Image via Complex Original
There aren't many good things about getting older: you can't drink as much as you used to, you start to ache in places you didn't think you could ache before, and you start forgetting things. But, there is a silver lining to this depressingly gray cloud—your old crap might finally be worth something. If you're the kind of person who happened to hang onto action figures, video games, or dolls for decades in their original wrapping, you might be sitting on hundreds of dollars worth of eBay auction returns.
Tread lightly, those of you who hope to strike it rich by selling the treasured keepsakes of your past. Just because you have a bunch of old shit in your basement doesn't mean that you've struck it rich. Rarity, condition, and complete chance have to come together to create the perfect storm that raises the value of your childhood toys above what you paid for them, let alone returns the kind of haul that could pay off your student loans. Sometimes you see items listed for thousands on eBay:
But that doesn't mean it's selling for anything close to that much:
Here's how much you can really expect for all of that old junk in your trunk or storage space.
Super Soakers
Most valuable toy: Monster XL ($380)
Original price: $10-$50
Selling for now: $50-$380
The Sistine Chapel of Super Soakers, the Monster XL, and the original model, the Super Soaker 50, are the Soakers in the highest demand on eBay right now. Even so, the $380 price tag one particular Monster XL sold for recently is the exception to the rule. XLs, 50s, CPS 2000s, and Super Soaker 200s all tend to go for a maximum of $150. Less desirable models like the Splashzooka and the 100 tend to fetch around $50.
Selling Super Soakers second hand seems to be a game of supply and demand, as Soakers of a given model will vary in price month to month by up to $100. If you sell your Soaker at the right time, you could make a tidy profit.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Action Figures
Most valuable toy: Donatello Fan Club Edition ($1,000)
Original price: $4-$15
Selling for now: $3-$800
Many TMNT action figures have come off the assembly line over the years, and a few of them have become serious collectors items. All TMNT figures made between 1988 and 1997 are considered vintage, and as a general rule of thumb, the earlier they were made, the more valuable they are now. First edition "soft head" action figures often go for few hundred each in mint condition. Rare editions, such as the "Yellow Press/No Stripe" April O'Neil also routinely sell for a couple hundred dollars a piece.
Tamagotchi
Most valuable toy: Devilgotchi (approx. $400)
Original price: $17.99
Selling for now: $18-$200
Some Tamagotchis go for upwards of $300, but odds are that yours doesn't. There were over 40 versions (lines) of Tamagotchi released, and each line featured a variety of colors and variations. Only about 20 Tamagotchis are listed at over $100 on Amazon. Of the 79 million Tamagotchis sold, yours would have to be one of the rarest models to be worth the effort of resale.
Due to the large number of Tamagotchis available and the relatively small number of hardcore fans, there seems to be a lack of consensus as to how much rare Tamas are actually worth. TamaTalk, a Tamagotchi fan site, has a number of forum threads dedicated to determining a fair price for a vintage Tamagotchi.
It's generally agreed upon that the Devilgotchi is the rarest Tama, though there is disagreement as to what the Devilgotchi is worth. A recent eBay sale went for $360:
And an unsold listing was marked at $589.
This tells us that the best guess for Devilgotchi value is somewhere in the neighborhood of $400.
Polly Pocket
Most valuable toy: Bluebird Series Polly Pockets ($350)
Original price: $10-20
Selling for now: $10-$300
To have any significant worth, your Polly Pockets will probably have to meet a pretty precise package of parameters (sorry, couldn't resist the alliteration). As with many other popular vintage toys, eBay has drafted some guidelines for determining the worth of vintage Polly Pockets. Polly Pockets that go for hundreds of dollars were manufactured before 1998 when Mattel took over production from Bluebird. Bluebird manufactured 350 sets over the decade that they were in the Polly Pocket business, and only a handful command more than a hundred bucks. So, your vintage Polly's could fetch you something like this:
Or this:
If your Polly Pocket appraisal game needs help, consult OnlyPollyPocket, the leading site for all things Polly.
Mighty Max
Most valuable toy: Mighty Max Skull Master ($150)
Original price: $10-$20
Selling for now: $1-$150
The Polly Pocket-style toy aimed at boys didn't have the staying power of the original, and it hasn't reached the same peak values. But, if you have the right vintage Mighty Max set laying around, you might be able to get a couple hundred for it if you play your cards right. If you were a completist back in the day, you might be able to cover most of a month's rent by selling your entire Mighty Max collection.
