Millennials are reaching the age at which their old childhood belongings are becoming of value. Items may have been stored in the loft with the promise of being “used again later”, and then forgotten about. Old games, toys, pictures and CDs, all thrown in the attic, collecting dust.
It may well be time for a clear out, but hold your horses on binning or donating it all. Much of your ‘trash’ may be someone else’s treasure. Some of the things you consider worthless may in fact be willing to be snapped up for a nice chunk of money.
It’s important to do your own research on the items you find stored away. However, we have a list of 15 items that you may well have yourself. So, clear the cobwebs from those old paintings, and blow the dust from that teddy bear, and get earning!
Beanie Babies
A true staple of the 90’s, all millennials had at least one of the Beanie Babies. The 1997 bear dedicated to Princess Diana is one of the most valuable Beanie Babies out there. This bear is listed on eBay for a whopping $500,000. That’s over £420,000! Although most of the Beanie Babies for sale aren’t quite as big money makers, others can make you some cool cash.
It must be noted, however, that there are conditions the Beanies must follow in order to be higher in value. The earlier it was made, the better. If it was made to commemorate a special occasion, is in brilliant condition and is one of only a few, it may fetch you a higher sale. The type of pellets used within the Beanie also contributes to its value. Weirdly, if your Beanie Babies have errors, both on the labels and in their creation, they can sell for even more!
Coins
It’s true what they say – money makes money! So is the case when selling coins. Many coins carry a higher value than they suggest. Old coins, collectible ones and even those in your pocket at this very moment can make you some cash. It may be time to sift through that old jar of coins that’s been stacked away in your loft.
From time to time, there are errors found on coins, or dates may be missing that are usually printed on coins. These can fetch you some serious money, such as this 1971 ‘New Pence’ coin, on eBay for £1,000. Collectible 50p pieces are also big money makers, as certain designs are hard to come by. According to the Royal Mint, the 50p coin is the most collected in Britain. You can find a list of the rarest 50p coins in circulation here.
LEGO
LEGO is not something only millennials are likely to have stashed away, but specific sets can be worth hundreds, if not thousands of pounds. A brand new, rare LEGO Star Wars Darth Maul set can earn you a not-too-shabby £2,000 on eBay. Even used LEGO sets can get you £75 or more. A nice little earner if you have some LEGO you no longer need!
Certain pieces that people are missing may also be of great value. For example, a missing window, door or wheel of a car could fetch you a nice sum. LEGO figures may also be of interest to many buyers. Very rare figures can be sold for a staggering £5,413, such as this Rare Gold Minifigure.
You can read a helpful list of valuable LEGO figures here.
Video game consoles
Some consoles are rarer and more vintage than others, however even more recent consoles can bring you in some money. The Nintendo Wii only ceased production in 2017, however they are already selling online for £50 and over. Throw in any games you may have, and you could be making up to £100. Not too shabby. All millennials remember the Nintendo DS. They are still in production, but older models could land you with an extra £70 in your bank account.
Older consoles, such as the Atari 2600 console could make you almost £1,000, and pre-owned Nintendo 64 consoles are being sold for a sweet £500 too. Not bad for a gaming device you likely haven’t used in 15 years.
Polly Pocket
Polly Pocket is a prime example of a toy most millennials will remember fondly. The tiny, (unsurprisingly) pocket-sized dolls provided hours of fun, and have seen an increase in their value in recent years. This is potentially due to the size of the dolls increasing steadily since gaming giant Mattel bought the brand in 1998.
Vintage, mint condition Polly Pockets, such as this 1992 Birthday Party Stamper, can be auctioned off for over one thousand pounds. Even used Polly Pockets are being bought for £25 to £50, which is a nice little earner, particularly if you have a few available to sell.
Comics
A favourite in the world of collector’s items, old comic books can sell for life-changing amounts of money. The first ever issue of Action Comics, which debuted renowned superhero Superman, was sold in 2011 for a breath-taking $2,161,000. This is almost £1.6 million.
Admittedly, most comics won’t leave you a millionaire, but many collectors are lying in wait, ready to snap up particular comic books. You may just have one in your home! Love Money provides a list of valuable comics you may own, ranging from £229 to £1,500.
The Comic Book Price Guide is a great website which can help you put a price on any comics you may own. Even if your comics are worth a few pounds each, you could sell them in bulk to make a little extra pocket money. Every penny helps, after all!
Pokémon cards
Arguably the most well-known and widely collected brand of cards in the world, Pokémon cards are still popular today. Plus, people are more than willing to pay big bucks, not only for rare cards, but particular cards they need to finish their collections. Millennials may have hundreds of these cards stashed away.
Full sets of cards can go for hundreds of pounds, and rare cards, particularly those that are holographic or gold-coated, can sell for even more. As recently as December 2020, a rare holographic Pokémon card in pristine condition, sold for a huge $45,100 (that’s £32,923!). Other cards, depending on their condition, rarity or even those with printing errors, could fetch you anywhere from £50 to £15,000.
Card Mavin is a great site which allows you to find the value of your Pokémon cards.
Lunch boxes
Yes, lunch boxes! You read it correctly. Again, this isn’t something that only millennials will have hiding in the loft. We all had one, a sturdy tin lunch box with our favourite cartoon character or superhero on the side. Surprisingly, they have become a widely cherished collectible. Vintage lunchboxes, in particular, could make you well over £100. Many don’t even need to be in mint condition to be sold for a nice sum of money.
