Looking for a few extra bucksâjust head to your attic. Sure, antiques and hidden family heirlooms can make a fortune but have you held onto your childhood toys?
Despite new technology advancements, old toys are rocking the second-hand market.
Look through this list, and then run, don’t walk, to your attic and see what treasures await you…
Garbage Pail Kids Cards
The Garbage Pail Kids Cards were not a favorite for parents, but kids loved them. Depending on which card you have, and what condition it’s in, you can make a pretty penny on eBay. One card recently sold for $300, while an entire 1985 package Garbage Pail Kids Series One is selling for $4,000.
Pokemon Cards
Pokemon cards were all the rage, and with its revival via Pokemon Go, these old cards are making a comeback. Released in 1996, some of these old cards are worth thousands if kept in good condition.
1978 Luke Skywalker Action Figure
With a devoted fan base like the Star Wars clan, no amount of money seems unreasonable. In 2015, the 1978 Luke Skywalker Action Figure sold for $25,000. Now THAT is some serious Star Wars love.
Pez Dispensers
Oh, Pez. Did anyone actually like those strange hard candy bricks? Of course not, it was all about the collectible dispensers. A 1982 PEZ dispenser known as the Astronaut B, sold for $32,000 on eBay.
Monopoly
The original, hand-drawn, version of this famous board game sold for $146,500 in 2011, but if you have any vintage versions of this game from the 30’s or limited edition versions, get ready to make some serious cash.
Game Boy
Today’s handheld gaming systems have stellar graphics, but the first Game Boy was pretty basic. If you happen to have one lying around, don’t just toss it into the garbage. If you have a special edition Game Boy, such as the Game Boy Light, it can go for over $1,500.
Hot Wheels
Since Hot Wheels began in 1968, they’ve made over 4 billion cars. Some prototypes, like the 1969 “Volkswagen Beach Bomb” never made it to production, making it an extremely rare find with a value of $125,000. So search through those Hot Wheels and see what kind of gems you might have hidden…
Pound Puppies Plush
Pound puppies made their first appearance in the 1980s and kids went crazy for them. If you’ve got a first edition Pound Puppy in stellar shape you can make an easy $5,000.
Cabbage Patch Dolls
Cabbage Patch Dolls created a huge frenzy when they first hit the toy market. These dolls are major collectibles now, and Pat and Joe Prosey have the largest collection with over 5,000 in their custom-built Maryland museum. They’re offering up their whole collection for a whopping $360,000!
Sega Genesis Console
Still have your old Sega Genesis buried in your closet? Do NOT toss it. If it still works, you can sell the console for around $2,000 on eBay.
Fisher Price Push Cart Pete
This toy dates way, way back to 1936. Originally sold for 50 cents, today, this simple old toy has a value of $3,000!
Skeletor Action Figure
He-Man and Skeletor are the top action figures from the Masters of the Universe World. If you have a 1982, in-box mint condition Skeletor you can get an easy $2,000 for it.
Lite Brite
Lite Brite’s were most popular during the 60s and 70s. If you got your hands on an original Lite Brite you can sell it for $100.
Happy Meal Toys
Happy Meal Toys first made their debut in 1979 and with the various collections that have been released over the years, some have become quite valuable. Take the 2002 Disney theme characters, for example, this collection recently sold for $300.
Furby
This debatably creepy toy first became popular in the 90s. If you hung onto an original, you can sell it for $900.
Talkboy
The Talkboy rose to fame when it appeared alongside Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. It was simply a stylish tape recorder, but if you kept it after all this time, you can sell it for $200.
Beanie Babies
The Beanie Baby craze took the 1990s and 2000s by storm. While the fad has died down some of these plush toys are still worth lots of cash. A 1997 1st Edition Princess Diana Beanie Bear could go for up to $12,000.
Lionel’s Pennsylvania “Trail Blazer” Train Set
Train sets are a collectors dream. If you have this 1934 Standard Gauge version lying around, you can sell it for an incredible $250,000!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1980s Action Figures
In the late 80s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles took pop culture by storm. Mint condition turtle action features can go for $600 apiece, with rare pieces reaching up to $5000.
