5 Vintage Collectibles Worth a Fortune & 5 Worth Nothing

5 Vintage Collectibles Worth Fortunes and 5 Worth Pennies

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for old-school collectibles that nowadays are either real treasures or major letdowns.

#5: Disappointing: Pogs

For all the buzz Pogs caused on school playgrounds, it’s too bad they’re not highly coveted these days. Think those special hologram Pogs might be valuable? Well, you might only be able to get a few bucks for those. There are some vintage holographic skull designs that can fetch $40-plus on eBay. But aside from that, if you still have your regular old Pogs collection—even with all those designs we thought were so cool back then—you’re likely to be disappointed with the return. At this point, you might as well start playing again… or just give ‘em away.

#5: Valuable: Vintage Leica Cameras

Now we’re talking! Leica cameras, developed in Germany, date back to the Roaring Twenties—or, as they’re known in Germany, the Golden Twenties. In 2022, a 1923 0-Series Leica became the most expensive camera ever sold. How much, you ask? Well, try $15 million. Yes, you heard that right. Sure, that’s an outlier—but another 1923 Leica sold at auction for $2.97 million! That’s not too shabby, either! Later Leica models can also fetch a pretty penny. Take, for instance, a rare black 1957 Leica MP that went for $1.34 million. Other less-rare and worse-conditioned vintage Leicas can still put hundreds or even thousands of dollars in your pocket. People will pay a lot to look through a lens of the past!

#4: Disappointing: 1990s Happy Meal Toys

There were so many legendary Happy Meal toys in the ‘90s—ones that now have nostalgia written all over them. But apparently such nostalgia doesn’t equate to a significant price tag, even decades removed. You’d likely have to sell a whole batch of ‘90s Happy Meal toys for it to even be worth the time to try to sell them. Even if the toys are unopened, you might only get a buck or two for each. That goes for throwbacks like the 1991 “Tiny Toon Adventures” toys and the 1994 “The Magic School Bus” toys—as well as more mainstream collectibles McDonald’s gave out, like the 1997 Teenie Beanie Babies and the 1999 Furbies. Maybe one day people will change their minds about these artifacts!

#4: Valuable: Original Star Wars Action Figures

Vintage figurines from one of the most successful film franchises of all time should be worth something—and they are. The first Kenner “Star Wars” action figures arrived shortly after the original 1977 film. A complete set, featuring all the classic characters, can easily go for hundreds of dollars. Better yet, on the rare occasion that just one of these action figures is still sealed in the original box, it can easily go for hundreds on its own! That’s exactly what’s happened in 2025 for the likes of Obi-Wan, C-3PO, and Princess Leia. What can we say? People love “Star Wars.” Oh yeah, and check the basement for vintage G.I. Joe action figures too, because they’re also pretty valuable nowadays.

#3: Disappointing: Precious Moments Figurines

Unless your Precious Moments figurine has a signature from founder Sam Butcher—or is just an ultra-rare edition, it likely isn’t worth that much. That’s true of even the earliest versions which came out in 1978. Maybe you can get $10 or even $20 for one if you’re lucky. But the nostalgic appeal of these religious figurines would lead us to think that they could be worth much more. We know there’s a market for vintage holiday antiques as well, but even the holiday-day themed Precious Moments figurines don’t go for that much these days.

#3: Valuable: Vinyl Records

Society may have moved on from vinyl records to an extent, but don’t get it twisted: they’re alive and well. Sure, we have a multitude of ways to stream music more conveniently now, but many still hold this throwback way of listening close and dear. In the 2010s, there was a vinyl revival of sorts. Some of the rarest one-of-one records have gone for hundreds of thousands of dollars. But even less scarce vintage vinyl records can go for big bucks if in good condition—and even the super-mass-produced classics can be worth a decent amount. But, for many people, dropping the needle and letting that record spin is priceless.

#2: Disappointing: 1990s Comic Books

A lot of comic book fans have a pretty negative view of the 1990s. The art style was often loud and the storytelling didn’t always land like it did in the old days—even with the rise of new characters like Harley Quinn and Deadpool. On top of that, the market was absolutely flooded, with tons of different titles and way too many copies. That’s a big reason why most of them just aren’t worth much today. Still, there were definitely plenty of bright spots—like “The Sandman,” “Spawn,” and “Kingdom Come,” just to name a few. But even those rarely go for much unless they’re in near-perfect condition.

#2: Valuable: Vintage Video Games

Factory-sealed classic video games can be worth a fortune. Look no further than the Nintendo original 1985 Super Mario Bros. game that sold for $2 million in 2021. That really happened—we’re not playing. Oh, yeah, and what can a 1987 Legend of Zelda game cartridge get you? Well, apparently, $870,000. Even if it’s a classic that has been played time and time again, it may very well be worth something. There’s something about those vintage video games that can scratch a nostalgic gamer’s itch. So don’t tell us they’re outdated. They’re standing the test of time just fine.

#1: Disappointing: Beanie Babies

Ah, the ‘90s collectible phenomenon: the Beanie Baby. These cute little fellas made countless people smile—and who knows for how many people they helped spark an interest in poetry! Sadly, the craze is gone. And Beanie Babies clearly don’t have a ton of nostalgic value these days. Maybe it’ll take a few more decades—or it’s just not to be. While there are a few super rare exceptions, the more regular Beanie Babies that were a part of so many collections routinely go for less than their original $5 retail price. Considering they’re the symbol of ‘90s collector culture—a true icon—that’s definitely disappointing.

#1: Valuable: Baseball Cards

There are loads of examples of old baseball cards commanding a lot of dough. Cards with values in the hundreds and even the thousands are much more common than a lot of people probably think. That’s especially true for cards with a mint-condition grade from a reputable card grading company like PSA or Beckett. Of course, then you have the big-time, ultimate rare throwback cards of some of baseball’s all-time legends. Those have gone for hundreds of thousands, and even millions of dollars in some cases. A T206 Honus Wagner—issued between 1909 and 1911—sold for $7.25 million in 2022. Later that year, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle sold for $12.6 million. Not bad for a piece of cardboard with a picture on it!

Is there a collectible you think will experience a huge spike in value in the future? Let us know in the comments below!