Top 10 Collectibles That Never Took Off

#10: Gogo’s Crazy Bones

Our first entry didn’t fail entirely. During the late 90s and 2000s, they were a massive trend in school playgrounds. By the 2010s, they had been almost completely forgotten about by most people. Now, especially rare Gogo’s can sell for a decent sum, maybe a few hundred dollars. They’re definitely worth far less than they used to be, though, with commons being worth pennies. If you have any bulk boxes of Gogo’s lying around, it could be worth maybe a few dollars at best. Unsealed packs can also sell for a few bucks, but when you account for inflation, they’ve not appreciated a significant amount.

#9: Stretch Screamers

You’d be forgiven if you had never heard of these electronic toys before, as they’re now considered exceedingly obscure. They had a decent amount of buzz surrounding them in the early 2000s. At one point, they even had their own Happy Meal toy line. Their name tells you all you need to know about them: they’re monsters with stretchy rubber arms. If that wasn’t exciting enough for you, they also scream. The majority are now worth roughly 20 dollars or less. Rare and unsealed ones fetch a higher price, but even the least common peak at a few hundred dollars. There’s almost no collector scene surrounding them, making them simply niche discontinued toys.

#8: iDog

Adorable robot pets were a craze in the 2000s. At the forefront of this fad was the iDog. It launched in 2005 but was discontinued 4 years later. All the original model did was dance and react to music being played. Later variations took it to the next level, since they could also play music. It wasn’t just dogs; they also made an iCat, iFish, iTurtle, and even an iPenguin. No one cares about collecting them all these days. A large reason for their discontinuation was that portable music technology advanced rapidly, making these robotic pets clunky in comparison.

#7: Fingerlings

A defining feature of the Christmas season 2017 was the hype surrounding Fingerlings. They’re toy robotic animals that sit on your finger. Then, they’ll react to your movements. They were released in spring 2017, and by Christmas, it felt as if almost every child wanted one. This motivated a ton of scalpers to use bots to bulk buy Fingerlings. Then, they would resell them for an extortionate sum. By Christmas 2018, it felt like everyone had forgotten about Fingerlings. Now, the majority sell for less than ten dollars, with the most expensive ones not even breaking one hundred dollars.

#6: Hatchimals

A year earlier, Hatchimals were all the rage. They launched in October 2016 with massive expectations. People assumed they’d be the number 1 toy of the Christmas season. Raffles and waiting lists were made, but when people got their hands on one, many were disappointed. This is because it turned out not all of the Hatchimals hatched like they were supposed to. They were meant to pop out of an egg, but this didn’t happen for every toy. In response, a parent filed a lawsuit against them. They’re not completely worthless now, still being sold for roughly 30 dollars each. Still, few people are interested in collecting them, especially with the chance of early products being defective.

#5: HitClips

If you asked a child today whether they’d like a toy that only plays 60-seconds of pop songs, they’d probably think you were being sarcastic. Well, in the early 2000s, these toys were all the rage. They were called HitClips, and they came with cartridges that each played 1 minute of a pop song. HitClips became so huge that they even had Hilary Duff and Raven-Symoné as their spokespeople. It’s pretty clear why they faded into obscurity. In the 2000s, things like iPods became common. By the early 2010s, smartphones were becoming ubiquitous. So, this meant HitClips were entirely redundant, as much less cumbersome devices could play full songs.

#4: ‘90s Star Wars Toys

If you’re into vintage action figures, you’ll know the original run of Kenner “Star Wars” action figures can fetch a pretty penny. They were released in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and are still sought after today. In 1991, Kenner was bought by Hasbro after people became disinterested in “Star Wars.” Interest in the series and the old figures increased in the ‘90s, leading to a new line of toys being produced. People expected them to appreciate as well, but about 30 years later, and they’ve hardly increased in value. This is because so many more of them were produced than the original toys. Even if you have a few lying around, it’d be a headache to sell them; people are so disinterested.

#3: Beanie Babies 2.0

If you grew up in the 90s, you’ll remember a period when Beanie Babies were unavoidable. They definitely didn’t fail, as they were huge for a few years. Now, they’re worth hardly anything, but they’re still worth more than their sequel, Beanie Babies 2.0. This line was announced in 2008, but barely lasted 5 years. They were different from the predecessors, as they came with online codes to enter a children’s chat game. The last product from the line was announced in 2009, but with little popularity, the virtual world was shut down in 2013.

#2: Pet Rocks

Long before Labubus, trading cards, and even Beanie Babies, there was the Pet Rock. It was an idea conceived by one man, Gary Dahl. It ended up making him a fortune, as they were all the rage for approximately 6 months in 1975. Each rock initially made Dahl a 95-cent profit, turning him into a millionaire. By February 1976, they were discontinued due to poor sales. People likely realised you can get rocks for free outside. If you ever struggle to understand the appeal of modern toy fads, try comparing them to the hilarious Pet Rock. Suddenly, Labubus look a lot more creative and interesting.

#1: NFTs

Non-fungible tokens were essentially unique digital images that could be traded online. They were first pitched in 2017, then peaked in 2021. The most expensive was called The Merge by Pak, which sold for an incredible $91.8 million. By September 2023, it was estimated that 95% of NFTs were worthless. It was easily the most prolific example of digital collector’s items. A lot of people compare the trend to a Ponzi scheme. One of their main flaws was how easy it was to copy an NFT. You could simply screenshot one or even right-click and save it, thus bypassing the need to spend millions of dollars on one.

Do you have a favorite type of collectible, and is it still popular today, or did it also fall out of favor? Let us know in the comments below!