Gen X: 8 Items From Your Childhood That Could Be Worth Money
Written by
Emily Fowler
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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If you’re a Gen Xer, it’s time to rummage through your attic, because those childhood toys, games and pop culture relics might be worth more than you think.
Nostalgia has taken over the collectible market, and some of the stuff you didn’t think twice about could now be a gold mine.
Here are eight items from your childhood that could be worth some money.
LEGO Sets
LEGO has been around since the ’30s, and if you’ve got still got sets from your childhood, it’s worth checking their value!
Iconic sets like the LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon or early Technic sets are popular with collectors, and if you kept the box and instructions intact, they’re worth even more.
Some rare sets have sold for thousands, or even tens of thousands, of dollars on auction sites like eBay.
Hot Wheels Cars
Remember those little die-cast Hot Wheels cars you were obsessed with as a kid? Some of them are worth a small fortune today.
First editions or limited-run models, especially from the late ’60s and ’70s, are highly collectible. Look for models like the 1971 Purple Olds 442 or the 1968 Over Chrome Camaro — some of these are worth tens of thousands!
Barbie Dolls
If you were one of the few to keep your childhood Barbies in mint condition, you might be sitting on a collectible goldmine.
Special-edition Barbies from the ’70s and ’80s can be worth hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars. If your Barbies had rare accessories or were limited-edition sets, even better.
Comic Books
Comic book culture really exploded in the ’80s, and if you were a fan, your old comics could be worth something now.
Issues featuring the debut of major characters — like The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (first appearance of Venom) — are highly sought after.
Older, rare comics can be valued at thousands of dollars depending on how they’re graded, particularly if they’re sealed.
Film Cameras
Everyone has a smartphone now, but point-and-shoot film cameras were all the rage when you were a kid.
Classic models, especially high-end brands like Nikon or Leica, are popular among enthusiasts. A well-maintained classic camera could be valuable, especially if you’ve still got the original lenses and accessories.
Stamps and Coins
Were you a collector as a kid? While stamp collecting might seem old-fashioned, some rare stamps from your childhood collection could fetch a pretty penny.
The same goes for coins — if you inherited or collected rare currency, like silver dollars or special edition coins, you could be holding onto something worth a lot more than face value.
Movie Posters
Did you decorate your bedroom walls with movie posters? If you were lucky enough to grab an original from iconic films like “Star Wars,” “E.T.” or “The Goonies,” they could be worth a lot of money today.
Original posters from your childhood, especially those in good condition, are highly desirable.
Action Figures
If you collected action figures like “Star Wars,” “G.I. Joe”or “He-Man,” you could be sitting on a valuable collection. Mint-condition figures still in their original packaging are particularly sought after.
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