6 Collectible Fads That Kept People Broke, According to George Kamel
Written by
Gabriel Vito
Edited by
Brendan McGinley
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
“Wealthy people spend money on things that actually appreciate in value, like stock market investments and real estate,” said personal finance expert George Kamel in his YouTube video about criticizing collectible fads.
In a recent video, Kamel traced three decades of trends that made ordinary people poorer and companies richer.
How Collectible Bubbles Loop Through Pop Culture
Kamel said that the same cycle repeats every time; Scarcity plus slick marketing equals viral popularity.
When a product feels rare and influencers or ads promote it, shoppers rush to buy. Prices spike, resellers profit and the fad collapses eventually.
Here are six examples Kamel highlighted in his video to show how fads consistently make poor financial decisions.
1. Beanie Babies (1990s)
On eBay, listings for the Princess Diana Beanie Baby range from about $9.95 to $50,000. Toy expert Lori Verderame told People magazine that the stuffed bears “could be worth into the thousands … five figures, easily.” Kamel said that kind of price chaos proves the point that collectible markets run on emotion, not economics. When perceived rarity replaces real value, the bubble always bursts.
2. Tickle Me Elmo (1996)
Contemporary reports from the Associated Press in December 1996 said the $30 Tickle Me Elmo dolls were reselling for as much as $1,000 after stores sold out nationwide. Once stores restocked, the craze ended. Kamel points to this as an early example of influencer-driven fear of missing out.
3. Furbies (1999)
A contemporaneous BBC News report said that on Jan. 13, 1999, the Furby toy was banned at the National Security Agency over fears it might record classified information. Kamel joked about the paranoia but said it illustrates how tech fads often thrive on curiosity and hype rather than real value.
4. Funko Pops (2010s-2020s)
Once marketed as collectibles, Funko Pops flooded the market until the company announced a $30 million to $36 million inventory write-down, meaning it planned to dispose of unsold stock it could no longer sell profitably, according to its 2023 financial report.
5. Stanley Cups (2024)
The giant tumblers went viral on TikTok, with special editions reselling for as much as $1,000 on eBay. Now prices are plummeting. Hype, Kamel said, can make a water bottle feel like a status symbol, but never an investment.
6. Labubu Dolls (2025)
After Rihanna was photographed with one, Pop Mart’s app reportedly hit the top of the U.S. App Store charts, and CEO Wang Ning’s net worth rose by about $1.6 billion that day, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. Some buyers paid up to $10,000 for a single figurine. Kamel compared the blind-box craze to gambling, saying, “They basically gamified Furbies.”
Why People Keep Falling for Collectible Bubbles
Kamel said fads feed on emotion. People chase belonging and fear being left out. “We buy stuff we don’t need to impress people we don’t like,” he said. Surveys show more than half of consumers admit to impulse buys influenced by social media ([source link]). Studies also find people value limited products up to three times higher than plentiful ones ([source link]).
The Real Wealth Move: Stock Market Index Funds
Kamel’s message isn’t to quit buying fun things, it’s to stop mistaking hype for growth. “Rihanna’s cool because she’s Rihanna,” he jokes. “Not because she owns a Labubu.”
If you’d spent $500 a year chasing collectibles and instead invested it in an S&P 500 index fund averaging about an 11% annual return over the past decade, that money could have grown to roughly $7,000, according to SoFi. Real wealth, Kamel said, comes from boring, consistent investing. Whether or not you agree with Kamel’s opinion, the data show that fads fade.
Before the next viral drop, remember that when scarcity and hype combine, someone’s getting rich. It just shouldn’t be the seller every time.
More From GOBankingRates
