We’ve all been prone to a bit of nostalgia in lockdown. Whether it’s playing your favourite video games or binge-watching the teen dramas you couldn’t get enough of, regressing into childhood is the theme of 2020. But guess what, that little voyage might actually be worth a lot more than you think.
New research from OnBuy’s toy department has found the most valuable toys you can sell today, and you most likely own them. According to their experts, comic books and trading cards are the most valuable childhood items you can sell today – with the highest monthly searches for those products too. In fact, the most valuable comic book told for £2.4million.
But, never fear, it’s not just superhero’s and Pokémon cards, your barbies, beanie babies and board games can be worth a ton too. Every month, 675,000 people search for barbie dolls – from original releases to limited edition picks – with the highest selling doll going for £231,000. Yes, really.
Even your ratty old Disney VHS tapes could go for thousands now, with one sold for £11,000 on eBay. Now, bear in mind this was the Beauty and the Beast Black Diamond cassette – which are part of a collection released by Disney between 1984 and 1993 featuring a black diamond logo with ‘The Classics’ written on it – so it was incredibly rare. But still, with all this extra time on our hands in lockdown, and a strong desire to relive our glory years, rooting out that old Cinderella VHS might be worth more time than you think then.
Beanie Babies can also go for thousands – with one bundle sold for £458,000 that featured a large Wallace, two regular-sized Wallace’s, Cashey and Huggy. But according to OnBuy, other valuable Beanie Babies include Rainbow, Valentino, Princess the Bear, Bubbles and Piccadilly Attic.
So, whether you just fancy playing with your old toys or you’re up for making some extra lockdown cash, fishing out your old toys has never been more fun.
Click through for all the things we still want for the 1999 Argos catalogue...
14 Things We Still Want From The 1999 Argos Catalogue
1 of 141. Easy Bake Oven
What says a young girl constrained by the gendering of their sex more than a desperate desire to be the sole proprietor of a kitchen tool?
2 of 142. Discman
SO high-tech for 1999.
3 of 143. The Way Things Worked
You knew you were a cool kid when you had this series before the school library did.
4 of 144. Pocahontas Costume
In the woke light of today, it's a no.
5 of 145. Mr Frosty Ice Cream Factory
Never trust a child that makes their own ice.
6 of 146. Baby Born
On reflection, what was possibly fun about having a doll that constantly needed feeding and then weed everywhere?
7 of 147. CD Stereo
On reflection, it makes sense why our parents wouldn't buy us a portable radio, because really what self-respecting adult can listen to B*Witched blaring at top volume all hours of the day?
8 of 148. Themed Bedsheets
Making sleepovers better since 1999.
9 of 149. Polly Pocket Mansion
Fact: Polly Pocket had a nicer house than anything available on Help To Buy.
10 of 1410. GameBoy
More advanced than an electronic Disney game, less hardcore than a PlayStation. Otherwise known as the dream.
11 of 1411. Cosmetics Collection
It's super creepy for a child to have a bigger make-up collection than me, a 28-year-old beauty editor.
12 of 1412. Play Till
Who else learnt basic arithmetic on one of these fake tills?
13 of 1413. Spinning Sindy
Seriously, what was more fun than a doll that could also be used as a weapon?
14 of 1414. Educational Electronics
When we were young enough to be fooled into thinking that learning could be fun as long as it came with an electronic accessory.