11 Toys from Our Childhood That’s Worth a Lot of Money Now

Dust off those toy chests and sort out those toys! While they seemed basic back in the day, some of the toys from our childhood are worth a lot of money now.

Toys play a huge part in any child's life and are often a source of happiness, entertainment, and hours of endless fun and learning. It comes as no surprise then that even as adults, people continue to show an interest in toys, as they bring back many fond memories of their childhood.

It is also no surprise that many people are willing to shell out thousands of dollars to get their hands on some vintage toys. Regardless of the reason, collectors are paying small fortunes for toys, games, comics, dolls, and action figures.

If you have an attic full of toys, now's a great time to sort through your junk! What you might think is worthless could actually be worth hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars. Here are some old toys that are worth a fortune today. See if you have some of these at home.

1. Lego Trains ($1000-$3000)

Lego has always been a well-loved brand; even today, people are willing to spend thousands on their unique sets. However, there are particular vintage sets that people are wildly passionate about—and they involve trains!

Lego has released several train sets since the 1930s, and it's been a big hit for train enthusiasts of all ages. Lego trains have appeared in several shapes and sizes, but they always provided an engaging experience for all those who built them.

When Kirk Kristiansen built the foundations of the LEGO Group, trains were one of his very first creations. From the 1930s to the 1950s, the company produced several wooden trains, which included steam trains to express trains.

With the main aim of producing toys children can recognize from their everyday lives, trains perfectly fit into the company's mission. However, when the Lego group began adding plastic toys to its list of products, they only continued to make trains made with wood.

Unfortunately, by 1960, Lego closed its wooden toy manufacturing arm permanently after a fire damaged its woodworking factory. It was then that the production of wooden trains came to a stop.

By the 1980s, Lego released a specialized product line for trains using their famous plastic bricks. Because of that, the popularity of original Lego train sets rose greatly. Lego Steam Cargo Trains, Diesel Freight Trains, and High-Speed City Express Trains are now being sold for up to $3000. If you have one of these sitting around in the attic, now's the best time to dust it off and sell it online to make a profit!

2. G.I. Joe Action Figures and Accessories (up to $16,000)

Hasbro's G.I. Joe has been a crowd favorite since the 1960s and remains this way for collectors. Hasbro began the G.I. Joe franchise as a line of military-themed dolls and action figures, which eventually transformed into a character with a storyline thanks to veteran writer Larry Hama. By the 1980s, G.I. Joe became a television character until it hit the big screen in 2009 and 2013.

With many people still engrossed in the G.I. Joe franchise, there's an annual convention that celebrates the character. Collectors gather and showcase their G.I. Joe memorabilia and talk about the character and its history.

Vintage G.I. Joe figures and their accessories have quite a broad price range, but accessories of his enemy organization, "Cobra," are the most popular. Cobra's "Missle Command Center" is priced at $16,000, while some individual figures are priced as high as $5,500.

3. Happy Meal Toys (up to $1000)

Almost everyone born between the 1970s to the early 2000s has a fond memory of visiting McDonald's to enjoy their favorite nuggets, fries, shakes, and of course, their happy meal toys.

Back in the day, McDonald's was all about the kids. Regardless of how easy or difficult it was for parents to purchase a Happy Meal for their children, they came home with it from time to time, and it meant the whole world to their kids.

McDonald's Happy Meals have been a hit since 1979, and it definitely brings back memories of a happy childhood for many collectors. In fact, Happy Meal toys might have even started their interest in collecting!

Themed Happy Meal toys often came as collectibles, and those who were patient enough to collect them all can rake in some good cash today. Some of the most popular include the Hot Wheels, Barbie, Disney, and My Little Pony collectibles.

The very first promotional partnership McDonald's had was in December 1979, when they collaborated with "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," offering themed Happy Meals and toys from the movie. It was a successful partnership that paved the way for many more.

By 1983, McDonald's formed one of the best brand partnerships of all time when every Happy Meal came with either a Hot Wheels car or a Barbie. There were 14 collectibles to choose from, which until today, are popular among collectors.

The complete Disney character Happy Meal collection goes for as much as $1000, while a full set of the Barbie Happy Meal collection is priced at $135 on eBay.

4. Vintage Strawberry Shortcake Dolls ($100-$550)

Strawberry Shortcake is a classic character known even to kids today. First used on greeting cards, Strawberry Shortcake's popularity rose so quickly that she evolved into a range of dolls, posters, and later on, shows and films.

After Strawberry Shortcake became every young girl's favorite character, several products like sticker albums, clothing, video games, and dolls were released. TV specials were also made featuring the characters until 1985, a time when the character's popularity slowly died down.

While Strawberry Shortcake was quiet for a couple of years, every decade saw a revival of the franchise. However, it's the vintage Strawberry Shortcake dolls released in the 1980s that remain in demand and are being sold for $100 to $550, with those still housed inside their box going for higher rates.

