Antique How

How many stories have you heard about the person that sold their original action figure or set of comic books or baseball card for thousands of dollars … and then kicked yourself for having thrown away all your toys when you went to college?

Antique toys are a very valuable collector’s item for a variety of reasons. People who are older and have a little bit of money to spend on their own indulgences may be on the lookout for certain items that take them back to certain years of their childhood or fond memories. Toys also tell a historical story; many people can just glance at a toy and know what decade or even what specific year it was made in. Toys too reflect the culture and society of the time it was made - rag dolls from early American history reflect the simple culture of those who lived on the prairie and did not have many things from which to make toys, whereas G.I. Joe action figures became very popular after the tumultuous era of World War II and the Vietnam war.

Many people wonder why it is that toys still in their regular packaging are typically so much more valuable than those that have been opened. The condition of the toy certainly has a lot to do with it - toys that are broken, chipped, or otherwise marred are of course less valuable than those in perfect condition.

However, there is more to it than that. To many people the packaging of certain toys is part of its appeal. Just as you can look at certain toys and immediately know what decade or year it’s from, so it is with some packaging. The wording, coloring, type of box, and all these other elements are part of the appeal of these items.

There’s almost no limit to the types of antique toys that sell for big dollars these days. This includes any and all Disney items, porcelain dolls, rag dolls, Barbie dolls, Matchbox cars, Radio Flyer wagons, pull-string dolls from the 1950’s, action figures of all sorts, wheeled pull-toys, wooden tops, board games, marbles, yo-yos, model trains, planes and cars, and the list goes on.

To truly be an antique a toy needs to be at least ten years old and of course the older items are typically more valuable. Some go for literally thousands of dollars depending on their age, condition, make, and of course the whim of the buyer.

Some who “dabble” in antiques turn up their nose at antique toys, but these are not only a very profitable part of the industry they are also plain old fun. Seeing a buyer win his or her auction for a beloved toy is like playing Santa Claus every single auction!