Brits instructed to ‘look in loft’ as six widespread 90s toys may very well be value hundreds
If you have some old toys lurking in your home, you could be sitting on a small, or rather large, fortune. These six 90s toys have been dubbed ‘gold mines’ – time to get in the loft then
There’s nothing quite like the rush of nostalgia you get when rummaging through an old box tucked away under your bed or finding a tin of forgotten ‘things’ stashed in a cupboard.
Now, experts are suggesting that if you’ve held onto certain items from the 90s, you could be sitting on a ‘gold mine’. If you never got around to chucking out those old 90s toys, electronics or memorabilia, you might be in luck as some items are now being highly sought after.
With the cost of living crisis upon us, there’s no better time to make a bit of extra cash. Let’s take a look at some of the items that could fetch a tidy sum – including one that could bag you a hefty £5,000
Furby
Whether you adored them or despised them, a Furby was a must-have on every 90s kid’s Christmas list. If you still have an original, a limited edition or a rare one, you could be sitting on a small fortune, reports the Mirror.
While the value depends on the specific model, some of the older ones are fetching between £100-£175 on eBay. The rarer ones have reportedly sold for nearly £5,000!
Mental Floss reported that an original 1998 Furby fetched $705 (£527) on eBay a few years back, while Money Digest revealed that a super-rare Bejewelled Furby sold for a whopping $6,400 (£4,800) last year.
They also disclosed that if you happen to own the rarest Furby of all, the Rainbow Furby (with only three ever made), you could rake in even more.
Harry Potter First Edition
If you were one of the early birds who bought Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone when it was first published in June 1997, you might be sitting on a goldmine.
According to Mugglenet, a Harry Potter fan site, a first edition of the original book, complete with original cover art and typos, could rake in between $30,000-$50,000 (£22,900-£38,200).
With only 500 copies of that edition ever printed, your chances of owning one might be slim. But if you’re one of the lucky ones, you could check out eBay or First Edition Books to see how much you could pocket.
Super Mario Bros game
You might have spent endless hours playing this Nintendo classic, only to get bored and stash it away in a cupboard. However, if you own one of the original games, you could be in for a windfall.
In 2020, CNet reported that a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros 3 fetched $156,000 (£119,000) at auction. This record was shattered just months later when The Verge revealed an untouched copy of the original game sold on a collectables site for a whopping $2 million (£1.5 million).
Disney VHS tapes
These days, asking a Gen Z’er what a VHS tape is might draw blank stares. But back in the 90s, VHS collections were all the rage.
Before the era of Netflix, YouTube and Disney+, your entertainment options were limited to whatever VHS tapes you had at home.
If you’ve held onto those old tapes, they could potentially fetch a tidy sum. As reported by Mail Online in 2023, some classic films are being sold for five-figure sums on eBay – including a rare edition of 101 Dalmatians still in sealed packaging, which fetched £15,000.
However, the value depends on factors such as condition, rarity, and whether it’s been played – but it’s certainly worth a shot.
Beanie toys
Many children of the 90s will remember their collection of Beanie soft toys. These toys were incredibly popular, and if you’ve kept any from your childhood, they could be worth a fair bit – provided you’re willing to part with them.
As per This Is Money via Metro last year, there’s no definitive rule when it comes to Beanie Baby value, and some may only fetch a few pounds at best. However, if you have one of the original toys – like Flash The Dolphin or Legs the Frog – you could potentially earn hundreds of pounds.
Some models, such as Chef Robouchon and Mystic The Unicorn, have previously sold for as much as £7,000.
Polly Pocket
Every lass growing up would have known Polly Pockets, the miniature dolls that came with a plethora of rubber outfits, homes, vehicles and pets to boot.
When Mattel took over the reins in 1998, the original Polly Pockets produced between 1989 and 1998 potentially became a mini treasure trove.
The Mirror highlighted earlier this year that one set from the period – the Polly Pocket Beauty Case – raked in a whopping £4,800 on eBay, while other sets from the same era also fetched handsome four-figure sums when put up for sale.
