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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Rebecca Koncienzcy

The 90s toys selling for thousands online - and how you could be sitting on a small fortune

We all have toys we have found it hard to let go of.

They may be sat in the attic, or in a box in a cupboard collecting dust - when really they could be bringing in money.

Many of your childhood favourites are now collector's items, and with a bit of research to check what you have you could easily get some extra cash.

We have had a look at the best sellers are for some of the most popular 90s toys.

Polly Pockets

A 90s classic collectible, every little girl needed the latest one as they continued to get more and more sophisticated.

From the standard box cases to the full-blown mini houses that lit up, these tiny dolls were a must-have.

And there is a good chance that many of us still have a box of them tucked away in the attic, or at our parents'.

But you could be sitting on a small fortune.

Collectors and nostalgia enthusiasts want every model, and will pay to have a complete set, particularly if they are in good condition, or even better, still in the box!

Unboxed Polly Pockets are very sort after (eBay)

If you managed to resist the urge to unbox Polly, your pocket friend could fetch over £2,800.

Or you could sell your entire childhood collection in one job lot for hundreds.

You could sell your Polly Pockets in one go (eBay)

And don't forget about the other Polly Pocket merchandise - themed bags, clocks and pencil cases are also sought after.

One particularly rare satchel set is currently on sale on eBay for £2,500.

Rare Polly Pocket merchandise also sells well online (eBay)

Obviously, not all of the plastic playsets are going to go for top prices, but if they are just collecting dust it is worth popping them on an action site, as there may be someone desperate for that one missing piece.

Mighty Max

The boy's alternative to Polly Pocket, Bluebird Toys started selling Mighty Max in 1992 with a range of Doom Heads, Horror Heads and Monster Heads.

Mighty Max bundles selling for hundreds online (eBay)

And now they could go for hundreds and like Polly Pockets, the unboxed versions are worth more separately.

But you can still try and sell yours in a bundle to see if you can get a bit of extra profit.

Barbie

Everyone knows Barbie has a massive following with many collectors who are prepared to spend some serious cash.

So if you managed to keep your Barbies out of the bath and their 90s hair is all still silky and smooth, they could be worth a bit.

Some Barbies can fetch a great deal online (eBay)

But don't get your hopes up too much. Barbie has always been mass-produced and the really rare ones are special editions and one-offs.

It is fair to say, unboxed and well-used Barbies are better off as hand-me-downs or at the charity shop.

But if you do have one in good condition, it is worth having a look at selling online.

Website The Gamer says 1996 Pink Splendor Barbie is worth around £300 while the 1999 40th Anniversary Barbie by De Beers is worth over £70,000 - but it is unlikely you have that in the attic.

Action Man

Like Barbie, Action Man is a classic and if you have a rare one, you could be quids in.

But the 90s version of the greatest hero of them all is unlikely to bring in a lot - unless, yes you guessed it, if you have it new, in the box.

The most valuable Action Men are the more vintage editions, from the 60s and 70s, and oddly, the limited edition clothes.

Vintage Everton Action Man kit on sale on eBay (ebay)

If you happen to own a boxed set of Action Man clothes, like the Everton football kit, it could go for nearly £800.

Thomas The Tank Engine

Many of us are likely to have had some sort of version of everyone's favourite train.

So if you have hung on to your Thomas toys it looks like you might be able to flog some of them for a decent mark-up.

Bundles of Thomas The Tank Engine on sale for over £1,000 (eBay)

Sets of the engine and his friends are on sale for hundreds of pounds, with the diecast versions being very popular.

In fact, bundles of the little metal toys are on sale for well over £1,000.

My Baby All Gone

It is unlikely you left your Baby All Gone in the box - which immediately means you are not going to get a lot for it if you sell online.

If you didn't take your Baby All Gone out the box, it could be worth £250 (ebay)

But if it is in good condition and you still have a lot of the original accessories, you could be looking at £100.

Boxed, mint condition dolls can reach around £250, but what child didn't break out the baby to feed her her cherries?

Unboxed Baby All Gone can still make a bit of money (eBay)

The big bucks in dolls are with vintage Victorian babies which can sell for thousands. And if you happen to have a realistic 'reborn' silicone doll, then some will pay nearly £10,000 for one.

Furbies

These furry little friends were a must-have, and many are prepared to pay well above the production value for one of the vintage editions.

The electronic robotic toy was first released in 1998, resembling a mouse with owl-like features.

Millions were sold worldwide in 1998 and 1999, and it was programmed for 24 languages.

Unboxed Furbies can sell for £250 (eBay)

If you have one at home, you could join others online and try to flog them for £100.

