22 Things You Owned in the ‘80s That Could Be Worth a Fortune Now

If you sold your vast collection of Transformers, American Girl Dolls, and Garbage Pail Kids cards for a few bucks at your mom's garage sale a couple of decades ago, you might be kicking yourself now: These 22 blast-from-the-past ‘80s toys could pay for a new DeLorean.

1. THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS FIREHOUSE HEADQUARTERS: $600

The Ghostbusters firehouse is one of the coolest workplaces ever, so it makes sense that people wanted the playset—and still do. A firehouse with box goes for $100-$200, but a toy in superb condition could fetch up to $600. Nothing spooky about that.

2. TRANSFORMERS: OPTIMUS PRIME: $1000

If, as a child, you had an Optimus Prime that could really transform into a cab and tractor trailer, you probably thought you were pretty cool. But it would be even cooler if you had left this particular series 1 Autobot sealed in the box—in MISB (mint in sealed box) condition it's worth up to a grand.

3. FIREBALL ISLAND BOARD GAME: $250

Cardboard adventure seekers no doubt loved Fireball Island, a board game packed with volcanoes, Tiki gods, and marble "fireballs" that could knock players' pawns from the board. These days, a complete or near-complete set of the 1986 Milton Bradley game is worth at least a couple hundred to board game collectors.

4. THUNDERCATS LION-O ACTION FIGURE: $2783

In 2015, a Lion-O action figure still on the card was purchased for a cool $2783 by a particularly enthusiastic ThunderCats fan. Even if yours aren't mint, you can make some scratch: This lot sold for more than $200.

5. JUMANJI and POLAR EXPRESS FIRST EDITIONS

You're in luck if you've got these fantastical Chris Van Allsburg classics in your library. A "fine" copy of Polar Express (1985) is worth a cool $800, while a copy of Jumanji (1981) in the same condition is worth $600.

6. G.I. JOE MOTORIZED BATTLE TANK: $950

G.I. Joe toys can command a small fortune, especially if you've got the original 1963 prototype—it sold for a mind-boggling $200,000 in 2003. But you may be able to cash in even if you don't have that ultra-rare figure. The 1982 series motorized battle tank can bring in $950 in a sealed box or $150-$175 in a non-sealed box.

7. AIR JORDANS: UP TO $25,000

Basketball isn't the only thing that benefits from Michael Jordan's touch; His Airness's sneakers have also done quite well over the years. A pair of black Jordans with gold accents that were originally released in 1985 can go for $25,000 because only 12 of them were ever produced. But the not-so-rare (air) models also do pretty well on the secondary market: Air Jordan III's can also go for thousands.

8. C-3PO’S CEREAL BOX: $200

If you were the type of kid who saved anything and everything Star Wars, you’d better check your collection. A cereal box that held “crunchy honey-sweetened oat, wheat & corn cereal” could make you a couple of hundred bucks richer. The value depends on the mask that came with the cereal—Darth Vader, of course, makes it worth the most, while a Stormtrooper mask is merely worth about $50. But where’s the blue milk?

9. STAR WARS EWOK COMBAT PLAYPACK: $5998.98

Speaking of Star Wars, If you shelled out $17 for this in 1984 and then shoved it away in a closet, you may want to dig it back out. Because the set was popular with kids, it's hard to find one that hasn't been opened. A sealed-in-box copy once sold for nearly $6000.

10. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE ETERNIA PLAYSET: $1900

Known as the "Holy Grail" of Masters of the Universe collecting, the three-towered plastic behemoth of a playset had a ton of little accessory pieces that were easy to lose. This makes a complete set hard to find—so when collectors find one, they're willing to pay a pretty penny for it.

11. GARBAGE PAIL KIDS CARDS: $4250

Though an Adam Bomb card was going for more than $4000 on eBay a few years ago, according to the people behind gpkworld.com, the value may have been slightly inflated. However, your old GPK collection can still earn you a tidy sum: A 1985 original series 1 set of Adam Bomb and Blasted Billy was listed for $120 on the auction site.

12. “ASTRONAUT B” PEZ DISPENSER: $32,000

The price may seem out-of-this-world, but this 1982 candy dispenser is exceedingly rare—only two were made. Created to promote the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, one of the dispensers has a blue stem with the head of an astronaut sporting a blue helmet, while the other has a white helmet and green stem. The green and white guy sold for $32,000 in 2006.

13. DAREDEVIL COMIC BOOK #168: $1000

This 1981 comic book contains the first appearance of Elektra, so fans are willing to pony up a shocking price: up to $1000 for a copy in mint condition.

14. AMERICAN GIRL DOLLS: $4200

First-edition American Girl Dolls from when the first three girls hit the market in 1986 can be worth a large chunk of change if you have the accompanying accessories and playsets. In 2015, an original Samantha doll was selling on eBay for $4200. Seem high? This one's a comparative steal for just $2850.

15. U2 "ALL I WANT IS YOU" PURPLE VINYL ALBUM BOXED SET: $3483.64

The next time you're at a vintage store, take a moment to flip through its record selection. This rare 1989 Australian release is worth thousands—but that's not the only U2 album that's worth a fat stack.

16. LASER LIGHT SKELETOR: $11,285

Masters of the Universe was in decline when this fancy-pants Skeletor was released in 1988. In fact, sales had become so lackluster that Mattel released Laser Light Skeletor only in Italy and Spain under the names Skeletor Occhi di Fuoco and Skeletor Ojos de Fuego, respectively. If you have an original (there are reproductions floating around out there), it's allegedly worth more than $10K.

17. TEDDY RUXPIN: UP TO $1000

Teddy Ruxpin, the teddy bear that could read stories to rapt children, was all the rage when he came out in 1985—and he still is, to some collectors. It's reported that mint condition Teddy Ruxpins and working tapes have sold for up to $1000. This one on Etsy is up for $699. But if you're looking for lower-priced nostalgia, Teddy Ruxpins in not-so-stellar condition are going for much cheaper. Or you can just buy a brand new one.

18. THE KNIGHT RIDER KNIGHT 2000 VOICE CAR: $200

A genuine talking KITT still in the box could bring in $200—and there's currently one talking Trans Am for sale for nearly $900.

19. “POWER DRENCHER” SUPER SOAKERS: $600

When these water-guns-on-steroids came out during the summer of 1989, they were labeled "Power Drenchers." Though they may not be as high-powered as today's toys, Power Drenchers are highly collectible, selling for up to $600.

20. HORROR MOVIE VHS TAPES: UP TO $700

The rumors you heard a few years ago about movies from Disney's "Black Diamond" VHS collection being worth a fortune was all false—but if you've got some campy '80s horror movies, you might be in luck. Unlike other collectibles, the tapes don't even have to be in good condition to be worth some cash. One of the most valuable VHS is a limited-release cult classic called Tales from the Quadead Zone, which sold for $700 in 2011.

21. AIR RAID ATARI GAME: $31,600

Released in 1982, this game in which you protect a city from alien invaders is worth more than many cars—if it comes with a box, that is. Only two copies of the boxed game are known to exist, so if you've got one, consider yourself flush. If the box disappeared long ago, don't despair: You could rake in $3000 for the cartridge alone. Better go check your attic ASAP.

22. STADIUM EVENTS NINTENDO GAME: $1000

If you were more of a Nintendo person than Atari, you could be sitting on a goldmine, too. In 1987, a Bandai Nintendo game called Stadium Events was recalled because it came with an interactive accessory called the "Bandai Family Fun Fitness" floor pad; Nintendo wanted to rebrand it as the Power Pad. If you've got the original, you're in luck.

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