Things Everyone Had In The 2000s That Collectors Want

Updated: Jul 13, 2023By Audrey KyanovaBusiness

This article originally appeared on Investing.com. It has been republished here with permission.

Furby ©Kara Milan/Shutterstock.com

The Y2K era was a time of new beginnings around the world, and the years 2000 to 2009 were full of their own, quirky, unique cultural phenomena, fashion choices, toys, and more. In this article, we take you back through all the “2000s Things” that you really can’t find in their original form anymore.

From the iPod Shuffle to the Year 2000 Furby, the 2000s had their own style. Most of us, especially those who grew up during that decade, look back on this era fondly, as it was a time of rapid technological growth, yet low-tech sources of entertainment were still very popular, too.

1. Betty Spaghetty

Where It Was Sold: Toys R Us, Walmart, Toy Stores
Original Est. Cost: $10-$25*
Current Est. Value: $24.75* (eBay)

Made by the Ohio Art Company, Betty Spaghetty was the Midwest’s answer to Barbie (though, alas, it was not as successful as Mattel’s market-dominating product). This bendable, stretchy rubber doll was a fun-loving gal with noodle-like limbs and interchangeable clothes for days.

Betty Spaghetty Dolls @etsy/Pinterest

Betty Spaghetty was very popular during her 1998 launch, and her popularity stayed intact until 2004. It seemed as though everyone in your elementary school had Betty Spaghetti dolls. Sadly, this peak didn’t last, as Ohio Art discontinued it in 2004 after shipments of Betty dolls fell to 15% due to tough competition in the fashion doll market and weak retail sales. Though Ohio Art brought it back in 2007, that comeback didn’t last.

2. Tamagotchi

Where It Was Sold: Toys R Us, Walmart, Toy Catalogs & Stores
Original Est. Cost: $18*
Current Est. Value: $20-$35*

Of course, we couldn’t have a list of the 2000s’ hottest items without including the Tamagotchi. Though a product of the nineties, the Tamagotchi stuck around until the 2000s, as far as its popularity went. This digital, handheld toy gave you a virtual pet that you had to feed and take care of.

Tamagotchi @metrouk/Pinterest

The virtual pet, when well-cared-for and not overlooked, lived for twelve days. Much like its lifespan, it was a short-lived fad among shoppers in America. The first Tamagotchis were priced at just $18 when Bandai released them, and you can find these OG toys on Amazon for $20-$35 now.

3. Mad Libs

Where It Was Sold: Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, Borders
Original Est. Cost: $0.99-$5*
Current Est. Value: $120*

Scholastic book fairs were the “it” place to be in the 2000s (and they still are now, if we’re being honest), and you probably used some of your mom’s money on Mad Libs. These hilarious ad-lib books always ended up in potty humor and other shenanigans, and they are now collectors items.

Mad Libs @ebay/Pinterest

If you have some pristine copies of Mad Libs that you haven’t scrawled all over, Marie Claire suggests that you could make up to $120 per copy. That’s a far cry from their cheap original price, which ranged from $0.99 to $5.

4. Barbie Glamour Vacation Jet

Where It Was Sold: Toys R Us, Mattel, Walmart, Target
Original Est. Cost: $50*
Current Est. Value: $370-$480*

You had to beg your parents for a Barbie Glamour Vacation Jet in the 2000s, as these toys were expensive when they came out. Had you been lucky enough to snag one of these expansive Mattel toys, you’d have made a bundle.

Barbie Glamour Vacation Jet @amazon/Pinterest

They sell for almost $500 now, especially if you have the whole set, gently used (or not used at all). On Amazon, there is one set, featuring the two-foot-long plane and all of its accessories, that is selling for $818, but that appears to be a price outlier for now.

5. Neopets Petpet Plushies

Where It Was Sold: Toys R Us, Walmart, Target, Sears
Original Est. Cost: $9.99*
Current Est. Value: $150*

Neopets came out on November 15, 1999, right in time to become a massive holiday fad. Neopets let you raise a virtual pet, purchase digital items for them, and redeem Neocash for real-world money.

Neopets Petpet Plushies ©u/celestier/Reddit

Created by Adam Powell, Neopets were at their heyday during the 2000s when Nickelodeon produced them. The Neopets Petpet Plushies are now a collectors’ item, and pristine plushie examples of these fictional animals could net you $150, if they are in new or good condition.

6. High School Musical Board Games

Where It Was Sold: Toys R Us, Sears, Target, Walmart
Original Est. Cost: $15*
Current Est. Value: $200*

High School Musical came out in 2006, and it launched the careers of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. The romantic teen musical was a smash-hit for Disney, with the franchise grossing a total of $1.39 billion. On the small screen, it made $100 million in DVD sales.

High School Musical Mystery Date @mercari/Twitter.com

HSM was a great film, but it also had an excellent marketing campaign behind it. Its merchandise ranged from clothes to board games. The Mystery Date board game is particularly valuable, as you could make $200 for it on the Disney collectors’ market today.

