Hummel Figurine TMK Trademark Guide: TMK-1 Through TMK-8

It is a damp Saturday in Lancaster County, and you are working a Pennsylvania Dutch country estate sale that started before sunrise. On the third folding table, behind a row of Pyrex and a chipped Lefton lamb, sits a small boxed figurine with a faded Goebel sticker. You pick it up. The boy with the basket and the green tree is unmistakable. Apple Tree Boy. The price tag reads forty dollars. You almost put it back, because Apple Tree Boys are everywhere. Then you flip the figurine over, tilt the base toward the porch light, and see it: a tiny crown stamped in blue under the glaze. Your pulse changes. That is not a thirty-dollar Apple Tree Boy. That is a 1935–1949 Crown mark, and a clean one in this size has comped at $300–$600 for the past two years.

Why TMK Identification Is the Whole Game

Every Hummel figurine ever made shares the same two pieces of identification. The "M.I. Hummel" facsimile signature is incised into the side or back of the figure. The Goebel trademark is stamped on the underside of the base. Both should be present on any genuine piece. Neither tells you when the figurine was made. The mark on the base does, and that single piece of information often swings value by a factor of five to ten on the same mold.

Buyers who do not read the mark fall into two predictable traps. They overpay for late 1990s and 2000s pieces that look pristine because they essentially are pristine, and they walk past early Crown and Full Bee examples because the figurines look "used" or the mark looks "weird." A clean TMK-1 Apple Tree Boy in the 6-inch size has realized $300–$600 at LiveAuctioneers and Heritage in 2024–2025. The same figurine in TMK-7 Crown WG from the 1990s typically clears $80–$150 in the same venues, and TMK-8 Bumble Bee examples from the early 2000s are settling in the $60–$125 range as estate inventory floods the market. The figurines are identical to the eye. The mark is the entire spread.

Hummel is also a market in transition. Peak retail values were set in the 1980s and 1990s, when M.I. Hummel Club membership was still pulling six figures and Goebel was running aggressive secondary-market hype. Those numbers are gone. The collector base born in the 1930s through 1950s is downsizing en masse, and the supply curve has flipped. Common late-mark figurines have lost 60–80 percent against their 1990s peak. The exception is the early end of the timeline. Clean TMK-1 and TMK-2 examples, rare HUM numbers, and oversized variants still command real money because the supply was small to begin with and pristine survivors are rare. This guide is built for that reality, not the 1995 price guide your aunt left in the box.

The Quick Read: Five Cues Before You Negotiate

Before you walk a Hummel to the cashier or open a bid, run this sequence. None of it requires tools beyond a phone flashlight and a loupe.

1. Find the Goebel base mark. Tilt the foot toward bright light. The mark is usually blue or black under-glaze, occasionally incised. Note the silhouette: crown, full bee, stylized bee, V with bee, no bee, "Goebel Germany" wordmark, or "Goebel" with a tiny bumble bee. The silhouette pins the figurine to a date range.
2. Read the "M.I. Hummel" signature on the side. It should be cleanly incised into the body, not painted on or applied as a decal. A missing or surface-printed signature is a red flag for a fantasy piece or an Asian counterfeit.
3. Locate the HUM mold number. It is incised into the base, usually near the trademark. Numbers like 142 (Apple Tree Boy), 7 (Merry Wanderer), 141 (Apple Tree Girl), 47 (Goose Girl), or 348 (Ring Around the Rosie) cross-reference to published HUM lists. A size suffix matters: 142/I is the standard size, 142/V or 142/X are the giant variants and worth multiples.
4. Read the body color and glaze. Early Crown and Full Bee pieces show a slightly creamy porcelain with hand-painted brushwork and visible color shifts in cheeks and clothing. TMK-6 through TMK-8 pieces are whiter, more uniform, and often airbrushed.
5. Check the high points. Noses, fingertips, basket handles, hat brims, and bouquets are the first places chips appear. A chip on a high point destroys 60–80 percent of a Hummel's value regardless of mark.

