It seems as if the last time we heard the words ‘pogs’ and ‘slammers’ was at least two decades ago. And that’s probably true as they were most popular in the ’80s. But before you get into a why-am-I-so-old cry, try to think if you have any of the original ones lying around.
In 2016, a six-piece set of holographic Jurassic Park pogs, including a slammer, was sold for (you’ll need to sit down for this) one million dollars. A full set could still be worth a couple of thousands without a hologram and a slammer.
Garbage Pail Kids Cards
Back in the ‘80s, Garbage Pail cards may not have been popular amongst parents, but we all loved them as kids. Although these cards are not available on the market anymore, they are worth more than you might think today if you try to look for them online or at vintage stores. Some of these cards can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars — depending on the kind of card and the condition, of course.
One card from this stack was recently sold for $300 and an entire 1985 Garbage Pail Kids Series of cards went for $4,000 on websites like eBay and Amazon. Insane!
Auto Parts
You might not have an ancient magazine or a ten thousand-dollar boogie board lying around, but you almost certainly have an old car. You might even be able to find some gems, such as hood ornaments, car vases, and other parts with decorative value, which collectors treasure. Whether re-purposing for future industrial design or just for car history, certain pieces can be worth a nice bit of cash as long as they're in decent condition.
The most expensive hood ornament in the world, a diamond-encrusted Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy, was estimated to be worth $200,000.
Dollhouses
At almost 6 feet wide, this circa 1924 Tudor was the biggest ever built by the venerable British toymaker Lines Bros. Expertly designed by carpenters and engineers, this grand dollhouse features shrunken versions of then-contemporary flowery wallpaper, stucco walls, and mullioned glass windowpanes.
Similar, smaller dollhouses by Lines Bros. and other makers are worth much less but still appealing to collectors.
Happy Meal Toys
If you were a kid during the heyday of Happy Meal toys from McDonald's or had a kid during that time, you may be sitting on a treasure trove. With enough of them, you could be looking at tens of thousands of dollars just from a few pieces of plastic.
It would be best to take your bag of toys to an appraiser, which will help you find the really rare items, but you can also take a look at the listings that are currently on eBay. A set of Disney Happy Meal Toys went for around $10,000 in April of 2019.