Collectibles That Used To Be Valuable – But Are Now Worthless

Manufacturer: Disney
Original Cost: $10*
Worth Today: $17-$22 per video*

If you grew up in the VHS era, then chances are that you probably own some Disney Black Diamond VHS tapes. The Black Diamond insignia on the spine of the video cases indicated that the videos were part of the “Disney Classics” collection. All in all, there are eighteen Black Diamond videos in the Collection.

Disney Black Diamond VHS Tapes @valerie_rosas / Pinterest.com

There are rumors floating around that some of the VHS tapes can be worth thousands of dollars, but are they true? When you look on sites like eBay and Mercari, a lot of these Disney classics sell for $300-$400 for the entire collection, which works out to $17 to $22 a tape. That’s not much of a price jump from what these animated films were originally worth when they came out on VHS.

Manufacturer: Ty Warner
Original Cost: $5-$10*
Worth Today: $1-$20*

You might have seen info that the Patti the Platypus Beanie Baby can make you thousands of dollars. One sold in 2019 for $9,000, but it’s likely that you don’t have the correct Patti in your closet. Any Patti the Platypus Beanie Baby that isn’t the first edition probably won’t sell for all that much (Moonshot Games has one up for $4.99).

Patti the Platypus Beanie Baby @eviehourglass / Pinterest.com

Patti first came out in 1993. The small, purple, and orange platypus has a copy on Etsy for $10,000, but there are no takers. If you don’t the authentic ’93 edition, you will be lucky if you get even the same price as what Patti was listed for when it first came out.

Manufacturer: M.I. Hummel
Original Cost: $20-$30*
Worth Today: $40-$50*

Originally, Hummel figurines sold for $50 to $75. These porcelain figures were based on the sketches from a Catholic nun, Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel. The popularity of these figures grew during WWII, as Americans in West Germany send them home as gifts.

Hummel Figurines @mccormackbeal / Twitter.com

The soldier-bought Hummels became a popular item for collectors, but their value decreased on resale when Army PX began selling them and travel to Europe became more common. If you look on eBay, you’ll see that most of these figures sell for $40 to $50. You can actually buy new Hummels at Walmart for $70-$250.

Manufacturer: Haleakala Dairy
Original Cost: Free
Worth Today: Under $1*

Originally, Pogs were free. These milk caps came with a bottle of milk from Haleakala Dairy, and they were the main tools for the game of the same name. Players would take a stack of Pogs and drop a heavy object on them, causing the caps to scatter. The game was super-popular, and millions of Pogs were sold, many of which with current cartoon characters.

Pogs ©ebay.com

That lack of rarity is probably why these beloved toys aren’t worth that much on eBay and other sites. Most Pogs from the 1990s sell for less than $1, which isn’t much of a return on investment, even though they were $0 in the first place.

Manufacturer: U.S. Mint
Original Cost: $1*
Worth Today: $11.36*

The U.S. Mint made Morgan Dollars from 1878 until 1904. They then minted them again in 1921 and 2021. The Morgan Dollar was originally worth, of course, $1. Now, these coins re-sell for a little over $11, based on the price of the silver used (the coins are 90% silver).

Morgan Dollars @CU_World / Twitter.com

The Morgan Dollar is a piece of history—literally. It was the first standardized silver dollar coin made after the Coin Act (1873) was passed by Congress, effectively banning the free coining of silver. The 2021 Morgan Dollar is worth far more than older, nineteenth- and twentieth-century coins, as you can find the 2021s on eBay for $100-$200. By contrast, there are 1921 Morgan Dollars for sale on Amazon for far less.

Manufacturer: Tiger Electronics
Original Cost: $35*
Worth Today: $25-$55*

Most Furby toys really aren’t worth anything, unless you own the limited-edition ones that were super-expensive even when they first came out. If you were born in the 1990s, you probably remember this toy, as it became a mega-craze.

Furby @BuyingToys / Twitter.com

The list price was around $35, and Furby toys flew off the shelves at big-box stores like Target and Walmart. When you look on eBay, you’ll see that most Furby babies sell for $25 to $55. These hamster-like, talking toys have actually made a comeback as new editions are returning to the shelves. In 2021, Netflix even dropped an animated flick, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, about a suburban family that has to fight off an evil horde of Furbys.

Manufacturer: Mattel
Original Cost: $10*
Worth Today: $20*

Some of the most popular Barbies of the 1980s include the “Peaches ‘N Cream” (1984), “Magic Movies” (1985), “Dream Glow” (1985), “Crystal” (1983), and “Loving You” (1983). These Barbies and others rocked all of the unforgettable fashion trends of the eighties, from shoulder pads to big hair.

1980s Barbies ©Freddycat1 / flickr.com

These Barbies resell for about double what they were worth, but that’s only if they are in mint condition, unopened, and sealed. Let’s be honest. Chances are, you pulled your Mattel Barbie right out of the box and immediately began playing with it the second you got it. You likely won’t get much for secondhand, unboxed Barbies (except the memories, of course).

