How to Spot a Fake Hummel: The 60-Second Base Check (and the Erich Stauffer Trap)

To spot a fake Hummel, turn the figurine over. A genuine M.I. Hummel figurine almost always has the "M.I. Hummel" signature incised (pressed into the clay) on the base or the back of the base, a Goebel trademark that dates it, an incised mold number, and soft, matte, hand-painted color. Look-alikes from Arnart (sold under the Erich Stauffer name), NAPCO and unmarked "Made in Japan" makers usually have a shiny glaze, a paper sticker or ink stamp instead of an incised signature, and no mold number.

That's the whole idea in one breath. The rest of this guide shows you exactly what each mark looks like, the look-alikes that fool people most often, how to tell a real piece that's been damaged from a fake, and an honest picture of what Hummels sell for today, so you can decide in under a minute whether a piece at an estate sale deserves a closer look.

Quick summary for skimmers:

How do you tell a real Hummel from a fake?

You check five things on the base, in order: the incised signature, the trademark, the mold number, the country of origin, and the paint and glaze quality. If two or more of those are missing or wrong, you're almost certainly looking at a look-alike.

Do this every time, in this order. It takes about a minute once you've done it a few times.

1. Find the incised M.I. Hummel signature. Look on the base, and on the back edge of the base near the bottom. On genuine pieces the signature is pressed into the clay, not printed on top. Run your fingernail over it; you should feel a groove. The M.I. Hummel Club's guide to fakes lists the incised name as the first thing to check, and notes that almost all genuine figurines carry it. On very small pieces it can be on the back of the figure itself instead.
2. Find the Goebel trademark. It's usually printed or stamped underneath. It changed many times over the decades: a crown, a full bee in a V, a stylized bee, a "three line" mark, the "last bee" and later the word "Goebel" with or without a bee. That mark is what dates the piece (our marks and values guide walks through each one). A real figurine has a trademark that fits its era. No trademark at all is a warning sign.
3. Find the incised mold number. Genuine Hummels have a number pressed into the base, often called the "Hum number" (for example 1, 15 or 71), sometimes followed by a size code like /0 or /I. Look-alikes usually skip this or use a printed number from a different system.
4. Check the country of origin. Genuine pieces say "Germany", "W. Germany" or "Western Germany" depending on the period. A stamp or sticker reading "Japan", "Made in Japan", "Taiwan" or "China" tells you it's not a Goebel-made M.I. Hummel.
5. Look at the paint and glaze. Real Hummels have soft, muted, hand-painted color with a satin or matte finish, gentle shading on cheeks and clothing, and crisp detail. Most look-alikes have a high-gloss glaze, flat bright colors, and blurry detail in the faces and hands.

Here's a simple way to score a piece at a sale:

What is the Erich Stauffer trap?

"Erich Stauffer" figurines are the single most common Hummel look-alike at estate sales, and the name fools people because it sounds like a German porcelain artist. They were imported by Arnart, a New York company, and most were made in Japan, not Germany.

According to Porcelain Marks and More, Arnart Creations (later Arnart Imports) was an importer, not a factory, operating from 1953 until 2001 out of an office at 212 Fifth Avenue in New York. In the mid-1950s Arnart started its own figurine series inspired by the popularity of Goebel's Hummels and put the designer name "Erich Stauffer" on them. Most were made in Japan, and later production shifted mostly to Taiwan.

The story you'll hear at sales is that Stauffer "worked for Goebel" or "designed the original Hummels." Both specialist sources we checked say that's a legend. Porcelain Marks and More calls the Goebel connection "total nonsense," and the Erich Stauffer reference site says it's most likely Stauffer only ever worked for Arnart.

How to recognize an Erich Stauffer piece:

If you search "is this a real Hummel," you'll see the same story play out on Reddit and Facebook over and over: someone finds a sweet figurine of a child in lederhosen with a crown on the base, gets excited, and the replies point out the Erich Stauffer stamp. It's the most common false alarm in the hobby. Knowing the name saves you the drive to an appraiser.

What other Hummel look-alikes should you know?