::: pro-tip Pro Tip — TMK-1 and TMK-2 are the value sweet spot. Always read the base before reading the price tag. A $40 Crown mark Apple Tree Boy is a buy. A $40 TMK-7 from 1996 is a maybe. :::

The TMK-1 Through TMK-8 Reference Table

This is the table to bookmark. It covers every Goebel mark used on M.I. Hummel figurines from the 1935 commercial launch through the closure of the original Goebel works in 2008. The "bee" lineage runs through six of the eight marks because Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel's surname translates roughly to "bumblebee" in old German, and Goebel built the entire trademark family around that pun.

A few clarifications that catch buyers off guard:

• TMK-3 and TMK-4 overlap. Goebel ran both marks concurrently from 1964 through 1972 as production lines transitioned. A Three Line on the base does not mean the figurine is later than a Stylized Bee from the same year. Treat the two as a single 1960–1972 window when you are pricing.
• TMK-5 is sometimes called the "Last Bee" mark because it is the final trademark to include the bee inside the V. Some references list the year range as 1972–1980; the practical end of the mark is 1979.
• TMK-6 is not "no mark." It is the wordmark "Goebel" without the bee. If the base is genuinely blank, you are looking at a sample, a factory second, or a fake.
• TMK-9 is unofficial. Manufaktur Rödental took over Hummel production in 2009 after Goebel's bankruptcy, and the post-2008 mark is not part of the original TMK system. Treat anything carrying a Manufaktur Rödental mark as current production, not vintage.

How the Same Figurine Prices Across TMKs

This is where the trademark system pays for the time it takes to learn. The table below tracks three of the most-traded Hummels through their realized auction range based on 2024–2025 sales at LiveAuctioneers, Heritage, Bidsquare, and Hake's. Prices reflect clean, undamaged figurines in standard sizes. Add 30–60 percent for original boxes; subtract 60–80 percent for chips on high points.

The pattern is consistent across the line. Crown to Full Bee runs roughly 1.3–1.7x. Full Bee to TMK-7 is a 3–5x drop. TMK-8 examples are now selling below TMK-7 because supply is younger, larger, and still flooding into estate inventory. A Merry Wanderer with a TMK-8 base is a forty-dollar figurine for the foreseeable future. A Merry Wanderer with a TMK-1 Crown base, sharp paint, and an intact bouquet is a $400+ figurine that will hold its number for the next decade because the surviving population is small and the demographics for that buyer still exist.

::: pro-tip Pro Tip — Mold number matters as much as TMK. Adventure Bound (HUM 347), Ring Around the Rosie (HUM 348), the giant 32-inch Merry Wanderer (HUM 7/X), and the colossal Apple Tree variants (HUM 142/X, 141/X) command four-figure prices in TMK-2 and TMK-3 because the molds were rare and expensive even when Hummel was at peak demand. Cross-reference every HUM number against a published list before negotiating. :::

Body, Glaze, and Decoration Cues by Era

The mark on the base is the strongest single tell, but a forensic read of the porcelain itself confirms the period and catches the occasional tampered piece.

TMK-1 and TMK-2 (1935–1959)

Early Hummels are unmistakable in the hand once you have handled a few. The porcelain body has a faint cream or ivory cast, not bright white. The glaze is slightly softer in feel and shows microscopic pitting under a 10x loupe. Painted decoration is fully hand-applied, and you will see light variation between two examples of the same mold: cheeks pinker on one, hair shading slightly different on another, a brushstroke shadow at the edge of a sleeve. Eye details are painted with a fine brush, and the iris and pupil are often slightly asymmetric. Bases are usually flat with a recessed central area; the trademark sits inside that recess. The Crown mark itself is often visibly hand-stamped, with a slight halo of ink bleed into the glaze.

TMK-3, TMK-4, and TMK-5 (1960–1979)

The transition era. Bodies whiten progressively. Decoration shifts from purely hand-painted to a hybrid of airbrushed base coats with hand-painted accents on faces and key details. Color saturation increases. By the mid-1970s the cream tone is essentially gone and the porcelain reads as bright white. You will start to see more uniform foot rims and cleaner mold seams as Goebel's production tooling modernized. A Stylized Bee figurine should still feel like a hand-finished object, just with less variation than its TMK-2 parent.

