Are retro toys worth anything? Storage experts explain

Spring clean season is here which means many of us will be heating into our dusty old attics and cramped garages to sort a clear out. 

Over the years, we collect many items and mementoes that may only appear to have value to us - but sometimes they can be quite valuable.

It's not just classic paintings or pristine antiques that could earn you a little money, in fact, there is also a high demand for memorabilia items from cult movies and vintage toys.

With this in mind, the self-storage brand, Extra Room, has compiled a list of some of the top picks.

Mark Simpson, Director at Extra Room, has shared some advice for finding old valuables in your home, he said: “If you stumble across items you’ve kept stored that you think could be worth something you should first look online to benchmark how common your item is and whether there’s online demand for it.

The expert elaborated: "If you think you have a collectable on your hands, find a specialist in the subject area of your item to get it appraised if it could be a high-value item.

"When storing items that you think could accumulate in value over time, be sure to keep them in any original boxes or packaging as this will increase the value.

"Store these inside sturdy boxes to protect your items from outside damage and interference.

"This will also keep dust away. Your items should be kept away from natural light to stop bleaching from the sun and be kept in a controlled environment to reduce the risk of dampness or mould.”

Can you make money selling old toys?

Pokemon cards

Becoming a cultural phenomenon in the 1990s, the games and trading cards are now sought-after commodities.

If you owned one if the original cards as a child, you could never have imagined how valuable some cards are today.

In fact, Extra Room pointed out that the record was broken for the most expensive Pokemon card ever sold in 2022.

The card, which is known as the ‘Pikachu Illustrator Gold’, was sold at auction for a mind-blowing £703,000.

The experts also pointed out that Shiny Charizard cards are also known to be in high demand, fetching prices from hundreds to thousands of pounds online.

Furbies

Did you know there is a rare ‘Bejewelled Furby’ worth up to £140,000? 

The Furby in question features 156 Swarovski crystals, amongst diamonds and other precious gemstones.

Whilst only five were ever made, there are other Furbies in existence you have more chance of having in your home that may be worth a good amount.

The special edition ‘Royal Furby’ from 2000 is worth around £75. 

The experts continued by saying that on eBay you can find special colourways for £50-£200, such as the original 1990s black and white Furby.

Beanie Babies 

If you collected Beanie Babies in the 1990s, it might feel very surprising that some are actually worth a lot of money now.

The storage pros explained that the value will be based on the condition that the toy has been kept in and how early the generation it is.

The team added: "Whilst the majority of Beanie Babies haven’t accumulated in value, there are some that are considered rare to find.

"The most expensive Beanie Baby in existence is the rare ‘Princess the Bear’ which was produced in 1997 to mark the passing of Princess Diana and was listed online for an impressive £350,000". 

However, you could still make some quick cash from more commonly found Beanie Babies.

For instance, the Germania German bear is going for around £100 each on eBay and ‘Kicks the bear’ in green with a special football logo, is also priced at around £100.

Do you have any of these items in your cupboards? ( Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)

Vintage Barbie dolls

The most expensive Barbie is said to be the Stefanie Canturi designer edition from 2010 which is valued at £236,000.

The Extra Room experts attribute its high value to the inclusion of emerald-cut Australian pink diamonds, surrounded by three carats of glittering white diamonds.

However, the team did draw some attention to some more frequently found Barbies you may have lying around.

The 1992 ‘Totally Hair Barbie’, can fetch £150 if in good condition as well as the 1968 ‘Talking Barbie’ which can reach a valuation of £700.

Star Wars figurines

As one of the most popular film franchises of all time, it's unsurprising that some of the many collectable merchandise items from the original trilogy are worth a lot.

The experts explained that some action figures are among the highest ticket items that have sold.

They noted that in 2015, a 1978 Luke Skywalker figure on its original display card sold for around £19,500. 

That being said it’s not just the action figures that can net a fortune.

The team pointed to a vintage, boxed Millennium Falcon from 1981 that is currently listed on eBay for £9,500. 

They continued: "More common 1970s loose figurines in mint condition, can attract an average of £200 for characters such as Princess Leia, Chewbacca and Darth Vadar.

"If you are a keen Star Wars fan, it’s worth checking your collection to see what hidden gem figures you might be holding onto".

NES and SNES games

According to the experts, one of the highest-ticketed Super Nintendo games is the rare game ‘Powerfest 1994’, which challenged players to trials of classic SNES games such as ‘Super Mario Bros’. 

For instance, Powerfest 1994 is valued at around £14,000. 

The storage experts added: "If you have more commonly found games like ‘Spider-man: The Animated Series’ you can sell these for around £500.

"Cartridges of the NES original ‘Super Mario Bros.’ from 1986 can go from anything from £500 upwards to thousands of pounds, depending on how rare the edition is".

Early edition Harry Potter books

Finally, early edition copies of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ have also been listed online for up to a whopping £69,000.

The experts shared that versions with the name ‘Joanne Rowling’ instead of ‘J.K. Rowling’ can be the most high value, alongside first editions.

They added: "First editions can be incredibly rare to find as just 500 were issued and most went to libraries.

"There is still an online appetite for more commonly found versions of the original version of the book, with 1800 being listed on eBay for up to £500 each.

"The other six books in the series don’t command as much as the first book but can still net up to £12,000 for rare copies of 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' or 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'.

"If you find any copy of the original Harry Potter books it’s worth doing your research to see what they’re worth".