You may have had one of these toys and may have found yourself getting bored with it after a few days of taking care of a small, annoying, electronic creature. It landed stateside in 1997 and sold for between $15 and $18 at retail. But now an original Tamagotchi has a listing price of $4,000 (colors are red and white, if you’re interested) on eBay.
A few others have been sold for $2,000 (white and green colors), and an ultra-rare white is selling for $1,629.99. Exorbitant prices for a bunch of beeping and digital poop.
China Cup
This piece can go as high as $36 million. Oh, baby, now we're getting into the good stuff! But don't pull your hair out if you gifted your mom's china set to a friend – that eye-popping number was for a one-of-a-kind Ming Dynasty teacup used by an emperor sometime in the fifteenth century. If you really had one of those lying around, pull away.
Most vintage China teacups go for reasonable prices, usually not more than a hundred dollars, but there are plenty if they're old enough and in good enough condition, that can get closer to that lofty number. A little closer.
Vintage Super Soaker gun
Oh! This is absolutely nostalgic. Owning a water gun back in the day meant fun for every kid on the street. It was a favorite pastime on hot summer days, whether you were having a water war or just sneaking up on unsuspecting passersby.
This Super Soaker is Lonnie Johnson’s recreational water gun, which is a rare vintage piece. Today, you can still find many sold on the market that are imitations of the original, but the first edition can be sold for up to $1,000. Nice!
First Edition Pound Puppies Plush
The Pound Puppies were a popular favorite back in the day. This toy was sold by Tonka in the 1980s, which later inspired a TV special, two animated TV shows, and a feature film. They usually came in a variety of plush stuffed dog dolls with cute floppy ears and droopy eyes.
When they were first made and finally released, kids started going crazy for them. If you look at the price of these toys today, a first edition version of this toy is so rare that you can sell it for $5,000 or maybe even more if you’re lucky.
Mason jars
A mason jar couldn't possibly command that much, could it? But you'd be surprised. While plenty of hip restaurants use them as a drinking class, weddings use them as shabby chic decorations; they used to be used to preserve fruits and other perishables when there weren't any fridges or freezers. Country Living says the most valuable jars come from between 1840 to 1920.
Brands like Cork-Top Jar, E-Z Seal by Atlas, the Self-Sealing jar by Kerr, and other specific models are worth a surprising amount. Take a peek in your cupboards and see if you've struck gold!