Most Hummel plates that turn up at Goodwill now sell for less than the price of a sandwich. The first plate in the series, priced at an inflated $2,500 back in the 1980s, is estimated at $100 to $200 today without its box, and the later annual plates often go for $10 or less on auction sites, according to this Hummel plate value guide. So the real question isn't whether Hummel plates worth money exist. It's how fast you can spot the few that are.
That matters because the shelves are full of them. Goebel made one annual plate every year from 1971 to 1995, plus anniversary, Christmas and mini series on top. If you know which years, marks and series hold up, you can pass on the $3 stack of 1980s plates and grab the Hummel plates worth flipping that are hiding behind it.
Which Hummel plates worth money still show up at thrift stores
Start with the first one. The 1971 Heavenly Angel, Hum 264, premiered for the 100th anniversary of the Goebel factory and became so popular it launched the whole annual series. It's the plate every collector wants first, which is why it still beats the rest of the run.
The 1971 Heavenly Angel plate
Estimates swing a lot. One guide puts an unboxed Heavenly Angel at $100 to $200, while another price roundup says $50 to $150 in good condition. A clean box pushes you toward the top of either range, and a chip pushes you right off it.
Early annuals and the anniversary trio
The 1972 Hear Ye, Hear Ye (Hum 265) and 1973 Globetrotter (Hum 266) are listed around $75 each in plate guides. Goebel also made only three Happy Anniversary plates, dated 1975, 1980 and 1985, and at 10¼ inches across they're bigger than the regular annuals, which makes them easy to pick out of a pile.
- •1971 Heavenly Angel, Hum 264: the first and most wanted plate
- •1972 and 1973 annuals: early years that guides still list near $75
- •Happy Anniversary plates: only three made, each 10¼ inches wide
- •Celebration plates from 1986 to 1989: sold to club members only
Rule of thumb: the closer a Hummel annual plate is to 1971, the more likely it's worth the shelf space. A mid-1980s plate with no box is usually a $10 item.
How to read Hummel marks on the back of a plate
Flip it before you fall for the art. Goebel's full brand name should sit above "M.I. Hummel" on the back, with a HUM number and a cobalt trademark, often called a TMK. Online sellers frequently type it as "Goebel MJ Hummel" because the I in the signature looks like a J, so search both spellings when you check sold prices.
Goebel or Schmid?
Sister Berta Hummel and Sister M.I. Hummel are the same artist, but two companies made plates from her work. Goebel made the M.I. Hummel plates, while Schmid produced Berta Hummel Christmas plates that carry the Schmid logo instead of a Goebel trademark. Collectors pay less for the Schmid pieces, so treat them as decor unless the price is pocket change.
Stars, roundel and HUM number
Full-size Goebel annual plates have 33 stars around the rim, except the 1973 plate, which has 32. The roundel text on the underside should be there and readable. If it's missing, the plate is either a fake or worn so badly that buyers will treat it like one.
The same trademark system dates Goebel figurines and plates alike. One Hummel value guide lays out the Hummel marks sequence below, based on Antique Trader's dating, and it's worth memorizing because plates only start in 1971.
| Mark | Years | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| TMK-1 Crown | 1935 to 1949 | Incised crown with WG |
| TMK-2 Full Bee | 1950 to 1955 | Full bee inside a V |
| TMK-3 Stylized Bee | 1957 to 1963 | Smaller stylized bee in a V |
| TMK-4 Three Line | 1964 to 1972 | Three-line Goebel mark |
| TMK-5 Last Bee | 1972 to 1979 | Goebel with a bee above |
| TMK-6 | 1979 to 1991 | Goebel with W. Germany |
| TMK-7 | 1991 to 1999 | Goebel with Germany |
| TMK-8 | 2000 to 2008 | Goebel bee with Germany |
Hummel plates values by series and year
Guide prices and sold prices aren't the same thing. The figures below are what plate guides list, and real sales often land lower, so treat them as a ceiling. Across all plates, one guide gives an average range of $10 to $200 depending on age, condition, packaging and where you sell.
| Plate | HUM number | Guide value |
|---|---|---|
| Heavenly Angel, 1971 | Hum 264 | $100 to $200 unboxed |
| Hear Ye, Hear Ye, 1972 | Hum 265 | $75 |
| Globetrotter, 1973 | Hum 266 | $75 |
| Ride Into Christmas, 1975 | Hum 268 | $50 |
| Feeding Time, 1987 | Hum 283 | $100 to $150 |
| Shepherd's Boy, 1990 | Hum 286 | $100 to $150 |
| Wayside Harmony, 1992 | Hum 288 | $100 to $120 |
The full series list in one Hummel plate breakdown also covers the smaller lines. Friends Forever ran from 1992 to 1995, Four Seasons from 1996 to 1999, and Goebel's own annual Christmas plates from 1995 to 2000. None of those smaller lines carry the pull of the early annuals.
