Christmas is just a few hours away, and many of us will be waiting patiently to tear through some wrapping paper and see if we made the nice list.
Back in the 1980s and 1990s (ah, simpler times), you probably asked Santa for a Barbie Dreamhouse, a Supersoaker, or a Tamagotchi — where these days it’s more likely an air fryer, a new frying pan, or a massage to ease your tired muscles.
And prepare to feel even older, because some of the Christmas pressies you received during your childhood are now considered collectables.
But the good news – especially if you’re strapped for cash as we approach the New Year – is that a lot of those old-school favourites are now worth a whole lot of money.
Chances are, you probably packed much of it away years ago (if you haven’t already shipped everything off to the charity shop).
If you can dig out any of these nostalgic items though, it could prove profitable. So if you’re looking to boost your bank balance after too much festive spending, here’s what you could get for them these days.
Furby
As 90s kids will remember all too well, one of the most sought-after toys of the decade was the humble Furby.
If you were a child in the latter part of the decade, chances are this might have been on your Christmas wishlist for 1998.
However, if you happen to have an original Furby, a limited edition or rare Furby, or one still in its original packaging, then you could well be quids in.
How much you’ll get for it depends on the type and condition, but some of the older toys are going on eBay for around £100, or as much as £260 if it’s in its original box.
Mental Floss reported that an original 1998 Furby went for $705 (£521.84) on eBay a few years ago, while Money Digest has said that a super-rare Bejewelled Furby was sold for $6,400 (£4,737.31) last year.
Barbie
Another toy worth digging out of your attic: Barbie. Specifically, vintage or limited edition dolls.
Some examples include the 1982 Dream Date PJ Barbie and the 1992 Hollywood Hair Teresa Barbie, which sold for £330 each on eBay in October, or the the 1984 Peaches ‘n Cream doll, which went for £548 earlier this month.
The limited edition Pink and Pretty Barbie range from 1981 was one of the most consistent earners on eBay this year though, with dolls fetching between £200 and £280.
As with many collectors’ toys, you’ll want a box and your Barbie in mint condition to bring in the most cash.
Pokémon cards
Back in the days before Pokémon involved everyone walking around staring at their phone screens in a bid to catch the little critters in the wild, there was another way you could have a whole lot of Pokémon in your life – with trading cards.
These were big business in the 90s (remember when some schools banned them?) as we set out to ‘catch ’em all’ — and if you’ve got some of these lying around in a dusty old cupboard, you could be in the money.
CNN reported in 2022 that the super-rare 1999 Pokémon Base Set Shadowless 1st Edition Holo Charizard card sold at auction for an impressive $420,000 (£321,000) – setting a record – so it’s well worth checking out which cards you might still have, and what their value is.
Among eBay’s recently sold, a 1st Edition Machomei in immaculate condition went for €40,000 (£34,892) a few weeks back, while a factory sealed 1999 Base Set Unlimited Blue Wing bundle fetched over £175,000.
So, why not take a trip down memory lane this festive season — you could be holding a fortune in your hands.
Super Mario Bros game
Let’s be honest, many us whiled away far too many hours in the 90s playing Nintendo, and one of the most popular games of the decade was Super Mario Bros.
The little Italian plumber and his brother Luigi proved so popular that they spawned sequels, a spin-off movie, and even a hit single, courtesy of the Ambassadors of Funk featuring MC Mario. We’re not sure any of those will net you any dough, but owning a copy of one of the original games might.
Back in 2020, a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros 3 went for $156,000 (£115,471.98) at auction, according to CNet — a record which was smashed just a few months later when The Verge reports an unused copy of the original game sold on a collectables site for a cool $2 million (£1.48 million). That’s a lot of moolah for your Mario.
Old Disney VHS tapes
Back in the 90s, before the arrival of streaming platforms, YouTube and CBeebies, your best bet for a spot of small-screen entertainment would have been those family-friendly Disney movies your parents had in their VHS collection.
Chances are, they would have been well-worn too, because who wouldn’t have watched The Lion King or Toy Story every chance they got? But who’d have thought 30 years later that those tapes could turn out to be money-spinners?
Mail Online reported back in 2023 that some classic films are going for five-figure sums on eBay – including a rare edition of 101 Dalmatians still in sealed packaging, which was sold for £15,000.
A lot depends on what condition the tape is in, of course, whether or not it’s a limited edition or if it’s sealed and has never been played, but it’s worth having a rummage around in that old tape box and checking eBay to see how much yours might be worth.
Ghostbusters VHS tapes and memorabilia
It isn’t just Disney fans who are willing to spend a pretty penny on collectable items: in 2024, a factory-sealed VHS of Ghostbusters sold through Goodwill’s online platform for a jaw-dropping $3,806 (£2,817.22).
The supernatural comedy was released in 1984, while its sequel came out in 1989, so it’s not strictly a 90s thing.
That said, you probably had a copy of the Dan Aykroyd classic kicking about in the years that followed – or maybe even some merch from later iterations such as The Real Ghostbusters animated series.
And given the lasting interest in the franchise, it could definitely be worth busting those items out of storage.
Polly Pocket dolls
While Barbie and the like may have continued to be popular throughout the 90s, youngsters and doll collectors also snapped up Polly Pockets – those tiny dolls and their equally tiny houses – by the truckload.