Even this slightly beaten-up Vintage Beatles Metal Lunchbox is going for almost £280. Now that’s a nice bit of pocket money. Other lunchboxes, in better condition or those harder to come by, could fetch you even more pennies. This Popeye Lunchbox and Thermos Flask are on eBay for £425. Money for old rope – or in this case, old metal!
Action figures
All of us had action figures growing up, not just millennials. As with LEGO, Star Wars can earn you a nice sum when it comes to action figures. Similarly, GI Joe and GI Jane figurines are popular amongst collectors.
Of course, superheroes from the DC and Marvel universes have everlasting popularity. Super Mario is another popular figure, with this Super Mario Kart figurines reaching a mind-boggling £335!
If you don’t have any particularly rare figures, you can sell them as a job lot. The price you charge, of course, depends on the amount you have and their condition.
Harry Potter books
We all have at least one of the immensely popular Harry Potter books in our homes. Some copies are worth a lot more than others for various reasons, including being a first or early edition, include spelling or formatting mistakes on certain pages and if yours is a hardback, then even better! The most valuable book by far, is the first in the series, Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone.
AbeBooks, a website which specialises in collectible and rare books, suggests some first edition Harry Potter books have sold for prices ranging from £28,850 to £39,700. Similarly, other books in the critically acclaimed series are worth up to £10,000. Some of the less valuable books are still worth up to £250, which is a nice sum of pocket money.
To help you work out whether your copy of Harry Potter is valuable, you can read a complete guide by AbeBooks here.
Magazines
We have all bought and read magazines from time to time, and you may have even kept a few copies over the years. Perhaps you particularly like the celebrity or singer on the cover, or even buy every copy of a certain magazine religiously. Early copies of Vogue and Life magazines often sell for £20 to £30 a copy, which is a nice mark up from the £1 or £2 the were likely bought for.
Rare and extremely valuable, is the first ever issue of Playboy, which featured Marylin Monroe on the cover. According to Nostomania, this could be worth up to a huge $635,000 (£462,035). Although it’s unlikely you have this particular magazine, it just goes to show how much money collectors are willing to spend for the right magazine.
Crazy About Magazines is a useful website, which lists hundreds of magazines for sale. It is a good guide for how much you should list your magazines for when selling them.
Royal family memorabilia
Again, this item is not limited to millennials only. The commemorative royal wedding mug you bought decades ago may well have been collecting dust in your attic, but it could actually be worth a decent sum of money. There are collectors in every corner of the globe who are passionate about the royal family and are eager to get their hands on your regal trinkets.
Your souvenir poster, plate, mugs or brooch may be of value. Although it is rare you will make thousands from souvenir memorabilia, many items commemorating weddings or jubilees could get you £25 to £50 online, depending on their condition and rarity. Items featuring Princess Diana are particularly popular.
If you are lucky enough to own vintage or signed photographs of the royal family, or even old documents, then it is a different story. This signed portrait of Princess Diana sold for $9,782, approximately £7,1118. You never know, you may have something valuable stashed away!
Furbies
Another childhood staple for all millennials – the Furby. Whether you loved them, or found them absolutely terrifying, they were all the rage in the late 1990s and early noughties, and they could now make you big bucks. If your Furby was stashed away in the loft after barely being used, you may be in luck. Furbies in good condition, which were scarcely used back in the day, could earn you a few hundred pounds, according to this listing on eBay.
Even used Furbies can be sold for up to £30. Not too bad of a price, especially if you’re eager to get rid of it. You may even have a limited edition Furby. In which case, even those in less than pristine condition could fetch you some money.
If you are unsure whether your Furby is anything of value, check out the Furby price guide on World Collectors Net.
Happy Meal toys
McDonald’s Happy Meals bring a certain nostalgia to many millennials. In particular, the excitement felt when receiving a toy with your chicken nuggets comes rushing back. Believe it or not, some people actually collect these toys. The older they are, the better, and certain releases are highly sought after.
As discussed previously, Beanie Babies are hugely collectible, and the same goes for the ‘Teenie Beanie Boos’ collection, released in the year 2000. They aren’t worth as much individually, but if you happen to have a couple, you could be looking at an extra £325 entering your bank account.
More recently, in 2013, the minions of the Despicable Me films took over the Happy Meals. There were 12 to collect, and recent sales totalled around £25 per minion. If you happen to have the whole collection, that’s a brilliant £300 in your pocket!
Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards
Much like Pokémon cards, all millennials remember Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards gracing the playground. The trading card game was a hit amongst kids in the early 2000s and collectors are still eager to snap them up today.
As with many other items on this list, the value of these cards depends on their condition, the date of print and their rarity. Although most cards will sell for only £5 to £25, if you have a stack of them, you could easily make some change for your rainy-day fund. However, it is important to check your deck closely, as you may be in possession of a rare or early edition card.
Previously, such cards have been sold for prices ranging between £720 and £5,000. In one case, a seller was asking for an eye-watering $10 million (£7.27 million) for a one-of-a-kind card. It is rumoured they ultimately let the card exchange hands for a cool $2 million (£1.45 million). You never know what you may have in your loft!
