101 Things In Your Attic That May Be Worth A Lot Of Money

Maker: Mattel 
Original Price: $3*
Worth Today: $27,450*

Before Barbie dolls were invented, dolls were always babies or stuffed toys. Barbie revolutionized the doll market and went on to revolutionize the toy industry as a whole. The small, unrealistically proportioned Barbie evolved every decade with new shoes, new careers, and finally today, new shapes and colors.

Original 1959 Barbie @lisatexas / @toysruscanada / Pnterest.com

Mattel was the first toy company to ever show advertising to children and this contributed greatly to the original sales of Barbie, as they were not without their fair share of criticism due to lack of diversity and polarized gender roles. Barbie dolls are highly collectible today and if you can get your hands on an original 1959 Barbie you have got yourself a small fortune wearing heels. 

When you think about the relatively small purchase price of just $3 originally, this marks a great return on investment. However, just like with any collectible, the unboxed, untouched Barbies will fetch the highest price at auction. Barbies missing limbs definitely don’t appeal to the market. 

Maker: Major League Baseball
Original Price: $1*
Worth Today: $41,825*

In 1927, The Yankees League with legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig won a record-breaking 110 games and finished with a whopping 19-game lead. Considered the greatest team in the history of baseball, if you were at the Series you witnessed the best there is according to superfans. 

1927 World Series Ticket Stub @sportscollectorsdaily / Facebook.com | @Dave_in_718 / Twitter.com

So much so that even if you have a ticket stub you can fetch over $40,000. Sports memorabilia is taken very seriously amongst collectors and this is a great example of why. The tickets will originally have cost around $1, so that’s a rather impressive return on investment. 

It just goes to show that it isn’t always about the item itself, but what the item represents. In reality a ticket stub is just a flimsy piece of card, but the historical connotations can’t be underestimated. Any self-respecting sports collector would love to have this in their cabinet.

Maker: New York Yankees
Original Price: Unknown*
Worth Today: $59,750*

New York Yankee Bobbleheads, and in fact bobbleheads in general are quite a valuable commodity when you know what to look for. These little guys noddingly approve of being sold for prices upwards of $5,000 and are a very popular collector’s item. 

New York Yankee Bobblehead 1961-62 @HASports / @bobbleheadhall / Facebook.com

However, this particular bobblehead is special because only two were ever made. The rare collectors items are hand-painted and made from ceramic and paper-mâché, If you are lucky enough to have one of these 14-inch bobbleheads in good condition you are holding $60,000 in your hands.

The trouble is, finding one in an immaculate state is often easier said than done. After all, bobbleheads are very interesting to kids who may not appreciate what “future value” means. That being said, when they do pop up at auction they’re highly appreciated (and sought after) for this very reason. 

Maker: Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster 
Original Price: 10c*
Worth Today: $3.2 Million*

The Action Comic number 1 is the very first superhero comic book. It originally featured several superheroes, most notably Superman, and is credited as the beginning of the superhero genre. It is also the most valuable comic of all time, so definitely worth scrummaging in the old comic box collecting dust to search for one of these guys.

Action Comics #1 @Sleeping GIANT Collectibles / Facebook.com

Published in 1938, the cover features Superman lifting a green car while people flee the scene. There were 200,000 copies printed of the first issue which sold out at a remarkable speed. It didn’t take them long to realize that Superman was the reason the comic book did so well, soon after they were selling a million copies a month. 

Comic books themselves have become even more popular in recent years thanks to the work of Disney and Sony. Even though an issue of this particular comic cost just 10 cents at the time, a pristine version can be worth up to $3.2 million. That’s not small change. 

Maker: British Guiana 
Original Price: 1c*
Worth Today: $9.5 Million*

Discovered in a basement in 1873 by a Scottish schoolboy amongst his uncle’s stamp collection, it made its way through several hands before reaching Arthur Hind in 1922 who reportedly outbid three kings for the price of $36,000. It has since increased in value substantially, causing stamp collectors across the globe to dust off their old stamps and have them appraised. 

1856 1-Cent Magenta Stamp from British Guiana Stamp @whitetiger_8881 / Pinterest.com

The incredibly rare 1c stamp from British Guiana (now Guyana) was issued in 1856 and is the only one known to exist today. Each of the four times it sold, it broke the record for the highest amount paid for a single stamp. The last sale was for a staggering $9.5 million to shoe designer Stuart Weizman. 

It may be difficult for some of us to fathom why stamps are so highly collected, but it’s been one of the biggest niches in the market for decades. Stamp collectors are willing to pay through the nose to get their hands on something rare and unique.

Maker: Rookie Card
Original Price: $16.99*
Worth Today: $4.6 Million*

Autographed basketball cards are worth a fortune, in the past, we’ve seen Antetokounmpo and a LeBron James 2013-4 Patch rookie cards sell for $1.8 million each, or a fragment of Michael Jordan’s used jersey which was turned into an autographed card for $1.44 million. 

2018-19 Luka Doncic Basketball Card @thecardcouple / Facebook.com

The record-breaker is a signed single-print rookie card featuring the Dallas Mavericks point guard, Luka Doncic which fetched $4.6 million. Despite the fact that Doncic is only in his third NBA season, it is unlikely that the record will be broken in the near future. 

Other rookie cards have been known to fetch a pretty penny though, like Tom Brady’s own card that sold for $1.32 million. These cards are worth almost as much as the players themselves – although not quite. Brady is now sitting on $145 million, while Luka Doncic is worth $5 million. 

