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Princess Diana Beanie Baby
Even for those without children, the annual quest for the perfect holiday gift can seem daunting. To lighten the mood, let’s take a nostalgic stroll through the iconic toys of past Christmases and discover their current market value.
The Beanie Babies craze of the 1990s remains unforgettable. Though most of these tiny, pellet-filled plush toys didn’t turn out to be as valuable as once promised, certain editions have held their worth over time. Notably, the Princess Diana Beanie Baby—created to honor the late Princess of Wales—was a particularly coveted item.
A Princess Diana commemorative Beanie Baby (AP Photo/Michael S. Green)
Although the Princess bear was a rarity at release, demand led to increased production, lessening the item’s overall value.
Currently, you can get a Princess Diana Beanie Baby on eBay for anywhere between $11-30. As with all collectibles, however, condition and details do increase value. Antiques appraiser Lori Verderame told People in August that some bears had PVC pellets inside, while others had pellets made of different materials, offering a different feel. Verderame explained that other details, like variations in the bear’s eyes, nose or mouth — in addition to country of origin — can make a bear more valuable.
Currently, the most expensive bears on eBay are priced at $1 million (and slightly over), as these listings indicate various rarities signature to that item. British royal memorabilia expert Tracy Martin also told Reader’s Digest in May that the most valuable Princess Diana bear is an Indonesian-made item that’s also rare to be seen on the market. Martin says that while you certainly will see million-dollar price tags for some bears, realistically, the highest a seller should expect to sell their bear for is around $266 — including the Indonesian one.
Nintendo Game Boy
First released in 1989, the Game Boy handheld console from Nintendo (and its subsequent models) have sold over 100 million units over the years, Nintendo says. While there’s little information from appraisers on the actual value of a brand-new sealed original Game Boy, eBay listings for this particular sealed handheld range from around $4,000 to $120,000. Working original Game Boys can be found starting at around $70, though even these may have issues. Refurbished original Game Boys can also be found, with prices starting around $200 and up.
Hand-held game console with ‘Tetris’ game cartridge, made by Nintendo, Japan. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)
Through research, however, it became clear that the actual valuable things around the Nintendo Game Boy are the games, some of which were much rarer.
Among the most valuable (and rare) games include a 1993 side-scrolling game based on the “Beethoven” movies, the “F1 Pole Position” racing game, and “Amazing Tater,” a 1991 puzzle game published by Atlus. As reported by Game Rant in February, these games are priced in the multiple thousands if they’re in “complete in box” and “new” condition. On the highest end, an opened “Amazing Tater” game with the box can fetch around $4,000, while a new one goes for around $9,200, per Game Rant. Currently, there are few “Amazing Tater” original games for sale on eBay but a complete in-box can be found for $6,000, and a loose “Amazing Tater” cartridge is available for $502.44.
Tickle Me Elmo
As you can well see from this list, the 1990s were chock-full of toy mania, but perhaps no mania was as ferocious as 1996’s Tickle Me Elmo fever. The laughing plush doll made by Tyco retailed for around $30 and, strangely enough, wasn’t an instant success upon release. As UPROXX reports, the toy received a huge marketing push after it was prominently featured on then-daytime hit “The Rosie O’Donnell Show.” Subsequent TV spots and commercials eventually kicked the sensation into a frenzy.
By Black Friday 1996, Tickle Me Elmo was the toy every shopper hoped to get their hands on, and most stores couldn’t keep them in stock — there were even well-documented public fights over the toys. All of this led to high-dollar scalping (priced up to $5,000 and more, The New York Times reported), auctions, and unbelievable trades.
These days, an original brand-new Tickle Me Elmo in its original packaging will run between $400-$600 on eBay. A used but in good condition Tickle Me Elmo (with original packaging), meanwhile, runs around $250. An unpackaged, used original Tickle Me Elmo can be found for a lot cheaper, obviously, and is typically priced around $50-$70. That said, new Elmo toys are still being made, so it doesn’t appear anyone besides collectors will be paying these prices.
Tyco’s Tickle Me Elmo doll, popular toy in short supply for Christmas demand. (Photo by James Keyser/Getty Images) Furby
Perhaps the most iconically ’90s toy on this list is Tiger Electronics’ Furby, the robotic furry alien (?) that was a hot toy for multiple Christmas seasons in the late ’90s/early 2000s. Launched in October 1998 and sold for around $35, Furby was one of the first successful robot toys, and its ability to learn English-language phrases (in addition to speaking “Furbish”) was a key selling point.
Furby ultimately would go on to sell nearly 16 million units by 1999.
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 1: Furby, an electronic robotic toy resembling a hamster or owl-like creature, is photographed December 1, 1998 in New York City. (Photo by Yvonne Hemsey/Getty Images)
But the Furby craze wasn’t without controversy.
A few concerns about the original Furby were its lack of an “off” switch, which led to middle-of-the-night wake-ups, CNN reports. In addition to some early-internet message board horror stories of creepy Furby behaviors, there were also concerns over surveillance, resulting in the NSA banning Furbys from its headquarters. As explained by the Federal Aviation Administration (which also had its own issues with the toys), consumers and governmental officials alike initially believed Furby was able to record audio. In actuality, the toys only had a pre-programmed vocabulary of 200 English and Furbish words, according to Time.
Today, the Furby resale market varies in prices and options, due to the fact that Tiger Electronics made dozens of variations and limited editions of the toy. These limited and rare editions are the highest-priced Furbys you’ll find on eBay. This includes a brand new unopened “Kid Cuisine Furby,” (which could be obtained by sending 10 Kid Cuisine proofs of purchase), which is now priced at $40,000. The next highest-priced Furby is a brand new limited edition “Graduation Furby” for $10,000. Meanwhile, prices for a brand-new, still-in-box regular Furby will hover around $1,500.
Finally, Furby mania also translated into McDonald’s Happy Meal toys, and a complete set of all 80 McDonald’s Furbys (or “McFurbys”) sells for about $1,000, while you can purchase a handful for $50-$100.