Furby
Most valuable toy: 1998 Tiger Furby, Misprinted Label ($375)
Original price: $35
Selling for now: $10-$400
If your Furby packaging is lacking a misprinted label, and if your creature isn't a Kid's Cuisine Special Edition, your rarest Furbies will likely fetch somewhere between $100-$150 on the open market. If you're lucky enough to have a grammatical errors on the package of your already rare Furby, that number could shoot up as high as $500.
Furbies that command more than a couple Benjamins are generally special editions. Here's a rundown of some of the special edition Furbies that you probably don't have. Those of you without any special edition Furbies can meditate on just how great it would be to have Elvis Furby, Hi-C Furby, or President Furby in your collection.
In this life, you can't have it all.
Power Rangers Toys
Most valuable toy: 14K Gold Power Rangers Lost Galaxy Megazord ($1,000)
Original price: $5-$50
Selling for now: $1-$400
The 14K Gold Lost Galaxy Megazord is by far the most valuable Power Rangers toy right now. There are said to be less than a dozen in existence. One recorded sale last year placed the toy's value at about $800:
The Power Rangers fanatics at Ranger Board generally agree that the market value for one of these Zords (robotic war machines used by the Rangers to fight enemies) in mint condition is somewhere around $1000.
Generally, Zords are the most valuable Power Rangers toys. However, the other rare Zords only go for up to a few hundred dollars. Figures of the actual Power Rangers tend to cap out around a couple hundred bucks. The White/Green Fliphead action figure, one of the rarest non-Zord figures, sells for somewhere between $100 and $200.
Video Games
Most valuable toy: Nintendo World Championships, NES ($100,000)
Original price: $50-$100
Selling for now: All over the map
Video games generally don't appreciate in value. The most beloved games particularly don't gain economic steam because everyone still has a copy of Super Mario Bros. in their attic. Terrible video games stand a much better chance of becoming collectors items, but only if they are so bad that people went out of their way to get rid of them or if stores were forced to ditch their inventory due to complete lack of interest. Atari's infamous E.T. game made headlines after a batch of cartridges were found in a landfill and fetched top dollar on eBay.
Action 52, released in 1991, met a similar fate. The universally reviled Nintendo game, which was really 52 shoddy mini-games for the price of one terrible game, has sold for as much as $500 over the years. How bad was this game? Hardcore Gaming 101 had this to say: "Action 52 is nothing short of a complete disaster, and regularly ranks as one of the the worst games ever made, and it's not like there's a shortage of reasons why either. Shoddy mechanics, problematic gameplay, poor hit detection, and... well... in a nutshell, everything that makes a cheap game look and feel cheap is present in these games."
Other poorly received games that have risen in value include Secret of Evermore (SNES), Shining Force III (Sega Saturn), and The Flintstones: Surprise at Dinosaur Peak (NES). Unless you have a collector's edition game like Nintendo World Championships (NES, only available to contestants in the Nintendo World Championships) or Uncharted III: Fortune Hunter Edition (PS3, only 200 ever made), the more terrible the game, the better its resale value.
Video Game Consoles
Most valuable toy: Sega Genesis ($350)
Original price: $200-$400
Selling for now: $50-$350
While your video games likely haven't shot up in value, a mint condition, boxed console can fetch you a nice return on investment. Here's a quick breakdown of what '90s systems are going for on eBay right now.
Sega Genesis: $350
Sega Dreamcast: $350
Sony Playstation: $300
Sega Saturn: $250
Super Nintendo: $250
Nintendo 64: $250 (more for special editions)
Of course, odds are that your console saw some wear and tear over years of guiding Sonic or Mario to the promised land, in which case your system might be good for $10 at a yard sale if you throw in a vintage T-shirt.
American Girls Dolls
Most valuable toy: Kirsten, signed with book ($1,200)
Original price: $20-$120
Selling for: $60-$1,000
Every '90s girl's favorite way to kind of learn a little bit about American history is making history of its own. Now that many of the most beloved American Girl dolls have been discontinued, collectors are paying hundreds for vintage dolls, especially those released before 1998.
If you think you're going tor retire off of your American Girl cash, you might want to think about a 401K instead. The Billfold has a fairly skeptical view of American Girl doll value. For the most part, they're right, as the majority of American Girl dolls never fetch more than a couple hundred dollars. If you have one of the original three dolls: Kirsten Larson, Samantha Parkinson, or Molly McIntyre, along with the right accessories and books, a thousand dollars is a possible, if unlikely goal.