7. Littlest Pet Shop Superhero Cat

Where It Was Sold: San Diego Comic-Con (2009)
Original Est. Cost: $0*
Current Est. Value: $800*

Though Littles Pet Shop was introduced in the 1990s, its popularity remained steady up until the end of the 2000s. It was produced first by Kenner, then Hasbro, as a toy franchise that you could connect with virtually.

Littlest Pet Shop Superhero Cat @LPShannah/Youtube

There are some LPS examples that sell for a lot of money today, including the adorable Superhero Cat. This cat was released at Comic-Con in San Diego in 2009, and it was only given to certain lucky fans. Now, it is one of the most valuable pieces of LPS history, with a resale price of $800.

8. Bath & Body Works Art Stuff

Where It Was Sold: Bath & Body Works
Original Est. Cost: $10*
Current Est. Value: $50*

Picture the scene: you’re in middle school about to head off to your first dance. You’re almost ready, and you add an extra boost of confidence by spritzing yourself, head to toe, with the glitteriest product on the market.

Bath & Body Works Art Stuff @buzzfeed/Pinterest

Bath & Body Works Art Stuff was the piece de resistance of beauty routines in the 2000s, as the sprays were packed with glitz, glitter, and a whole lot of fragrance (seriously, the smell lingered for days). Still have an unopened bottle? You can get $50 for it on eBay.

9. Aquapet

Where It Was Sold: Toys R Us, Sears, Walmart, Target, eToys.com
Original Est. Cost: $15*
Current Est. Value: $50*

Toy Wishes named Aquapets one of the “Top Tech Toys” in 2004, and these interactive, electronic gadgets were finalists at the Ultimate Toy Awards Show that year too. Aquapets’ concept was simple.

Aquapet @ebay/Pinterest

The toy consisted of a thumb-size, talking, microchip-equipped animal suspended in a water-filled case. The more you played with these pets, the more songs they sang and the livelier they became. Aquapets now have a resale value of around $50.

10. Jack Johnson’s On And On Record

Where It Was Sold: Camelot Music, Peaches, Strawberries, Sam Goody
Original Est. Cost: $8*
Current Est. Value: $50*

Jack Johnson is a singer, songwriter, director, and former pro-swimmer who became uber-famous in the early 2000s for his soft-rock-slash-acoustic-pop music. When he released Brushfire Fairytales in 2001, fans went wild.

Jack Johnson’s On And On Record @imgur/Pinterest

Two years after that smash hit, he released On And On, a vinyl record that now sells on eBay for $50. On and On contained some of his biggest singles, including “Gone,” “Tomorrow Morning,” and “Mediocre Bad Guys.”

11. First Edition Copies of The Kite Runner

Where It Was Sold: Barnes & Noble, Borders, Waldenbooks, Half Price Books
Original Est. Cost: $15*
Current Est. Value: $3,000*

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini was a devastating, emotional, beautiful book that was released in 2003. Over the past two decades, it has become an indisputable part of twenty-first-century literature.

First Edition Copies of The Kite Runner @ebay/Pinterest

The Kite Runner had a small initial print run, and those few first-edition copies that were released are now worth thousands. On AbeBooks.com, a first edition of this critically-acclaimed novel sold for $3,000.

12. Vintage 2000 Eminem Poster

Where It Was Sold: Peaches, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Camelot
Original Est. Cost: $5*
Current Est. Value: $200*

This vintage (yes, 2000 is considered “vintage” now) Eminem poster is up for sale on eBay for $200, and, if you have an item like it, you could snag that high a price too. This poster was released in 2000 to promote Eminem’s third studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP.

Vintage 2000 Eminem Poster @RldTours/Twitter

The Marshall Mathers LP dropped in May of that year, instantly shooting to number one and selling 1.78 million copies its first week. It was a record-breaker in hip-hop, becoming the fastest-selling album of all time in its music category.

13. My Scene Dolls

Where It Was Sold: Toys R Us, Mattel, KB Toys, Walmart, Sears, Target
Original Est. Cost: $10-$20*
Current Est. Value: $500*

Mattel gave Barbie a glamorous upgrade when it released its My Scene dolls in 2002. These dolls were eventually discontinued, though they are now a collectors’ item worth as much as $500, so long as they are in their original, pristine packaging.

My Scene Dolls @HaveYouHeardDolls/Youtube

Essentially, Mattel came up with My Scene dolls as a very obvious way to compete with Bratz. The My Scene dolls had slim bodies and giant heads with exaggerated lips and eyes. They appealed to the tween market, though they eventually were pulled, as MGA Entertainment’s product was the stronger competitor.

14. The iDog

Where It Was Sold: Radio Shack, Best Buy, Toys R Us, Sears
Original Est. Cost: $40*
Current Est. Value: $190*

The iDog was the toy you begged your parents for from 2005 to 2009. Originally released by Hasbro, this tech pup would light up and dance to the rhythm of music from an MP3 player (remember those?). Later on, the iDog would get iCat, iFish, iTurtle, and iPeguin siblings.

When the iDog came out, it cost around $40. It was released in Japan before America, and the toy was the very definition of a tech fad. Now, you can sell this former high-tech wonder for up to $190, if it is still in the box. If yours is used, you’ll probably only be able to get around $12 for it.