Having a clear out in your home is not an easy task. The majority of us put it off and only really do it if we have to.
But, what if you knew that old items in your home could actually be worth money?
New research Mystery box site Cases.gg has revealed several common household items that have been sat gathering dust for years could be worth a small fortune. From retro video games to 90s toys and VHS tapes, people could potentially make money from their old things.
If you’re planning a spring clean this year, then keep an eye out for these items.
Vintage gaming machines and games could sell for anything up to £385.
Vintage gaming has exploded in popularity. YouTube uploads related to retrogaming grew 1,000-fold in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2007
Retro arcade machines are fetching up to £385 on eBay, with an average sale price of £225.
Gaming consoles from the noughties and earlier are now considered retro, and the value of titles for the oldest consoles is rising.
Here is the average sold price for games, for all conditions and new, by console:
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PlayStation 1 – up to £44, £60 new
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PlayStation 2 – up to £35, £60 new
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Xbox original – up to £24, £44 new
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Xbox 360 – up to £19, £27 new
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Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) – up to £58, £89 new
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Nintendo 64 (N64) – up to £50, £194 new
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GameCube – up to £40, £93 new
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Game Boy original – up to £65, £125 new
Childhood toys from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s could now earn hundreds
It’s worth checking the value of your old toys; you could be sitting on a tidy profit.
LEGO remains one of the most popular brands in Britain, according to YouGov. Data shows the average LEGO product sells for up to £52 each. But you could earn even more with discontinued or retired editions, up to £145 online.
BRIO toys currently sell for up to £28, with bundles going for up to £51. Hot Wheels could fetch up to £20 per item.
Are your old McDonald’s Happy Meal toys in a box somewhere? These nostalgic trinkets are now selling for up to £18 each. However, recent listings for particular versions such as a 2004 Sonic and 2008 LEGO Batman edition fetched £60 and £75 online.
Dolls made a huge comeback in the last few years thanks to the success of the Barbie movie and Y2K nostalgia. The average Barbie listing now fetches up to £34, with rare and country-exclusive versions raking in thousands of pounds.
Bratz remains one of the most popular doll brands, with new and unopened toys selling for £95 each, or £32 average for all conditions.
Polly Pocket and Sylvanian Families toys remain valuable to collectors, making up to £44 and £31, respectively; rarer products will bump the price up even higher, netting around £60 and £90 each.
Furbies are selling for up to £99 if unopened. My Little Pony, Furbies, Beanie Babies, Tamagotchis, PEZ dispensers, and football cards are also on the list of earners.
Vintage magazine collections could rake in a huge profit
Fashion magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue get snapped up for around £20 each on average, with particular editions landing bigger payouts of up to £55.
Old Playboy magazines are being bought for up to £30 each.
TV Guides continue to sell online with some selling for £20. Editions from the 50s and 60s are particularly sought-after, with a 1967 Star Trek and a 1964 Beatles issue recently selling for £361 and £259, respectively.
Old VHS players and tapes are becoming collectors’ items
VHS players are selling for £46 on average, up to £80. VHS tapes could also net a tidy sum, at £20 per listing. However, some rare copies have recently sold for thousands. A pair of Cars and Chicken Little tapes sold for £2,000 in December.
Gabriele Asaro, Head of Research at Cases.gg commented on the findings. She said: “We collect a lot of things over time which can often end up in storage and be forgotten.
“Spring is the perfect time to declutter, and it’s worth checking the sale prices of your old items before you decide to throw them away. Keep in mind that the prices provided are averages, which cannot always accurately reflect the value of high-ticket items.
“Therefore, it’s best to use this data as a guide to understanding the general value of certain brands and product types. Always get your items valued by a professional if you think it could be worth something. You’d be surprised at the demand for some items, like old VHS tapes and McDonald’s Happy Meal toys.
“As they get older, they become rarer and harder to come by, and nostalgia is a very powerful indicator of price. So to be sure of the value, do your research for the items you find in your attic, cupboards, and boxes of old things. You might be sitting on a fortune without even knowing it.”