Q: My family was stationed in Germany from 1949 to 1954. For my birthday one of those years, I received a Hummel lamp. The base is a tree trunk with a girl sitting halfway up the trunk. She’s wearing a blue dress and a red polka-dot scarf. The lampshade is light brown leather with three painted pictures of Hummel-like children. Over the years, I have seen many Hummel lamps. I’ve never seen one with a shade like mine. Is it rare?
A: Your lamp base is Hummel’s factory No. 44B, titled ‘Out of Danger.’ It was first made in 1936 and continued in production until 1989. The shades Hummel sold with the lamps through the 1950s were plain light tan. The surface was silky, not leathery. We asked the Hummel Collector’s Club about your lampshade. One of the club’s officers told us that your shade was most likely made by a local craftsperson trying to generate income by making items GIs were buying after the war. Your lamp base alone is valued at more than $300. Your shade is an interesting conversation piece, but does not add much to its value.