Let’s face it: no matter how scared you got watching “Jurassic Park”, it still felt like the coolest thing to have an action figure of the T-Rex displayed in your room.
“Jurassic Park” is the 90s toy market. If you have an original version of these dinosaur figures, you could sell them online for $1,200. Although there are still dinosaur figures out on the market now, nothing compares to the original. Go take a look in your attic, you might find something, but be careful with your fingers, you don’t want them to get bitten!
Vintage Christmas Ornaments
Christmas trees are usually full of all kinds of ornaments and lights, some of which may have come from specialty shops for fifty dollars, others hand-made by kids for the low, low price of a mess. Usually, these will sit on the tree or stay hidden in the attic, but not all the time. Another option is to look up the price online.
Vintage sleds can be worth several hundred, and if you manage to have an 1880s blown glass ornament, such as a cluster of grapes, that item could be worth as much as a thousand dollars.
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels was another favorite collectible. There are many versions of these cars made today, but none of them compare to the original ones made back in the ‘60s. In fact, since 1968, over 4,000,000,000 Hot Wheel toys have been made, but not all of them are considered valuable.
Some of the toys were only made as prototypes, like the 1969 “Volkswagen Beach Bomb.” This version never made it to production, making it one of a kind and with a value of $125,000. So, if you know a hardcore collector of these toys, tell them to start saving up!
G.I. Joe circa 1964
G.I. Joe was the original action man; we know most of you had one as a kid. This toy is not totally phased out, though, and today's versions probably even have better gadgets than what he had back then.
The original action man, G.I. Joe, has had many different incarnations and appearances over the years. Still, it’s his original 1964 version that is worth the most money. If you (or your grandparents) have one of these in the attic, you could be looking at a cool $10,000. That is, if it’s in mint condition and unopened.
Vintage Magazines
Hoarders rejoice: old issues of magazines can be worth mucho moolah! Yes, it's true, the magazines that showed up at your door, whether or not you wanted them, could pad your wallet in a surprising way. Ordinary copies that went for a dollar back in the day now might be worth anywhere between $20 and $30. Rarer issues, however, have been appreciated in an incredible way.
A copy of Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 went for a whopping $156,000 during an auction in 2007. Designers love to use these old issues for inspiration, which has been part of the reason the mag market has gone so bullish.