Besides Arnart, the look-alikes you'll see most are NAPCO, unmarked Japanese "occupied Japan" style figurines, Wagner and Apel pieces from Germany, Beswick and Dubler wartime pieces, and modern "Berta Hummel" bisque figurines. Some are worthless copies; a couple are collectible in their own right.

What is the difference between Hummel and Goebel?

Goebel is the German porcelain company; M.I. Hummel is the line of figurines it made under license, based on drawings by Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel. Every genuine M.I. Hummel made between 1935 and 2008 came from Goebel, but not every Goebel figurine is a Hummel.

Here's the short history, from sources we checked:

What this means at a sale:

How are Hummels marked?

Hummels carry up to five marks: the incised M.I. Hummel signature, a Goebel (or later Rödental) trademark, an incised mold number with a size code, a country of origin, and sometimes a painted or incised date and artist's initials. The trademark is the one that dates the piece.

Collectors group the trademarks into "TMK" numbers, from TMK-1 (the Crown mark used from 1935) up through the later bee and "Goebel" marks. Our Hummel marks and values guide has the full TMK chart with pictures and dates, so we won't repeat it here.

A few marks that confuse people:

What do newer forged or altered marks look like?

The look-alikes above are mostly honest copies sold as decor. Real forgery, where someone tries to make a newer or damaged piece look older or more valuable, is less common but worth knowing. Watch for these signs:

If a piece is expensive and anything feels off, ask the seller for a return option or get a second opinion. The M.I. Hummel Club is the collector organization most people start with.

How do I know if my Hummel is valuable?

A Hummel's value comes from five things: how early its trademark is, how rare the mold is, its size, its condition, and whether people still want that design. A common figurine in perfect condition with a later mark usually sells for modest money; an early-mark, large or rare piece in perfect condition can sell for much more.

Quick value checklist:

1. Early trademark? Crown and Full Bee pieces get the most interest.
2. Large size? Size codes like /II or /III and the very large display pieces bring more.
3. Rare mold or variation? Some molds were made briefly or have known color or design variations.
4. Perfect condition? Chips, cracks, repairs and crazing cut value sharply. Check fingers, hat brims and the tips of anything sticking out.
5. Original box and papers? Helpful for later pieces, especially limited editions.

For documented sold prices and examples, read the Hummel marks and values guide. Always use sold prices, not asking prices; a listing that says $500 means nothing until it sells.

Want a fast first opinion? Snap a photo of the figurine and its base with the EstateSaleFinder Ai Appraiser. It suggests an identification and a value range from what it sees and from comparable sales, so you can decide whether a piece is worth more research. It's a suggestion to start from, not a final appraisal.

Does anybody buy Hummels anymore?

Yes, but far fewer people than in the 1980s and 1990s, and prices for common pieces are much lower than many families expect. The buyers today are a smaller group of collectors, people buying a piece that reminds them of a grandparent, and decorators who want one or two.

The numbers back that up. When Goebel stopped production in 2008, The Local reported that demand had dropped to one third of what the company expected, and Die Welt reported the company had filed for insolvency in 2006 after Hummel sales collapsed.

If you're sorting a family collection, here's a simple plan:

1. Make three piles: genuine Hummels (incised signature + Goebel mark), look-alikes, and damaged pieces.
2. Pull out anything special: early marks, large sizes, unusual molds, or pieces in original boxes. Research those individually.
3. Sell common genuine Hummels as a group. A collection often sells better as one lot than one figurine at a time.
4. Price look-alikes as decor. A few dollars each, or grouped in a box lot.
5. Keep the ones that mean something. If a figurine was Grandma's favorite, its value to your family may be higher than any market price.

If you're clearing a whole house, our guide to valuing inherited items before you give away a fortune helps you find the pieces that are worth more than they look, and estate sale vs auction vs cleanout helps you decide how to sell the rest.

Tips for shoppers at estate sales

Ready to look? Find estate sales near you and start turning things over.

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Sources checked October 21, 2026: the M.I. Hummel Club, Porcelain Marks and More, the Erich Stauffer reference site, WorthPoint, Figurines and Sculpture, Goebel Porzellan, The Local, Die Welt and The New York Times. Prices are general ranges from those sources, not appraisals.