Did you know that Happy Meal toys have a higher annual return than the stock market? This was between 1985 and 2018. Our latest study reveals which 90s collectibles now have value and which are not.
The iconic toys of the 1990s are still cherished by many people. While your personal preference may differ, most people are familiar with Beanie Babies and Tamagotchis, as well as Polly Pockets. These novelties are timeless and have a great nostalgic appeal.
This item becomes a vintage collectible after being stored in your storage unit for many decades. Many amateur collectors are now asking the question of value. Are your vintage collectible toys still worth their value today? We did some research and found out.
10 Collectible Toys That Are Worth it?
We first created a list of toys that we expected would gain value, as well as those that did not. This was to determine how these collectible toys have changed in value. Our list includes:
- Pokemon cards
- Baseball cards
- Happy Meal toys
- Vintage cereal boxes
- Beanie Babies
- Polly Pockets
- Super Soakers
- Tamagotchis
- Graphic novels
- Nintendo NES Games
How we determined their actual worth
To determine the average selling price for each toy, we used data from online sales. We then compared the sales price to the item’s original price and the year it was purchased. We came away with compelling insights as to which items have a significant value and are worth something. Some items even had a higher “return” than the stock markets!
What’s the Value of These Collectible Toys Today?
Contrary to what some people believe, Beanie Babies or Polly Pockets can fetch thousands of dollars. Most of these items are sold for less than $50. A baseball card saw the most value increase (+$34.00) since its 1985 purchase. Close behind is a 1995 purchase for a Polly Pocket (+$26.03), and a 1999 purchase for a Super Soaker ( (+$25.19). Based on our research, these are the three most valuable collectible toys.
Except for the Nintendo NES, all collectibles analyzed showed an overall increase in their selling prices. The average value of the collectibles was $30.48 to $19.52 after their initial purchase of $50.00 in 90.
Your Beanie Babies and Tamagotchis might not be as valuable as you thought, but they will still make you money.
Which Collectible Toy had the best overall return?
It is fascinating to see the dollar value of each item change, but it is also interesting to look at the percentage change.
Baseball cards were the most valuable at a staggering 3400% difference in value when analyzed this way. However, Pokemon cards and vintage cereal boxes surpassed Super Soakers and Polly Pockets for the top spot. They saw an increase of 2837.50%, and 1153.50% respectively.
The only item that saw a decrease in value was the Nintendo NES game. All collectible toys analyzed would have a value of at least 45.8% higher today than their original purchase price, except for an NES game which would sell for 61.0% more.
Overall, we believe that favorite toys like Tamagotchis or Beanie Babies today are worth significantly more percentage-wise than they were in the 1990s. There are good chances that you can make a lot of money selling your collectible toys.
Which Old School Favorite was the Best “Investment”?
You spent money and time collecting toys that you thought might be worth someday. Was it worthwhile? We also looked at the annual returns of collectible toys to help us understand why they could be considered a good investment.
We decided to use these percentages as a reference point and compare them to the average return investors receive from the stock exchange ( 7.0%).
This was the first ranking that didn’t rank baseball cards at #1. With a 149.3% annual average return, Pokemon occupied the top spot. Six out of ten items were analyzed and had a higher return than the stock markets, including Beanie Babies (13.9%) or Polly Pockets (7.5%).
The return on Super Soakers (6.6%) and Tamagotchis (5.3%) sold by graphic novel sellers was lower than that of the average market investor. Even collectibles that had positive changes in value weren’t great investments.
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