What Are My Old Toys Worth?
An honest guide to what drives the value of a vintage action figure collection, written by people who buy them every week. No price guide padding, no invented numbers.
The four things that set the price
Almost every question about what a vintage toy is worth comes down to these, in this order.
- Which line it is. A 1978 Kenner Star Wars figure and a 1988 store-brand knockoff can look similar on a shelf and be worth a hundred times different. The name on the card, the copyright line on the figure's leg or back, and the year are what matter.
- Sealed, carded or loose. Still sealed in the box is the top of the market. Carded, with the figure under an unbroken bubble, is next. Loose but complete comes after that. Loose and missing its accessories is the floor, and it is still not zero.
- Condition, in detail. On a carded figure the card, the bubble and the figure are judged separately. Corner creases, a yellowed or crushed bubble, a price sticker, sun fading along one edge from forty years on a shelf: each one moves the number on its own.
- Whether it has been graded. A graded piece arrives with its condition already settled by a third party, which is why graded pieces trade faster and for more. It is not a requirement for selling.
Where the value usually hides in an inherited collection
When a collection comes to us from a family rather than a collector, the valuable pieces are rarely the ones on display. They tend to be:
- The boxes nobody opened. A sealed playset or vehicle at the back of a closet is often worth more than everything on the shelf in front of it.
- The first wave of a line. Early figures were produced before anyone knew whether the line would sell, so there are fewer of them. Later waves were made in volume.
- The small parts. Weapons, helmets, backpacks, capes and stands. A complete loose figure can be worth several times an incomplete one, and those pieces end up loose in a drawer or a coffee can.
- The oddities. Mail-away figures, foreign releases with different card art, store exclusives, prototypes and samples. These are easy to mistake for ordinary and they are the pieces most often lost at a garage sale.
This is the practical argument for not sorting a collection before someone who knows the lines has looked at it. The most expensive mistake we see is a family separating figures from their accessories to make the photos tidier.
The lines we know best
This is where we buy, and where we can value a piece accurately from a photograph:
- Star Wars Kenner 1977 through the modern era, loose and carded
- G.I. Joe A Real American Hero and the 1960s 12-inch figures
- Transformers G1 forward
- Masters of the Universe, ThunderCats, SilverHawks, BraveStarr, M.A.S.K., Voltron, Robotech
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, Super Powers
- Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, TRON, Dune, Micronauts
- Mego, Remco and LEGO sets
For the lines we are asked about most we wrote a page each: Star Wars, Transformers, G.I. Joe, ThunderCats.
What we are not: a die-cast, doll or general antiques buyer. If the collection is mostly Tonka, Hot Wheels, Matchbox or dolls, a specialist in those will serve you better than we will, and we would rather say so now than waste a week of your time.
How to value a collection without becoming an expert
- Photograph it as it sits. Wide shots of shelves and bins first, then close-ups of anything carded, boxed or in a graded case. Include the back of any card.
- Do not clean or repair anything. A dusty original is worth more than a polished one. Household cleaners haze plastic bubbles permanently and glue ends a figure's value.
- Keep accessories with their figures. Even a coffee can of loose weapons is worth photographing rather than discarding.
- Check completed sales, not listings. What something actually sold for is the only price that means anything.
- Ask someone who buys these weekly. That part is free. Send photos and we will tell you what stands out, including when a specific piece is worth more to you sold on its own than in the lot.
Common questions
How do I find out what my old toys are worth?
Start with the four things that drive the number: which toy line it is, roughly what year it was made, whether it is still sealed on its original card or in its box, and whether it has been professionally graded. Completed sale prices tell you more than asking prices, because anyone can ask anything. If you would rather skip the research, send photos through the form on this page and we will tell you what we see.
Are toys from the 80s worth money?
Some are worth a great deal and most are worth a little, and the difference is usually condition rather than rarity. The same 1985 figure can be a few dollars loose with no accessories and several hundred sealed on a sharp card. The 80s lines we buy most are Star Wars, G.I. Joe, Transformers, Masters of the Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, ThunderCats, SilverHawks, M.A.S.K., Voltron and Robotech.
Does an opened toy have any value?
Yes. Loose figures are the bulk of most collections and they still sell, especially complete ones with their original accessories. A loose figure with its weapon, helmet or backpack is worth meaningfully more than the same figure without them, which is why it is worth checking the bottom of the box before anything gets thrown away.
What makes one action figure worth more than another?
Condition first, then scarcity. On a carded figure the grader looks at the card, the clear bubble and the figure separately, so a crease, a yellowed bubble or a price sticker all move the number. After that: short production runs, first-wave figures, regional or foreign releases, and characters that were popular then and still are now.
Should I get my toys appraised or graded before selling?
Usually not. Grading costs money and takes weeks to months, and on most pieces it returns less than it costs. It earns its keep on a sealed or carded figure already in strong condition that you plan to hold. We buy graded and ungraded alike. If you want the detail, read how toy grading works.
Do you buy Tonka trucks, Hot Wheels, Matchbox or dolls?
Those are not our specialty. We are an action figure and pop culture collectibles buyer: the toy lines listed on this page, from the 1970s through the early 2000s. If your collection is mostly die-cast cars or dolls you will do better with a buyer who specializes in them, and we would rather tell you that up front.
I inherited a collection and do not know what any of it is. Where do I start?
Do not sort it, clean it or throw anything out. Photograph the shelves and bins as they sit, open any closed boxes enough to photograph the contents, and send those photos. Identification is our job, not yours. The one thing worth doing first is keeping loose accessories with their figures.
Get a free valuation
Four short steps and at least one photo. We typically respond within 24 to 48 hours, and there is no obligation to sell anything.