Top 10 Things From The 90s That Are Worth a Fortune Today
#10: Hot Wheels
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If spring cleaning is turning your bedroom floor into an amateur roller rink, you might still have a few of these bad boys lying around. The 90s marked a new phase for Mattel’s answer to the Matchbox toyline, as the brand introduced collector numbers for its cars and the customized Treasure Hunt Series. These specially made models aimed to change toy cars for kids into collectibles for adults, and some have acquired scarcity today. Complete sets are sell from anywhere between seventy to three-hundred and fifty dollars. Rarest of all is the 1995 Collector Number 271. This Firebird Funny Car model could go for up to thirty-six hundred dollars US, if still in its original packaging. What’s in your race car? (“What’s in your wallet?” insert)
#9: VHS Tapes
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Kids, we used to watch movies from a little black box called a “VCR”... (HIMYM “Ted, it was a VCR!” insert) In the age of Disney’s renaissance, the company was no slouch in pumping out its films on VHS, complete with those satisfying-to-open plastic cases. If your house includes some of these, do some research on their value. Specifically, cases from the Black Diamond collection show high dollar signs online. It’s important to remember that collectibles are really only worth what people will pay for them, so these items rarely sell for the price tag you see. Some copies do go for eighty dollars and up, and check your wrestling tapes, as some bundles of WCW videotapes have sold for over three hundred dollars. (xref) Hey, you never know. (“Hey, you never know” insert)
#8: American Girl & Barbie Dolls
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Are you a Samantha, a Molly, or a Kirsten? These retired American Girl dolls were the first in a collection dubbed “Historicals,” and are among those that can fetch some big eBay bucks. Any models archived before Mattel’s 1998 purchase of the American Girl toyline are particularly sought after, with sets of such dolls and their accessories going for up to eleven hundred dollars. A little-known icon named Barbie also appeared in a few 90s commercials, where she owned a dream motorhome, grew to “my size” and dressed like Scarlett O’Hara. All of these iterations can carry two-to-three hundred dollar price tags today, but the grand-Barbie of all could be the 1990 Modern Wedding Barbie, with an asking price of nine thousand dollars unopened.
#7: Retro Video Game Cartridges
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Kids today will never experience that lightheaded feeling after puffing into the cartridge of a frozen Sega game. In the age of online gaming, the ability to hold a physical copy of your newest adventure with Mario may be going extinct. In fact, a very specific version of “Super Mario Bros. 3” can match the value of an automobile. Trigger words like “sealed” and “special edition” make cartridges like the ‘97 N64 “GoldenEye” and ‘96 “M.U.S.H.A.” for Sega Genesis huge sellers. Only one hundred and sixteen copies of an exclusive “Nintendo World Championships 1990” ever existed, making it one of the most valuable retro games on the market. See moms? Those video games weren’t a waste of time after all.
#6: Action Figures
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When you spent time getting your inner-action figure on, it was usually the most fun when the entire team got together. If you’ve kept any together, some complete sets of 90s playtime heroes like Gargoyles, Power Rangers, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can fetch a paycheck of hundreds. Remember TMNT nemesis Scratch the Cat? Neither do we. His short-lived nine lives on the show also meant a small number of his toys were produced, so finding one could be worth six grand. Were you a WWE fan? Hasbro briefly produced a line of action figures inspired by 90s wrestling popularity. Dusty Rhodes and Hulk Hogan in particular are thousand-dollar treasures if you still have one. So…Google your toys in the attic before tossing them. (“Toys in the Attic” clip)
#5: Tamagotchis
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In 1996, Japanese toy manufacturer Bandai came up with these virtual pets that you could hatch, care for…and watch perish after being confiscated by the school teacher. Some surviving vintage models of these egg creatures merit some moolah. Notables include a first generation red and white Tamagotchi, a Yasashi Blue model, and the Japan-exclusive black Devilgotchi. Tamagotchi even entered Godzilla-mode with the Mothra Tamagotchi, inspired by the great monster’s nemesis. ThisMothra-gotchi was made in limited numbers and worth putting up for sale…if you can find one. If you’re unsure of the value of yours, pose a question on TamaTalk” an online Tamagotchi fan forum. Unlike the pets themselves, it seems our Tamagotchi love will never die.
#4: Pokémon Cards
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Even if it was before your time, you’ve likely heard of this craze (perhaps because it hasn’t really gone extinct). (“Pokémon GO!” commercial insert) Game designer Satoshi Tajiri imagined creatures that owners could battle and trade, using playing cards. Determining the value of the cards today can come down to miniscule details, like the presence or absence of certain markings, and the condition in which the cards have been kept. Some specific cards, like a 1999 Number One Trainer card, were only awarded to certain contest winners and can be astronomically invaluable if found. Most coveted of all may be the first-edition holographic Charizard. Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic: The Gathering cards also deserve a nod, (xrefs) but it’s Pokémon who are kings of catchin’ ‘em all!
#3: Furbies
Like with the tamagotchi, it may be a fascination with apparent sentience in childhood toys that made furbies the phenomenon that they were. This furbish-speaking imp was the Christmas present we all wanted in 1998. Tiger Electronics capitalized on the trend with limited edition versions of furbies, including holiday themed designs and variations based on characters from pop culture. (Gizmo Furby Commercial clip) Autumn Witch, Statue of Liberty, and Gizmo furbies might be the cutest, but uncommon finds like Kid Cuisine Furby or an unboxed 1998 first edition furby can be even more valuable. The literal and figurative crown, however, goes to F.A.O. Schwartz’s Bejewelled Furby, dripping with Swarovski crystals, 18-karat gold and a one hundred thousand dollar sticker price. Only five were ever made.
#2: “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” 1st Edition
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In 1997, J. K. Rowling’s novel about “the boy who lived” became a literary marvel that ensnared global attention and reignited youngsters with a love of reading. Whether you know it by the “Philosopher’s” or the “Sorcerer’s Stone,” you likely owned a copy of Harry Potter’s first novel if you were around for its release. Double check your bookshelves, though, as your copy could earn some serious galleons. Like others on this list, miniscule details determine the collectible’s value. Both UK and US first editions with specific printing numbers, as well as a fabled volume giving authorship to “Joanne Rowling,” can have four zeros attached to their dollar signs. And if any have Rowling’s golden signature, you’re really “in the money.” Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Bop It Extreme How Fast Could You “Bop It?” Talk Boy Love for “Home Alone” Will Never Die Polly Pocket Much Like Barbie, Certain Outfitted Sets Can Be Worth Hundreds Happy Meal Toys Some McDonald’s Rarities are Related to Others on This List Tickle Me Elmo Only Worth About 50 Dollars Today, but It Comes With Invaluable Nostalgia
#1: Beanie Babies
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Beanie Babies are an economics teacher’s cautionary evidence that “collectibles are not investments.” The stuffed animals that shoppers once trampled each other for now line garage sales in “one dollar” price buckets. However, very specific Ty characters do populate internet thumbnails with sums above forty thousand dollars. Valentino Bear, Gobbles the Turkey and Princess, the purple limited edition bear honoring Princess Diana of Wales, are hailed as the most precious. Extremely nuanced elements, like tag spelling errors, uncommon color shades, or even the type of pellet used in manufacturing all determine a beanie baby’s rockstar status as “rare.” Though most members of this 90s fad didn’t turn out to be life-changing assets, it’s quite surprising that a few black swans very much did.
