27 Figurines That Still Sell Well Online
Every estate sale hides a curio cabinet, and every curio cabinet hides a few pieces that still move for real money. The trick is knowing which glazed shepherd boy is worth a coffee and which is worth a car payment.
Conditions and markings decide almost everything. A chip on the wrong edge or a missing backstamp can turn a prize into a paperweight, so the details below matter as much as the maker.
Hummel Figurines With Early Goebel Marks
M.I. Hummel figurines, based on the drawings of Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, have been produced by Goebel in Germany since 1935. The single biggest price driver is the trademark stamp on the base; the early “Crown” mark and the “Full Bee” mark of the 1940s and 1950s command far more than later versions of the identical model.
Rare pieces such as the large “Apple Tree Boy” or discontinued figures can reach several hundred dollars in clean condition.
Lladro Retired Porcelain From Valencia
Lladro porcelain, made in Tavernes Blanques near Valencia, Spain, is recognized by its elongated figures and soft pastel glazes, often carrying an impressed blue rooftile backstamp. Retired and limited-edition sculptures are the ones that hold value, with elaborate multi-figure groups and the tall lace-detailed pieces selling strongly.
Chips to the delicate porcelain flowers or fingers sharply reduce the price.
Nao by Lladro for the Patient Buyer
Nao is Lladro’s second, more affordable brand, produced by the same company and marked with its own backstamp. Prices sit well below the parent line, which makes retired Nao pieces a steady mover among buyers who want the Lladro look without the premium.
Sentimental subjects like nativity figures and children with animals turn over reliably.
Royal Doulton HN Lady Figurines
Royal Doulton’s figurines carry an “HN” number, a system begun in 1913 and named after colorist Harry Nixon. The graceful crinoline “pretty ladies” such as “Top o’ the Hill” and “Autumn Breeze” remain the backbone of the secondary market.
Early and short-run colorways are worth far more than the common production runs that flooded gift shops for decades.
Royal Doulton Character Jugs in Every Size
Royal Doulton’s character jugs, molded as the heads of literary and historical figures, were issued in graduated sizes: large, small, miniature, and tiny. Size and rarity drive value, and a discontinued small or tiny jug can outprice its common large sibling.
Prototype and withdrawn subjects are the ones that reach serious auction figures.
Precious Moments Teardrop-Eyed Children
Precious Moments figurines, designed by Sam Butcher and produced by Enesco since 1978, are the pastel bisque children with the signature teardrop eyes. Each piece carries an annual production symbol on the base, and early symbols such as the “No Mark” and “Triangle” pieces from the late 1970s are the collector targets.
The vast majority of later figures sell for modest sums, so the mark is everything.
Department 56 Snowbabies in Bisque
Snowbabies, the small bisque porcelain infants in white snowsuits dusted with glitter, are a Department 56 line introduced in 1986. Retired figures and larger tableau scenes carry the resale weight, while common annual pieces remain inexpensive.
Condition of the fragile glitter finish and any tiny extremities matters to serious buyers.
Swarovski Silver Crystal Animals
Swarovski’s Silver Crystal line, made in Austria, includes faceted animals whose value depends heavily on the logo stamped on the base. Pieces bearing the early swan logo or the earlier block-letter “SWAROVSKI” mark predate later versions and attract more attention.
Retired figures like the large crystal swan and the mouse with a metal tail are steady sellers when boxed.
Boehm Porcelain Birds From Trenton
Boehm porcelain birds, founded by Edward Marshall Boehm in Trenton, New Jersey, are prized for their lifelike detail and were famously presented as diplomatic gifts. Limited-edition species with delicate modeled feathers and flowers bring the strongest prices, especially larger pieces in flawless condition.
The many thin porcelain elements make undamaged examples genuinely uncommon.
Cybis Studio Porcelain
Cybis, also based in Trenton, New Jersey, is one of the oldest American art porcelain studios and is known for children, animals, and flowers in soft matte finishes. Limited editions and retired subjects command respect among collectors of American porcelain.
As with any hand-finished piece, tiny extremities and applied details must be intact to hold full value.
Beswick Horses and Cattle
Beswick, an English pottery based in Staffordshire, is best known among collectors for its finely modeled horses and prize cattle, along with a licensed Beatrix Potter range. Discontinued models, rare colorways, and the champion bull and cow figures reach the highest prices.
Gloss versus matte finish and the specific mold variation can multiply a Beswick horse’s value.
Border Fine Arts Farm Scenes
Border Fine Arts, founded in Scotland in 1974, produces highly detailed cold-cast and resin farm and country animals, with early work sculpted by Ray Ayres. Limited editions and retired agricultural scenes, particularly the larger multi-animal groups, are the pieces that command a premium.
Original boxes and certificates noticeably help the resale price.
Wade Whimsies and Tea Premiums
Wade Whimsies are the small glazed porcelain animals produced by the English maker Wade, many of them famously given away inside boxes of Red Rose Tea in North America. Loose common animals are cheap, but rare early sets, boxed editions, and the harder-to-find figures carry a premium.
