12 Toys From Your Childhood That Are Now Worth A Surprising Amount Of Money
Anyone who grew up in the 80s had the luxury of getting to own some of the best toys ever produced by mankind, and we still love them to this day. However, it wasn't uncommon for our parents to throw them out or give them away when we outgrew them. In the case of these 12 old-school toys, that would have been a mistake; they're now worth a small fortune.
Pez Dispensers
Good news folks! Those crazy candy dispensers that were originally created to help people stop smoking might actually be worth something to collectors! The ones of popular characters tend to fetch well above what they cost back in the day, and rare ones like 'Astronaut B' from the 1982 World's Fair can go for thousands of dollars online.
Atari Games
Every video game console has its rare games that only got small releases, and the Atari 2600 was no exception. Games like Air Raid, Gamma Attack and Mangia can fetch prices into the thousands online, and even more common ones like River Patrol and Gauntlet can still fetch upwards of about $500. This is thanks to how many games for the Atari 2600 were mail-order only.
Transformers
The Transformers franchise is bigger than ever now thanks to the Michael Bay movies and a slew of new shows, so of course there's even more of a demand for the original toys among collectors. Still have the original Optimus Prime in the box? You could sell it online for thousands.
Cabbage Patch Kids
Collectors absolutely love these dolls (even despite their controversial beginnings), and depending on which ones you still have, you might be sitting on top of a small fortune. There's entire museums dedicated to these little guys.
Masters of the Universe
Tons of people have nostalgia for He-Man, She-Ra, and Skeletor, which means that your favorite kids toys could be worth a lot of money these days. Especially popular are complete in box Skeletor figures, and the Eternia Playset, which are each worth over $1000.
Some of the rest of these can sell for quite a bit of money...
Teddy Ruxpin
This awesome (and mildly terrifying) talking bear who read stories to us as kids is pretty rare nowadays. If yours is still in good condition, you could sell it for up to $500.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Another series that's stayed intensely popular well past the 80s, the original TMNT toys are still immensely popular with collectors. The original toys can go for well over $500, especially if they're boxed.
Colorforms
Coloring books have been coming back in a big way over the last few years, so of course people miss these awesome books and their reusable stickers. Still have one kicking around? Someone might be willing to pay you $200 for it!
Jem and the Holograms
Even though the movie reboot was terrible, 80s kids still love Jem and the Holograms, with complete dolls featuring all the accessories selling for between $500 to $700.
Strawberry Shortcake
Another of the most popular dolls of the 80s, Strawberry Shortcake is still popular among collectors. Boxed original dolls can fetch over $500 online!
Star Wars
It's no secret that people love Star Wars, and even less of one that there's a metric ton of merchandise for it. Original toys of popular characters tend to be valuable, with a complete in box Boba Fett selling for over $1500!
Garbage Pail Kids
The absolute weirdest but most awesome trading cards of the 80s, these gross kids were fun to collect because parents absolutely hated them. Turns out we still love them now; rare cards like Adam Bomb have sold online for over $4000, and even a full set of the more common cards can go for hundreds.