Collectible Toys Worth $1000s: Rare Finds With High Prices

Like art, the age and cultural popularity of old toys can make them worth a lot more today. Also like art, their worth can fluctuate depending on the market. Many people who sell hit toys from the 50s through the 90s tend to auction them off on eBay. One might see PEZ dispensers sell for upwards of $250 and rare Pokémon cards sell for between $1500-3000. The market price is determined more than ever by consumer demand, rarity, and condition. There are some toys that fans have generally agreed are worth over the thousand-dollar mark. Below are some of the most valuable toys on the collectible market today.

Since Pokémon was created in 1995, it has launched a franchise of video games, movies, merchandise, and cards that fans religiously follow. People are so nostalgic for the original games that they download GameBoy emulators to play them from their computers, or even on the Apple Watch. Certain Pokémon cards are far more scarce than mass-produced games.

First Edition Holofoils might be found in the Pokémon collection of someone who was an early fan. These were available in English & Japanese, released when the first game came out.  A full set of these cards has been auctioned for $8,496.  A quirkier option are misprinted Krabby cards, which have part of its trademark fossil symbol at the bottom right of the image missing. These can fetch around $5000. Limited releases of 15 cards or less can net a whopping $10,000+.

Beanie Babies: Plush Toys With a Sky-High Price

The Beanie Baby plushies were a fad in the 90s. Part of the reason they became such a fascinating collector’s item is because their creator, Ty Warner, would frequently change designs after launch. For example, only a few units of Peanut the Royal Blue Elephant were sold before Warner changed the color to light blue. One of these Royal Blue models was offered for $2,500 in a 2018 eBay auction.

A Patti the Platypus, one of the first models to be released in 1993, was offered on eBay for $9,000 in January 2019. The Beanie Babies company also made an error when manufacturing a crab toy. The 1997 model of Claude the Crab was known to have several errors across different plushies. These ‘mistakes’ can reach several hundred dollars on the auction market.

Beanie Babies that are autographed or attributed to a cause can reach high prices. In 1997, Warner released Princess Diana, a purple bear that was sold to benefit the various charities of Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.

Hot Wheels was released in 1968 from the same brand that made Barbie, Mattel. Out of the 4 billion+ models created, there are some rare gems. Many models from the 1960s-70s sell for thousands. For instance, the 1968 Volkswagen Customs can sell for over $1,500. It was only released in Europe, while most Hot Wheels at the time were sold in the UK and Germany.

The 1971 Purple Olds 442 is another desired item because of its color; purple Hot Wheels are a rarity. This model also comes in Hot Pink and Salmon and is estimated at over $1,000. The price soars to $15,000 if the model is a 1970 Mad Maverick with the word ‘Mad’ inscribed at the base. It was based on the 1969 Ford Maverick, and there are very few available.

The rarest model is the Pink Rear Loading Beach Bomb. This car never made it to production; it is only a prototype. The only one ever to make it to market reportedly sold for a whopping $72,000, making it an extremely expensive toy.

Lego Sets: High-Value Models and What They’re Worth

The most sought-after Lego sets are those based on pop culture. Some of these models have already sold for over $1,000 as a first release. One of the largest sets ever made was the 2007 Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon 1st Edition. It was originally sold for about $500, but an eBay user bought it for $9,500, making it the most expensive Lego set ever sold on eBay.

Another prominent edition is the 2008 Taj Mahal set. Certain vendors like Walmart and Amazon offer relaunch models from $370 and up, but a 2008 original set can be sold for upwards of $5,000 on eBay.

She needs no introduction – As of 2019, it’s estimated that 800 million Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide. But of that number, only about 350,000 are the original model from 1959. The most expensive one ever sold went for $27,450 in 2006 at Sandi Holder’s Doll Attic in Union City, California. But if you don’t have her, you’re not out of luck.

Barbie dolls based on pop culture figures tend to fetch high prices. The 2003 Lucille Ball doll is worth $1,050, while the 1996 Calvin Klein has sold for $1,414. In 2014, Mattel produced only 999 copies of the Karl Lagerfeld Barbie. One can find them on eBay with price tags as high as $7,000.

Video Games: Rare and Vintage Finds Worth Thousands

Vintage gaming consoles are not to be confused with gaming consoles such as the Gameboy or Nintendo DS. If an old console has already been opened, its value may have decreased.  Collectors seek unopened consoles released before 1985, such as the Atari 2600 or the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The price for opened consoles still ranges in the hundreds. Games for these consoles (that haven’t burnt out) can be sold for much more.

Unopened kits of the 1985 NES game Wrecking Crew are worth over $5,000. The Flintstones (1994) sells for about $4,000; the game is a rare find, although it’s unknown why so few models were produced. A model of Game Stadium for NES (1987) has been sold for $22,800. Another game, Magic Chase (1993) has sold for about $13,000 because it was produced toward the end of the TurboGrafx-16 console’s sale span. This list would not be complete without a game that’s still popular today. A 1986 version of Super Mario for NES with Asian artwork has been sold for $25,000.

PEZ dispensers can also be worth thousands, depending on the design. PEZ is a candy and candy dispenser brand founded in 1927. Their dispensers have character heads on top of them, and vintage and rare designs can fetch a lot of money at auction or on eBay.

The most expensive PEZ dispenser is the Political Donkey, made in 1961. Only two of these dispensers are known to exist today, making them the rarest out there. The Political Donkey was created by the PEZ company as a gift for President John F. Kennedy. One of these dispensers sold for $13,000 at a rare items auction in 2013.

Collectible Toys with More Affordable Pricing

Many other household name toys were popular for their time, but not old enough to be worth thousands yet. Many of these were released in the 90s to early 2000s. Some examples are Polly Pocket, Furbies, Tamagotchis, Digimon, Sky Dancers, and Ninja Turtle Figures. These are still competitive on eBay for hundreds. For some, though, the nostalgia of their toy makes it worthwhile to keep forever, or at least to hold on to for another 20 years.

Originally published: October 7. 2019. Last update: September 8, 2024, by Elizabeth Berry