Manufacturer: Lionel
Original Cost: $1*
Worth Today: $20*

In 2022, a brand-new train set from Lionel, a famed model train maker, costs anywhere from $100 to $500. The product’s supply and demand is a big factor behind their pricing, and people who want to enter the collectors’ ring with one of these trains would do well to pay special attention to the make and date of each model.

Lionel Model Train Set @dwhilldesign / Twitter.com

Some dates and makes (the most common ones, incidentally) are worthless to collectors. Vintage trains aren’t worth as much as big-name trains, such as those based on movies like Disney’s Frozen, The Polar Express, and Harry Potter. Even those that do resell on eBay have close to, if not less, than the price for which they originally sold.

Manufacturer: Madame Alexander
Original Cost: $5-$15*
Worth Today: $20*

Next to Barbie, dolls from Madame Alexander are the world’s most famous dolls. Madame Alexander dolls only make money if they were made in the 1940s and 1950s. If you have those dolls, count yourself lucky, as they could be worth as much as tens of thousands of dollars.

Madame Alexander Dolls @lamaryanne / Twitter.com

If your Madame Alexanders are mass-produced or part of sets like the Wizard of Oz ones in McDonald’s Happy Meals, you might get $20, at most. By contrast, new Madame Alexander Baby Dolls, which are a far cry from the Barbie-like toys for which the brand is known, sell for $50 to $65. In 100 years, maybe these baby dolls will also resell for thousands.  

Manufacturer: Topps and others
Original Cost: $0.25 per pack*
Worth Today: $9.95*

Bleacher Report put together a list of some “Depressingly Cheap” baseball cards, and you’d be surprised to see how many popular, famous names are on the list. And, you might also be shocked to see how many of these cards come from the MLB’s heyday in the eighties.

Popular Baseball Cards (Like The 1987 Topps #320 Barry Bonds (Rookie Card)) ©ebay

For some reason, the baseball collectibles market just won’t bite.For example, the 1987 Topps #320 Barry Bonds Rookie Card is currently selling on Amazon for under $10. Other cards BR listed as being undervalued include Mark McGwire cards, Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Upper Deck cards, and Frank Thomas 1992 Fleer Rookie Sensations cards, among other fan-faves. 

Manufacturer: Mattel
Original Cost: $5-$10 per pack*
Worth Today: $7.99*

Hot Wheels have been one of Mattel’s most successful toys, and they’ve captured the attention of the collectors’ markets worldwide, so much so that a lot of them are now worthless. For whatever reason, Hot Wheels from the 1990s just aren’t selling, save for rare models like Collector Number 271.

Hot Wheels From The 90s ©ebay.com

But, if you have a bunch of Hot Wheels in a carton in your attic and you know none of them are collectors’ editions, don’t bother putting them on the market one by one. You might make more money selling off the whole group to someone who will buy them secondhand, but don’t expect to break even.  

Manufacturer: Ganz
Original Cost: $11*
Worth Today: $20*

Webkinz launched in 2005, and, for a brief time, they seemed as though they took over the world. These stuffed animals had two playable digital counterparts. Ganz discontinued Webkinz in 2019, and the Narwhal was the last plush toy to come from the line. Reportedly, Ganz pulled the former favorite from its lineup because it didn’t meet its sales goals.

Webkinz ©ebay.com

Even sealed Webkinz only sell for around $5-$20 on eBay. Some Webkinz, like the British Bulldog and Grumpy Cat, sell for $25-$50, but the rest of them are lucky to be sold for over $10. There is even one collection of fourteen Yorkie Webkinz puppies, brand-new, that is selling for just $23.50. As far as collectibles go, this one is definitely a resale dud.  

Manufacturer: Kenner (Until 1985)
Original Cost: $5-$10*
Worth Today: $5-$45*

Kenner inked a lucrative deal for itself when it agreed to make a lot of action figures for Star Wars. Kenner produced more than 100 unique toys, and they sold them until 1985 when the brand broke from the George Lucas franchise. They began making toys again in 1995.

Star Wars Action Figures Made After 1980 ©etsy.com

Save a few rare, limited-edition, or error-made toys, your best bet for making a lot of money on your old Star Wars action figures is if they were made before 1980 when the franchise was releasing its first films. Otherwise, these toys only resell for $5 to $45 at places like eBay and Big Bad Toy Store.   

Manufacturer: Norman Rockwell, Rockwell Plates
Original Cost: $50-$75*
Worth Today: $15*

Antique Trader reported that Norman Rockwell Plates, though once valued at anywhere from $50 to $75, wore out their welcome on the collectibles market and are now only around $10. Rockwell plates contain paintings and famous scenes from the artist, and there are only a few, like the Knowles Plate, that can make $300 or more on the market.

Norman Rockwell Collector Plates @EllieJo36357413 / Twitter.com

Rockwell plates were issued by over 500 different manufacturers. The famous artist was both painter and illustrator, and his works have had a popular appeal in the U.S. since he began painting in the twentieth century. Rockwell was most famous for his “everyday life” illustrations, which he published in The Saturday Evening Post for almost fifty years.