$50
8	Apple Tree Girl and Boy	Annual	1976	976, 977	$50
10	Surprise	Friends Forever	1995	295	$10

10. Surprise

Year: 1995
Edition: Friends Forever
Hum No: 295
Price: $10

Surprise Hummel plate features two friends – a boy and girl – walking through a flower garden. The girl has a basket of flowers while the boy holds her in warm side embrace and puts his left hand in his pockets.

9. Apple Tree Girl and Boy

Year: 1976
Edition: Annual
Hum No: 976 (Girl) 977 (Boy)
Price: $50

The 1976 Apple Tree Girl (and Boy) features a young girl (or boy) looking back while sitting on a tree, and the M.I. Hummel embossment on its face.

8. Ride into Christmas

Year: 1975
Edition: Annual
Hum No: 268
Price: $50

This little boy sits on a sled between a pine tree and a lamp as he dashes through the snow Santa-style.

7. Hear Ye, Hear Ye

Year: 1972
Edition: Annual
Hum No: 265
Price: $75

Hear Ye, Hear Ye is a call to action showing a messenger blowing on his trumpet. He’s bundled up holding a lamp and spear. The plate has a house embossed in the distance.

6. Globetrotter

Year: 1973
Edition: Annual
Hum No: 266
Price: $75

The 1973 Globetrotter features an adventurous boy going on his jolly way with his bag of flowers and umbrella. Embossed at a distance are a house and mountain on top and the M.I. Hummel name below.

5. Postman

Year: 1983
Edition: Annual
Hum No: 276
Price: $70 – $100

A uniformed Postman and his letters grace this Hummel plate. Although it has only M. I. Hummel embossed on the lower left like the others, it also has 32 stars surrounding its perimeter.

4. Wayside Harmony

Year: 1992
Edition: Annual
Hum No: 288
Price: $100 – $120

Fancy a carol by the wayside with a hummingbird singing backup? The 1992 Wayside Harmony Hummel shows a young boy relaxing on a wooden fence with two mountains embossed in the background.

3. Feeding Time

Year: 1987
Edition: Annual
Hum No: 283
Price: $100 – $150

Feeding time Hummel plate features a little girl caring for her pet birds – two chicks, a hen and a cockerel.

2. Shephard’s Boy

Year: 1990
Edition: Annual
Hum No: 286
Price: $100 – $150

If you’re fond of the story of David in the Bible then you’d love the little Shepard boy tending to his flock on this Hummel plate.

1. Heavenly Angel

Year: 1971
Edition: Annual
Hum No: 264
Price: $2,500

Goebel manufacturing company launched the Heavenly Angel plate on its 100th anniversary as a limited-edition piece. However, its surprise success birthed more designs, making way for the M.I. Hummel plates. As the flagship motif, Heavenly Angel is one of the most valuable models.

It’s a 7½-inches porcelain plate featuring an angel in green garb holding a candle. There are tiny stars formed in a roundel on the outer edge, with a yellow shooting star and two pine trees on either side of the character.

Please note that without the box, this value reduces significantly to $100 – $200.

How to Determine the Edition of Hummel Plates

Goebel released eight Hummel plates editions, all of which have Full-Size plates. Two special editions added Mini-Plates to their collection.

The First Hummel Plate

The first Annual plate was created in 1971 in honor of the company’s 100^th anniversary and had three different reissues.

To celebrate their 100th anniversary in 1971 the W. Goebel firm produced three variations of a their first commemorative plate. The first iteration, and the rarest of the three was made for their workers. On the back of the plate along the lower rim there is a German inscription which reads:

Gewidmet Aller Mitarbeitran Im Jubilaumsjahr. Wirdanken Ihnen Fur Ihre Mitarbeit.

In English this roughly translates to:

Dedicated to all employees in the jubilee year. Thank you for your dedication and hard work.

The next set, made specifically for American consumers, had black holes on the back rim for wall mounting. That’s why you can see some Hummel plates serve as wall decorations.

