Rare Hummels – Red Line

   A Red Line M. I. Hummel figurine is quite special and also quite rare as well. Sometimes, referred to as a Painter’s Sample, this is a figurine used by the painters at the factory which serves as a reference figurine for the painting of all other figurines of that same mold number and size. The painters of the M.I. Hummel figurines attempt to paint their individual pieces to match this painter’s sample as closely as possible. The samples are also known as the Red Line figurines since they have a red line marked around the side of the base and have been referred to as the perfect figurine. There are also examples of the painter’s sample without the red line that have a blue decal with the word “Musterzimmer” which translates to “sample room”. The following are examples that have been located in various places on the Internet and within a few serious Hummel collections.

This page was updated 5 February 2022.

HUM 2/I – Little Fiddler

     Height – 4.9”
     Red Line
     Arbeitsmuster
     Masterpiece
     Last of the Bee TMK-5
     A very popular figurine from the earliest days, the Little Fiddler may also be found with the HUM 4 mold marking. This one has a brown hat and an orange hat band, whereas number four has a black hat, is only five inches tall and this version, HUM 2, is found in five different sizes. Molded by master sculptor Arthur Möeller in 1935, this was one of the original pieces introduced and has been a mainstay in many people’s collections.

     This certain figurine has a trademark of the Last of the Bee TMK-5, has a RED LINE on the base and a metal tag with the embossed words, “ARBEITSMUSTER, W.GOEBEL RÖDENTAL (Oeslau was the initial name of the city before it was changed in the early 1970s to Rödental). Under the base, there is no copyright date but does have a master painter signature of RF or DS 6/77, and the date painted of June 1977. The seller, gorgasnegras, mentions on his eBay page that this is an example of a Masterpiece of which there are fewer than a handful created. The figurine was located on eBay selling on 3 February 2022 with a shipping charge of $60.00 from Neutraubling, Germany.

HUM 7/I – Merry Wanderer

     Height – 7½”
     Red Line
     Stylized TMK-3
     Perhaps the most iconic figurine in the entire M.I. Hummel line is that of the Merry Wanderer. This beloved figurine is found in more sizes than any other and includes the special six-foot version created by master sculptor Gerhard Skrobek and placed in front of the Goebel factory in Rodential in 1971 to commemorate Goebel’s 100th anniversary. In 1987, an eight-foot model created by Skrobek was placed in front of the former headquarters of the Goebel Collector’s Club in Tarrytown, NY.

     This little Red Line example of the Merry Wanderer also has an additional feature I have not seen before.  Interestingly, just beneath the bag on the side of the base are some letters in faded red that are very difficult to discern. It looks to have inked in the letters “Hunnt!” but it certainly could be something entirely different. There is also the possibility this was a test example and the word is Humid! (same in German as English) indicating it was placed in a more humid environment to see what the effects would be long term. Why this is added to the figurine at the factory is not known at this time. I would appreciate any feedback as to whether you may know or have a similar situation on one of your figurines. Feel free to click on the image for a larger view.

      This 7½-inch version would be more typical of what you could expect to find than those above but is special in that it has the Red Line around the base indicating it is an artist’s model in which to duplicate other figurines in the same way this was painted. In other words, the perfect figurine. It is further denoted by a metal tag attached with a wire onto the handle of the bag with the embossed words ARBEITSMUSTER on one side and the word RODENTAL on the other side. Looking beneath the base is the incised HUM number 7 / I as well as the year of copyright. Most, if not all Red Line versions also have their number inked in along with the master painter’s signature. In this case, it appears the figurine was painted in November of 1960 by master painter was Frank Knoch.

