Top 20 Most & Least Valuable Vintage Collectibles

#10: Disappointing: Disney VHS Tapes

With how far technology has come, it makes sense that public interest in VHS tapes has faded away. But still, those VHS tapes of old Disney films carry serious nostalgia. With the introduction of home video, the ‘80s through the ‘90s was a crucial era in Disney history, starting in 1980 with Walt Disney Home Video. From 1984 to 1994, the company released a line called Walt Disney Classics on VHS, starting with “Robin Hood” and continuing with everything from “Pinocchio” to “Cinderella” to “Peter Pan,” and many more. Nowadays, the vast majority of Disney VHS tapes only go for a few bucks on eBay and at thrift stores and such. For Disney collectible fans, that’s a bargain!

#10: Valuable: Hot Wheels Cars

Toy giant Mattel introduced Hot Wheels in 1968. For decades, they’ve been the go-to car toys for kids. But they’ve become much more than that. Even for automobile-loving adults, these well-designed, detailed mini cars have become prized possessions. Originally selling for cents, many throwback models have appreciated substantially. Examples include the 1971 Spectraflame Purple Bye Focal and the 1972 Pink Superfine Turbine—both rare editions with estimated values as high as the thousands. But even more common Hot Wheels cars can fetch a nice return on investment. “Redline” Hot Wheels cars, produced from 1968 to 1977, featuring red stripes across the tires, can be worth three digits in decent condition. From cents to that—not bad!

#9: Disappointing: Commemorative State Quarters

Is it unreasonable to think certain quarters should be worth much more than 25 cents? Perhaps. But we’re doing it anyway. The 50 State Quarter Program, introduced in 1999, was a welcome sight for U.S. coin collectors. You could slot each commemorative state quarter into your organized collector’s book. The coins, with their very neat and detailed designs, were a massive hit. According to the U.S. Mint government page, an estimated 147 million Americans collected them. Given the coins’ awesome designs, and the high level of public interest, it’s hard to wrap our heads around them not being more valuable today, apart from ones with rare errors. We suppose, after all, they are quarters. Still, we wouldn’t use these at the gumball machine.

#9: Valuable: Vintage Barbie Dolls

Ruth Handler changed the world of dolls forever with the introduction of Barbie in 1959. Given how far it’s come since, it’s no wonder those early Barbies are so valuable today. The first ever one, sporting a black and white swimsuit and ponytail, can go for thousands of dollars even in mediocre condition. In mint condition, then we’re talking close to $30,000. Back in 1959, it cost just $3! Besides the original, there are also multiple other vintage Barbies that are now worth hundreds and even thousands of dollars. American Girl dolls deserve a mention here, too, as certain older editions can also be worth a lot. But Barbie gets the spot on our list, because she’s the queen of this.

#8: Disappointing: Vintage Playboy Magazines

Unless it’s the 1953 first edition with Marilyn Monroe, those vintage Playboy magazines aren’t worth as much as one would think based on their mega status and historical influence in pop culture. Most editions from the ‘60s and ‘70s are very unlikely to crack three figures in value. Even many copies from the ‘50s are no guarantee whatsoever to rake in that amount—especially if not in pristine condition. And without the centerfold, forget it. These days, collections of Playboy issues from the ‘70s and on, even ones featuring some of the biggest sex icons of their time, routinely sell for only a few bucks per magazine on eBay.

#8: Valuable: ‘90s Pokémon Cards

While the Pokémon craze may have peaked in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, make no mistake about it: Pokémon cards are alive and well. Today, plenty of collectors jump at the opportunity to get their hands on the best cards from the golden age. Rare Pikachus and Charizards released between 1997 and 1999 steal the show. In 2021, a 1998 Pikachu Illustrator, graded in mint 10 condition by PSA, sold for over $6 million. A PSA 9 went for nearly $1.48 million that same year. During the 2020s, multiple other rare Pikachus and Charizards have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Base Set cards, particularly rare holo versions with high grades, have great value and demand. The nostalgia of these hits different.

