April 7, 2025, 9:37 am | Read time: 5 minutes
We used to play with it, now it’s worth real money: some toys from childhood, such as the Game Boy or VHS tapes, can bring you a small windfall today.
All those who spent their childhood in the nineties should take a close look at their shelves: They might not just be hiding some childhood memories, but some real treasures! Because sometimes the old technology from back then can now be really valuable.
Game Boy
The Game Boy, including Tetris, was available for 149 marks. Today, the old technology hardware is sometimes traded at high prices on portals such as eBay. It depends on the general condition and whether the original packaging is included. Of course, it is best if the Game Boy has never been unpacked. But even a well-preserved device can be worth around 90 euros today. With original packaging, it can even be worth another 20 to 30 euros. On eBay, you can also find offers over 300 euros — for devices in really good condition, including packaging and instructions. Special editions, such as the Tetris version, are also popular.
Isolated offers of special versions from the early days are offered on eBay for up to 65,000 euros. The condition of these collector’s items is almost always assessed by an independent body (VGA or WATA) in the USA. Collectors worldwide can send in games there for a fee and thus increase their value. However, the prices that sellers then ask are usually far too high.
VHS Tapes
Many of us still have them lying around, although most of us no longer even own a recorder: Video cassettes. Old Disney tapes, in particular, could be worth a fortune — up to several thousand euros. And even for well-preserved pieces beyond that, you can sometimes ask 40 to 60 euros.
However, there is a catch: only special editions are particularly valuable. These include the “Black Diamond Classic,” “Platinum,” and “Masterpiece” editions. What’s more, this hype mainly exists in the USA, which is why it is primarily the English-language editions of the films that are valuable. Some of these items can also be found on eBay — sometimes with an enormous price difference. But if you actually still have an original collector’s edition of a Disney film in its original packaging, you can ask several thousand euros for it.
Of course, there are also the really valuable old pieces. For example, an English-language first edition of Back to the Future with a note from Biff actor Thomas Wilson sold for just under 70,000 euros. An original boxed Star Wars cassette from 1977 also achieved a price of more than 50,000 euros at auction.
Games for Old Consoles
The market for retro video games has literally exploded in recent years. This doesn’t just mean the exorbitant prices of the world’s most valuable games. Even outside the collectors’ market, old Nintendo cartridges, for example, can fetch hundreds to thousands of euros, preferably in their original packaging.
In the video (for our German sister title), you can see the collection of our editor Andreas Filbig. He sold the game Little Samson for around 250 euros in 2019. He had bought it around nine years earlier for just 25 euros — a considerable increase in value.
Old Game Consoles
Speaking of old consoles: There are still one or two with old technology that are now quite valuable. One of these is the Atari 2600, which cost just under 180 dollars when it came onto the market at the end of the 1970s. This price is still available today in euros. With original packaging and in good condition, it can sometimes fetch up to 500 euros.
An old PlayStation 1 can be worth even more. A device that had not actually been unpacked sold for more than 5000 euros. A similar price was also asked for a Nintendo 64 in its original packaging.
One game console whose old technology can still be valuable second-hand is the Sega Genesis. The model is so rare that games are worth an average of 50 to 80 euros. If you own a well-preserved version of the Genesis, you can sell it for 1000 euros on eBay.
Furby
These fluffy creatures with big ears and eyes were real chatterboxes. Even though they had a vocabulary of several hundred words, we could hardly understand them. If we put two next to each other, they wouldn’t stop talking. In 1998, Hasbro brought the talkative fluffy creature onto the market.
Anyone still in possession of one of these originals, the 70-800 edition, could be lucky and sell their childhood Furby for a profit. Some collectors pay up to 250 euros for such an original, which is still unused in its original packaging. Other Furbys, however, fetch significantly less.
Tamagotchi Have Become Valuable Technology
The Tamagotchi was the must-have toy in the school playground in the nineties and even made a comeback in the 2000s. We could buy the little toy egg for a few marks and then try to keep it alive. Easier said than done, as the electronic creature was not known for its longevity. Often the only thing that helped was a reboot. If you still own a first-generation Tamagotchi from 1997 and have never used it, the little toy egg could be worth a few euros.
Digimon Digivice
The Digivice comes from the anime series Digimon. For the Digiritters in the series, the Digivice is the most important item, and it is available in different colors. As the Digivice is no longer available in all versions, it is traded for several hundred euros, among other things.
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Old Cell Phones
Some of these mobile companions have become coveted collector’s items. Of course, there are also curiosities such as the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x, which is worth almost 40,000 euros, but which very few people have lying around in their cellar. The situation is different with models such as the Nokia 8110, which can still fetch more than 200 euros. You can find more valuable old cell phones in our overview article.
In general, it is advisable to offer your childhood treasures not only on the German market, as you can reach more collectors on the international market. As in many other areas, the better the condition of the item, the higher the possible price.