TMK-6, TMK-7, and TMK-8 (1979–2008)

Modern production. Bright white porcelain, fully airbrushed color, very saturated, and aggressively uniform between examples. Faces look "perfected" rather than "painted." Bases are flat, machined, and often carry an "Original Hand-Painted" gold sticker on TMK-7 and TMK-8 examples. That sticker is genuine but does not signal age or rarity; it is a marketing artifact from the late Goebel era. Original boxes, certificates, and M.I. Hummel Club paperwork are common at this end of the timeline, which is part of why the secondary market is so saturated.

::: pro-tip Pro Tip — Trust your hand. If the porcelain feels heavy, glossy, and aggressively white, you are holding a TMK-6 or later regardless of what the base mark suggests. A "Crown" stamp on a piece that feels like a 1995 figurine is a tampered base. Walk away. :::

Reproduction and Tampering Red Flags

Outright counterfeit Hummels exist, but they are rarely the trap that costs collectors money. Most fakes are crude Asian imports that fall apart on inspection. The bigger risk is tampering and misattribution by sellers who know exactly what they are doing.

Counterfeit signatures. A genuine "M.I. Hummel" signature is incised into the porcelain before glazing. You can feel it with a fingernail. Fakes often have a printed or decal signature, or the signature is missing entirely. If you cannot feel the incised lines, do not buy.

Tampered base marks. This is the dangerous one. A scammer grinds or paints out a TMK-7 mark and applies a fake Crown stamp on top. Under 10x magnification, a tampered base will show abrasion marks, glaze damage around the new mark, or paint sitting on top of the glaze instead of fired underneath it. Genuine under-glaze marks are smooth to the touch and clearly below the glassy surface. If you can feel the mark with a fingernail, treat it as suspect.

Fantasy marks. Marks that do not appear in the TMK-1 through TMK-8 reference table are fantasy marks invented by reproducers or by makers who never had a Goebel license. Common examples include a "Crown" with no WG monogram, a bee inside a circle, or a generic "Germany" stamp without the Goebel wordmark.

Wrong mold numbers. Counterfeiters frequently use HUM numbers that do not exist or pair the wrong number with the wrong figurine. Cross-reference every number against Robert L. Miller's "The No. 1 Price Guide to M.I. Hummel" or the M.I. Hummel Club archive before paying a premium. A figurine that looks like Apple Tree Boy but is incised "HUM 999" is fantasy work.

Anri, Beswick, and Royal Worcester lookalikes. These are not fakes; they are competing makers whose figurines occupy similar shelves at estate sales and get misattributed. None of them carry the M.I. Hummel signature on the side or the Goebel mark on the bottom. If both marks are not present, the piece is not Hummel regardless of how cute it looks.

Restorations and repairs. Hummel collectors penalize restoration heavily. A repainted finger, a glued nose, or an over-glaze touch-up can drop value 50–70 percent. Use a UV light: restored areas often fluoresce differently than the original glaze. Repaired chips on bouquets, hat brims, basket handles, and animal ears are the most common.

::: pro-tip Pro Tip — Photograph the base under bright raking light before you buy. A phone flashlight held at a low angle reveals abrasion, glaze damage, and amateur paint touch-ups around the trademark that look invisible under flat overhead light. This single move would prevent most tampered-mark losses. :::

Quick Reference: Hummel TMK at a Glance

Q: How do I tell if my Hummel is "old" or "new" without a reference book? A: Look at the base mark. If you see a crown silhouette, a bumble bee inside a V, or a stylized triangular bee inside a V, the figurine is from 1935–1979 and worth proper inspection. If you see only the word "Goebel" with no bee, or "Goebel Germany" with a small crown above, the figurine is from 1979–1999. If you see "Goebel" with a tiny bumble bee returned to the design, it is from 2000–2008.

Q: Is the Bumble Bee TMK-8 the same as the Full Bee TMK-2? A: No. TMK-2 Full Bee shows a large detailed bee inside an open V from 1950–1959. TMK-8 Bumble Bee from 2000–2008 has a small decorative bee placed beside or above the Goebel wordmark with no V. The shapes are unmistakably different at a glance.