HUM 20 – Prayer Before Battle

     Height – 4¼”
     Red Line
     Stylized TMK-3
     Originally modeled in 1935 by master sculptor Arthur Möeller and listed for $7.50 in the old 1955 price list. The most noticeable difference in the old and new versions would be that the newer versions are typically a bit smaller. This figurine was purchased at the Disney Hummel Convention auction and signed by Christian Goebel there. This is a painters sample with the red line around the base and has the metal tag designating it as so. Painted in July 1964 by master painter Otto Sommer with his initials and date on the base.  The horn on this one is open (horn is deep, new pieces horn is flat & painted) and the colors on the flag are reversed. Notice the left shoe is painted to indicate that it is coming apart. This favorite figurine was part of the Donald Deeks Collection held at auction on Saturday, 16 January 2021 in Clearwater, Florida and sold for $175.00.

     The postcard that reflects the actual sketch of Sister Hummel shows how close the master sculptor and the convent nuns wanted to accurately depict her artistry in the third dimension.

HUM 32 – Little Gabriel

       Height – 5″
       Red Line
      Arbeitsmuster
      Modeled by master sculptor Reinhold Unger in 1935, the older catalogs have this named as “Joyous News”. The large size of this figurine can be found with either a 32/I or just the 32, as in the case of this one, and is considered rare. This figurine was Temporarily Withdrawn (TW) on January of 1999.

      The seller describes the figurine as, “This nice little angel has a RED LINE on the base, it is number 32. and has a metalltag, their is written ARBEITSMUSTER,   W.GOEBEL  OESLAU (Oeslau was the first name before in the 1970th the name is changed to Rödental). Under the base is NO copyright date but a MASTERPAINTER sign from RF or DS 6/76 means ??? in june 1976 along with the trademark 5.” The seller, gorgasnegras, mentions on his eBay page that this is an example of a Masterpiece of which there are fewer than a handful created. The figurine was located on eBay selling on 3 February 2022 with a shipping charge of $60.00 from Neutraubling, Germany.

HUM 49/0 – To Market

       49/0 – 5″
       Red Line
      Arbeitsmuster
      Modeled by master sculptor Arthur Möeller in 1936, this figurine was known as “Brother and Sister” in some of the earlier catalogs. The girl in this figurine is the same as seen in HUM 98 – Sister. This specific figurine has a RED LINE on the base and a metal tag attached to the little boys legs, with the embossed words, “ARBEITSMUSTER,  W.GOEBEL  OESLAU (Oeslau was the first name of the city in the early 1970s before the name was changed to Rödental). Under the base, you will not find the incised copyright date but you will find the master painter signature from Ki 3.72 which indicates Franz Kirchner painted this in March of 1972 along with the Stylized Bee TMK-3 trademark.  The seller, gorgasnegras, mentions on his eBay page that this is an example of a Masterpiece of which there are fewer than a handful created. The figurine was located on eBay selling on 3 February 2022 with a shipping charge of $60.00 from Neutraubling, Germany.

HUM 65/0 – Farewell

     65/0 – 3¾” to 4″
     Red Line
    Modeled by master sculptor Arthur Möeller in 1937, this figurine was known as “Son Long” and “Good Bye” in some of the older catalogs. It was restyled in 1964 by master sculptor Gerhard Skrobek. The smaller size, typically found at 3¾ to 4 inches, was modeled by Skrobek and is extremely rare since only a few samples were produced in the Full Bee TMK-2 and the Stylized Bee TMK-3. Robert Miller has these appraised in his tenth edition price guide as being $6,000 to $8,000 and $5,000 to $6,000 respectively. The example shown here is a painter’s sample by which to see how to paint a new figurine and is in a private collection. Notice that it is also called a “Red Line” figurine for the obvious line around the base.

HUM 94 3/0 – Surprise

     Height – 4½”
     Archivmuster
     Masterpiece
     Red Line
     This is a very popular M.I. Hummel figurine being created by Arthur Möller and Reinhold Unger in 1938. You may have already noticed that it has the HUM number 94 3/0 under the base with black inked-in numbers. This nice figurine of little children has a RED LINE circling the base and a metal tag that has the embossed lettering ARBEITSMUSTER W.GOEBEL OESLAU (Oeslau was the first name before in the 1970s with the name thereafter being changed to Rödental). There is no incised copyright date but there is a MASTER PAINTER signature of Ki 2.67 which shows that master painter Franz Kirchner painted it as an example in February of 1967 and has the trademark TMK-3. The seller, from Germany, indicates that this figurine is a MASTERPIECE and had it listed on eBay with an auction on Sunday, 6 December 2020 selling for the price of $122.50 with a shipping charge of $60 from Germany.