Vinyl Caped Jawa
This tiny little plastic action figure can make you $5,000 richer. The vinyl caped was deemed “cheap-looking” and replaced with a cloth cape, making this vinyl version quite rare.
Transformers
In the 1980s, Transformers were a hot toy. If you’ve got one in your closet still in its box, it could get you $2,000.
Jurassic Park Figurines
Because of the popularity of the Jurassic Park films, it’s no wonder the toys inspired by the films were just as popular. Make sure you do a thorough check of your attic because if you’ve got one of these dinosaur action figures it could be worth $1,200.
Super Soaker
In 1982, Lonnie Johnson’s famous water gun hit the toy market. If you held onto your vintage original, you could earn up to $1,000 for it.
Stretch Armstrong
Hasbro created this stretchy action figure in 1976. A Vintage Stretch Armstrong recently sold at auction for $4,000, but others have sold upwards of $10,000. That’s one way to stretch your dollar…
Mario Cart 64
Super Mario has always been one of the most popular video games, so if you held onto your vintage cartridge of Mario Kart 64, expect it to be worth around $750 now.
G.I. Joe
In the ’60s, every young boy had a G.I. Joe action figure. The original 1964 version is the toy that’s worth all the loot. If you can get your hands on a mint condition ’64 G.I. Joe, you could make $10,000 for it at auction.
Playmobil
Playmobil sets were, for lack of a better comparison, mini movie sets. Once you built the location your other toys could have adventures on the sets. Today, a set of these is worth around $800.
Barbie
Barbie first hit the toy scene in 1959. Barbie collecting is serious business, and if you’ve got an original Barbie, you can make a quick $23,000.
‘Harry Potter and the Socerer’s Stone’ First Edition
In the beginning, J.K. Rowling had a hard time even finding a publisher for her Harry Potter stories, however, once they hit the market, they took off and shook the literature world to its core. If you picked up a first edition of the book you could make a quick $6,500 on it.
Polly Pocket
Polly Pockets are tiny little toys that are now worth big bucks. If you’ve got a vintage set created between 1989-1998, you could make over $200 per set.
Teddy Ruxpin
Teddy Ruxpin, a talking bear toy that made its way to market in 1985, could “read” a bedtime story to children at night via cassette tapes. The original Teddy Ruxpin sells for over $400 on eBay today.
Strawberry Shortcake Dolls
Kenner released a variety of Strawberry Shortcake dolls throughout the 1980s. One of the vintage sets, the Plum Puddin’ doll recently sold for $500 on eBay.
Jurassic Park Toys
Jurassic Park has recently made a comeback on the big screen, and so, it’s no surprise that items related to the original films are now considered collectibles. The Jurassic Park Lost World Series One Thrasher Tyrannosaurus Rex recently sold for $900 on eBay.
My Little Pony Dolls
These pastel ponies were sold through the ’80s and ’90s. The most valuable ponies on the resale market are the mail-order ponies that you could only obtain through “pony points.” The Rapunzel My Little Pony and Comb sold for $900.
Power Rangers
In 1994, Power Rangers sold $350 million worth of action figures and toys. Because they were so popular, even the original toys don’t see for much now, but if you’ve got a limited edition, like Power Rangers Lost Galaxy Deluxe 14K Gold Galaxy Megazord sold for $1,400.
American Girl Dolls
The three original American Girl Dolls Molly McIntire, Kirsten Larson, and Samantha Parkington were released in 1986. The dolls were discontinued but the originals now sell for over $1,000 on eBay.
Marvel Action Figures
Depending on how rare your Marvel figure is and its condition and age, you could get up to $2,300 on eBay for them. The Marvel Cinemaquette Toynami Iron Man Mark 43 sold for $2,300.
Pokemon for Game Boy
Pokemon games were released for Game Boy in 1998 and 1999. If you for some reason have an unopened special Pikachu edition of the first generation game you can list it for around $2,999. But even if you’ve just got some old used games lying around you can still make some cash on eBay. A collection of 23 broken game cartridges sold recently for $150 on eBay.
‘Where the Wild Things Are’ First Edition
A signed copy of the first edition of this famous children’s book sold recently for $3,716. But even if you don’t have a signed copy, the first editions can earn you a quick $50.