Q: What is a Hummel HUM number? A: It is the mold number assigned by Goebel to each individual figurine design. Apple Tree Boy is HUM 142, Merry Wanderer is HUM 7, Goose Girl is HUM 47, Adventure Bound is HUM 347, Ring Around the Rosie is HUM 348. The number is incised into the base near the TMK trademark. A size suffix follows: /0 is small, /I is standard, /III is large, /V or /X are giants.

Q: How much is a typical Hummel worth in 2025–2026? A: Common figurines from TMK-6 onward sell for $25–$75 at most regional auctions. TMK-3 to TMK-5 examples run $75–$200 depending on condition. TMK-1 and TMK-2 examples in clean condition run $150–$600 for common molds and $1,000+ for rare HUM numbers or oversized variants. Adventure Bound (HUM 347) in TMK-2 has comped at $1,200–$2,500 in recent sales; Ring Around the Rosie (HUM 348) in TMK-3 has comped at $1,500–$3,000.

Q: Are Hummels a good investment in 2026? A: Common late-mark Hummels are not. Supply continues to outpace demand as collections enter estate inventory. Early TMK-1 and TMK-2 examples and rare HUM numbers in clean condition still sell at strong, stable prices because the surviving population is small and well-documented.

Condition and Value: What Actually Moves the Number

Beyond the TMK and the HUM number, four condition factors set the realized price.

High-point chips. A chip on a nose, finger, basket handle, hat brim, bouquet, or animal ear cuts 60–80 percent off the value of any Hummel regardless of mark. Bouquet damage is especially common because flowers are the most fragile element on a typical figure. Run a fingernail along every protruding element under good light before you commit.

Hairlines. Tap the figurine gently against a knuckle. A clear ring is healthy porcelain. A dull thud usually indicates a hairline crack. Confirm under bright light and a 10x loupe. Hairlines drop value 40–60 percent.

Color and gilding wear. Faded or rubbed paint, especially on cheeks, hat brims, and shoe details, knocks 20–40 percent off depending on severity. Gilding loss on later figurines with gold accents is harder to mask.

Original packaging. Original Goebel boxes add 30–60 percent. M.I. Hummel Club certificates add another 10–20 percent on club-exclusive pieces. Boxes for TMK-1 and TMK-2 figurines are very rare and can add more than the figurine itself is worth on common molds.

Size variants. Always read the size suffix on the HUM number. Apple Tree Boy in 6-inch (142/I) is the standard. The 10-inch (142/V) and 32-inch (142/X) variants are vastly rarer and have realized $3,000–$9,000+ at auction in TMK-1 through TMK-3. The same mold logic applies to Apple Tree Girl (HUM 141), the giant Merry Wanderer (HUM 7/X), and a handful of other oversized pieces.

Where to Find Real TMK-1 and TMK-2 Hummels

The estate sale and the regional auction are still the best hunting grounds. Online listings have largely been priced to perfection by sellers who have already done the TMK lookup, but in-person inventory still produces under-recognized early marks because the people clearing the estate are usually working from memory and 1990s price guides.

Pennsylvania and Ohio German-heritage estate sales. Lancaster County, York County, and Berks County in Pennsylvania, plus the German-heritage belts around Cincinnati and Columbus in Ohio, were primary Hummel-collecting regions from the 1950s onward. Estates in these areas regularly produce TMK-1 and TMK-2 examples that came home in soldiers' duffel bags after the war. Get on early-bird lists at the bigger estate companies and arrive before the doors open.

Lancaster County and Adamstown markets. Renninger's at Adamstown and the smaller markets around Stoudtburg run weekly during the season. Walk the porcelain and figurine vendors with a flashlight. Adamstown dealers who specialize in German imports often have correctly-priced Hummels but are also the most likely to surface a sleeper at the start of the day.

M.I. Hummel Club events and convention sales. The official club still runs gatherings and member-to-member sales. The pricing is generally fair because the participants are educated, but you will occasionally find motivated sellers liquidating large collections at TMK-2 levels.

