You might be surprised to learn that some of the toys from your past are quite valuable today. Vintage toy collectors and nostalgia seekers alike are willing to pay quite a lot for toys that may have cost only a few dollars back in the day. Get ready to check your attic and sort through your garage! Here’s a list of 10 surprisingly valuable vintage toys:

Star Wars Action Figures

Star Wars fans love collectible figurines just about as much as they love the movie that started it all back in 1977. As with all action figures, the value increases significantly if the toy is still in its unopened original packaging. In 2015, a Japanese collector decided to auction off his Star Wars collection, and his 1978 Luke Skywalker figurine fetched a very respectable $25,000. His whole collection sold for a total of $500,000.

Barbie

Since her debut back in 1959, she has been beloved in hearts, homes and toy collections worldwide. But, it is the original Barbie in a black and white zebra printed one-piece bathing suit that is worth thousands to the right collector. A first edition 1959 Barbie that is in excellent condition can sell for as much as $23,000. Pretty awesome considering she probably sold for about three bucks.

Furby

Furbys are furry, big-eyed, cute, but creepy talking toys that were all the rage in the late 1990s. After the 1998 Furby frenzy when everyone wanted one of the little robotic creatures ended, Furbys retained their value. The original price was approximately $35, and now they are selling to collectors on eBay and other sites for more than $400. 

Lite Brite

Introduced by Hasbro in 1967, this first-of-its-kind light-up picture toy kept kids entertained for hours. With a simple lightbox, small colored plastic pegs and design sheets to use as guides, Lite Brites originally sold for $6.95. Today, collectors light up for an original boxed Lite Brite to the tune of $250 or more. 

Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls

Mothers will remember Christmas of 1983. The year they fought for a Cabbage Patch Doll. These unique dolls, each one with its own name and birth certificate…everyone had to have one, but there weren’t enough dolls to go around. Collectors of the beloved dolls are now looking to adopt them on eBay and other sites. The riots have died down, but the price of some of the original dolls has increased to thousands of dollars.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

In the late 80s and 90s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle craze was in full swing. The comic books spawned a hit TV show, and along with it came an abundance of merchandise. The creators of the toys went through so many versions of the same characters that many are extremely rare and worth a lot of money. For example, an “Undercover Leonardo” in the original packaging is worth around $5,000. 

Nintendo Game Boy

Some say the Game Boy is the granddaddy of handheld video games. These portable games were released back in 1989 and offered hours of personal entertainment. Vintage Game Boys that are in mint shape collect top dollar on sites like eBay. Some have sold for up to $1,500. Who’s ready for a game of Tetris? 

Tickle Me Elmo Extreme

If you are old enough, you remember the hysteria that occurred when Tickle Me Elmo first hit the market. If you were lucky enough to get one of the first ones, you may have something valuable on your hands. These dolls, which cost only around $10 then, are now going for up to $350 online. You may start to laugh like Elmo when you see what a profit you can make on this vintage doll.  

Teddy Ruxpin

The bear that would play the pre-recorded messages on cassette tapes hit the market in 1985. This is a bear that helped kids go to sleep and gave parents some peace of mind. However, the bear was short-lived as it lasted only until 1987 before being pulled off the shelves. Mint condition, originally packaged Teddy Ruxpins can go for as much as $1,600 in today’s market. 

Hot Wheels

Hot Wheels cars have been racing across the floors of our homes for many decades. With thousands of individual designs, some production runs were longer than others. Some of these vintage toys are extremely rare. One rare Hot Wheels car is the 1969 Pink VW Beach Bomb. It is so rare, in fact, that only two are known to exist. The prototype is owned by Bruce Pascal, who paid “in the region of the asking price of $72,000.”