You are invited to take home this little Hummel of ours. It’s free – if you live near us. And it’s also free – except for shipping costs (maybe $20?) – if you live away. Just be the first to respond to this blog to let us know you want it and will love it (and promise not to try to resell it; and we’ll promise not to mention your name!).
Before I explain more, let me ask you and myself this question: what ever happened to the value of these little Hummel figurines? Growing up, I can remember thinking they were probably the most expensive decorative things we had in our house, and we treasured them and protected them. And now you can buy one on eBay for maybe $15 – or maybe, at the most $200, if the seller is VERY savvy and knows how to pick the few right ones and how to correctly price them.
According to TheStreet.com “After GI’s returned from Germany in the 1940s bearing gifts of these for their wives and girlfriends, the collections began to catch on, because there was enough scarcity to create a legitimate secondary market. No one could go to the shop and just get another….”
That fits with what I vaguely remember about the history of our little Hummel: my Aunt Helen worked for two doctors in Fort Collins (Hartshorn and Morrell). I believe one of the doctors served in the military in Germany in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s and brought this back for her.
Some quick Google research indicates that many of us are preserving things from our past in the belief they have substantial monetary value…and they don’t. The term used to describe this situation is “false scarcity.” We believe the items are scarce and therefore valuable – but the internet (think eBay and Etsy) has proven they are not scarce. These items include MOST Beanie Babies, CocoCola memorabilia, lunch boxes, Cabbage Patch dolls, and yes (surprise!) even most Barbies (clearly, the “original Barbie” pictured below doesn’t fit into that “false scarcity” category. Is there a “true scarcity?”).
Mind you, I’m not suggesting you start throwing everything out, even if you are a believer in Margareta Magnusson’s advice in The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. Remember she recommends that we “not leave a mountain of crap behind for our loved ones to clean up after we die.” To help you determine what is crap and what isn’t, AARP actually recently posted an article about “10 surprisingly valuable collectibles.”
As we say goodbye to our “Retreat to Safety” German Hummel figurine (whatever its worth), I’m following up my last blog, The Sound of Music, with “a few of my favorite [German/Austrian] things.” This week its “schnitzel” (and noodles, if you’d like).
Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things…
Schweine Schnitzel
- 4 boneless pork chops (about 4 oz each)
- 1/2 c flour
- 1 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt or Diamond Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 egg
- 2 T milk
- 1 c panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 T olive oil
- 2 T butter
- Lemon wedges (optional)
Gently pound the pork with the flat side of a meat tenderizer until the pork is an even 1/4″ thick. If the resulting piece is too large for a serving, cut it in half.
Put the flour in a dish and add the salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs and milk in another dish. Put the panko and paprika in a third dish and mix. Lightly dredge each piece of pork in flour, then in the egg and finally in the bread crumbs, pressing the bread crumbs onto the pork gently so they have a nice even coating.
Lay the breaded pork cutlets in a single layer on a plate lined with parchment or on a wire rack and refrigerate, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes to allow the coating to dry out a little and adhere to the pork.
Heat oil and butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Gently lay the cutlets into the pan and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Garnish with lemon wedges before serving.
How this blog went from Swedish death cleaning to schnitzel, is an art. And I’m glad to see dad isn’t shoved into a corner any more. Equal rights now.
Andy here: I agree with your observation regarding the artistic skill of your mother, but I wasn’t “shoved” into a corner – I kind of liked the security of being able to hide in my little corner. It’s a bit frightening to be out in the real world.
Thanks, but no. I’ll send y’all a pic of my treasure. It’s a replica of the original seal of the City of New York but is about 18″ in diameter and solid cast iron. It adorned the railing of the Westside Highway in NYC for decades before that edifice was torn down. The medallions (that weigh about 70# each) were to be melted down, but history buffs pressured the powers that be, and some were donated to schools and libraries and some others were made available for purchase in the NY Citybooks Store in the Manhattan government tower (that store was a wondrous place, with official NYC Sanitation Department commemorative ties, official phone books of all city phone numbers, and even more, but it’s history now). I bought Gayle a copy in silver – a pendant with a little bell effect. I’ll let you keep your Hummel, and I’ll continue to provide a home for my seal. Bob Carleton
Darn! I’ve been looking for a NY City seal replica for years. The NY Citybooks Store sounds like it was a fascinating place (when it was still there). I’d bet your could find things that you couldn’t get on Amazon.com.
I still have my original Barbie, but she sadly lost her trademark black-and-white-striped swimsuit, probably thanks to my younger sisters. Still, if she’s worth anything close to $8000, I could be persuaded to part with her!
Andy here: perhaps one of our blog fans will read your comment and make an offer. I’m sure the interest level has surged since the movie (which was surprisingly enjoyable).