When growing up, you likely had your favorite toys; things you played with for hours on end as you engaged in imaginative and creative play.
Ever wonder what some of your nostalgic favorites are worth today? That Malibu Barbie may be worth some serious coin today as a collector item.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular toy picks from the 90s, and how valuable your tchotchkes have become over time.
1. Tickle Me Elmo
Who doesn’t remember the ridiculous clamoring for this toy that retailers couldn’t keep on store shelves during the 90s holiday seasons? Tickle Me Elmo was a BIG DEAL at this time, with prices skyrocketing to meet unbelievable demand. By the end of the decade, it had risen in price from $30 to over $100.
Today, that price has doubled, with pristine versions of the annoying toy costing over $200 on online auctions.
2. Spice Girls Doll Collection
So tell me what you want……is it the Spice Girls Doll Collection this holiday season? Some say that this was the most popular celebrity doll collection of all time. This British girl power group made playing with dolls cool again.
The early 90s collection of original dollars currently retails for $200 in good condition, so dust off those early pioneering ladies and put them up for sale.
3. Easy Bake Oven
Making a strong comeback from the sixties models, the 90s version of the Easy Bake Oven inspired young kiddos everywhere to channel their inner Julia Child as they baked brownies and cakes with minimal parental supervision. These retro ovens are making a comeback on store shelves, but original models are worth much more in money and nostalgia.
90s versions of the toy sell for about $300 online.
4. Tamagotchis
Who needs a real pet when a virtual one will clean up with no mess? Tamagotchis hit the scene as pocket-sized companions that could interact with you via screen, growing and needing care just like a real pet would. When these innovative technological wonders were released, they retailed at anywhere from $13-$17.
Today, a highly sought-after “Devilgotchi” is worth almost $500 if found in good condition.
5. Polly Pockets
Polly Pockets dolls and dollhouse accessories are about as cute as you can get. Equally easy to lose and even swallow, these were the headache of many a parent who had to help find a missing shoe or skirt before convincing their child to get in the car. Expensive models today are coming straight from the original creators, known as Bluebird Toys.
Poll Pockets are being found online right now for anywhere from $500-$1500 dollars.
6. Nintendo Game Boy Original
Nintendo is the OG of the video game world. While other systems came before it, this one most certainly made its stamp on the computer entertainment world with its wide variety of games, fresh graphics, and storylines to boot. As these old systems age, they are getting better with time.
Super Mario’s original Nintendo Game Boy is selling for close to $2000 on eBay as we speak.
7. Transformers
Even though the franchise was born in the late eighties, the Transformers toys really took off in the 90s as boys and girls alike dove into the magical world of superhero machines. An animated show and a few movies elevated their popularity from famous to downright iconic.
Transformers G1 toys now go for close to $2000 on eBay today, with collectors searching for figures that are in almost new condition.
8. Care Bears
Care Bears were another character toy line that was enriched with the additional sale of toys, games, and movies. With nearly two hundred Care Bear designs out there, it’s fairly easy to find a color and style to fit almost every mood.
Complete sets of the original set of Care Bears plush figures retail for close to $4000, giving their owners something to smile about.
9. Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels has been around long before the 90s. Beginning in the late 60s as the perfect outlet for active kiddos to play out their devil-may-care fantasies, the cars have taken every conceivable shape and size imaginable. The 90s versions and designs can net you some real chunk change, though.
One car in particular–the 1995 Collector Number 271 Funny Car sells for nearly $5000 online, depending on its condition, with most expensive ones being unopened and untouched.
10. Pokemon Cards
Pokemon is a cultural phenomenon that ebbs and flows in terms of popularity. Games still sell out, and the show continues to evolve season after season. It is the cards, however, that continue to yield collectors the big bucks.
It is not uncommon to find mint-condition first-draft Pokemon card collections for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Conclusion
Now that you know some of your dusty collectibles may yield you some cold hard cash,
- What are you willing to part with? Will you sell out, or
- Will overwhelming feelings of nostalgia have you curling up in the corner with your kiddos, ready to impart some of the best memories from your childhood?
Cherish those memories as you celebrate your part in an iconic era and even more treasured toys.