Complete themed sets in original packaging are what serious collectors pursue.
Franklin Mint Mail-Order Collectibles
The Franklin Mint built its business on mail-order collectible figures, from pewter and porcelain sculptures to licensed movie and historical subjects. Most mass-produced pieces sell for little, but certain licensed lines and detailed limited editions retain a following.
Original documentation and boxes make a measurable difference on the secondary market.
Josef Originals Girls With Black Eyes
Josef Originals, a line begun in California by Muriel Joseph George and later produced in Japan, features demure girls with glossy black eyes and applied flowers. Early California-made pieces predate the Japanese production and are the more sought-after examples.
The original paper foil sticker helps confirm authenticity and supports the price.
Fenton Hand-Painted Art Glass
Fenton Art Glass of Williamstown, West Virginia, produced hand-painted glass figures, including birds, cats, and slippers, many signed by the decorating artist. Limited editions, discontinued colors, and artist-signed pieces are the ones that command a premium among glass collectors.
The oval Fenton logo molded into the base helps date a piece and confirm it is genuine.
Funko Pop Vinyl Grails
— Photo by MatiasFabbri
Funko Pop vinyl figures are mostly inexpensive, but a handful of “grails” trade for hundreds or thousands, driven by convention exclusives and low print runs. Pieces like the metallic and glow variants of early figures and rare promotional editions dominate the high end.
Box condition is paramount, since a creased window can cut a grail’s value in half.
Royal Copenhagen Blue Figures
Royal Copenhagen, the Danish porcelain house marked with three wavy lines, produces figures and animals in its distinctive underglaze blue and soft naturalistic palettes. Discontinued models and older pieces from the studio’s long history are the collector focus.
The painted number and the wavy-line mark on the base help identify age and factory decorating.
Bing and Grondahl Danish Porcelain
Bing & Grondahl, a Danish porcelain maker later merged with Royal Copenhagen in 1987, is known for its seagull dinnerware and its gentle figurines of children and animals. Pieces made before the merger, under the original three-tower mark, appeal to collectors of Danish porcelain.
Undamaged examples of retired figures move well among European buyers online.
Giuseppe Armani Florentine Sculpture
Giuseppe Armani figurines, produced by the Florence company Capodimonte in Italy, are known for elongated elegant women and detailed themed sculptures. Limited editions, retired subjects, and the larger dramatic pieces bring the strongest resale prices.
Because the pieces are hand-finished with fine extremities, condition drives value more than almost anything else.
Willow Tree Faceless Carvings
Willow Tree figures, designed by artist Susan Lordi and produced by DEMDACO since 2000, are the intentionally faceless, hand-carved-look resin figures expressing quiet emotion. Retired pieces and the larger nativity sets are the ones that hold and gain value over time.
Their sentimental gifting appeal keeps demand steady across online marketplaces.
Jim Shore Heartwood Creek
Jim Shore’s Heartwood Creek line, produced by Enesco, blends folk-art quilt patterns and rosemaling into figures of angels, Santas, and animals. Retired designs and large seasonal centerpieces are the collector’s targets, especially licensed Disney crossovers.
Original boxes help, since these detailed resin pieces are easily chipped.
David Winter Cottages
David Winter Cottages, hand-cast in England from the 1980s through the John Hine studios, are miniature sculpted buildings modeled on British architecture. Early pieces, retired editions, and unusual colorways draw premiums from a devoted collector base.
The molded signature and studio marks on the underside help date each cottage.
Anri Carved Wood Figures
Anri, an Italian workshop in the South Tyrol, hand-carves wooden figures, many designed by artist Juan Ferrandiz, along with nativity sets and religious subjects. Limited editions and larger carvings from the mid-twentieth century onward are the sought-after pieces.
Because they are carved wood, cracks and worn paint significantly affect value.
Herend Fishnet Porcelain Animals
Herend, the Hungarian porcelain manufactory, is famous for its hand-painted “fishnet” pattern, a scale-like grid applied over figures of rabbits, elephants, and fish. Retired colors and larger animal figures command high prices among luxury porcelain collectors.
The blue Herend backstamp and the pattern code help confirm authenticity and value.
Cherished Teddies Bears by Enesco
Cherished Teddies, designed by Priscilla Hillman and produced by Enesco beginning in 1992, are the softly sculpted teddy bear figures with individual names and story cards. Retired figures, early production pieces, and rare members-only editions are what collectors seek.
The bottom stamp and the annual understamp help identify year and edition.
The Long Afterlife of the Curio Cabinet
These makers survived because they built two things at once: an object people wanted to display and a system of marks that lets a later buyer prove exactly what they hold. The trademark stamp, the edition number, the annual symbol on the base — those small details are why a shelf of decades-old porcelain can still fund a vacation.
The lesson for anyone sorting through inherited figures is patience over guesswork. A chip in the wrong place erases a premium, and a rare early mark can quietly multiply a price, so the smart move is to check the base before checking the listing.
The market rewards the collector who reads the underside first.
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