When Emma Westbrook was 8, Beanie Babies sparked her childhood imagination about owning a zoo. Last year, those same toys paid a month of her rent. When clearing out the basement of her parents’ suburban Houston home, the 26-year-old found her beloved Beanie Babies in two 27-gallon airtight plastic boxes, buried under years of cobwebs and dust. Little did she know nostalgic Americans were scouring the Internet, looking for the childhood favorites. That demand sent the value of her buried knick-knacks into the stratosphere. In June, she sold a pink limited-edition Beanie Baby named Valentina for $350. Barbies, Lego sets and dollhouses brought her total to $720, nearly equaling her monthly rent. Like Westbrook, your toys — once ripped from Christmas wrapping and left to gather dust in the attic — could help pay off your student loans, pay for your next vacation, or pay down some of your debt. Buyers are willing to shell out top dollar for the right items, especially brand-name toys, comics and books. A copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 — the 1962 comic featuring Spider-Man's debut — sold for $3.6 million at auction, while Transformer Toys sold for $20,000. First-edition Harry Potter books have commanded $50,000 payouts, and Barbie dolls are listed on eBay for anywhere from $20 to $500. Old tech is just as popular, with Apple devices like the first iPhone ballooning into five figures. Even vintage iPods, floppy-disc video games, and unopened Sega cartridges are attracting big bucks. Not everything that comes out of the attic is valuable. Collectors have one simple rule: condition is king. Mint condition items in original boxes can be worth 10 times more than the same toy that's been played with. So, rummage through your basement, attic, or the spare bedroom closet and see if there’s something that’s been collecting dust that could be padding your bank account.