HUM 166 – Boy With Bird, Ashtray

     Height – 3¼”
     Masterpiece
     Arbeitsmuster
     Red Line
     Stylized Bee TMK-3
     Molded by master sculptor Arthur Möller in 1946, there are reported only slight variations within this figurine as to the color and no major differences in the construction between the old and the newer models. This figurine was Temporarily Withdrawn (TW) as of 31 December 1989.

     This certain figurine has the HUM number 166 under the base in black letters. This nice little boy resting on the ashtray has a RED LINE on the base and a metal tag, with embossed lettering, “ARBEITSMUSTER  W.GOEBEL OESLAU” (Oeslau was the first name before the 1970s when the name was changed to Rödental). Under the the base is NO copyright date but a MASTERPAINTER signature from FK 2/58 which indicates Franz Kirchner was the master painter in February 1958 along with the trademark TMK-3. The size is 3¼ inches tall, and 6,3 inches in diameter (16 cm Durchmesser). The seller, gorgasnegras, mentions on his eBay page that this is an example of a Masterpiece of which there are fewer than a handful created. The figurine was located on eBay selling on 3 February 2022 with a shipping charge of $60.00 from Neutraubling, Germany.

HUM 171 – Little Sweeper

     Height – 4¼”
     Arbeitsmuster
     Masterpiece
     Red Line
     Missing Bee TMK-6
     This little figurine was originally modeled by Reinhold Unger in 1944, during World War II, with just the HUM number of 171. Later, in 1986, Gerhard Skrobek remodeled it and was assigned the HUM 171/0 designation. At some point later on, a smaller version was modeled as HUM 171/4/0 and this is the one you see here.

     This one, however, is very special in that it is a rarer version with the inked in incised number 171 under the base and has a red line around the base along with a metal tag denoting the embossed words ARBEITSMUSTER W.GOEBEL OESLAU. In the 1970s, the city of Oeslau changed its name to Rödental. Master painter Franz Kirchner signed this one with his Ki signature and dated the painting of this figurine as that of June 1970 with the Stylized Bee trademark of TMK-3. The seller, gorgasnegras, mentions on his eBay page that this is an example of a Masterpiece of which there are less than a handful. The Little Sweeper was located on eBay selling on 28 November 2021 with a shipping charge of $60.00 from Neutraubling, Germany.

HUM 186- Sweet Music

     Height – 4.9”
     Arbeitsmuster
     Red Line
     Stylized Bee TMK-3
     Originally modeled in 1947 by master sculptor Reinhold Unger, it was named “Playing To The Dance” and is one of several figurines that make up the Hummel Orchestra. The HUM number 186 under the base is in black-inked numbers. This specific figurine has a RED LINE circling the base and a metal tag which has the embossed words ARBEITSMUSTER W.GOEBEL OESLAU (Oeslau was the first name of the city in the 1970s with the name being changed to Rödental). There is no incised copyright date but it does have a master painter signature showing Ki 9/67 which designates Franz Kirchner as the painter in September 1967 along with the Stylized Bee TMK-3 trademark. The seller says that all of this indicates that this figurine is considered to be what should be termed a MASTERPIECE by the Goebel standards at the time. Notice the rough, bumpy change of appearance in the coat, pants and hat that is different from other Sweet Music figurines. This one stands 4.9 inches tall. It sold on eBay for $105.50 + $60 shipping from Neutraubling, Germany.

