WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS REPORT Tonight at 11 on WCPO 9 On Your Sideīut some currently-made toys are seeing price spikes with a few months.
And Beanie Babies are still worth just $10 for the most part, because many people have closets full of them. That's because millions and millions are still being sold worldwide.
Most Harry Potter toys and current Marvel action figures are not worth much more than they sold for.
If your child wants to play with it, he suggests you buy two of them, and leave one unopened. A top value toy, Kearney says, "is unopened, in the box, and original packaging, and that's very important." He suggested parents looking for classics shop for unique toys that are getting some "buzz," and be sure to save the box. Better yet, save everything. Rob Kearney is the toy buyer (wow, what a cool job) at Cincinnati's King Arthur's Court Toys, one of the few independent toy stores remaining in the area. When it comes to old Star Wars figures, for instance, for a Luke Skywalker to be worth $1,000 or more, you will want him in the original bubblewrap package. He said for a toy to be worth the most, it must be in excellent condition, and have its original packaging. How do you know it may soon soar in value?Īccording to eBay's collectibility guide, there are four things to look for when it comes to a toy that will appreciate in value:Ĭondition is key, according to antique toy collector David Zussman. From a booth in Cincinnati's Riverside Centre Antique Mall, he trades in vintage toys, from old Star Trek dolls to Gumby figurines to 1950s Erector sets. Sure, there is a chance you get lucky at a yard sale, like Al of "Al''s Toy Barn" in Toy Story 2, when he discovers the rare and priceless Woody in a box on a sale table. But for most of us, rare and collectible toys are already too pricey to purchase.īut what if you could buy some toys right now that in a decade will be collectors items? Savvy parents, and toy lovers, scout the toy racks regularly for $10 toys that just might be worth $100 or more in a few years. The original "Molly" American Girl Doll, unopened, is now worth as much as $5,000 in mint condition, according to Good Housekeeping.
The original LEGO Millennium Falcon (unopened) recently sold for $16,000, according to Business Insider, which also says some Boba Fett action figures are going for $1,000 or more. Many original 1977 Star Wars toys, in original packaging, are worth hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. She dreams that some of them could someday be worth something. "We also have Legos, GI Joes my husband saved and Cabbage Patch Kids" she said. Remember those Star Wars figurines you used to have, that you (or your mom) tossed in the trash during a springtime closet cleanup a decade ago? Maybe you had some original Wheels cars with red lines on the tires, or a vintage Stretch Armstrong or GI Joe doll?Įmily Eppert, a mom of three, still has some Cherry Merry Muffin and Strawberry Shortcake dolls from the late 1980's, and is thrilled to see some of them now selling for as much as $100 on eBay.