#7: Disappointing: “Encyclopædia Britannica” Sets

Traditional print encyclopedias have become obsolete in the digital age. Even the famous “Encyclopædia Britannica” faced the reality of that, with its print run of more than 240 years coming to an end in 2010. The digital version became all that was needed. And even though some would argue there’s nothing quite like a physical book, the low values of vintage “Encyclopædia Britannica” sets don’t reflect that. On the whole, they’re worth much, much less than what they originally sold for. Many sets from the 21st century that originally went for 1-to-3-thousand dollars may not even be worth a couple of hundred nowadays. Knowledge acquisition has changed, and apparently people aren’t all that interested in the old ways.

#7: Valuable: Tiffany Lamps

These gorgeous lamps produced between the 1890s and 1920s are true works of art. And sale trends during the 21st century tell us they’re still viewed in extremely high regard. You can see why. The most valuable Tiffany lamps have gone for millions of dollars. For example, a rare 1903 ‘Pond Lily’ lamp sold for a record-breaking $3,372,500 at auction in 2018. A ‘Trumpet Creeper’ Tiffany lamp, also from 1903, exchanged hands for $2,295,000 in 2018. Other vintage Tiffany lamps have sold for hundreds of thousands, and there are plenty of examples of ones worth tens of thousands. These were originally expensive, but nothing like this obviously! Vintage lamps are very much still desirable for collectors—especially ones as beautiful as these.

#6: Disappointing: Franklin Mint Plates

Most of these vintage collector plates from the ‘70s and ‘80s now sell for less than 10 bucks a pop. Their values lie in their decorative and sentimental nature—not financially. Franklin Mint plates used to be one of the more popular decorative plates out there—once considered investments for some collectors. But those positive outlooks flipped for the worse around the turn of the century. Some may remember the artistry of Franklin Mint’s Norman Rockwell line of plates, but even those are now only worth a fraction of their original retail values.

#6: Valuable: Classic Film Posters

The Golden Age of Hollywood is obviously remembered through the many timeless classic films we still watch. That cinematic history also persists in the form of film posters—very, very valuable film posters. In the old days, film posters were printed in much more limited quantities. And many were discarded. Ones that weren’t have been steadily climbing in value for decades. During the 21st century, multiple film posters from 1920s and 1930s classics have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Examples include a record-breaking $690,000 for a poster of the 1927 film “Metropolis,” as well as $525,800 for a 1931 “Dracula” poster—just to name a couple. While those are rarities, of course, other vintage film posters can be worth a pretty penny, too.

#5: Disappointing: Pogs

For all the buzz Pogs caused on school playgrounds, it’s too bad they’re not highly coveted these days. Think those special hologram Pogs might be valuable? Well, you might only be able to get a few bucks for those. There are some vintage holographic skull designs that can fetch $40-plus on eBay. But aside from that, if you still have your regular old Pogs collection—even with all those designs we thought were so cool back then—you’re likely to be disappointed with the return. At this point, you might as well start playing again… or just give ‘em away.

#5: Valuable: Vintage Leica Cameras

Now we’re talking! Leica cameras, developed in Germany, date back to the Roaring Twenties—or, as they’re known in Germany, the Golden Twenties. In 2022, a 1923 0-Series Leica became the most expensive camera ever sold. How much, you ask? Well, try $15 million. Yes, you heard that right. Sure, that’s an outlier—but another 1923 Leica sold at auction for $2.97 million! That’s not too shabby, either! Later Leica models can also fetch a pretty penny. Take, for instance, a rare black 1957 Leica MP that went for $1.34 million. Other less-rare and worse-conditioned vintage Leicas can still put hundreds or even thousands of dollars in your pocket. People will pay a lot to look through a lens of the past!

#4: Disappointing: 1990s Happy Meal Toys

There were so many legendary Happy Meal toys in the ‘90s—ones that now have nostalgia written all over them. But apparently such nostalgia doesn’t equate to a significant price tag, even decades removed. You’d likely have to sell a whole batch of ‘90s Happy Meal toys for it to even be worth the time to try to sell them. Even if the toys are unopened, you might only get a buck or two for each. That goes for throwbacks like the 1991 “Tiny Toon Adventures” toys and the 1994 “The Magic School Bus” toys—as well as more mainstream collectibles McDonald’s gave out, like the 1997 Teenie Beanie Babies and the 1999 Furbies. Maybe one day people will change their minds about these artifacts!

