40 Things That Everybody Had In The ’90s That No One Sees Today

Where It Was Sold: Toys R Us, KB Toys
Original Est. Cost: $50*
Current Est. Value: $2,000*

The Transformers franchise has come a long way from where it began in the early 80s, and the 90s were a large part of its transformation. The folks who came up with the famous Transformers tagline “more than meets the eye” have told the world for decades that there is more to the product they’ve created than what we see. 

Transformers Action Figures @tformers/Pinterest

Hasbro has produced some incredible Transformers toys. Many of them-like the Omega Supreme Transformer-have significantly increased in value over the years. Some robots selling for more than $2,000 used.

Where It Was Sold: Toys R Us, Target, KB Toys
Original Est. Cost: $5*
Current Est. Value: $3,500* (Car #271)

Collectors know it as #271, but the kids these tiny cars were made for will always refer to it by its name, “Funny Car.” The thing those kids were unaware of is that about a dozen of these cars were, in fact, considered funnier than the rest in a sense. 

Hot Wheels Collector Number 271 ©SmLyubov/Shutterstock.com

When the “Funny Car” was mass manufactured in 1995, a full sheet of 12 cars was packaged on blue backing with the car number in white. If you have one of these, and it’s still in its original packaging, this “Funny Car” could have you laughing all the way to the bank.

Where It Was Sold: Toys R Us, Walmart
Original Est. Cost: $35*
Current Est. Value: $1,000*

When Furbys were first unleashed upon the public, they took the world by storm. More than 15 million of these language-learning robotic fuzzballs were sold in the first two years they were on the market. Furbys were so popular that parents stood in queues for hours—sometimes days—to get a hold of one for their kids.

Original Furby @TheToyPlanetLtd /Twitter

Looking back on them, Furbys are a lot creepier than they are cute. Regardless of their appearance, the nostalgic factor alone would lead to 2-mile lines outside every Walmart, Target, and GameStop location nationwide should a limited-time re-launch of the original toy be announced. 

Where It Was Sold: Toys R Us, Target, Walmart
Original Est. Cost: $50*
Current Est. Value: $150*

To say the world went “cray cray” for the Spice Girls would be the understatement of the 90s. It was the “British Invasion Part 2.” An experience you had to live through to believe. When the five sultry Brits arrived on the global stage, everyone from young children to the elderly took notice, and toy companies were quick to take advantage.

Spice Girls Doll Set @buzzfeed/Pinterest

Everything Spice Girls related flew off the shelves quicker than you could say, “Spice up your life,” including the original set of Spice Girls dolls. You can find a half-decent set of the dolls these days for only $150. 

Where It Was Sold: EB Games, Microplay, Walmart, Target
Original Est. Cost: $60*
Current Est. Value: $1.3 Million*

When the Nintendo 64 gaming console dropped in 1996, the gaming world was introduced to a style of gameplay it never could have dreamt of. Leading the way into the new world was an old friend, everyone’s favorite princess-saving plumber, Mario. More than 11 million copies of Mario 64 have been sold over the years, making it the N64’s best-selling game. 

Super Mario 64 @mister_p2000 /Twitter

If you had the foresight to buy an extra copy of this groundbreaking video game and managed to keep it sealed all these years, you could be a millionaire. Heritage Auctions once reported a winning bid of approximately $1.3 million for a Mint condition copy of Nintendo 64’s inaugural Mario game. 

Where It Was Sold: RadioShack, Best Buy, Target, Circuit City
Original Est. Cost: $50-$75*
Current Est. Value: $50-$100*

Cellphones in the early 1990s were not as mobile as they are today (think Zack Morris’ brick phone in Saved By the Bell). It wasn’t until the end of the decade that cellular phones were made small enough to fit easily in your pocket. Until then, it was easier and cheaper to carry a pager. 

Motorola Pagers @Play Pause Video/Youtube

For a few years in the mid-late 90s, everyone who could afford one had themselves a Motorola pager, even if they didn’t expect to receive a single page. A pager on the hip was a status symbol—a sign you belonged.

Where It Was Sold: JCPenneys, The Limited, Tops and Bottoms
Original Est. Cost: $60-$75*
Current Est. Value: $150*

Judge None Choose One, otherwise known as JNCO, is an LA-based clothing line that became popular thanks to its jeans. JNCO jeans were the 90’s version of bell bottoms, only instead of being more fitted towards the waist, these pants were baggy and loose-fitted from waist to toe.

Clueless 1995 ©Entertainment Pictures/Alamy

JNCO was working its way to the top of the denim pants industry in 1998, bringing in nearly $200 million in annual sales. Demand for oversized jeans declined sharply the following year, and more so the year after. Their bagginess made them comfortable to wear on a nice day, but a nuisance and borderline safety hazard to walk around in when it’s raining.

