Sara E. Johnston isn't sure how many Hummel figurines she owns or when she started collecting them.
All she knows is she acquired a lot of the German-made knickknacks over the years.
"I've got them in cupboards and in the closets and in boxes," said Johnston, 85. "I've got more in storage."
The figurines feature sweet-natured children with pink cheeks and tousled hair. Many are crafted in angelic poses or shown at play.
The figurines originally were based on the early 20th century artwork of Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, a German nun who died in 1946.
Johnston, formerly of North Apollo, is able to display about 50 of the figurines in a curio cabinet in her living room. A pair of larger pieces depicting children with their grandparents graces the top of her television set.
But the rest are packed away. Johnston said she tries to rotate some of the boxed collectibles with the displayed figurines but rarely does so because it's so much work.
She said her 12-piece Hummel Nativity set remained in storage last Christmas.Johnston said she began collecting Hummels shorting after she married her husband, James, in 1946.
"I just saw them and liked them," she said.
Johnston was a member of the M.I. Hummel Club for about 15 years and was able to buy several larger pieces that weren't sold in stores.
One of Johnston's favorites, a group of four girls who appear to be going to a birthday picnic, was a limited edition collectible.
The piece is titled "We wish you the best" and features Katarina, Vicktoria, Berta and Centa -- the Four Hummel Sisters, according to Johnston's price guide. The figurine was released in 1991 and now is worth as much as $2,000 to a collector.
Johnston said she has no plans to sell her Hummels, although she no longer collects them.
"I quit collecting them years ago when I ran out of room," Johnston said.She said she always planned to visit Germany and take a tour of the Hummel workshop.
"Hummel has a trip every year and you can see where they're made," Johnston said. "I never got there."
But, she's content to admire the company's work from the comfort of her living room.