HUM 228 Good Friends table lamp

     Height – 7½”
     Arbeitsmuster
     Red Line
     Stylized TMK-3
     This lamp was first molded in 1953 by master sculptor Arthur Möeller as a Full Bee TMK-2 and has received several minor restyling modifications since. The Good Friends table lamp was “Temporarily Withdrawn” (TW) from production on December 31, 1989. Notice the Red Line mark that is painted around the base of this Stylized Bee TMK-3 figurine. This indicates that this certain figurine was used as a “perfect” model with the paint scheme to use on all others by the artists as the standard. Also notable is the inked in mold number under the base indicating this is an Arbeitsmuster figurine. The Eagles of War web page indicates that this was purchased from Facebook on October 24, 2019.

HUM 258 – Which Hand?

     Height – 5.31″
     Red Line
     As a collective effort from the master sculptors, this figurine was created in 1962. It can clearly been seen as being a part of a sketch which also included two children, the same used for HUM 196 – Telling Her Secret. This has a RED LINE on the base and under the base is the copyright date from 1963 and a MASTERPAINTER signature from GN 11/69 which reflects Günther Neubauer in November 1969 along with the Three Line TMK-4 trademark. This indicates this figurine is considered a MASTERPIECE, and not a piece from the current production.

     This certain figurine was sold on eBay on 3 October 2021 for a price of $102.50 and $60 shipping charge from Neutraubling, Germany.

HUM 319 – Doll Bath

     Height – 5¼”
     Arbeitsmuster,
     Red Line
          This figurine was first designed by master sculptor Gerhard Skrobek in 1956 and produced in early sample form during the Full Bee TMK-2 period but was not released until 1962. These pieces are said to be worth substantially more than later releases. This example is that same Full Bee version as well as being a Red Line version and was used as the “perfect” figurine to paint from thus making it even more rare. Notice the red line that is painted around the full base and the attached metal tag to show how important this model was. Note the inked and incised mold number and copyright date of 1956 signifying this as one made from the mother or master mold. Also on the bottom of the base is the stamped Full Bee TMK-2 trademark backstamp and master artist, Günthur Neubauer’s early signature with the date of March 1957 in black ink. The price to purchase this figurine was $4,500 plus $34.95 shipping on eBay, 6 October 2020.

HUM 340 – Letter to Santa Claus

     Height – 6¼”
     Early sample
     Red Line
     This figurine is very popular during the Christmas season. Originally designed by master sculptor Helmut Wehlte in 1956, it was restyled a few times. This Full Bee TMK-2 Full Bee prototype shows the mailbox attached to a tree trunk while the figurines that were eventually sold had the mailbox connected to a wooden post with part of the post rising almost one inch above the box. The Full Bee TMK-2 and Stylized Bee TMK-3 versions had sides of the mailbox in the shape of a V extension in contrast to a raised horn on either side. Other differences were the little girl’s hat was darker blue and the pants were a shade of grey-green instead of red-orange. Notice also that this figurine is a Red Line version. Heidi Anne Von Recklinghausen’s price guide has the prototype value between $9,000 and $12,000. The original issue price in 1971 was $30.

    Here is another view from the other side of this famous figurine of which, given the evidence, it may even be a unique piece. This one was purchased at an auction and is now in a private collection. I apologize for the blurry photograph and hope to have the opportunity to take a clearer picture of this special piece again.

HUM 355 – Autumn Harvest

     Height – 5″
     Archivmuster
     Red Line
     This figurine was created in 1963 by master sculptor Gerhard Skrobek and first produced as a sample in the Stylized Bee with the trademark TMK-3 but was not initially released until 1972. The earliest production pieces bear the Three Line Mark TMK-4 and there were very few of these made available. The copyright date on those available show the year 1971 but this certain one showing has the trademark 1964. This one also has the mold number 355 in black color and the MASTERPAINTER signature Ki 5.73 which means Franz Kirchner painted it in May of 1973. This rare figurine is 4.88 inches high (12.4 cm) and has the Last of the Bee TMK-5 trademark and a copyright date from 1964. On the base from this nice figurine is the RED LINE, this shows us that this figurine is a MASTERPIECE. Also found on this figurine is metal tag the expression written ARCHIVMUSTER OESLAU W.GOEBEL. This one sold on eBay on June 14, 2015.