Toys are available at any time. Although there are countless toys on the market today, this has obviously not been so extreme in the past. The funds were not there and there were other priorities. Nevertheless, beautiful toys were made.
And they can be worth a lot nowadays. Take a look at our list of the top 11. Who knows, maybe you also have something from the past (on the attic), with which you can earn a lot of money in the future …
1. A barbie from the year 1959
Barbies were launched in 1959. Since the American toy manufacturer Mattel launched the doll 60 years ago, it has been a great success. Anyone who has bought this first edition and still has it in the house can meanwhile make a fortune.
The doll – which cost only a few dollars in the late fifties – can now (in good condition) bring in about $ 23,000 (around 20.400 Euro)!
2. The Nintendo Game Boy
Everyone undoubtedly knows the Nintendo Game Boy. It has been the beginning of today’s portable game computers. In the 90s, the Gameboy – and the small game diskettes – was a big hit which tens of thousands of children played with.
Nowadays, you can make between 750 and 1500 dollars (around 660 – 1330 Euros) with an original Gameboy!
3. Furbies
Furbies first appeared on the market in 1998. It soon became a popular gift for children. The small electronic stuffed animals were the softer and cuter version of the Tamagotchi. The mythical creature was able to speak and – through sensors in, for example, the stomach and the mouth – would react to touch as well.
An original (first edition) Furby in the box can be worth about $ 900 (around 800 Euro) today!
4. Monopoly
Everyone undoubtedly knows Monopoly. The board game has been on the market since 1935 and has since become one of the best-selling board games in the world. More than 200 million Monopoly games have already been sold!
And yet, certain versions of the game can yield a substantial amount. The first editions (from the 1930s) have been sold in recent years for amounts of 4,000 to 6,000 dollars (around 3,550 – 5,340 Euros)
5. Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is one of the characters from Star Wars. In 1978, an action figure of the character was put on the market. It was, however, a very rare toy doll, because not many of them had been produced. And therefore, the figure has become very valuable. A few years ago, $ 25,000 (around 22.300 Euros) was paid at auction for this doll!
6. Action Comics comic book from 1938
Anyone who has the very first version of the 1938 comic book Action Comics can stop working. If the comic is in perfect condition, it can be worth a whopping 3.2 million dollars (around 2850000,00 Euros)! Only 50 copies of the comic book have been made, making it a collector’s item for (rich) comic book enthusiasts.
The comic is so valuable because action hero Superman appeared in it for the very first time. Back then, this comic book only cost 10 cents.
7. Pokémon cards
There has been a time when most children were crazy about collecting Pokémon cards. Sometimes, some very special cards would appear in between, which now have a significant value.
For example, a Japanese version of a Pikachu card was sold via eBay for the sum of $ 100.00 (around 90 Euros)! But there are more cards that have been sold for the main prize. For example, a certain Raichu card is worth more than $ 10,000 (around 8900,00 Euros).
8. GI Joe
The Hasbro-GI Joe action figures sold like cakes in 1964 and they were extremely popular at the time. Today, they can make for a huge amount of money. A prototype GI Joe action figure was sold at an auction in 2003 for $ 200,000 (178.184 Euros).
But there are also other GI Joe action figures and accessories that managed to raise a good amount. For example, the Missile Command Center sold a doll for $ 17,500 (around 15.590 Euros).
9. Baseball cards
The more years that pass, the more valuable certain baseball cards become. The most valuable baseball cards in the world are the Honus Wagner Sweet Caporal cards, which were produced between 1909 and 1911. Only 200 sets were ever made. And one of those cards had even been sold for a whopping 2.8 million dollars (around 2.5 Euros)!
The card that yielded the most right after that was a Mickey Mantle card from 1952. It was sold for 525,000 dollars (around 468.000 Euros) a couple of years ago!
10. Happy Meal toys
The little surprise toys that children get with the purchase of a McDonalds Happy Meal are always a huge success. Ever since the fast-food chain introduced this ‘children’s menu’ in 1979, tens of thousands of different toys have been made.
Although customers receive this toy for free with their meals, some special ‘collector’s items’ have been sold in recent years for amounts between 100 and 900 dollars (around 90 and 800 Euros).
11. Air Jordans
Air Jordans have been the most popular sneakers for a while. They were not only shoes, but they also represented the popularity of the best basketball player of all time: Michael Jordan. The most expensive pair ever sold yielded $ 104,000 (around 92.600 Euros). That pair was actually worn by the basketball player himself in the 1997 NBA final.
