In the antique and collectibles world, trends come and go like the changing of the seasons. During the current economic slump, many categories of once "hot" items have seen values chill like the coming of the first hard freeze.

In today's What's it Worth? we explore one such group where values have plummeted.

Q. I purchased this 8 by 12 inch framed piece at a Tri-Cities garage sale for a few dollars and at first thought it was an original work of art - perhaps a pastel or chalk drawing. It turns out that it is a print, but nonetheless it is a Hummel and he's cute! Can you provide some background and perhaps a value? -- Cheryl in Kennewick

A. Sketches by German artist Berta Hummel (also known as Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel) began to appear in the 1930s. A Swiss publisher got involved in the early popularization of her art on postcards; mostly pastoral drawings of children.

They became popular throughout Germany and were picked up as a series of figurines by porcelain maker Franz Goebel. The first figurines based on Hummel's art were made in 1935.

The little statuettes became popular in the United States just before World War II and, at the end of the war, their popularity grew as American soldiers stationed in Germany began sending them home as gifts.

Hummel figurines soon became popular collectors items. A very speculative market developed in the 1970s and prices soared to the hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

Folks in the Hummel collector base are now getting older and interest has fallen off dramatically. Today, most of the figurines, along with related collectibles, sell for less than $50.

This appealing art print was done in Germany, as indicated by the paper label on the back. It is called The Merry Wanderer or The Happy Wanderer. Several different Hummel figurine models were based on this image. Today, the print would be fairly valued at $40, perhaps a bit more to a really motivated collector.

Q. This small carving -- it measures 2 1/2 by 4 inches -- has been in our family for generations. It looks like bone but might be ivory. We've never figured out what the figures are doing or what is depicted here. Do you know what this is? Thanks for any information -- Jane in Spokane.

A. Ivory has been used as a medium for carving by cultures around the world since ancient times. What you have is an example of allegorical (a picture revealing a hidden meaning; often religious or moral) ivory carving. Your piece is probably from France and may be from the 1600s and could even be as early as the 13th to 15th centuries.

The Complete Encyclopedia of Antiques (Hawthorne Books, 1962) says ivory carvings are so important in Western culture that "It would be possible to trace the history of European taste from Imperial Rome to the late 19th century solely in carved ivories." They are of great importance not only to collectors but historians.

Small panels like this were often parts of a larger set of similar carvings which, when viewed together, tell a story. They often depicted the life and works of a particular saint.

Sets of panels or individual panels were both decorative and functional. Many were used as book covers.

Some panels were also carved to be part of a statue of a saint or for altar decoration and other uses in churches. The most common form are panels like this, but incorporated into hinged triptych and diptych pieces, arranged so the panels folded into a statue of the saint depicted.

Values range widely. The simplest and most recent 19th century works are priced at a few hundred up to about $1,000. Older, more complicated pieces command more money. They have sold for as much as $5,000 to $7,500.

As with anything of value, there are fakes and one needs to be careful. Even with a family piece that dates back many years, it is good to remember fakers have been active in this field since at least the early 1800s.

The most accurate value estimate for this piece can be provided by a major auction house, perhaps one in Europe. It could fall anywhere in a range of several hundred to several thousand dollars.

-- Terry Maurer, a Tri-Cities personal property appraiser, is a member of the Certified Appraisers Guild of America. For possible use in a future column, direct questions on your antiques and collectibles to What's It Worth? by e-mail tchwhatsitworth@gmail.com