The devices, toys and video games from the 90s now price a fortune

The 1990s saw the launch of many iconic gadgets, toys and games that many people are still holding onto for a taste of nostalgia.

But the memories from your childhood may also be worth a fortune.

Pokemon cards, Furbies and a Kawasaki-branded instrument are among the decades old products that have sold for thousands of dollars at auction. 

Even more, a rare Super Mario 64 game fetched over one million dollars at a sales event that made it the most expensive video game in history.

Below are a few valuable 1990s toys that may be collecting dust in your home.

Kawasaki Sax-A-Boom

The Sax-A-Boom is a children’s toy instrument which had a resurgence of popularity after Jack Black used it at live Tenacious D concerts.

The instrument was initially marketed in 1998 by DSI Toys (who held the license to produce toys under the Kawasaki name) and has been discontinued for two decades.

Due to the Jack Black connection, examples change hands for hundreds of dollars on auction sites.

Many owners are now selling the toy for about $700 when they likely purchased it for around $20.

The toy doesn’t work like a saxophone: instead, each of its eight buttons has a different musical loop on it which can be strung together into a song.

Pokemon Charizard Trading Card

Among Pokemon cards, Charizard has come out as the most consistently valuable.

The ‘shadowless’ Charizard cards can sell for up to $299,000 on sites such as eBay – making it the highest price ever paid for a base Pokémon Charizard card.

The card launched in 1999, but only 121 were made.

Many Charizard cards are worth large sums of money, but (broadly speaking) shadowless, first-edition cards (ie from the first English-language run) tend to be worth more.

They are not actually the most expensive Pokemon cards – the 1998 Pikachu-Holo Illustrator card has sold for $6,000,000 but there are only 20 in existence.

Kid Cuisine Furby

Released in 1998, Furbies are electronic robotic toys that have the ability to speak with children using just a number of phrases.

Many of the talking, robotic creatures are collectible items, but none more than the Kid Cuisine model that was an offer from the frozen-food brand.

Users could collect proof of purchase to get the special-edition Furby.

Kids Cuisine Furbies now routinely change hands for upwards of $1,000, with some fetching up to $2,500.

But other models can fetch hundreds, with Millennium Furbies often changing hands for more than $100.

DVD and VHS recorders

Many ‘flippers’ (who find objects cheap in yard sales and resell for more online) swear by DVD and VHS recorders.

Combination units which have both DVD and VHS recorders tend to be particularly valued.

These can commonly sell for $200 or even more if in working order, because it’s impossible to buy them new.

Units that have ‘special powers’ such as upscaling VHS tapes and outputting via HDMI can sell for even more.

Super Mario 64 cartridge

In summer 2021, a rare, factory-sealed Super Mario 64 game sold at auction for $1,560,000 – becoming the most expensive game of all time.

Not every cartridge is valuable (in fact Super Mario 64 often sells for $40) but if you have a sealed and unopened version it can be worth thousands.

 

The game, which was released in 1997, was the first Mario game to feature 3D gameplay and has become a classic, considered one of the greatest games of all time.

The Player’s Choice edition is particularly valuable, but any plastic-sealed, unopened Super Mario 64 is worth pricing up and trying your luck on auction sites.

White and red ‘P1’ Tamagotchi

The bleeping ‘digital pet’ Tamagotchi was one of the iconic toys of the 90s (and has since relaunched to be a hit with kids today).

Original (known as ‘P1’ Tamagotchis) are among the most collectible Tamagotchis today – with White and Red P1s having changed hands for up to $2500.

Other rare or special edition models sell for $100-$400.

Tamagotchi released in May 1997 in the U.S. and became an instant hit, with more than 90 million units having sold worldwide.

‘Black Lotus’ Magic the Gathering Card

A card that is actually banned in competitive play for Magic the Gathering is the game’s most valuable – with two Black Lotus cards having sold at auction for $500,000.

Many other Magic the Gathering cards sell for hundreds or even thousands – but with billions of the cards having been printed, it’s worth going through a collection searching for rare or valuable ones (selling in bulk fetches low prices.

The game launched in 1993, and pioneered the trading card game genre, with 50 million players worldwide today.

Black Lotus appeared in early editions of the game, and enables the player to gain mana (magic points) rapidly and cast spells before other players.

It’s considered one of the most powerful cards in the game, but is banned from most competitive tournaments.

‘Alpha’ Black Lotus cards from the first edition routinely change hands for up to $100,000.

‘This is Cool’ Sega Saturn

Sega’s Saturn never quite achieved the success of Nintendo’s rival N64, but one model remains very collectible today.

The console marked the beginning of the end of Sega’s dominance of the home console market, despite cult titles like Panzer Dragoon and Virtua Fighter.

But some models are particularly collectible – including the limited-edition ‘This is Cool’ Saturn, with a translucent body.

This is Cool consoles routinely change hands for up to $800 – due to the fact only 30,000 were ever made.