How much you can sell your Hummels for depends on how much time you want to invest. More time generally means a higher return.

1. Full retail value

Selling individually can bring you the full retail price, but it requires the most time. You’ll need to research accurate pricing, take clear photos, create and manage listings, respond to buyer questions, handle returns, and pack and ship each item. It’s the path with the highest earning potential and the highest workload.

2. The actual buyers’ market (auction)

Selling through an auction is the least time-consuming. You drop off or ship the items, and later a check is issued for your percentage of the sale. The remainder goes to the auctioneer for the work of listing, photography, marketing, platform fees, and shipping.

Choosing the right auction matters. Local pickup auctions have limited reach and can result in very low prices. My auctions are designed to attract national niche buyers. Free U.S. shipping for buyers, clear photos, and accurate descriptions draw strong, consistent interest — leading to higher realized prices. View a recently closed auction to see real buyer demand, final selling prices, and the presentation buyers respond to.

3. Wholesale value (selling in bulk to a reseller like me)

This is the middle path. A reseller pays a wholesale price — lower than retail — because of the time, cost, and risk involved in reselling. Auction prices can vary, so wholesale is simply the number that makes sense for a buyer to take on the work. If you want a pre-shipment quote, I need a full list with Hummel number, trademark, condition, and clear photos. Remote quoting takes time, and the price must account for risk. Once the items arrive, I inspect them, confirm the condition, and send payment within 24 hours.

I also offer a faster direct-buy method, described below.

For a direct buy purchase, I pay a fair wholesale price for collections that arrive in excellent condition. Wholesale pricing reflects the cost, time, and risk I take on when reselling.
I offer two direct-buy methods:

Direct Buy Option 1: Ship the collection and receive a buyout offer

You pack and ship the collection to me. Once they arrive, I inspect everything in person and send a buyout offer.
If you accept the offer, I send payment within 24 hours (PayPal or check).
If you prefer to let the market determine price, I enter your pieces into my next auction.

• Included within 60 days
• Auctions run 3 weeks
• You receive payment 14 days after the auction closes
• Your payout is the final sale price minus my 35% commission

This option does not require a list.
Just make sure the items you send are within my buying scope.
There is no return-shipment process. Once the items are here, I inspect them and you decide between the buyout offer or the auction for the sellable pieces.

Once the items are here, you choose between:

1. the wholesale buyout offer, or
2. auction placement.

Direct Buy Option 2: We agree on a price ahead of time

If you prefer to agree on a price before shipping, I need complete information:

• Hummel number
• Trademark
• Condition notes
• Clear photos

I only buy items in excellent condition — no chips, cracks, repairs, or crazing.
Because condition determines so much of the value, please watch my condition-evaluation video before preparing your list. It shows exactly how to identify wear so we’re using the same standard.

If you have a number in mind, it’s often easiest to start there.
If you’d rather receive an offer from me first, send the full details and I’ll review them. I receive many requests each week and can only make offers when I have accurate, complete information.

You will receive 65% of the final sale price of your items in the auction.

Ever item in the auction will sell.

Every auction is different, but the results are consistently strong because of the way we run our sales. When your items enter the auction, they’re presented to a national audience of serious, niche buyers who are ready to bid.

Buyers come back to our auctions because they get:

• clear and accurate photos
• honest descriptions
• free U.S. shipping
• a curated selection of sellable items only
• a trusted seller with an excellent track record

That combination creates real competition, and competitive bidding is what drives solid prices.

Everything in the auction sells for some amount, and many pieces do very well. The best way to get a sense of typical results is to look at a recently closed auction.

You’ll be able to see how we present each item, how the catalog is organized, and what similar pieces have sold for.

Your job is to get the items to me. My job is to do everything else including:

• Cataloging
• Descriptions
• Photography
• Listing
• Platform fees
• Fielding buyer questions
• Packing and shipping to buyers

After the auction closes, you will receive a settlement report showing the exact amounts that your items sold for. My commission is 35% for facilitating the sale.

If you’d like help gauging how your collection might perform, just ask.

The buyout is built for speed and simplicity. The auction is built for market value. Here’s how they stack up side by side.

Direct Buyout (Wholesale Purchase)

Pros

• Fast payment. You receive a lump-sum payout within 24 hours of accepting the offer.
• No uncertainty. The offer is clear, upfront, and final. No waiting or wondering to see what items might sell for.
• No list required. For the buyout-with-option path, you don’t need to create an inventory list.

Cons

• Wholesale pricing. A buyout is always wholesale, not retail or auction value, because I take on all the work, cost, and risk of reselling the pieces.
• More prep if you want a price upfront. If you prefer to agree on a price before shipping, you’ll need to create a detailed inventory list (Hummel number, TMK, condition, and photos). This takes time, and it’s the part most sellers choose to avoid.

A direct buyout is best suited for sellers who want speed. The buyout is ideal when you want the fastest, simplest payout with no back-and-forth and no uncertainty.

Auction Option

Pros

• Market-driven pricing. You earn 65% of the final sale price, which can outperform a buyout.
• National exposure. Your items are seen by serious collectors across the U.S., not just local bidders.
• Everything sells. Every item placed in the auction sells for some amount, so nothing sits unsold.
• Hands-off process. I handle all cataloging, photos, buyer communication, shipping, fees, and logistics. No inventory list required

Cons

• Takes longer. Items enter an auction within 60 days. Auctions run for three weeks, and payouts are sent within 14 days of closing.
• Market decides. Prices vary depending on demand. Some items sell high, some sell lower.
• Condition still matters. Items must be sellable (light crazing may be okay).

The auction is best if you want stronger market value and are comfortable with a longer timeline.

⭐ The most popular choice: Buyout with Option to Auction

Many sellers choose the buyout-with-option path because it combines the best of both worlds:

• You ship once.
• I inspect the items and send you a buyout offer.
• If you like the offer → you’re paid within 24 hours.
• If you prefer the auction → your items go into a sale within 60 days.
• Either way, you get a clear, fair outcome with zero wasted effort.

What is wholesale price?

1. The price a dealer pays to acquire inventory

Wholesale price is the amount a business pays when buying in bulk from a manufacturer, distributor, or another dealer.
It is not the retail price, not the auction price, and not the sentimental value.

It’s the cost to the reseller, not the end consumer.

2. Wholesale price reflects:

✔ Condition
✔ Volume
✔ Ease of resale
✔ Market velocity
✔ Risk
✔ Cash flow needs

This is why wholesale is always lower than what individual items might sell for retail or at auction.

3. Wholesale = “the price at which a reseller can safely buy”

A wholesaler or dealer must be able to:

✔ Cover risk (items that don’t sell, items that arrive damaged, storage)
✔ Cover labor and time
✔ Cover platform fees, shipping, taxes, and overhead
✔ Still produce profit after reselling

So the wholesale price is whatever number makes that math work.

4. In the Hummel world specifically

Wholesale pricing is influenced by:

✔ Current demand (which is soft in many categories)
✔ Age and TMK
✔ Condition
✔ How long similar pieces take to sell
✔ The fact that dealers must handle all the work

5. Wholesale price vs Auction price

Auction price = retail market, meaning final bid by an end consumer.
Wholesale = usually about 30–60% lower depending on the category and condition, because the dealer still has to do all the work and carry the risk.

6. The simplest definition

Wholesale price is the amount a reseller can safely pay while still being able to make a profit after all costs and risks.

If your goal is to sell at retail value, you can opt to sell them yourself direct-to-consumers on the retail market. My book walks you through pricing, listing, and selling Hummels step by step. The book is available in two formats:

Amazon paperback: $17.95

Instant digital download (ebook): $12.95