Pikachu Illustrator Card

Now, it’s no secret that just about everyone has heard of Pokémon. If anyone says otherwise, chances are they’re lying. If we ask them to name at least one Pokémon, it’s safe to say a good portion of those people will say Pikachu.

To this day, the adorable yellow-colored, electricity-emitting rat Pokémon has become the face of the franchise. With a reputation like that, it’s no surprise that one of the most sought-after Pokémon-related items has a picture of Pikachu on it. Besides the video games and anime series, Pokémon also has a popular trading card game, and one of the rarest cards anyone could have is the Pikachu Illustrator card. By the looks of it, even the people behind the card knew of its eventual success, so much so that they only made six Pikachu Illustrator cards, with one of them now worth as much as $150,000.

Superman Action Figure

Now, there’s no denying that many franchises have garnered the same degree of popularity as Pokémon – or more, even. Well, if we were to name a couple of just-as-famous icons, it’s safe to say many of us will mention superheroes.

Besides the comic books, films, games, and shows revolving around these characters, many superheroes have also spawned their very own line of action figures. Such is undoubtedly the case with DC’s Man of Steel, Superman. The earliest action figure of Superman was made in 1940. It was a 13-inch tall figure mostly made of wood. Back then, it was sold for only 94 cents. Since then, it has become one of the most sought-after toys for collectors around the world, and its worth has reportedly increased to as high as $20,000. Suffice to say, that’s more expensive than the newer Superman toys on the market.

Darth Vader Figure With Telescopic Lightsaber

Like other fields, the entertainment industry has had numerous breakthroughs since its inception. In 1977, George Lucas impressed the world with the stunning visuals, set pieces, and characters in that year’s sci-fi epic Star Wars. Since then, plenty of investments have been made in the franchise, including other movies, shows, comic books, video games, and of course, toys.

If we were to ask someone who isn’t even a big fan of Star Wars, it’s safe to say they’d still recognize the franchise’s most iconic villain, Darth Vader. In 1978, the toy market had plenty of Star Wars-related figures selling for $2.49 each. The thing is, they stopped producing that edition’s Darth Vader figure because they believed fans didn’t like the extended lightsaber. Well, they were very wrong. Since then, long-time enthusiasts and collectors have been longing to get their hands on one, so much so that they are even willing to pay as much as $6,000 for it.

Luke Skywalker Figure

Of course, if we mention Darth Vader, it would only be right to mention Luke Skywalker right after. After all, you can’t have the villain without the hero. Speaking of which, here’s another thing that even non-Star Wars fans know of. The films have had numerous iconic moments, but none of them can arguably be as memorable as when Darth Vader told Luke this statement: “I am your father.”

Now with that out of the way, we’ve seen how a Darth Vader figure has garnered a high degree of popularity among enthusiasts. Well, such is the case for the figures of other Star Wars characters, especially Luke’s. In fact, the 1978 edition of the Luke Skywalker figure made it to an auction in 2015. This one was still in the box, too, unused for years since it was purchased. Well, because of its pristine and practically-new condition, it’s no surprise it was eventually sold for $25,000.

Claude the Crab

It’s safe to assume that every kid from the 90s remembers Claude the crab. Claude the crab is a Beanie Baby that has drawn massive attention from all types of collectors. This adorable tie-dyed crab first made its way to shelves back on the 11th of May 1997. If you know your Beanie Baby, then you might remember that it’s right in the middle of the entire Beanie Baby craze!
It’s definitely interesting to know that this adorable little crab now has a ton of value attached to it. Sure, it may have been cheap back in the day, but if you kept yours after all these years, you’re looking at a massive return on investment! Some Claude the Crabs are being listed for the staggering price of eight grand! One even sold for a whopping $7,200 back in August 2020.

The “Adam Card” from Garbage Pail Kids That’s Worth $4 Grand

Back in the 80s, every kid who lived through the decade certainly remembers that the collector card craze was in full swing. One of the most collected cards was the Garbage Pail Kids, and you could say that they had their renaissance moment during that era. As a result, it was pretty normal to see all types of children flock to these toys, and it made them one of the best-selling toys of the decade.
If you were one of the lucky ones who got their hands on an “Adam Bomb” card, then you’re looking at some serious money. However, the card must be in pristine condition to some degree, and a mint “Adam Bomb” card can easily fetch up to four grand these days. There are still fewer rare cards that can bring upward of $700 each. It’ll be worth even more if you’ve somehow kept the card’s original packaging.

Ty Beanie Baby Spinner the Spider

When it comes to nostalgic Ty beanie babies, Spinner the Spider is one Ty beanie baby that’s on top of the list. It’s certainly not a surprise that it’s on top of the list as some toy collectors say that it’s worth a ton of money. It was first released in October of 1997 and was quickly retired in September of 1998. If you’re wondering, Spinner is the one that’s a black and gold spider with black legs and red eyes.
If you’ve managed to keep this Ty beanie baby, then you’re looking at a potential credit booster. If you have one in mint condition, this sought-after beanie baby could easily fetch between $300 and $400. It’s worth noting that you’ll need it to come with the in-tact swing tag in order for it to have said value.

Wun-Dar He-Man’s Meteoric Rise

Back in the 90s, every kid couldn’t wait to turn on their television sets on a Saturday morning. One of the much-awaited Saturday morning cartoons was He-Man, and every kid felt incredibly excited to watch each episode. Due to its fame, it’s certainly not a surprise that the franchise became a billion-dollar toy-buying frenzy.

As we said, the franchise peaked and became a toy-producing giant. Unfortunately, it only lasted for a few years, and the Wonder Bread team decided to give away the “Wun-Dar” He-Man with every purchase of their bread. Interestingly, they only produced a limited number of these toys, and many were lost through time. Today, a Wun-Dar He-Man action figure could easily fetch up to $1,000. Even if it’s out of the box and not in mint condition, you’re still going to be looking at a $120 return on your investment!

Sought-After American Dolls

American Girl’s Molly McIntire is undoubtedly one of the first Historical Characters of the company. It was first released back in 1996, and she represented the entire World War II era. However, American Girl decided to archive and retire Molly McIntire not too long ago in 2013. As a result, the Molly American Girl doll is one of the most valuable dolls to collectors today.

This highly-coveted bespectacled doll wears a red, blue, and green argyle sweater. She also has a white shirt underneath, along with an elegant navy blue skirt. It’s certainly looking like a hefty investment for those collectors who are interested as it now sells for up to five grand. It’s certainly a lot more valuable than it used to be considering it had an initial price of only $85. The only catch is you’d need your Molly doll to be in top condition.

PEZ Dispenser

Pez dispensers have long taken credit for being a collector’s item that’s highly sought-after. However, one can argue that nothing is more coveted than the incredibly rare 1982 World’s Fair Astronaut B PEZ Dispenser. You could say that this incredibly prized possession was supposedly a prototype of The World’s Fair board. It’s certainly one of the rarest ones we have on this list.

When this dispenser first appeared at an auction, it immediately drew the attention of all the collectors in the room. Everyone was taken aback when it sold for a whopping $32,000. Surprisingly, this highly sought-after collector’s item is the best value for money on this list. It is not only the best value collector’s item, but it is also one of the rarest and most expensive, due to its one-of-a-kind prototype design.