- •Most later plates sell for just $5 to $15, per one roundup
- •Friends Forever plates from 1992 to 1995 measure 7 inches across
- •Four Seasons plates from 1996 to 1999 were designed by Helmut Fischer
- •The 2000 Star Gazer plate carries the Big Bee and a TMK-8 mark
Are Hummels worth anything after the collector crash?
Some are, but the whole category got cheaper. An Umbrella Girl figurine that averaged $700 to $800 in 2000 averaged about $100 by 2015, per an auction house that watched it happen. Collectors aged out, heirs didn't want the shelves, and mass liquidation flooded the market.
Here's what that means at the register. Say you pay $3 for a boxed 1972 plate and it sells for $40. Marketplace fees of 10% to 15% take $4 to $6, leaving roughly $31 to $33 before shipping and packing a breakable plate. Do the same with a 1985 annual that sells for $10 and fees plus bubble wrap eat most of your margin, as our breakdown of eBay fees shows.
Buy the box, not just the plate. One Hummel guide cites auction experts who say a missing original box can cost 20% to 30% of a piece's value.
Goebel Hummel figurines often outsell the plates
If the plate shelf is a bust, check the figurines next to it. Common later-production Hummel figurines typically sell for $25 to $75, which already beats most plates, and large pieces with TMK-1 or TMK-2 marks can bring $100 to $500 or more. Angel Hummel figurines, nativity pieces and vintage Goebel figurines with early bee marks are the ones to flip over first.
Size and mark beat cuteness
The Hummel figurines value story comes down to two things you can check in five seconds. Bigger pieces were pricier at retail and made in smaller numbers, and earlier marks mean older stock. A small TMK-6 figurine is a decorating piece, while a 10-inch Full Bee figure deserves a proper look at sold listings.
- •Look for a crown or full bee mark before anything else
- •Measure it: 8 inches or taller is where early pieces hold value
- •Check fingers, hat brims and bases for chips and glue lines
- •Complete nativity sets beat single pieces by a wide margin
The mark-reading habit carries over to other shelves too. It's the same skill that sorts the good stuff in our guides to Roseville pottery marks and Waterford crystal marks.
When to leave a Hummel plate on the shelf
Damage kills these. Chips, cracks and repairs make Hummels close to unsellable, and many collectors won't buy a repaired piece at any price. With plates already this cheap, a hairline crack turns a $40 sale into a $0 one.
- •Skip any plate with a chip on the rim, even a small one
- •Pass on Schmid Berta Hummel plates priced over a few dollars
- •Leave mid-1980s annuals without boxes unless they cost $1
- •Walk away from plates with a missing or rubbed-off roundel
A Hummel price guide tells you what a plate could fetch. Sold listings from the last 12 months tell you what it will fetch, and that's the only number worth paying against.
Hummel plate questions resellers keep asking
Are Hummels worth anything without the original box?
Yes, but less. The 1971 Heavenly Angel still lands around $100 to $200 unboxed in one guide, while most later plates without a box drift to $10 or under. For anything after the mid-1970s, the box is often a big share of the value.
Is there a reliable Hummel price guide for plates?
Printed guides and plate websites are useful for HUM numbers and series years, but their prices often reflect asking prices. Check sold listings on eBay for the exact plate and year, and weigh anything older than a year less heavily.
How do I tell a Goebel plate from a copy?
Look for the Goebel name above M.I. Hummel, a HUM number, a TMK mark and the roundel text on the back. Full-size annuals also have 33 rim stars, or 32 on the 1973 plate. A Schmid logo means it's a Berta Hummel plate, which is authorized but sells for less.
Plates aren't the only collectible dinnerware where one year or pattern carries the whole series. Our Pyrex Spice of Life guide walks through the same kind of pattern-by-pattern pricing, and you can find more mark-reading guides at thrifting.app.
Ready to stop guessing which Hummel plate is the $75 one and which is the $5 one? Download Thrift Scanner, snap a photo of the plate or its backstamp, and get real sold-price data before you pay. Get the app here: iOS or Android.