Vetted regional auctions. LiveAuctioneers, Bidsquare, and Hake's run Hummel sales several times a year. Search by HUM number plus TMK and watch the realized prices for six to twelve months before you bid; the comp data is the best free education available.

What to skip. Generic flea markets without a German heritage tradition tend to surface late-mark figurines in volume. The math rarely works once you account for time and gas. Online estate liquidations on the major aggregators are often picked over by Hummel specialists before the public listing goes live.

::: pro-tip Pro Tip — Bring a 10x loupe and a UV flashlight. A loupe lets you read mark details, paint quality, and tampering. A UV flashlight reveals restoration. Together they cost under thirty dollars and pay for themselves on a single avoided mistake. :::

How Hummel Fits the Broader Ceramics Picture

If you collect Hummel, you are already inside the European porcelain figurine tradition, and the same mark-driven authentication logic applies across the category. For broader context on the German maker-mark tradition, see our antique china and porcelain marks guide, which covers Meissen, Nippon, and Noritake. For the wider American and European pottery and ceramics landscape, our vintage ceramics and pottery guide lays out the major collecting categories and how figurines fit alongside art pottery and tableware. If your interest in mid-century figurines extends to Victorian decorative arts and the figurine traditions that preceded Hummel, our Victorian decorative collectibles guide covers the parlor figurine context that shaped the early Hummel market.

Buying Strategy and Negotiation

The path to a profitable Hummel purchase is the same path that built every disciplined collecting habit on this site. Read the mark first. Verify the body, glaze, and signature next. Confirm the mold number against a reference. Inspect the high points, the foot ring, and the underside in raking light. Negotiate against the realized auction comp, not the seller's printed retail price guide.

A rough field heuristic for 2026 pricing: if a common-mold Hummel is priced above $40 and carries a TMK-7 or TMK-8 base, you are usually overpaying unless the box and certificate are present and the size is one of the larger variants. If a Hummel is priced under $50 and carries a TMK-1 Crown or TMK-2 Full Bee on a clean base, you are almost always buying. The middle TMKs reward closer inspection and benefit most from comp lookups before you commit.

Build relationships with regional dealers who handle estate inventory in volume. A dealer who knows you are a serious Hummel buyer will set TMK-1 and TMK-2 pieces aside for you instead of pricing them blindly into the case. The discovery is rarely on the front shelf. It is in the back room, the next batch, or the box still in the seller's car.

Quick-Reference Checklist: Hummel Authentication and Dating

Run this sequence on every figurine before you buy. Ten lines, sixty seconds, a thousand dollars saved over the life of your collecting.

• Confirm the incised "M.I. Hummel" signature is present on the side or back. Feel it with a fingernail.
• Locate the Goebel trademark on the base and identify it against the TMK-1 through TMK-8 table above.
• Read the HUM mold number and any size suffix (/0, /I, /III, /V, /X). Cross-reference against a published HUM list.
• Inspect the base under raking phone-flashlight light for tampering, abrasion, or paint sitting on top of the glaze.
• Tap the figurine gently against a knuckle to listen for a clear ring. A dull thud signals a hairline.
• Check every high point with a fingernail and 10x loupe: nose, fingers, basket, hat brim, bouquet, animal ears.
• Sweep the figurine with a UV flashlight to reveal restoration or over-glaze touch-ups.
• Compare body color and decoration style to the expected era for the TMK on the base; mismatches signal tampering.
• Look up the figurine and TMK against the past 12 months of LiveAuctioneers, Heritage, Bidsquare, or Hake's realized prices.
• Add 30–60 percent for original Goebel boxes and 10–20 percent for M.I. Hummel Club certificates on club-exclusive pieces.
• Subtract 60–80 percent for chips, 40–60 percent for hairlines, and 20–40 percent for paint or gilding wear.
• Walk away from any figurine where the mark, the body, or the signature does not agree with the others.

The discipline is the discovery. The Crown mark Apple Tree Boy on the third folding table is still out there, and the buyer who knows the difference between a TMK-1 and a TMK-7 is the buyer who takes it home for forty dollars.