Treasures in the attic: these ancient toys are really valuable
14/3/2023
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Find an old box of toys in your attic? Before throwing them out in a fit of decluttering, double-check they’re not potentially a source of income.
Teething rings, books, teddy bears, wooden trains, race cars, building blocks, dolls, jewellery – the list of toys that accumulate over the course of a child’s life is long. Most of the time, these items are passed down to other family members or sold at the flea market as soon as they become uninteresting. Frequently, they’re also stashed away in the attic or cellar, where they live a lonely life for years. But some things increase enormously in value with time.
These five toys are likely to give your household budget a boost.
Lego
Let’s start with a classic. Lego is generally considered a toy that – once purchased – doesn’t lose much of its value. With some luck and skill, you can even sell sets missing a few bricks at a flea market or on a second-hand portal for more than half their original price. There are also old sets that are no longer produced and can now fetch you more than their original price. You can ask for a few hundred euros if you still have your 1966 Shell Service Station. Not enough for you? With the Star Wars Lego Death Star set, you’re looking at several thousand euros. Some Star Wars sets are generally considered classics (page in German). Here’s an example: the Millennium Falcon from the Star Wars collection cost around 550 euros back in 2007; today, collectors will shell out about 4,500 euros for it. And the Taj Mahal from 2008 cost about 300 euros at the time. If you’re lucky, you’ll get five times as much for it today.
Micro Machines
Now let’s move on to toy cars. My workmate Ramon Schneider already reported in great detail about the value of old Hot Wheels cars. That’s why I want to talk Micro Machines instead! They’re those super tiny cars and other means of transport produced by Galoob in the 1980s. Doesn’t ring a bell? In the 1991 classic Christmas movie Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin built a burglar trap with dozens of Micro Machines strategically placed at the bottom of the stairs – a total success.
If that wasn’t reason enough to turn them into a hit, then it must’ve been their fun size and amazing details. Sadly, many parents probably binned the small toy cars, which were discontinued in 2007, as soon as their offspring flew the nest. What a mistake. The cute miniature cars are now traded at high prices. Depending on how rare your attic find is, you’re looking at two to fifty euros per car. Trucks and tanks are the most promising if they’re in good condition. As are the Galoob Gold Series and Darth Vader’s Star Destroyer sets, which are among the most sought-after Micro Machines.
By the way, for retro lovers, the manufacturer Jazwares put the small cars back on sale in 2020. This new product line includes vehicles and sets inspired by Transformers, as well as models of popular car brands such as Jaguar, Bugatti and Land Rover.
Kinder Surprise figurines
Small things tend to be expensive, and Kinder Suprise toys are no exception. Personally, I always throw away the figurines in Kinder’s outrageously delicious surprise eggs as soon as my son forgets about them. Yet, this plastic paraphernalia could turn out to be valuable one day – at least after a few decades. After all, what was once hidden in a yellow egg thirty or forty years ago is now worth a small fortune. The Smurfs, which have appeared in the odd egg since 1979, have proven to be especially valuable. Should you cross paths with the Night Watchman Smurf, your holiday in the Caribbean is sorted. This Smurf can reach up to 12,000 euros – at least according to computer trade magazine Chip (article in German). Similarly, the garden gnome figurine Ferdi Fallobst could fetch 3,500 euros. Asterix and Pumuckl aren’t quite as lucrative, but you can still expect a few hundred euros of extra pocket money if you have one of these classics.
Barbie dolls
Your kid’s Barbies needn’t be locked away in the attic, either. With a bit of luck, they’ll earn you a nice sum of money. «Especially for rare Barbies from the early days, collectors are occasionally willing to pay several thousand euros,» says collecting expert Schmidtkonz in an interview with Die Welt (in German). A Barbie doll once fetched 13,500 euros at an auction in London. In other words, you can assume that the rarer and older the doll, the more valuable it is. But exceptions prove the rule. Take the limited edition Karl Lagerfeld Barbie sold in 2014. It will potentially fetch several thousand euros (in German) today. If you want to know how old your Barbie is, check the mark on her right hip. This is recommended by the online portal Valuemystuff (in German). Your Barbie is considered truly vintage if the imprint on the soles of her feet reveals that she was made in Japan – where the popular children’s toy was manufactured between 1959 and 1972. But it’s not just the edition that counts, but how good the condition of your doll is.
Questron
Even some old books – or rather magazines – will make you a bit of cash. What Tiptoi is today, the German Questron books were back in the day. They included many a quiz on a specific subject, which you could solve with the matching pen. The pen would then emit a different sound for right or wrong. In other words, it would give you feedback on whether you’d got the answer right or not. The kicker? Those pens seem to have vanished off the face of the earth. So if you still have one lying around and you’re not attached to it, pass it on and make at least 50 euros for it. The books will shift for about ten to twenty euros apiece.
Gameboy
Last but not least, the Gameboy deserves a mention. I once found one sitting between plastic dinosaurs and kids’ books in a «to give away» sitting next to some rubbish bins. I proudly brought it home to my husband. When I told him there were Gameboy games in the box, too, but I didn’t take them, he looked at me with wide eyes. «Have you any idea how much those are worth?» he replied. It seems whoever put them there in the first place didn’t either. So we went back to the box but the games had already gone. But we kept the Gameboy. This toy that used to cost 169 Deutsche mark, will now make around 100 euros. Therefore, we were happy to take it in. The games to go with it are traded on eBay and other second-hand platform from around ten euros, depending on the type.
What valuable toy is collecting dust in your attic and wasn’t mentioned above? Let me know in the comments!
Header image: Shutterstock/ChiccoDodiFC
A true local journalist with a secret soft spot for German pop music. Mum of two boys, a dog and about 400 toy cars in all shapes and colours. I always enjoy travelling, reading and go to concerts, too.
