What do I do with Hummels?
Question:I have about 10 hummels from my aunt no boxes no names no idea what their value is and I want to get rid of them. Any suggestions on who I can turn to for advise. Most of them are from 1960-1980.
Answers:
posting on ebay is a good idea, but you want to know what they are first. go to http://www.mihummel.com/ and at the top of the page you can SEARCH for whatever number is stamped on the figurine. take what you find from there and go to ebay to see what it's selling for. if you don't like ebay, advertise in your local newspaper. LOTS of people collect hummel. good luck!
wat ae hummels anyway
The Hummel is an old Swedish stringed instrument that can be compared to an older type of zither and is related to the Norwegian instrument, the langeleik. The name is thought to come from the German word "Hummel", meaning "bee", referring to the droning sound created by the accompaniment strings.
The hummel is probably from the Middle Ages, when it was found all over Europe in slightly differing variants. The instrument was common in the Netherlands, Northern Germany and Denmark during the 1700s. The earliest evidence of the intstrument in Swedish folk culture is from the 1600s, and it seems to have been most common in the southern parts of the country. During the 1800s, the hummel was considered to be a primitive peasant instrument and its popularity dwindled, but some enthusiasts have taken up playing it again since the folk revival of the 1970s.
[edit] Construction
The hummel is an instrument that exists in many forms, with regards to appearance, as well as number of strings etc. Common to all varieties is a flat top and bottom. There are variations in the material used, but it is always thin. On the top are one or more soundholes which can come in many forms. The strings vary in number but often comprise of a smaller number of melody strings and a greater number of accompanying strings. It is no uncommon to have three melody strings: two tuned identically, and the third tuned one octave below the others. Under the melody strings, either directly on the body or attached to a fretboard, are about 17 frets, like those on a guitar. The body comes in two main forms, either a pear-shaped form with the strings in the middle of a half-pear with the strings near the edge.
[edit] Playing
The hummel is placed on a table, just like with a zither, to amplify the sound. The melody strings are sounded by being plucked downwards, either with fingers or a plectrum. The identically tuned melody strings are often fretted in unison or so to create a major third. It is even possible to play a sixth interval, through using the octave string. The strings are played with a plectrum and are often all played at once. This is common because the accompaniment strings are tuned to a suitable chord that is relatively open, for example all the strings may be tuned to D or A.
[edit] Music for hummel
The hummel is perfectly suited for accompanying tunes, thanks to the many accompaniment strings. However, due to the relatively limited range of the instrument for playing more intricate melodies and keys, it is unlikely that there are many compositions written specifically for this instrument.
[edit] Hummel players
The most famous hummel player is probably Otto Malmborg or Ottar Hyll as his artistname was. An example of a contemporary hummel player is Erik Hector, who played the hummel on many of Sågkära's productions and Henrik "Hummel" Schön.
Post them on Ebay. There is a good market for hummels right now.
Send them to me! We collect them! or sell them on eBay!
You should go on antiques roadshow!
Seriously, though, Hummels from that time are probably worth a small fortune. You should find an appraisor. Maybe a local museum/art gallery could help you out?
I would search them online to see if you can find more information about them. Hummels are more on the expensive side, so if they are in good shape (even without the boxes) you might be able to get quite a bit for them. Once you get the information, I would post them on ebay, and let the collectors bid for them.
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