The English tariffs on decorative pieces, however, prompted a third production. Goebel removed the hanging holes from the U.S.A.’s collection and delivered England’s genius workaround without the tariffs.

The Annual Plates Hum No: 264 -279; Hum No: 283 – 291 (U.S.A.)

Further more, while they may have only intended to release this plate as a singular piece in commemoration of their 100th anniversary, it nevertheless proved to be so popular that they decided to release an annual plate every year from there on out.

Every year from 1971 to 1995 Goebel released a unique plate that corresponded to that particular year. In the year 2000 they would go on to release an additional five more annual plates. The final annual plate (Hum 925) was released in 2004.

No.	Title of Hummel Plate	Image of Hummel Plate	Estimate
Hum 264	1971 – Annual Plate Heavenly Angel		$75–$125
Hum 265	1972 – Annual Plate Hear Ye, Hear Ye		$25–$50
Hum 266	1973 – Annual Plate Globetrotter		$30–$50
Hum 267	1974 – Annual Plate Goose Girl		$40–$60
Hum 268	1975 – Annual Plate Ride Into Christmas		$45–$65
Hum 269	1976 – Annual Plate Apple Tree Girl		$30–$60
Hum 270	1977 – Annual Plate Apple Tree Boy		$40–$60
Hum 271	1978 – Annual Plate Happy Pastime		$20–$30
Hum 272	1979 -Annual Plate Singing Lesson		$30–$50
Hum 273	1980 – Annual Plate School Girl		$40–$60
Hum 274	1981 – Annual Plate Umbrella Boy		$20–$30
Hum 275	1982 – Annual Plate Umbrella Girl		$30–$50
Hum 276	1983 – Annual Plate Postman		$30–$50
Hum 277	1984 – Annual Plate Little Helper		$30–$40
Hum 278	1985 – Annual Plate Chick Girl		$30–$50
Hum 279	1986 – Annual Plate Playmates		$30–$50
Hum283	1987- Annual Plate Feeding Time		$40–$60
Hum 284	1988 – Annual Plate Little Goat Herder		$30–$50
Hum 285	1989- Annual Plate Farm Boy		$30–$50
Hum 286	1990 – Annual Plate Sheppard Boy		$30–$50
Hum 287	1991- Annual Plate Just Resting		$30–$50
Hum 288	1992- Annual Plate Wayside Harmony		$30–$50
Hum 289	1993 – Annual Plate Doll Bath		$30–$50
Hum 290	1994- Annual Plate Doctor		$30–$50
Hum 291	1995- Annual Plate Come Back Soon		$30–$50

Happy Anniversary Plate Series Hum No: 280 – 283

 Only three plates were placed into production as the Happy Anniversary Series that represent the 5th, 10th and 15th years in support of the annual plate series which began in 1971. These are some of the largest of the plates created by the Goebel company that show, in relief, the sketches of Sister M.I. Hummel. They measure 10¼-inches across. They also offer some of the brightest colors of the more popular scenes that are collected as figurines.

No.	Title of Hummel Plate	Image of Hummel Plate	Estimate
HUM 280	1975 – Stormy Weather		$75–$125
HUM 281	1980 – Spring Dance		$70–$150
HUM 282	1985 – Auf Wiedersehen		$110–$225

Friends Forever 1992 – 1995 Hum No: 292 – 295

The Friends Forever series is the perfect Hummel plate for gifting a special person. They depicted two characters (animals) engaged in a friendship activity. Despite its market success, this collection had a limited release between 1992 to 1995.

Unlike the wide-sized Annual collections, these plates are 7-inches in diameter, with a distinguished border design replacing the 33 stars.

No.	Title of Hummel Plate	Image of Hummel Plate	Estimate
HUM 292	1992 – Meditation		$10–$60
HUM 293	1993 – For Father		$69
HUM 294	1994 – Sweet Greeting		$69
HUM 295	1995 – Surprise		$89

Four Seasons 1996 to 1999 Hum No: 296 – 299

If you’re into seasonal items, you’ll love the Four Seasons series, which had new motifs for every time of year from Winter to Fall.

