24 Things To Collect That Could Make You Money in the Future

When you think of the word “collectible,” your mind probably jumps to visions of vintage, antique toys, books, and other pieces of memorabilia. However, that is not always the case, as modern items bought in the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s could become pricey collectibles in the future.

Your limited-release Nike sneakers, Funko Pops from Comic-Con, rare coins, and more could see their values skyrocket in the future. In this article, we’ll take you through some future collectibles that you should hang onto (or invest in), if you can.

Original Value: $0.01-$1*
Maker: U.S. Mint 

The Professional Coin Grading Service provides a list of the top most-valuable modern coins, and these coins include controversial, significant, and meaningful pieces of currency that have seen their values skyrocket in recent years.

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For example, the 2000-W 22kt Gold Sacagawea was one of just thirty-nine produced, and it now has a value of $1,800-$2,100 on eBay. If you’ve managed to come across a rare, modern coin, hang onto it, as it could increase in value. It’s not just coins from the 1700s and 1800s that have value on the market.

Original Value: $150 in 2004*
Maker: Nintendo

On November 21, 2004, tech history was made when the Nintendo DS launched in Japan. It cost, at the time, $150, and it came in the color “Titanium.” Because of this toy’s significance, it has often increased in value on collectors’ markets.

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It could continue to increase in value as time goes on. On eBay, you can find an original Nintendo DS (in red) for $200. Ten years or more from now, who knows? That collectors’ price could go up, as the vintage tech market has a lot of “boom” periods.

Original Value: Free with a Happy Meal*
Maker: McDonald’s 

McDonald’s is one of the world’s largest global fast food chains, and it tends to keep up with the latest trends, often signing lucrative licensing deals to produce toys and collectibles with companies like Lucasfilm, Disney, and others.

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There are quite a few McDonald’s Happy Meal toys that are worth money today, including the Fur-Baby, Beanie Babies, Picnic Basket, and more. In terms of future collectability, those who have hung onto their Despicable Me toys from 2013 could be sitting on a lot of money in the future. Already, a set of these toys costs $20 on eBay.

Original Value: $17-$28*
Maker: Harper Collins, Macmillan, Hachette, and Others 

Yellowface, Maame, I Have Some Questions For You, Happy Place, Hello Beautiful, The Wager, The Covenant of Water, The Shards, and more are first-edition books that came out (or are coming out) in 2023.

First Edition Copies of The Kite Runner @ebay/Pinterest

We’ve seen first-edition books become valuable in the future before, particularly if those books had a significant cultural impact. When you head to Barnes and Noble and other bookstores to snag a first-edition copy, know that you could be buying a future collectible. If the author comes into town and you get your copy signed, that makes the book even more potentially-pricey in the future.

Original Value: $430*
Maker: Dyson 

The Dyson Supersonic is a hair dryer that you might have seen advertised on Instagram and TikTok. The Supersonic is unique because it is one of the fastest-working hair dryers on the market, drying your hair effectively and quickly.

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The Supersonic isn’t cheap, costing $430 from the Dyson Official site. There is a chance, based on this tool’s significance as the “future of blow-drying” , that your Supersonic could be worth more than what you paid for it in the future as a collectible item. 

Original Value: $160* (Woof Price)
Maker: Nike and Others 

Released on June 18^th, 2022, the Nike Air Max “Woof” was a very limited-edition, hard-to-find sneaker that was released in China. The Air Max Woof is just one example of how limited-release sneakers, though pricey, could be worth a lot of money in the future.

hypebeast/Pinterest

Priced at $160, the Woof is now worth $500 or more, if you can find a pair. Limited-release sneakers, though expensive upfront, could give you a great ROI. If you’re looking for something to collect, these rare shoes could be a great idea. 

Original Value: $15-$100*
Maker: Funko

As of 2023, around 13,471 Funko Pop designs have been released to the public, and these figures vary from super mass-produced to totally exclusive. Some Funko Pops are more valuable than others, and some are likely to be future collectibles.

©Lutsenko_Oleksandr/Shutterstock.com

Though most Funko Pops won’t give you an ROI, some, like the Willy Wonka and Oompa Loompa 2-Pack, Clockwork Orange, Freddy Funko Metallic Iron Man, Metallic Ghost Rider, and Glow-In-The-Dark Buzz Lightyear, are worth thousands on the market.  

