Do you have hidden treasure lying forgotten in your attic? Find out if your childhood purchases could make you a grown-up fortune!
This week (while Christmas shopping for the ankle-biters in my family) I got to thinking about `great toys I have known'.
I bet we all have a few of these. I still remember the joy I felt hugging my Care Bear for the first time.the excitement that engulfed me as I unwrapped the My Little Pony Show Stable I'd had my eye on for so long.
Decades later - as I flogged these toys on eBay - I thanked my lucky stars that my dad had kept all the boxes I'd tried to throw away. My toys were off to loving, dedicated collectors, and I was off to the shops with a few more pounds in my pocket.
So - how much could you make `selling your youth' in this way? Could your childhood heroes rescue you from your present financial mess? Are you sure you don't have a boxed, original Star Wars model lurking in your garage?
Here's a guide to swallowing that nostalgia and making hard cash from your childhood friends.
Mint means money!
According to the experts at Vectis - the world's biggest toy auctioneer - the condition of an old toy is hugely important.
`Mint' generally means the item should have all the accessories that came with it, no repairs, and an intact finish (paint job). Of course, very, very few toys meet this standard. If you come across any dating from the 1960s or before, they're likely to be worth a fortune.
If you do find an old toy in good condition, handle it very gently and don't try and clean it yourself - you'll likely to do more harm than good! Any restoration work should be left to the experts.
Boxed = double the value
Without the original packaging, a toy is only ever likely to reach half its potential value - even if it's in perfect condition and has never been played with.
In 2003, a lady in Wales dug out 20 original Star Wars toys, still unopened and in their packaging, which she had bought 25 years previously as spares and replacements for her grandson.
The figures sold for a combined total of £10,100. If the boxes had been opened, they would have been worth just a fraction of this.
Remember, even a beaten-up old box is better than no box at all. Packaging often carries the patent numbers and year of copyright that collectors get so excited about.
In a recent specialist auction, £1,265 was paid for an empty cardboard box that once contained a Cetandco `Charterhouse Sand Bag Encampment' model. Odd but true!
Unexpected gems
It's obvious that the rarer a toy is, the more valuable it's going to be. But - it's not always the famous, good-quality collectables that command the highest value.
If you owned a toy that was considered low-quality or `disposable' 40 years ago, it could be worth digging it out. Few people will have bothered to collect it, and its poorer workmanship will mean there are fewer intact now anyway.
In other words, it's likely to be very rare, and possibly very valuable.
Collecting habits are changing
If you unearth toys dating from the last 30 years, their value is likely to have been damaged by changing collecting habits.
From the late 1970s onwards, people began to keep their toys in better condition, play with them less and hold on to boxes and accessories. This means that many more recent toys are still out there, in better condition, so prices are kept fairly low.
This far-sightedness is having a particularly negative effect on very famous brands like Harry Potter. Don't rely on your carefully-preserved Harry Potter model being worth much in 30 years' time. Too many other people have had the same idea!
Play on people's emotions
Grown-ups are often willing to pay through the nose for something that reminds them of their youth. In particular, if you've got any rare TV and film spin-off items, you could be on to a winner.
Wait until remakes are produced that feature the toys you've got; you should then be able to command a higher price for your chunk of nostalgia.
For example, Star Wars, Batman and James Bond items all saw renewed collector interest when new films were released in recent years.
How do I get started?
The best way to find out the value of an old toy is to use a specialist auctioneer like Vectis. You can call, write or (better still) email them with some digital pictures of the item, and they'll give you a free rough valuation.
Vectis also has a massive database that allows it to check that all items are genuine and worth their asking price - so neither buyers nor sellers should be ripped off. Just bear in mind that you'll be charged commission of around 17.5% for each item you sell.
The eBay way
If, like me, you have old toys that aren't valuable enough to warrant a specialist auction, you could take the eBay route instead.
To maximise the price you get, make sure your photos are very clear, focussed and accurate, and that you include all details of patent numbers and copyright years in your descriptions.
Have a look at this set of eBay tips, posted by a very helpful Fool on the Living Below Your Means discussion board, which should put you on the right track.
Inspiring examples to get you started
If you have any of the following vintage toys, merry Christmas! You could be sitting on a very tidy little nest egg.
- Pre-war Dinky diecast models: Christie's once sold a HG Loose promotional delivery van for £4,600.
- Steiff teddy bears: First made in Germany over a century ago, these furry friends are very high quality and look much more like real bears than most of their teddy counterparts. A black Steiff bear once fetched £91,750 at Christie's.
- My Little Pony - Firefly: There were just six ponies to collect when the range was launched in the early 1980s. Firefly is the most popular (she starred in the 1986 film and the My Little Pony comic). Mint, boxed Fireflies have sold for £1,000.
- Dr Who memorabilia: This has enjoyed a massive spike in popularity in the last few years, following the `rebirth' of the Doctor on the BBC after a 16-year break. Apparently, Daleks are still the collectors' favourites.
Have you made money selling your old toys? Let your fellow Fools know by posting your comments below.
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