5. Lite Brite (~$300)

Lite Brite, which was first made available in 1967, is a toy children used to create glowing art with small, colored plastic pegs that they stuck into an illuminated board. It allowed children to let their imagination run wild but also came with an option to purchase dozens of pre-patterned pictures to use as templates for creating images.

Throughout its time as a well-loved toy, it licensed characters from My Little Pony to Scooby-Doo, Darth Vader, Mickey Mouse, and Mr. Potato Head, which made making images a lot more fun for children.

Now, sets from the 1970s to the 1990s sell for almost $300.

6. First Edition Barbie (as much as $23,000)

Barbie, short for Barbara Millicent Roberts, was first introduced by Mattel, Inc. in 1959. Since the creation of the doll, Barbie's figure has been mired in controversy. Women criticized it for having "too much of a figure," which imposed unrealistic beauty standards on little girls.

Despite this, Barbie became an instant hit. Mattel broadcasted commercials directly to children, and before they knew it, every young girl wanted a Barbie doll.

Barbie's face has gone through several makeovers through the years, but for collectors, there's nothing better than the classic 1959 First Edition Barbie. The doll, complete with its swept-up do and stylish black-and-white striped swimsuits, sells for as much as $8000 to $23,000.

7. American Girl "Molly" Doll ($11,000)

American Girl dolls are more than just your average dolls – they're fictional characters that introduce American history to children, encouraging them to realize their potential. In fact, for some people, American Girl dolls and books became their point of reference for many things about life.

While brand-new American Girl dolls can be found at the mall and for a little over a hundred dollars, discontinued dolls are worth a lot more. "Out of print" dolls like Kirsten, Felicity Merriman, Samantha, and Molly are being sold for as much as $11,000 if they are still sealed inside their original box.

8. Troll Dolls (up to $500)

Chances are, those who had Troll dolls years back didn't just have one – it was always nice to have a collection of Troll dolls that could be played with in different ways. Now, these dolls you used to play hairdresser with, or played with as villagers, are now worth a small fortune.

Whether made with wood, porcelain, or vinyl, collectors are waiting to get their hands on these precious toys. Vintage, especially rare Troll dolls, sell for as much as $500 online depending on the type of doll.

9. Hot Wheels (as much as $125,000)

We see Hot Wheels cars being sold for just a couple of dollars in major stores, but rare ones have proven to be worth thousands. The most valuable Hot Wheels car is the 1969 Volkswagen "Beach Bomb," which was designed with surfboards hanging out its back window, and wheels that are too big for the usual Mattel race tracks.

Because the car was never mass-produced, it is valuable to collectors. Currently, Hot Wheels collector Bruce Pascal has the prototype, which is valued at $150,000, making it the most prized mini car.

10. The Original Monopoly Game ($146,500)

Monopoly is a family-favorite board game that brings out the competitiveness in each family member. While mass-produced versions are available in every major toy store or superstore, vintage sets are selling for up to thousands of dollars.

The original hand-drawn oil cloth version of Monopoly, owned by the game's inventor, Charles Darrow, sold for a whopping $146,500 at a Sotheby's auction house in 2011, almost double its expected price. However, even the vintage versions from the 1930s have sold for $3,125, and limited edition sets sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay.

11. Vintage Easy-Bake Oven ($150)

The Easy-Bake Oven, which kids could use to bake real, edible desserts, was all the rage in the 1960s and remained this way until the early 2000s. First introduced in 1963, the Easy-Bake Oven sparked a passion for baking in thousands of children, allowing them to bake mini desserts for their whole families.

Each Easy-Bake Oven came with cake mixes made by the Betty Crocker group. They already had flavors like Rainbow Chip and German Chocolate, which they continue to sell to date.

Aside from the oven, Easy-Bake also came up with the "mini-wave," which was a mini microwave for kids to use. It came complete with a knob and numerical buttons.

By the 1990s, Hasbro modernized the Easy-Bake oven through the Snack Center, which enabled kids to have more recipe options. By 2003, it wasn't just cakes and snacks they could make with the Easy-Bake, but real meals! They launched the Easy-Bake Real Meal Oven, which lets kids make their own dinner (like pizza, pasta, and nachos.)

Nowadays, the Easy-Bake Oven is still available for sale, and it even comes in gender-neutral colors for little boys to enjoy. However, collectors are keen on getting their hands on vintage models. If you still have yours, you can easily earn some cash, with collectors willing to pay as much as $150 for a vintage set.

These nostalgic toys bring back a lot of memories, and it would be nice if we still had them for their sentimental value. More than that, though, no one would have ever thought that these eleven seemingly-regular toys could be worth as much as they're worth today.

With people willing to pay a small fortune for these toys, it just goes to show how important they are in a person's childhood. To this grandma, owning one particular doll was her lifelong dream until her granddaughter was finally able to give it to her. Click here to read the touching story which left the old lady in tears.