Legos
The value of some Lego sets has increased 12 percent since 2000, while the price of gold has increased only 4.1 percent. According to recent reports, the Star Wars Lego sets are the most valuable with the First Edition Millennium Falcon selling for $4,000.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards
Yu-Gi-Oh! is a card game centered around a fictional world where the cards are used for battle. Among the most expensive is the Blue Eyes White Dragon which can sell for up to $13,000.
Magic: The Gathering Cards
The Magic: The Gathering trading card game was first released in 1993, reaching 12 million players around the world. The “power 9” cards are the most valuable with the Alpha edition of the Black Lotus card at the top of the list. It sold for $13450 on eBay!
Spider-Man Comic Books
The first time Spider-Man appeared in a Marvel comic was in Marvel’s “Amazing Fantasy” No. 15 comic book. AÂ copy recently sold for just under $48,800 on eBay, while the issue fetched $1.1 million at a 2011 auction!
Luke Skywalker Action Figure
Nigo, the founder of Bathing Ape, recently sold his Star Wars collection. The auction totaled over half a million dollars which included this boxed Luke Skywalker figurine, one of twenty in existence. This figure alone sold for $25,000.
Action Comics No. 1
The MOST expensive comic book ever sold on eBay was a 1938 “Action Comic No. 1” in which the world was first introduced to Superman. This issue sold for $3.2 million, and there are fewer than 50 in the world!
Wun-Dar He-Man
This brawny action figure was actually a giveaway with the purchase of Wonderbread in the ’90s. If you held onto this guy, you could sell him for $1,000 on eBay.
Vintage Atari Cartridges
In a strange twist, an urban legend that Atari had buried hundreds of its game cartridges in the NM desert in 1983 turned out to actually be true. 881 cartridges were recovered and sold for $107,000. Individually, game cartridges can go for hundreds on eBay.
Masters of the Universe Eternia Playset
This game was the ultimate battleground for your He-Man and Skeletor action figures. An untouched playset can get you around $1,900.
Colorforms
With the rise of adult coloring books, it comes as no surprise that Colorforms are now rising in popularity on the resale market. The ’80s themed sets, like Gremlins, Masters of the Universe, and Michael Jackson, are now selling for $250-$300.
Jem and the Holograms Dolls
Young girls in the 1980s loved this cartoon rocker and now these doll sets sell for around $700 on the resale market. The accessories and related toys can fetch you a pretty penny, too.
She-Ra, Princess of Power and Her Horse Swift Wind
She-Ra was actually He-Man’s twin sister. The original action figure, in-box alongside her horse, sold for $4,000 but individual pieces sell for $150-$600.
Vintage Playmobil
Collectors love these throwback German playsets. The 1995 Victorian Dollhouse is listed for $800 and the knight’s castle is listed for $649.
Digimon
Created in 1997, this anime series led to toys and video games. Not only are the cards now collectors’ items, but the game, still in-box, can go for well over $100 today.
Rainbow Brite Dolls
Rainbow Brite and her sidekicks, the Color Kids, started on an animated TV series. The toys can now sell for around $300 with accessories selling for upwards of $1,000.
Six Million Dollar Man
Kenner is best known for Star Wars toys, but they hit the market first with the Six Million Dollar Man. The action figure was a 12″ tall Steve Austin toy with lots of fun features. The 40-year-old toy, in original packaging, can sell for up to $800 on eBay.
Lord of the Rings Action Figures
These LOTR toys were sold in small amounts and all now resale for top dollar. Frodo’s horse sold for $1,200, while a Gandalf mint on card went for about $500.
Evil Knievel
The toy version of the daredevil, Evil Knievel, was very popular. A factory-sealed toy can go for resale for up to $300 or more.
Mighty Max Playsets
Mighty Max was an offshoot of Polly Pocket. The action figures aren’t the most valuable items now, though, rather the playsets are getting the most on the resale market. If you’ve got one of these playsets in your closet, it could be worth a few hundred dollars.
Toy Biz X-Men Action Figures
When Toy Biz created a Deadpool action figure, it was the first-ever action figure of the character. The resale value, if still in the package, ranges between $50-$200.