Top 10 Valuable Collectible Toys
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VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
Script written by Michael Wynands
Quit digging holes in your backyard; if there's a fortune to be found, it's probably buried somewhere in your toy box! Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down the Top 10 Valuable Collectible Toys. For this list, to avoid defining the term "toy" too broadly, we're limiting our entries to items that are physically played with.
Special thanks to our user MikeyP for submitting the idea using our interactive suggestion tool at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
Quit digging holes in your backyard; if there's a fortune to be found, it's probably buried somewhere in your toy box! Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down the Top 10 Valuable Collectible Toys. For this list, to avoid defining the term "toy" too broadly, we're limiting our entries to items that are physically played with.
Special thanks to our user MikeyP for submitting the idea using our interactive suggestion tool at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
#10: 1982 World’s Fair Astronaut B PEZ Dispenser
We’d like to introduce you to the world’s most valuable PEZ dispenser. Designed as a promotional item for the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, it was not selected to be put into mass-production. The few prototypes made were given away to employees without a second thought. They are nearly impossible to track down today, but in 2006, one of the only two known existing prototypes sold for a whopping $32,205 (PEZ not included!). We love these little collectibles as much as the next person, but with that price tag, it’s a little hard to swallow.
#9: Pikachu Illustrator Cards
Here’s a Pokémon card you’re going to want to keep in an extra thick protective case. Only six of these rare cards were put into circulation, and the only way to get your hands on one was to win the 1997 Japanese Pokémon Card Game Illustration Contest. Nowadays, one stays at the Official Pokémon TCG Blog office, and 5 belong to private collectors. The original sale record was $20,000. In 2013, a card in even better condition was put on eBay at an asking price of $100,000. The final sale price was never disclosed, but rumor has it that the winning bid was a whopping $80,000.
#8: Star Wars Power of the Force Ewok Combat Playpack
Let’s be honest - if you got this wicked awesome toy set in 1984, there’s no chance you actually left it in the box; recreating the battle of Endor was much too tempting. Unfortunately, this particular set isn’t worth much unless it’s still boxed and in mint condition. They were widely distributed, sold like hot cakes as a result of being perfectly timed following the release of “Return of the Jedi” and are fondly remembered. Any chance Mom and Dad lost it in the attic before Christmas back in ‘84? If so, that boxed set can get you up to $5998. That’s a lot of Galactic credits.
#7: Peanut, the Royal Blue Elephant Beanie Baby
Beanie Babies really haven’t gone on to become the valuable commodity we once thought they'd be. As is often the case, only the special editions or mistakes have gained significant value – like everyone’s favorite royal blue elephant, Peanut, for example. Due to a manufacturing error, a batch of about 2000 of these usually light blue elephants came out a few shades darker. They now fetch anywhere between $1500 and $5000, depending on condition. Watch out though - upon seeing how popular the mistake was, TY released a larger Peanut the Royal Blue Beanie Buddy, which isn’t worth anything to collectors.
#6: Masters of the Universe: Eternia Playset
In the 1980s, Mattel produced a line of Masters of the Universe toys that were hugely popular. Many are now quite valuable, such as the He Man & Battlecat Action Figure pack, which has sold for $7000. The “Holy Grail” of playsets though is Eternia: big, complex and extremely expensive for the time, it resulted in limited sales. It was epic, and has gone on to sell for as high as $17,000 in recent years. It included 3 titanic towers, a motorized monorail system, an absurd amount of accessories and many small moving parts that were easily lost or broken. Assembly is a true labor of love and it sure ain’t cheap.
#5: Rocket Firing Boba Fett Star Wars Figure
The late 1970s were marked by a major shift in toy regulations when it was reported that a young boy tragically choked on the plastic missile of a Battlestar Galactica toy. In response, many toys with projectiles were pulled from the market. Kenner Products had been marketing a rocket-firing Boba Fett as a mail order special, but his spring-loaded jetpack missile was deemed too likely to cause injury, so it was permanently glued into place. A few firing prototypes managed to survive the purge by Kenner, making this one of the most sought after Star Wars toys. In 2016, one was listed on Ebay for $150,000.
#4: 1969 Volkswagen Rear-Loading Beach Bomb
Part of the 1969 Hot Wheels line, the Beach Bomb was a scaled down version of the real VW van. The designers prioritized detail and realism when putting the prototype together, but unfortunately, the removable rear-loading surfboards and high center of gravity often caused it to tip off the Hot Wheels track. The van was also too narrow to work with the supercharger car launcher. This was a dealbreaker for Hot Wheels, who recognized the accessories as their best selling products. So a redesign was in order, but not before an estimated 200 of the rear-loading prototypes were created, which now sell for as high as $72,000 with a source even claiming a $125,000 price tag for one.
#3: 40th Anniversary Diamond-Encrusted Hot Wheels Car
To celebrate 40 years of Hot Wheels and the production of their 4 billionth toy car, Mattel unveiled the most expensive Hot Wheels car in history at the 2008 American International Toy Fair. Hot Wheels teamed up with celebrity jewellery designer Jason Arasheben for the occasion. Cast in 18 karat white gold and covered in over 2700 diamonds, it’s worth $140,000. Since there’s no chance of stumbling across this toy car while cleaning the basement, keep your eyes peeled for the Hot Pink Beatnik Bandit, a 1968 Hot Wheels car marketed to girls that sold poorly and is now valued at $15,250.
#2: 1963 G.I. Joe Toy Soldier Prototype
Very few action figures have ever managed to reach the iconic status of G.I. Joe. Sure - they’ve experienced some bad times since they launched in 1964, like the memorably abandoned, (and now quite rare) G.I. Joe Manimals character line – though an unopened Vortex from that line did sell for around $21,000 on eBay. But credit needs to be given to the toy line that coined the term “action figure”. This is the prototype that started it all. Handmade by creator Don Levine using a mixture of wire, plastic and fabric, the original G.I Joe stands at 11 ½ - inches and is crafted in painstaking detail. Just look at that hand-painted face. Last recorded sale price? $200,000.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Babe Ruth ‘Super Chase’ Figure (with the Blue Hat) by McFarlane
Complete Care Bears Collector's Set
Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Dance & Play Puppy
1961 Magirus Deutz Crane aka Matchbox No. 30]
1978 ‘Double Telescoping Lightsaber’ Darth Vader
#1: Barbie by Stefano Canturi
Two of the most highly sought after items in the world come together for a second time on our list - toys and diamonds! G.I. Joe may have given us the term action figure, but there is no doll in the world more recognizable than Barbie. Australian jeweller Stefano Canturi designed this Barbie to celebrate her “modern yet timeless style.” This one of a kind Barbie is dressed in a strapless black evening dress and wears a diamond choker around her neck that features a 1-carat pink diamond as its centerpiece. She was auctioned off in 2010 to support breast cancer for a whopping $302,500.
Do you agree with our list? What valuable collectible toys are you dying to get your hands on? For more priceless top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