But, the market is quite saturated since their subsequent revivals in 2005 and 2012 and many will look at paying £250, but only if it is still in its box.

Sky Dancers

Ah, Sky Dancers had a rocky start.

The pull-sting toy would send the foam-winged dolls into the air which would float down and the wings flew like a propeller.

Despite massive popularity when manufacturer Galoob launched them in 1994, they were forced to recall the product after over 100 injuries were reported from the flying dolls.

Sky Dancers were huge in the 90s, and boxed versions can be worth £50 each (eBay)

In 2005, Play Along Toys re-released them with an adapted design.

If you didn't play with yours because of the warning, and it wasn't sent back, you could sell your boxed Sky Dancer for around £50 online - but best that they stay boxed.

Lego

The little interconnecting bricks can already be very expensive, but Lego is a timeless toy and you may not be willing to part with your collection.

But if you have some boxed that you never got round to using - especially if they are movie-themed such as Star Wars - you could really have a small fortune on your hands.

Star Wars Lego can go for a very high price (eBay)

The Millennium Falcon is currently on sale for £6,555 with over 40 people watching the bidding process, perhaps hoping to swoop in and make the winning offer.

Other popular sets include the F1 Mercedes AMG Petronas Speed Champions Team and the Lego Airport Shuttle Monorail.

Job lots of Lego pieces can also sell well, but it may be a case of lowering you expectations and just selling them for the best price you can get rather than holding out for thousands.

Tamagotchi

The handheld digital pet was created in Japan, going on sale there in 1996 and took over playgrounds in the rest of the world in 1997.

The toy fad was massive, with it being on children's Christmas lists for the next year - over 76m Tamagotchis have been sold.

Sealed Tamagotchi on sale for £199 (eBay)

And if you still have one of those 1997 pets - sealed in their packaging - then it would be worth £200.

But if it is used, you could still try to sell it for £100, as some others are, but it is unlikely you will get that price, so you might want to let the bidders battle it out and see what the best offer is.

Beanie Babies

The most sought after Beanie Baby is the Princess Diana purple bear which was created by Ty Inc two months after her death in 1997 - proceeds went to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.

At the time, retailers were told they could only buy 12 at a time, fueling the hype that certain Beanie Babies are very rare.

Princess Diana bear on sale for thousands (eBay)

Many collectors wanted to add the plush toy to their collections, and some still do.

So, prices online vary from £275,000 to lower than £3,000.

Other rare bears include Blackie the Bear, Wallace and his Squad, Ariel and her 9inch friends Issy, Ariel and Peanut and Bubbles the gold fish.

If you do have Beanie Babies you are prepared to part with, it is worth doing a bit of research just to check if they are rare, otherwise, you may be better off giving them to a family member, just like Andy did in Toy Story 3 when he passed on his toys to Bonnie.

Playmobil

Created in the 1970s, the German-based toy company creates little human figures that can play in a variety of sets such as houses, aircrafts, emergency service vehicles and castles.

They remain popular today, but some of your sets from your childhood could be worth a little bit of cash.

Playmobil sets in their boxes on sale for over £1,000 (eBay)

Like most of the toys we have look at already, the best sale prices come from the sealed, unopened toys - some fetching over £1,000.

It is unlikely that yours will be new in the box, but if your collection is considerable, such as the Victorian Mansion playsets, you could try and sell them all together.

Sylvanian Families

Again, new in box or huge bundles are key to getting the highest prices on your old Sylvanian Families.

But some of the larger houses can still rack up a fair price even out of the box.

Sylvanian Family houses can still reach a good price (eBay)

Many might not know that the play sets were first created in Japan in the mid-eighties and have been distributed worldwide by a number of toy companies.

By 1999 sales were in decline, but there are still plenty of avid fans wanting to complete their collections.

Some of the rarest, or most sought after, include the Grand Hotel, the Applewood Department Store and the Vintage Mansion House.

My Little Pony

There is still a massive following for My Little Pony, and the toy aimed at little girls has even attracted an unlikely fanbase of adult men who call themselves Bronies.

Only hardcore collectors will be able to sift out the rarest ponies, and if you have them, some could be willing to pay hundreds for them.

Rare My Little Pony toys could be worth thousands (eBay)

This includes the Rapunzel version, which is currently on sale for £1,800, or the Greek Baby Moondancer and the Sweet Scoops pony.

My Little Pony was launched in 1981 and featured colourful plastic horses, with flowing manes and a unique symbol on one or both sides of their flanks.

The franchise has launched, and relaunched, numerous times over the years.

But it is still going strong and in 2014 and 2015 grossed $1bn annually in retail sales.

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