On the 50th anniversary of Hot Wheels and 65th anniversary of Matchbox cars, a website has identified the models that will fetch you the highest prices. Read on to find out more...
Tucked away in your attic far away from the prying eyes of gold diggers sits a fortune. And to mark the 50th anniversary of Hot Wheels and 65th anniversary of Matchbox cars, gocompare.com has approached Neal Giordano, an expert, to help them identify ‘old gold’ in the form of ‘retro toys’. Here’s looking at those forgotten ’80s and ’90s toys that could fetch you a load of cash.
Barbie
If you are an ’80s kid and have a Barbie stored in its box with all its accessories intact, you could earn a fortune from it. Vintage Barbies clearly command a price in the market. In fact, at a recent eBay auction, a Number 3 Barbie — from the 1960s sold for £500 (approximately Rs 45,414.96).
Wun-Dar He-Man
Also referred to as the naked-with-a-loin-cloth He-Man, this action figure was a giveaway that came with the purchase of Wonder Bread in the 1990s. If you have one, it could fetch you around $1,000 (approximately Rs 64,976.40).
My Little Pony
Those plastic My Little Pony toys can fetch you a decent amount starting from £273 (approximately Rs 24,796.57). Recently, a rare My Little Pony from the ’80s with pretty little strawberries on the hinds of the horse, sold for £453.69 (approximately Rs 41,237.25).
Castle Grayskull
Fans of He-Man and Skeletor will recollect that the Masters of the Universe Classics toy series saw the release of a new Castle Grayskull playset based on the original 1981 prototype. Like its predecessor, it featured a functioning “jaw bridge,” an armoury, a castle throne, a trap door, a scaling ladder and rooftop laser cannon, a working elevator and “three floor levels of adventure.” The playset goes for $579 (approximately Rs 37,618.21). While individual toys of He-Man, Skeletor and the rest could fetch you $500 onwards (approximately Rs 32,485.50).
Troll dolls
The troll dolls that kids own now are a far cry from the scary ones back in the ’80s and ’90s. If you chose to hide it away in your attic so as to not scare children, it’s time to rummage through your closet and find them — especially if you have specific ones as they could earn you around £200 (approximately Rs 18,178.60) on eBay. Trolls like the Dam Monkey Boy Sailor could fetch around £190 (approximately Rs 17,259.70) and Giant Henry Groom could get you £128 (approximately Rs 11,627.58).
Snake-Eyes from the G-I Joe collection
The first edition of Snake-Eyes’ action figure is the most valuable GI Joe figure. Priced at $1300 (approximately Rs 84,480.50)
Hot Wheels The Olds 442
The Olds 442 by Hot Wheels was released in 1971 for pences. This US-made model is thought to be a prototype and is now worth £3,372 (approximately Rs 3,06,314.18). The Pink Redline Hot Wheels are often considered a ‘premium’ collectible, simply because it wasn’t the most popular colour among boys, and was issued in less numbers. It commands a price in the market but is very hard
to find.
About Neal
His price guides are used by worldwide collectors. Neal has been valuing diecast toy cars for over 20 years and has written two books on the subject. He’s identified the 50 most valuable models, including the 1961 Magirus-Deutz Truck, Matchbox in orange, worth £8,513 (approximately Rs 7,73,440.10) and the 1966 Opel Diplomat, Matchbox in sea foam green, which is worth £4,812 (approximately Rs 4,37,189.45).
*Prices subject to exchange rate
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Toys")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}