Beanie Babies
Most valuable toy: Punchers a.ka. Pinchers: 1st Generation ($2000)
Original price: $5
Selling for now: 80 cents-$800
You can log onto eBay and find Beanie Babies listed for thousands of dollars. Unfortunately for those of you hoarding Beanies to use as currency during the end times, this is generally little more than wishful thinking. While there are some insane listings for the legendary Princess Diana bear, Beanie experts like those at LoveMyBeanies.com have a different opinion. If you evaluate Beanies by their sale prices and not by their list prices, the Princess Bear comes up short.
There are some Beanies that are actually worth more than the beans stuffed inside of them. LoveMyBeanies ranks the first generation Beanie "Punchers" as the most valuable Beanie with a recent sale price of almost $2,000. Another site, Beanie Babies HQ, has Punchers valued at over $4,500 and has Peanut the Royal Blue Elephant valued a bit higher at over $5,000, but they don't provide sale data to support that number.
WWF Action Figures
Most valuable toy: Kamala with Moon Belly - Series 7 ($3,000)
Original price: $5-$10
Selling for now: $1-$800
Though the bulk of the most valuable WWF/WWE action figures were made in the '80s, a few of the highest valued wrestling action figures were produced in the '90s and 2000s. In addition to the incredibly rare "Moon Belly" Kamala action figure, a set of WWF Magazine mail-aways and a rare Dusty Rhodes figure are two '90s releases that command hundreds of dollars every time they end up at auction.
If you happened to have some 1980s WWF figures lying around, check out this piece from WhatCulture and see if Macho Man Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior could be the answer to your financial woes.
Jurassic Park Toys
Most valuable toy: Electronic T-Rex ($400)
Original price: $10-$40
Selling for now: $1.50-$400
There are a number of Jurassic Park figures that sell for far higher than their original list prices. The three toys with the highest price tags are the Carnotaurus, Gallimimus, and the T-Rex. Based on current eBay numbers, the T-Rex is the reigning king of the dino-jungle. But, according to thread on a Jurassic Park merchandise message board, both Gallimimus and Carnotaurus have sold for over $1,000 in the past, making them the all-time M.V.T.s.
Species makes all the difference here. According to that same list, Stegosaurus and Triceratops have never sold for more than $20.
Pokemon Cards
Most valuable toy: Pikachu Illustrator Card ($20,000+)
Original price: $10-$20 (per pack/deck)
Selling for now: Free-$20,000
The rarest Pokemon cards have held onto their ridiculous values as the original players have grown up and moved out of their parents' basements. The rarest card, the Pikachu Illustrator card (only six were printed), sells for tens of thousands of dollars each time one of them goes on the market. The Pre-release Raichu Card, Tropical Mega Battle Prize Card, and the First-Edition Charizard Card command thousands of dollars each as well. There are a number of other cards that go for hundreds in mint condition.
Before you search through local yard sales for deals, understand that the most valuable cards have to meet a very rigorous set of criteria. Not only are the most valuable cards first edition, but they must also pass a strict grading test from PSA (Profession Sports Authenticator). The exact edition and condition of a card is so difficult for a novice to determine that eBay has published a detailed article on the subject.
The photo above is from that article and depicts to nearly identical Charizard cards worth vastly different amounts.
Magic: The Gathering Cards
Most valuable toy: Black Lotus ($16,000)
Original price: $10-$20 (per pack/deck)
Selling for now: Free-$20,000
Since the dawn of Magic: The Gathering in 1993, the Black Lotus, the card that gives you something for nothing, has been the most sought after card in the game. Three different editions of the Black Lotus hold the top three spots in terms of Magic card value.
Thousand dollar price tags are far from the norm for these cards. If you weren't playing Magic from the very beginning, you're probably not going to make a fortune selling your old decks. The most valuable card that wasn't in the first three (Alpha, Beta, Unlimited) editions is only worth $600, and only a few of the top 50 most valuable cards come from later editions. The Black Lotus Project (a site that tracks Magic card prices), ranks 18,000 Magic cards and only 112 are worth more than $100.
While you probably won't be making bank off of your cards, at least you've got your extensive knowledge of the fantasy genre from all of those hours playing Magic ... and the memory of holding onto your virginity well into adulthood.