With Mattel having taken over the brand in 1998, the original Pollys, particularly those made between 1989 and 1998, are now worth a pretty (Polly) penny, even more so if you have one that’s all sealed up in its box.
One set from the decade – the 1997 Polly Pocket Beauty Case – fetched £4,800 on eBay last year, while a more recent auction finished on £741 and a 1994 Light-up Wedding Chapel came in at nearly £250. So, depending on what you’ve got, your Polly could well bring in the pounds, too.
Beanie babies
If you were a child of the 90s, the chances are you had one or two of these lying around, or you might even have been an avid collector who filled your bedroom with hundreds of the colourful little stuffed bears.
Given their popularity back then, not to mention the many different limited editions and rare bears, it’s no surprise that some of these are now worth money – but how much you could get for yours largely depends on which ones you have.
This Is Money reported last year that there’s no hard or fast rule when it comes to Beanie Baby value, and some may only be worth a few quid at best.
However, if you have one of the original toys produced – such as Flash the Dolphin or Legs the Frog (which fetched £1,842 on eBay in October) – you could well net hundreds or even thousands of pounds for it, while others, such as Chef Robouchon and Mystic the Unicorn, have previously sold for as much as £7,000.
However, as with all these things, it will largely depend on condition, colour and and little quirks – such as spelling errors on the tag, for example – all of which can bump the selling price up or down.
Spice Girls dolls
If you were a child of the 90s, you either received a Spice Girls doll for Christmas or were insanely jealous of anyone who did.
These were originally released by Galoob Toys ahead of the holiday season in October 1997. The company continued production of its five-doll set until 1999 before teaming up with Hasbro for a four-doll option after Geri left the band.
Various costumes and sets were available beyond the band’s original, iconic outfits, and Scary, Ginger, Baby, Sporty and Posh are still worth a bob or two today, though admittedly they’re not the biggest cash grab on the list.
One eBay bidder forked out $800 (£591) for a full set a few weeks back, but a single Viva Forever Posh Spice doll sold for a healthy £281.50.
Tamagotchis
Ever kept a Tamagotchi in your bag or your back pocket? More importantly, have you remembered to feed it, play with it and generally keep the little electronic blob happy if you have?
Well, Tamagotchis are still around these days, having expanded their reach to appear in video games, as well as the 2022 Pixar movie Turning Red, in which the lead character Meilin owned a Tamagotchi called Robaire Junior.
But if you were one of those people who nurtured your own electronic pet back in 1996 when they first hit the market, your now adult Tamagotchi could net you a nice little earner.
Smithsonian Magazine reported in 2021 that a rare Mobile Kaitsu! Tamagotchi Plus from the era was sold for over $5,000 (£3,701.03) while other 90s Tamagotchis can also sell around the $1,000 (£740.21) mark.
Only the 90s ones, mind — so if your Tamagotchi is still a 21st Century infant, don’t expect a four-figure sum.
Happy Meal Toys
Happy Meals aren’t just the stuff of kiddie treats and birthday parties – anyone who’s ever munched their way through one as a child will also know that they come with a toy, usually themed around whatever tie-in promotion the burger chain happens to be running at the time.
What you might not know is that little collectable bit of plastic that you probably shoved to the back of a drawer and forgot about when you got home might now bag you enough money to invest in quite a few Happy Meals.
A lot depends on whether you have the full set of some of the most valuable toys, of course, but if you do, you could be in luck.
Antiques expert Peter Jenkinson from Loveantiques.com told News Shopper in 2024 that the Mario figures from 1994 and 1998 could be worth around £187.78, while Power Rangers toys could come in at even more – around £262 if you have the complete set. Speaking of which…
Power Rangers action figures
Power Rangers remains as popular today as it was back in the 90s, whether you still watch old episodes of the TV series, enjoy the movies or even indulge in a bit of cosplay.
But if you’ve got some of the original action figures from the heyday of the series back in the early 90s, you could well be quids in — especially if they are sealed up and unused.
A set of the vintage ones went for €330 (£287.85) recently, but if yours isn’t in the box, it won’t be worth nearly as much, with asking prices ranging from around £30-£60 in many cases. Either way, if you aren’t using them, you could still net yourself a little extra cash for your troubles.
Castle Grayskull
If you didn’t get one of these for Christmas back in the 1980s or 1990s, the sore memory is likely still haunting you.
It was one of the most popular festive presents at the time, made as a playset for the 1980s and 2002 Masters of the Universe lines, but it certainly enjoyed its heyday while the likes of Last Christmas originally charted. Once bitten, and twice shy.
On eBay’s recently sold, a number of boxed Castle Greyskulls went for upwards of £400. Quids in.
Buzz Lightyear
To infinity and beyond. After the original Toy Story came out in 1995, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie dolls hit the shops — and, if you were lucky enough to have the latter, you’d be able to use the loop at the back to get her to sing ‘yodelay-hee-hoo’ over and over again. Sorry, mum.
A vintage Buzz sold for £230 on eBay last month, and various listings surpassed the £200 mark. Basically, don’t assume it’s not worth a rummage to see if there’s a forgotten toy that could boost your bank balance.
A version of this article was first published on October 10, 2024.
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