Original Value: $35-$40 for a t-shirt*
Maker: NFL

The Los Angeles Times described Super Bowl merchandise as being of a “bizarre economy,” as the rarity of the memorabilia doesn’t automatically dictate their value to collectors. Merchandise from the actual Super Bowl itself can sometimes be valuable, as it’s not easy for most people to get to the game.

@TampaBay/twitter.com

Tickets for the Super Bowl start at $5,000, going all the way up to $36,000 for the best seats (ergo, most of us stay home and watch the game on Fox each year). Nerdable says that the value of Super Bowl merchandise is dictated by who wins, with fan merchandise going for less than signed rings or balls.

Original Value: $3-$6*
Maker: General Mills, Kellogg’s, Quaker Oats, and Others 

Currently, the most valuable cereal boxes are from the sixties and seventies. For example, a PEP box from the 1960s is worth $2,000 on the collectors’ market. As we’ve stated, there’s a market for everything, including old breakfast memorabilia.

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Cereal boxes from General Mills, Kellogg’s, and others are valued higher when they have rare graphics with a desirable image. Or, if these boxes advertise a cereal brand that is sparsely available, that can almost make them a present or future collectible. 

Original Value: $180 in 2015*
Maker: Amazon

An Amazon Echo is able to do a lot of different things, from music playback to setting alarms to making to-do lists. This piece of technology is quite popular, with Bloomberg estimating that Amazon sold 65 million units between 2021 and 2022.

@flipboard/Instagram

Though an Echo from the first generation (2015) was priced at $180 when it came out, it now has a value of $18 to $60. That said, when you look at the success of first-generation Apple products on collectors’ markets, it stands to reason that the first-gen Echo’s value could follow that same path, twenty years in the future.

Original Value: $130*
Maker: Disney 

Remember Frozen? The animated Disney movie was a global hit, raking in $1.282 billion at the box office in 2013. You’d be hard-pressed to find a parent (who had little kids in 2013) who hasn’t seen Frozen at least five times. When Frozen 2 came out, that movie was also a huge hit.

r/frozen/Reddit

As you can imagine, collectibles from the Frozen movies were heavily mass-produced, but there were some that were limited edition, too. These limited-edition Frozen 2 dolls, featuring Anna, Elsa, and more, cost $130 from the shopDisney store, and they’re likely to be a future collectible item.

Original Value: $15-$30*
Maker: Bluebird Toys, later Mattel

Polly Pocket was a line of toys, playsets, dolls, and accessories that was first discontinued in 1998 when Mattel took over the original Polly Pocket toymaker, Bluebird. The Polly Pocket line came back to life after this takeover, however, and it wasn’t until 2012 that it was totally discontinued in America.

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As you can imagine, the Bluebird Polly Pockets are the most valuable, but the later-edition Mattel toys could be a future collectible, thanks to their discontinuation eleven years ago. According to CollectInsure.com, these Polly Pockets could be worth “anything,” from just a few bucks to “several hundred dollars.”

Original Value: $50-$300*
Maker: LEGO

According to BrickyBricks.com, there are quite a few LEGO sets that are worth “invest[ing] in” during 2023. These include the Dark Trooper Helmet (75343), The Razor Crest (75292), Mos Eisley Cantina (75290), Land Rover Classic Defender (10317), and others.

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Additionally, the Hogwarts Castle (71043), Tree House (21319), and McLaren Formula 1 Race Car (42141) were identified as sets-to-watch. Though these Star Wars, Icons, Technic, Ideas, and Harry Potter sets aren’t cheap to buy, their value could be worth what you paid for them (and then some).

Original Value: $10-$1,000, depending on the item*
Maker: LEGO, Capcom, Hasbro, Lucasfilm, and More 

Star Wars is a multi-billion-dollar franchise that has gone far past its movies, licensing collectibles from major companies like LEGO, McDonald’s, and many more. Though toys like these from the 1980s are very valuable, there are some new pieces of memorabilia that could, in the future, be valuable too.

@ChicagoTribune/twitter.com

Some toys that could be worth quite a bit of money in the future include the LEGO Star Wars Cloud City Set, Capcom’s Star Wars Gameboy Game, KAWS x Lucasfilm Darth Vader Sculpture, and other rare, non-mass-produced toys.