Collecting is quite one of the oldest hobbies in the world, and it’s a common activity most young children share, whether it’d be small rocks, little pine cones, and of course toys. At a certain age, children tend to stop collecting their childhood toys and often throw them away or give them to someone else to enjoy when they get older, but in some rare cases, they save them – often storing them away. If this is the case, and you collected toys as a child, you may be sitting on a good amount of cash that you’re completely unaware of thanks to your childhood trinkets.

In the late 1990s, Beanie Babies took the world by storm and began a sensational mania. In the early 2000s, most of these characters sold for hundreds of dollars, and some escalated in value quickly. But once the hype for these toys calmed, so did their online prices. In recent years, it seems that the sensation may return quicker than previously expected, with its many toys, including Buckingham (pictured) and Drumstick, selling at rapid rates online. Seeing as many children and adults collected these in the ‘90s, it may be likely that a couple of dozen reside in your home. A specific character, an original Peanut the Elephant, is calculated to be the rarest and can easily sell for up to $800 online. 

Palisades Toys was a toy company that went bankrupt in 2006, resulting in the discontinuation of several toy lines at that time. In recent years, most of their products have spiked in value, many of their older action figures selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay. Specifically, their Space Channel 5 action figures (which were not mass-produced) are highly sought-out collectibles and sell for lots online and fast, including fan-favorite Pudding (pictured), which sold for $50 two months ago. An entire Space Channel 5 Palisades collection in unopened condition can sell for up to $650 online, based on completed sales. Their other action figure toy lines, including The Fairly OddParents, The Muppet Show, and The House of the Dead, all sold for large amounts of cash on Mercari last month. 

Although this is not something children collect, considering they’re relatively new and meant for adults, Funko Pops (created by Funko, Inc.) are one of the best-selling modern-day collectibles out there, and most of their products are easy to find at most retail and major stores. But what you probably didn’t know is how valuable most of their older characters are; you may be sitting on a small fortune. This specific Velma (pictured) was deemed one of the most sought out Funko characters of 2018, and currently has an average value of $105 based on the Pop Price Guide. Other “common” characters, including the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz) and Queen Amidala (Star Wars), are also highly sought after. Furthermore, Funko keeps track of all their items and trending values through their official app.

Collectible trading cards, such as baseball and Pokémon, also have their value. Although it’s unlikely to encounter rare trading cards on your own (especially those with misprints and typos), many of them are listed online daily, and many sales are completed within a week. This rare shiny Pokémon card in decent condition from 2011 (pictured) is currently listed as $24.99 in value according to Price Charting. Official and self-printed signatures on trading cards boost the price too, adding a minimum of $50 to its overall value depending on both its condition and rarity and if the signature itself is authentic.

ZhuZhu Pets, Kung Zhu, and ZhuZhu Puppies, all released in the early 2010s, were highly sought out character toys for children. They are small, robotic, hamster-like creatures that run across floors (pictured), make noises, and interact with others in the collection. Although they sold well, the original lineup discontinued in 2012, and have since been sought out by adults who grew up with these toys, and many of them are quite rare to come by. Characters like Ryder, a pink-nosed Stinky, and Carly sell almost instantaneously on eBay and Mercari, and finding a mint-in-the-box ZhuZhu from this time period is not easy to find.

You may be holding onto some highly sought-out collectibles, particularly from your childhood, and doing some research may make you some quick cash. Now, it’s time to dig out old boxes, slided binders, and toy boxes, and get ready to see if you own anything that could be rewarding, and demanding to someone else.