It’s Spring here in Southwest Florida and nothing is so ubiquitous as doing a thorough Spring cleaning! Tasks like cleaning out closets and storage areas like attics, and basements to sort through old belongings. As you come across your children’s or perhaps grandchildren’s old toys, you might wonder, why has someone kept a box full of old Barbies or cartoon action figures? However, if you find a functionally intact Barbie in white cowgirl clothes with blue eyelids that move, then you may have something really special on your hands—a Western Barbie, to be precise, worth about $50 of special (assuming she is intact with all accessories, movable winking eyelids, and her box). The point is, you’ll never know if those old collectible toys and action figures are valuable until you do the research—except doing that research can be almost as time-consuming as going through and cleaning out all your sentimental keepsakes in the first place. That’s why Judy’s Jewelry Antiques and Estate Jewelry, your collectibles experts of Southwest Florida, created a guide to determining the value of your collectibles. Read on over the next few weeks toAs you come across your children’s or perhaps grandchildren’s old toys, you might wonder, why has someone kept a box full of old Barbies or cartoon action figures?
Old Toys Can Be Big Business.
Nearly every child had action figures—from Star Wars to Marvel or DC comic book superheroes, from WWE wrestling dolls to Disney princesses, and beyond. Most collectors don’t want to play with their action figures quite the same way they originally did (or maybe they do; we don’t want to judge them either way), but they want those special figures back in their lives. The value of some of those action figures might surprise you.
A few years ago, a rare unpainted prototype of a rocket-firing Boba Fett action figure was sold online with a $225,000 asking price according to this article on ABC’s web site. Only a few dozen of these prototypes are believed to exist, due to the spring-loaded plastic missile added to the backpack by manufacturer Kenner, which quickly was deemed a potential choking hazard. That’s not the only high-priced Star Wars action figure. Yak Face, a figure manufactured in 1985, saw few store shelves due to Kenner discontinuing the line. The rareness of that action figure is why it now has a four-figure value.
And that’s just for Star Wars toys. A retro GI Joe Nurse doll, originally released in 1967, sold for a near five-figure price in 2018. A Mego Elastic Batman, made by the same company that produced Stretch Armstrong figures, has a current market value of about $15,000 according to Luxury Lifestyle Magazine.
Looking at more modern action figures, Marvel Legends and McFarlane Sports Picks are highly collectible. Many of them value in the $10-$75 range. Other coveted and collectible lines of action figures include:
- GI Joe
- Aliens/Predators
- DC Comics (including Spawn)
- He-Man Masters of the Universe
- ThunderCats
- Street Sharks
- MacGyver
- Transformers
- Hot Wheels
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Pro wrestling figures (including WWE/WWF, ECW, and WCW)
- Legos
- Jem and the Holograms
- Disney
About us
Judy’s Jewelry Antiques and Estate Jewelry is a family owned and operated company. With over 30 years of experience as Southwest Florida’s leading Antique and Estate Dealer in Fort Myers, FL, you can expect expert customer service whether we are appraising your antiques or selling your fine jewelry or collectibles. Come in to get an honest appraisal of your items from owner, Sal Lanzieri. We are the largest buyer of antique, vintage and costume jewelry, gold, silver, diamonds, coins and other precious metals in SWFL. We love history and sharing our knowledge of pieces and their place in time with our customers. Come look over our ever changing inventory of vintage and antique collectibles. Call 239-481-9600 or visit our website at https://judysjewelry-fortmyers.com/