Maker: John James Audubon
Original Price: $126*
Worth Today: $10.27 Million*

The Bird Of America is a collection of James Audubon prints of his hand-painted, watercolor birds. The large, four-volume book set contains 435 intricate paintings and there are only four copies of this volume known to exist. The book went to auction in 2018 and fetched over $10 million.

John James Audubon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The book was purchased by Carl W. Knobloch, Jr and gifted to the foundation run by his family, the Knobloch Family Foundation (KFF), which is focused on conservation. All of the money from the book will be invested in environmental causes.

It’s not very often that items like this come up as they’re so rare and unique. It’s even less common to see them auctioned off for charitable purposes, so “Birds of America” gets double points for this one. It’s unlikely James Audubon could have envisioned such great things for his work. 

Maker: Apple Records 
Original Price: $11.28*
Worth Today: $790,000*

The White Album was released in November 1968 and was the ninth studio album from the iconic band. Ringo Star’s personal copy of the album went on sale fifty years later and fetched a staggering $790,000 at auction.

The Beatles' White AlbumJoe @Alcantara / @Hans van Kleef / Facebook.com

The reason for this is twofold, firstly it was owned by Star himself and was in his personal collection. He is quoted as saying that the new owner of the record will receive it with his fingerprints on the vinyl. Secondly, the record was numbered No.0000001. Each of the records were numbered and this was the very first one ever made. 

There is a huge market for Beatles memorabilia as the band is so iconic. Anything from lyrics sheets to other artifacts can go for hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars. This particular sale is notable, but there were many before and there will be many that follow.

Maker: Hasbro
Original Price: $4*
Worth Today: $200,000*

In 1964 the first G.I Joe action figure was created. It was a giant toy and saw a lot of success, though the production cost was too high because of its size so they soon after stopped making the original action figures. 

First Edition G.I. Joe Action Figure @malcolm_j / Pinterest.com

Hasbro realized soon after that the action figure could sell a lot more if the character had a story, which was the beginning of his universe of heroic military figures. The original first edition toy has since gained extraordinary value, selling at auction for $200,000 in 2003. 

G.I. Joe has remained a staple in American culture ever since its creation, which is why it’s so highly loved. Channing Tatum even starred in two Hollywood action movies based on the character, further cementing G.I Joe’s impressive legacy. 

Maker: Unknown 
Original Price: $6*
Worth Today: $3 Million

Mark McGwire is known as “one of the most fearsome power hitters in baseball in the 1990s” and set a record with 70 home runs in one season back in 1998. This baseball was the one he used when he hit his 70th home run of the year, cementing him in the Baseball hall of fame. 

McGwires 70th Home Run Baseball @AmericanAuctionCo / Pinterest.com

In January 1999 the ball went up for sale. It was purchased by a then-anonymous buyer at a record-breaking $3 million. It was later revealed that the buyer was Todd McFarlane who has said that he spent his entire life savings on the ball. The sale was over 23 times the amount of any baseball before 1999. 

$3 million in savings is a lot of money to blow on just a ball, but Todd’s love of the game was obviously strong enough to overrule logic. On the flip side, if the ball has increased in value since then, it might turn out to be a wise investment. Only time will tell.

Maker: Heinz Schulz-Neudamm
Original Price: Unknown*
Worth Today: $690,000*

Metropolis was released in 1927 and was the most expensive silent film of its time. It is a German expressionist science-fiction film about social classes and the divide that it creates. It was directed by Fritz Lang and the poster was designed by graphic artist Heinz Schulz-Neudamm.

Metropolis Poster ©vint1/Alamy

There were only four posters created, one is in the Museum of Modern Art, one in a German museum, and one in a private collection. The fourth was sold for $690,000 in 2005 to a US collector. 

Movie memorabilia can be an incredibly lucrative game to be in. Anything from posters like this to rare costumes, or even autographs can fetch a surprising amount. After all, everyone loves movies, making this business an interesting one to be in if you’re looking to make some extra cash. 

Maker: Ty
Original Price: $5-$7*
Worth Today: $22,222*

The purple Princess Diana beanie baby was created shortly after her death to raise money for the Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. As with everything that has the lady’s name attached to it, it caused a massive frenzy and they have been collecting dust in people’s attics ever since, waiting for them to rise in value. 

Princess Diana Double Tag Beanie Baby @etsy / Pinterest.com

The question of what the Ty beanie babies are actually worth is disputed. Some say they aren’t worth more than $5-$7 while others speculate there are some valued at over $500,000. The deciding factor is allegedly the stuffing, with the first edition filled with PVC pellets, therefore, getting a higher valuation. 

Either way, there’s no denying that some people are willing to pay to get the rarest babies in their collection. Considering just how popular they were in the ‘90s, it might be worth looking through mom’s attic to see if you’re sitting on a small fortune. 

Maker: Nintendo 
Original Price: Unknown*
Worth Today: $41,300*

The rarest of all the US licensed Nintendo Entertainment System games is Stadium Events. Only 200 copies were produced in 1987, with only 10 or 11 of the original American version around today. The game includes a mat that is made to exercise on while paying. 

Stadium Events Video Game for Nintendo @COLLECTORVAULT / Facebook.com

The predecessor to Dance revolution and Wii has become the stuff of legends in the gaming community and stories pop up from time to time of someone finding the game in a thrift store or in their garage. 

In this case, one lucky owner found their copy lurking in the attic at their childhood home, unopened and unplayed. After listing on eBay they were astonished to find just how much it actually sold for. The market for rare games is alive and well!