Where It Was Sold: The Gap, Old Navy, JCPenneys, Tommy Hilfiger
Original Est. Cost: $20-$25*
Current Est. Value: $30-$35*

Some articles of clothing have a time and a place to be worn. As the 1990s showed us, that’s not the case for flannel shirts. They can be worn by anyone at any time. Joey Lawrence pulled it off on Blossom. Jason Priestley did it on Beverly Hills 90210, and Bill and Ted both pulled off the look while embarking on Excellent Adventures and Bogus Journeys together.

Wayne's World @Filmgarb/Twitter.com

In other words, whether you were a jock, preppy, stoner, or nerd, everyone wore flannel in the 90s. If it weren’t for flannel clothing, Neil Young, Kurt Cobain, and the fellas from Pearl Jam wouldn’t have had anything to wear. Nor would the rest of the Grunge movement. Now, dig up your old flannel shirt, turn on Pearl Jam Ten, and spin the volume knob up to 11.

Where It Was Sold: 7-Eleven, Target, Walgreens
Original Est. Cost: $2*
Current Est. Value: N/A

Of all the non-alcoholic beverages introduced in the 90s, Orbitz arguably takes the cake as the most unique. In no other decade would a drink company has been able to get away with putting bright edible floating balls into its drinks. Heck, it didn’t even work out that well in the 90s. 

Orbitz Soda @TheAmazingDyna /Twitter

Orbitz was introduced by The Clearly Food & Beverage Company of Canada in 1997. Thanks to poor reception, it was almost nowhere to be found by the time the new millennium arrived. More than two decades after its less-than-spectacular release, nostalgia has kicked in, and people are talking about “that drink with the floating things in it” again.

Where It Was Sold: K-Mart, Walmart, Target
Original Est. Cost: $5-$10*
Current Est. Value: $100*

90s kids will recall a time when having a ‘rad’ trapper keeper meant being one of the ‘cool’ kids in class. At least, that’s what parents nationwide were telling their kids. In reality, having a plain and boring trapper keeper was the best way to keep oneself out of trouble.

Trapper Keepers @Walmart/Pinterest

Anyone who avoided getting an awesome novelty trapper keeper when they were younger might regret it now. Nostalgic millionaires who were kids in the 90s are willing to pay a pretty penny to relive the simpler times of their lives.

Where It Was Sold: Toys R Us, Target, Walmart
Original Est. Cost: $10-$15*
Current Est. Value: $455*

Everyone who was a kid in the 90s should remember Polly Pocket toys. Either they had one of the compact toy sets, knew someone who had one, or were annoyed by the ads for them that happened to come on during every commercial break. 

Polly Pocket Fairylight Wonderland Set @Kerchie/Youtube

Arguably one of Mattel’s biggest hits of the decade, Polly Pocket’s sales rivaled the numbers Barbie and Hot Wheels were putting up. The Fairylight Wonderland set led the way, a must-have for true Polly Pocketers. If you missed out as a kid, you could still get ahold of one of the elusive fairy sets. The only catch is it will cost about 30 times what it did when first released.

Where It Was Sold: Toys R Us, KB Toys
Original Est. Cost: $5-$10*
Current Est. Value: $60*

Fans of these “heroes in half-shells” are sure to remember the excitement that came with unwrapping birthday presents in the 90s, hoping to find their desired Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figure under the wrapping paper of the gifts they’ve impatiently torn open.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Action Figures @toyhypeusa/Pinterest

At the time, toys of the Turtles, their friends, and their foes seemed priceless. In actuality, they have not aged very well. The best for making a few bucks off these classic action figures is by grouping a few of them together and selling them as a collector set. These mini-sets have sold for anywhere between $20 and $60, but if you find the right buyer, you can be in for a much bigger payday.

Where It Was Sold: Target, Walmart, Toys R Us
Original Est. Cost: $5*
Current Est. Value: $75,000*

Pokémon games. Pokémon TV shows. Pokémon strategic card games. By the mid-90s, Pokémon was everywhere! In a world where the goal is to “catch ‘em all,” the 1st edition Charizard holo card has eluded even the most avid Pokémon card collectors. 

©MichaelJBerlin/stock.adobe.com

Due to overuse in tournaments, and the unforgiving nature of time, most of these rare holographic Charizard cards aren’t in the greatest shape. That doesn’t mean people aren’t still willing to take a mortgage out on their home if it means having one in their possession. Collectors have paid up to $75,000 for one of these colorful pieces of Pokémon history.

Where It Was Sold: Tommy Hilfiger Inc.
Original Est. Cost: $30-$50*
Current Est. Value: $175*

Tommy Hilfiger created a clothing line in the early 90s that targeted the emerging Hip Hop music scene. The pants were baggier, the shirts less fitted, and the special items cozier than ever. We’re talking about the classic baggy overalls the Hilfiger brand became known for, thanks to top-tier rappers like Puffy and Coolio sporting the apparel at a number of shows. 

Tommy Hilfiger Overalls @TheCut /Twitter

Hilfiger clothing was never the most affordable brand, and the prices have only increased over time. You won’t find a pair of the beloved Tommy Hilfiger overalls these days for less than $150-$200.