What’s better than setting the table according to the month of the year – you could eat from a Spring-themed plate between late February to Early May.

Helmut Fischer designed these phenomenal pieces using a bas-relief design to mimic a 3D effect on the flat surface. The surreal experience, coupled with the limited seasonal release between 1996 – 1999, makes it rare and pricey.

No.	Title of Hummel Plate	Image of Hummel Plate	Estimate
HUM 296	1996 – Winter Melody		$24
HUM 297	1997 – Springtime Serenade
HUM 298	1998 – Summertime Stroll
HUM 299	1999 – Autumn Glory

Hummel Annual Christmas Plates – 1995 to 2000 – Hum No: 692 – 697

Apart from the Winter plates of the Four-Seasons series, Goebel designed special festive plates for the holidays. There were two designs o Hummel Christmas plates based on era, with the earlier ones being similar to the Annual collection.

The second half era from 1995 deviated to raised relief-Style scenery instead of matte painting. Its plates had a single-color rimmed border circling the porcelain’s natural off-white hue. Some, however, had isolated five-star atop a Cherub playing the trumpet with no extra color.

No.	Title of Hummel Plate	Image of Hummel Plate	Estimate
HUM 692	1996 – Christmas Song		$69
HUM 693	1995 – Festival Harmony with Flute		$70
HUM 694	1997 – Thanksgiving Prayer		$45
HUM 695	1998 – Echos of Joy		$100
HUM 696	1999 – Joyful Noise		$22.5
HUM 697	2000 – Light the Way		$249

The Celebration Plates 1986 to 1989 Hum No: 735 – 738

1986 HUM 738 – Valentine Gift

1987 HUM 737 – Valentine Joy

1988 HUM 736 – Daisies Don’t Tell

1989 HUM 735 – It’s Cold

The celebration edition consists of four plates showing a celebratory character. Born out of Gerhard Skrobek’s skillful hands, the Celebration collection is another commemorative piece marking the tenth anniversary of the M.I. Hummel Club, formerlyGoebel Collectors Club.

Making only one plate per year was intentional on Goebel’s part, and theFor Members Onlyconnotation couldn’t be clearer. You can distinguish them with the 6.25-inch size and M.I. Hummel inscription –Exclusively for Members of the Goebel Collectors’ Club.

Another easter egg you can use for identifying this Hummel plate is the Missing Bee and T.M.K. 6 on the back.

Little Music Makers (Mini-Plate) 1984 to 1987 Hum No: 742 – 744

Goebel made the limited-edition miniplate little music makers the boy version of the Little Homemakers (again, Gender stereotypes). It features four boys in a band playing instruments while the others sing and come in four pieces per set.

The Little Music Makers plates are 3¼-inches and don’t follow the standard pattern of sequential mold numbers or release dates. So, you may get confused trying to identify one, but we’ll simplify it for you in the table below.

1984 HUM 744 – Little Fiddler

1985 HUM 741 – Serenade

1986 HUM 743 – Soloist

1987 HUM 742 – Band Leader

Little Homemakers (miniplate) 1988 to 1991 Hum No: 745 – 748

1988 HUM 745 –Little Sweeper

1989 HUM 746 – Wash Day

1990 HUM 747 – Stitch In Time

1991 HUM 748 – Chicken Licken

The Little Homemakers Hummel plates feature four little girls engaged in household chores. Although it’s a beautiful design, collectors opposed to gender stereotypes may want to avoid it since it reflects the old status quo.