#4: Valuable: Original Star Wars Action Figures

Vintage figurines from one of the most successful film franchises of all time should be worth something—and they are. The first Kenner “Star Wars” action figures arrived shortly after the original 1977 film. A complete set, featuring all the classic characters, can easily go for hundreds of dollars. Better yet, on the rare occasion that just one of these action figures is still sealed in the original box, it can easily go for hundreds on its own! That’s exactly what’s happened in 2025 for the likes of Obi-Wan, C-3PO, and Princess Leia. What can we say? People love “Star Wars.” Oh yeah, and check the basement for vintage G.I. Joe action figures too, because they’re also pretty valuable nowadays.

#3: Disappointing: Precious Moments Figurines

Unless your Precious Moments figurine has a signature from founder Sam Butcher—or is just an ultra-rare edition, it likely isn’t worth that much. That’s true of even the earliest versions which came out in 1978. Maybe you can get $10 or even $20 for one if you’re lucky. But the nostalgic appeal of these religious figurines would lead us to think that they could be worth much more. We know there’s a market for vintage holiday antiques as well, but even the holiday-day themed Precious Moments figurines don’t go for that much these days.

#3: Valuable: Vinyl Records

Society may have moved on from vinyl records to an extent, but don’t get it twisted: they’re alive and well. Sure, we have a multitude of ways to stream music more conveniently now, but many still hold this throwback way of listening close and dear. In the 2010s, there was a vinyl revival of sorts. Some of the rarest one-of-one records have gone for hundreds of thousands of dollars. But even less scarce vintage vinyl records can go for big bucks if in good condition—and even the super-mass-produced classics can be worth a decent amount. But, for many people, dropping the needle and letting that record spin is priceless.

#2: Disappointing: 1990s Comic Books

A lot of comic book fans have a pretty negative view of the 1990s. The art style was often loud and the storytelling didn’t always land like it did in the old days—even with the rise of new characters like Harley Quinn and Deadpool. On top of that, the market was absolutely flooded, with tons of different titles and way too many copies. That’s a big reason why most of them just aren’t worth much today. Still, there were definitely plenty of bright spots—like “The Sandman,” “Spawn,” and “Kingdom Come,” just to name a few. But even those rarely go for much unless they’re in near-perfect condition.

#2: Valuable: Vintage Video Games

Factory-sealed classic video games can be worth a fortune. Look no further than the Nintendo original 1985 Super Mario Bros. game that sold for $2 million in 2021. That really happened—we’re not playing. Oh, yeah, and what can a 1987 Legend of Zelda game cartridge get you? Well, apparently, $870,000. Even if it’s a classic that has been played time and time again, it may very well be worth something. There’s something about those vintage video games that can scratch a nostalgic gamer’s itch. So don’t tell us they’re outdated. They’re standing the test of time just fine.

#1: Disappointing: Beanie Babies

Ah, the ‘90s collectible phenomenon: the Beanie Baby. These cute little fellas made countless people smile—and who knows for how many people they helped spark an interest in poetry! Sadly, the craze is gone. And Beanie Babies clearly don’t have a ton of nostalgic value these days. Maybe it’ll take a few more decades—or it’s just not to be. While there are a few super rare exceptions, the more regular Beanie Babies that were a part of so many collections routinely go for less than their original $5 retail price. Considering they’re the symbol of ‘90s collector culture—a true icon—that’s definitely disappointing.

#1: Valuable: Baseball Cards

There are loads of examples of old baseball cards commanding a lot of dough. Cards with values in the hundreds and even the thousands are much more common than a lot of people probably think. That’s especially true for cards with a mint-condition grade from a reputable card grading company like PSA or Beckett. Of course, then you have the big-time, ultimate rare throwback cards of some of baseball’s all-time legends. Those have gone for hundreds of thousands, and even millions of dollars in some cases. A T206 Honus Wagner—issued between 1909 and 1911—sold for $7.25 million in 2022. Later that year, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle sold for $12.6 million. Not bad for a piece of cardboard with a picture on it!

Are you into any of these collectibles? Let us know in the comments!