I’m sure I’m far from being the only person who has looked through completed auctions on eBay and discovered that something they either threw away, gave away, or sold for next-to-nothing a few years ago is now worth a small fortune.

I remember that when we moved house in 1984 my collection of music magazines dating back to the mid sixties ended up in a skip with all the other ‘rubbish’ that was not considered worthy of space in our new home. As NMEs from the 60s and 70s now regularly sell on eBay for between £30 and £40 a copy, that collection would be worth thousands now!

However, I digress. Magazines may well be the subject of a future article but it is toys from the 70s that I want to talk about today. While browsing completed auctions I noticed a Fisher Price Action Garage complete with its original (but rather battered) box which had sold for just over £57.

A search for more Fisher Price completed auctions revealed a Play Family Hospital (also complete with damaged box) which sold for £60, a cash register which sold for £38.50 and a Play Family Airport which sold for £34.50.

I also recall my sons having had a Fisher Price Record Player and there were several of these on eBay, most having sold for between £21 and £25.

Being made of tough plastic and virtually unbreakable, most of these toys will have survived the rough treatment they inevitably received from their young owners, so there should still be plenty of them around today. Are any of them tucked away at the back of your attic or garage?

I can’t remember what happened to my sons’ toys. They were probably either passed on to their younger cousins or given to the charity shop

I will certainly be keeping my eyes open for such items on future visits to flea markets and charity shops.

And if you are a young parent, take my advice: when your little ones outgrow their Fisher Price toys, don’t pass them on to their younger cousins or friends, stash them away in the attic. By 2035 they could be worth a small fortune

Posted in Selling Ideas