Century Collection (Miniature) 1986 to 1999 Hum No: 886 – 899

1986 HUM 886 – Chapel Time

1987 HUM 887 – Pleasant Journey

1988 HUM 888 – Call to Worship

1989 HUM 889 – Harmony in Four Parts

1990 HUM 890 – Let’s Tell the World

1991 HUM 891 – We Wish You The Best

1992 HUM 892 – On Our Way

1993 HUM 893 – Welcome Spring

1994 HUM 894 – Rock-A-Bye

1995 HUM 895 – Strike Up The Band

1996 HUM 896 – Love’s Bounty

1997 HUM 897 – Fond Goodbye

1998 HUM 898 – Here’s My Heart

1999 HUM 899 – Fanfare

The Century Collection Hummel plates was a 12-set miniature collection depicting unique scenes. Goebel designed this plate with characters from the successful figurine limited-edition pieces.

These limited-edition 4-inches plates have a cobalt blue hue on the off-white porcelain background.

Special Limited-Edition Millennium Plate Hum No: 920

No.	Title of Hummel Plate	Image of Hummel Plate	Estimate
HUM 920	2000 – Star Gazer		$92

The stargazer joined the long list of Hummel plate characters as a special edition plate celebrating the start of a new millennium. It has 1999 a Big Bee and T.M.K. 8 trademark on the back.

Annual Plate Series 2 2000 to 2004 Hum No: 921 – 925

These 7-inch wide plates are very colorful in contrast and are apparently very hard to find as represented by their secondary market price requested.

No.	Title of Hummel Plate	Image of Hummel Plate	Estimate
HUM 921	2000 – Garden Splendor		$298
HUM 922	2001 – Afternoon Nap		$30
HUM 923	2002 – Bumblebee Friend		$148
HUM 924	2003 – The Florist		$160
HUM 925	2004 – Garden Gift		$200

Miniature Annual Plate 1997 to 1998 Hum 971 – 995

 Beginning in 1997, these twenty-five 3¼-inch wide miniature plates were introduced for collecting and different wooden display cabinets were offered to show off the plates. The Miniature Annual Collection plates were originally only available in the European market, released for sale at the rate of four plates at a time. They were priced at $19.95 each plus $2.50 shipping and handling. The first plate shipped initially and then you received the remaining plates two each month. The hardwood display cabinet to display these was available for $19.95 plus $2.50 shipping and handling.

1971 HUM 971 – Heavenly Angel

1972 HUM 972 – Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

1973 HUM 973 – Globe Trotter

1974 HUM 974 – Goose Girl

1975 HUM 975 – Ride Into Christmas

1976 HUM 976 – Apple Tree Girl

1977 HUM 977 – Apple Tree Boy

1978 HUM 978 – Happy Pastime

1979 HUM 979 – Singing Lesson

1980 HUM 980 – School Girl

1981 HUM 981 – Umbrella Boy

1982 HUM 982 – Umbrella Girl

1983 HUM 983 – Postman

1984 HUM 984 – Little Helper

1985 HUM 985 – Chick Girl

1986 HUM 986 – Playmates

1987 HUM 987 – Feeding Time

1988 HUM 988 – Little Goat Herder

1989 HUM 989 – Farm Boy

1990 HUM 990 – Shepherd’s Boy

1991 HUM 991 – Just Resting

1992 HUM 992 – Wayside Harmony

1993 HUM 993 – Doll Bath

1994 HUM 994 – Doctor

1995 HUM 995 – Come Back Soon

How to Identify M.I. Hummel Plates

Knowing how to identify a Hummel plate is necessary because there are too many fakes in the market. While it can be frustrating for new collectors, it’s an unavoidable hazard based on the brand’s popularity.

Luckily, there are ways to distinguish authentic designs from counterfeits. They include trademarks, text designs, i.d. numbers, proportions, and characters. Each of those markers would tell you the manufacturing year, confirming authenticity.

Trademark

Hummel Plates have T.M.K. in Cobalt printed on the bottom.

When you pick an item from a famous brand at the store, your subconscious scans the body for familiar markings, the chief of which is theTrademark. It would be best to interact with your Hummel plates the same way, but that only works when you know what to check.

Text Designs

Noting the trademark is good, but identifying other markers is better. Check the inscription in a roundel under the plate for a detailed description of the Hummel plate. If you don’t see that, there are two possibilities – you either have a fake, or it faded off from wear and tear.

