The 1990s saw the launch of many iconic gadgets, toys and games that many people still hold on to for a taste of nostalgia.
But childhood memories can also be worth a fortune.
Pokemon cards, Furbies and a Kawasaki-brand instrument are among the decades-old products that have sold for thousands of dollars at auction.
In fact, a rare Super Mario 64 game grossed more than a million dollars at a sales event, making it the most expensive video game in history.
Below are some valuable 90s toys that may be collecting dust in your home.
The Sax-A-Boom is a children’s toy instrument that regained popularity after Jack Black used it during live Tenacious D concerts
Kawasaki Sax-A-Boom
The Sax-A-Boom is a children’s toy instrument that became popular again after Jack Black used it during live Tenacious D concerts.
The instrument was initially marketed in 1998 by DSI Toys (which had the license to produce toys under the Kawasaki name) and has been discontinued for twenty years.
Due to the Jack Black connection, copies change hands on auction sites for hundreds of dollars.
Many owners are now selling the toy for around $700 when they probably bought it for around $20.
The toy came out around 1998 for about $20, but the current owners have sold it for about $700
The toy doesn’t work like a saxophone: instead, each of the eight buttons has a different musical loop that can be strung together into a song.
Pokemon Charizard Trading Card
Among Pokemon cards, Charizard has proven to be the most consistently valuable.
The ‘shadowless’ Charizard cards can sell for up to $299,000 on sites like eBay, making this the highest price ever paid for a basic Pokémon Charizard card.
The card was launched in 1999, but only 121 were made.
Among Pokemon cards, Charizard emerges as the most consistently valuable – and ’90s versions can fetch eye-watering sums. ‘Shadowless’ Charizard cards can sell for up to $299,000 on sites like eBay
The card was launched in 1999, but only 121 were made
Many Charizard cards are worth large sums of money, but (broadly speaking) shadowless 1st edition cards (i.e. from the first English edition) are typically worth more.
They’re not exactly the most expensive Pokemon cards; the 1998 Pikachu-Holo Illustrator card sold for $6,000,000, but only 20 exist.
Kid Cuisine Furby
Released in 1998, Furbies are electronic robot toys that can talk to children with just a few sentences.
Many of the talking robot creatures are collectibles, but none more so than the Kid Cuisine model offered by the frozen food brand.
The 1998 Furby was available as a promotion from the frozen food brand Kid Cuisine
Users could collect proof of purchase to get the special edition Furby.
Kids Cuisine Furbies now routinely change hands for more than $1,000, with some going as high as $2,500.
But other models can fetch hundreds, with Millennium Furbies often changing hands for more than $100.
DVD and VHS recorders
Many “flippers” (who find items cheap at yard sales and resell them online for more) swear by DVD and VHS recorders.
Combination devices with both DVD and VHS recorders are usually highly appreciated.
Combinations of VCRs and DVD players were first introduced around the year 1999
These can usually sell for $200 or even more if they are in good condition, as it is impossible to buy them new.
Devices with “special powers,” such as upscaling VHS tapes and outputting via HDMI, can sell for even more.
Super Mario 64 cartridge
In the summer of 2021, a rare factory-sealed Super Mario 64 game sold at auction for $1,560,000, becoming the most expensive game of all time.
Not every cartridge is valuable (Super Mario 64 often sells for $40), but if you have a sealed and unopened version, it could be worth thousands.
Sealed and unopened Mario 64 carts are worth a lot
Released in 1997, the game was the first Mario game to feature 3D gameplay and has become a classic, considered one of the best games of all time.
The Player’s Choice Edition is particularly valuable, but any plastic-sealed, unopened Super Mario 64 is worth paying a higher price and trying your luck on auction sites.
White and red ‘P1’ Tamagotchi
The squeaky ‘digital pet’ Tamagotchi was one of the iconic toys of the ’90s (and has since been relaunched and is a hit with kids today).
Original (known as ‘P1’ Tamagotchis) are among the most collectible Tamagotchis today – with white and red P1s having changed hands for up to $2500.
Some vintage Tamagotchi can fetch high prices
Other rare or special edition models sell for $100-$400.
Tamagotchi was released in the US in May 1997 and became an instant hit, selling more than 90 million copies worldwide.
‘Black Lotus’ Magic the Gathering card
A card that is effectively banned in competitive play for Magic the Gathering is the game’s most valuable – with two Black Lotus cards having sold at auction for $500,000.
Many other Magic the Gathering cards sell for hundreds or even thousands, but since billions of cards were printed, it’s worth going through a collection in search of rare or valuable cards (selling in bulk will yield low prices.
You can’t use it in competition, but it’s worth a LOT
Launched in 1993, the game pioneered the trading card game genre, with 50 million players worldwide today.
Black Lotus appeared in early editions of the game and allows the player to quickly earn mana (magic points) and cast spells before other players.
It is considered one of the most powerful cards in the game, but has been banned from most competitive tournaments.
First edition ‘Alpha’ Black Lotus cards routinely change hands for up to $100,000.
‘This is cool’ Sega Saturn
The ‘This is Cool’ model changes hands for large amounts of money
Sega’s Saturn never achieved the success of Nintendo’s rival N64, but one model is still highly collectible.
The console marked the beginning of the end of Sega’s dominance of the home console market, despite cult titles like Panzer Dragoon and Virtua Fighter.
But some models are particularly collectible, including the limited edition ‘This is Cool’ Saturn, with a translucent housing.
This is Cool consoles routinely change hands for up to $800, as only 30,000 were ever made.