Fantastic Hummel Collector's Guide

Before I purchased this book, I thought I knew a bit about Hummels since I had been around them my entire life. Boy, was I wrong! When I inherited my mother's meager and battered pieces, I became interested in knowing more about each piece. After checking out numerous other Hummel books, I decided Luckey's Hummel Figurines & Places by Carl F. Luckey (2003) was the best for me. First, it is a revision (the 12th) of a previous Hummel book, so I knew it would likely have the most complete, current information. It has a chapter on the history of Hummel, chapterswith information on collecting Hummels other items made by Goebel (not necessarily Hummels), and a separate chapter on rare and unusual items. It also has several different appendices and reference lists that are easy to use. Each Hummel has its own listing in this 560 page book that includes a bit of history about the particular piece, a black-and-white photograph (sometimes several) of most pieces (even the rare ones), and pricing/valuation information for each version of the figurine. But best of all, it has a wonderful color picture section showing numerous different figurines, ornaments, and other items. If you collect Hummels, you've got to get this book! I think it's the best for the money!