Every Hummel plate has 33 stars on edge in a roundel except the 1973 series, with 32.

I.D. Numbers, Names, and Description

Where do the plates go? Like Goebel, every manufacturer worth its salt catalogs its productions to monitor their distribution worldwide. Still looking at the plate’s bottom, check for the name and series.

Goebel imprinted its brand name in full on the bottom, above a text saying M.I. Hummel like the one in the picture below.

The mini plates’ bottom markers consisted of a Hummel number printed above or below a roundel text and the Goebel T.M.K. logo. On the other hand, the Full plate’s Hummel number is always under the roundel text.

Proportions and Characters

Due to Sister Maria Innocentia’s perfectionist nature, all the Hummel characters remained the same long after her death. The sisters at the Siessen convent continued vetting the designs before getting them into the market so you could leverage that knowledge.

All Hummel characters are pastel-colored with standard sizes extended to the plate proportions. There are two types of Hummel Plates – the Full-Size and Mini-Plate.

How Can I Value my Hummel Plate?

Now that you’ve seen these beautiful vintage items, your next thought is copping one, but you get stuck on pricing. Not to worry, we’ll put you through the easy process of valuing your Hummel plates. Though it’s not rocket science, it’s not a walk in the park either.

Using Age as a Value Guide

One of the surest ways you can authenticate any vintage item, including Hummel plates, is to determine its age. When did it enter the market? What materials were in vogue then? How did the manufacturing company mark its products in those days?

Those questions might seem trivial or overkill, but you can never know too much when it comes to valuing your vintage Hummel plates. To answer the basics – Hummel plates’ production ran between 1971 – 1995, we’ll address material next, and model details are on the plate’s bottom.

What Condition is the Plate?

A broken Hummel plate is worth next to nothing, except you can rework the scraps into another type of Art and make it a collectible. That’s not our focus now, though, so let’s get back into the relationship between condition and value.

Why are you buying (or selling) a Hummel plate? Exactly. The item is only valuable if it can fulfill its inherent purpose. There are varying condition levels in vintage valuation – Fair, Good, Excellent, and Mint – from the lowest to the highest.

Mint Hummel plates come with complete packaging without wear or tear signs meaning they came straight from the factory. In contrast, excellent condition Hummel plates are second-hand with original boxes and integrity intact.

On the lower levels, we have the Good Condition Hummel plates with visible signs of wear and tear and no original packaging, but nothing a little “fix me up” can’t solve. Then there’s the fair condition with irreparable damage showing cracks, creases, chips, or all of them.

FAQs

How much is my Hummel plate worth?

Unfortunately, Hummel plates aren’t lucrative investments since they sell between $10 – $15 or less. The mid-Seventies to Eighties collectible craze negatively impacted the market, causing the sales value to plummet in the Nineties.

However, a few models retain fair market values due to an increased nostalgia amongst collectors. Baby boomers from the peak Hummel Plates era now look for them to reignite fond childhood memories.

Where can I buy and sell a Hummel plate?

Hummel Plates are available at every vintage store or estate selling collectibles. You can also buy them on Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and other reputable online stores. Also, contact the M.I. Hummel club specifically formed to help Goebel-Hummel collectors worldwide.

Why would two Hummel plates have the same number?

No two Hummel plates have the same HUM number. Each one is unique for proper identification and cataloging. Watch this video to see different Hummel plates.

Parting Note

Hummel plates had a successful run between 1971 and 1990. Although the business stopped mass production in the Nineties when collector plates sales plummeted, the Goebel manufacturing company released a few limited series at the turn of the millennium.

Even though Hummel plates aren’t expensive, you should still authenticate them before purchasing. Compare prices on online marketplaces at the sold section to know the current value, and check the body for all identification marks.

• Hummel plates must have TMK 1 – 8
• HUM numbers which you can confirm from the list above
• There are only two standard sizes – full and mini.