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BARBIE and Friends
Which vintage toys have been worth collecting?
2023 Context
With the popularity of the new Barbie film, it only seems fitting to include an article about vintage toys. Vintage toys get their value predominantly based on how well they have been kept which is a rather interesting conundrum for a child, isn’t it?
For those children who are ‘in the know’ at an early age, they may be made aware that their toys are more valuable when untouched. How does that compare with the alternative which is doing as children do and playing with them? The conclusion for a collector is a clear one: less play contributes to higher value. Untouched means boxed. Popular is good and yet so popular to have been mass produced is not so good. The more limited in number, the higher the value is likely to be.
When does a toy become more valuable?
It is claimed that most vintage toys become valuable 25 years after they were popular for the first time. The suggestion is that this is approximately the time when adults start becoming nostalgic about their childhood toys or for some, when they have children of their own.
The highest values for toys range and profit can be in the thousands for mint condition, still packaged rare toys.
"When it comes to the value of collectable toys, it is all about rarity, condition and often original packaging. It is interestingly often the toys that were unpopular when released (so they are produced in small numbers) that are now more valuable" states Quastel Associates' Managing Director, Mark Smith.
Children tend to not necessarily mind which toys belong with which other toys. If your child is like those we have met, sometimes Barbie will be friends with Thundercats and other times with Logo sets or even Star Wars figures.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the market tends to be dominated by those who have the greater purchasing power. Namely, adults. This is shown when looking at the highest sellers in each of the categories below.
Which toys are valuable?
The toys which are valuable vary over time. Some toys popular when released are still valuable years later.
1. BARBIE
The highest selling Barbie was a Stefano Canturi designed Barbie, which sold for £300,000 and had real diamonds. It was a special edition Barbie and was sold to raise money for cancer.
Barbies tend to be more valuable when they are mint, untouched, still in their box and in limited quantities or special edition.
2. STAR WARS
The original Jawa was released with a vinyl cape which received complaints for being of a poorer quality. They then re-released it with a fabric cape. This rare Vinyl Cape Java sold for £21,000.
The British version was made by Palitoy of Coalville and there were only about twelve of these made which included an unpunched card showing that they toys were gifted from Palitoy to Marvel as promotional materials.
This £21,000 toy beat out the top auction sale of £11,000 in May 2023 for Anakin Skywalker.
3. LEGO
Lego has been popular for years and often due to their versatility. Frequently, children (and adults) enjoy constructing ideas they have in their imaginations whilst others like to copy the instructions, they find on the boxes to prove their construction or engineering skills.
Whilst arguably not the most impressive of the Lego sets, The Moulding Machine was released in 2011 and only 68 were made. They were replicas of the actual process that the Lego factory uses to manufacture the Lego bricks and were gifts to those on the Lego Inside tour. This Lego set is one of the highest sold, selling for £3,913.
4. THUNDERCATS
This cartoon series was arguably advanced for its time, demonstrating a world run by animal space creatures when their own planets were destroyed. It was a favourite of those born in the 1980s as it combined the ideas of protecting animals along with space themes.
Pumyra was the highest selling Thundercat from the mid-80s, selling at just slightly less than the top Lego set for £3,281 in mint condition whilst still in the unopened box. She was one of the few refugees of the destroyed planet of Thundera and had had the ability to leap great distances and heights as one must do to stay on top of the toy industry.
Fortunately, at Quastel Associates, our valuers are the best in the UK and are renowned for their skill, professionalism and knowledge.
Please feel free to contact us should your valuables need a valuation for insurance or other purposes.
BRISTOL OFFICE
Quastel Associates Limited
28 Queen Square
Bristol, BS1 4ND
LONDON OFFICE
Quastel Associates Limited
13 Charterhouse Square
London, EC1M 6AX
