How Much Does Your Student Hobby Cost? A Guide to the Priciest Collectibles

Thursday May. 13th, 2021

 Have you ever had a low-key obsession with collecting something? If so, your shelves are probably packed with collectibles. Or, they sit somewhere in a box waiting for their time. In case you’re not attached to those items, you might be wondering if someone’s willing to pay handsomely for old toys or comic books. The good news is, the answer is most probably yes. Keep in mind, though: the cases of selling an item for several million dollars do happen once in a while, but they are rare. Still, a toy that costs a buck or two at a second-hand store can easily turn out to be worth several hundred dollars.

Where to Find Pricey Collectibles

Going straight to eBay may be tempting, but finding something valuable for $1 would be impossible there unless you know exactly what you are looking for. And money can be scarce in a student’s life, especially if you need to get help with studies, turning to the essay writing service EssayPro, or hiring a tutor. So, instead, check these places out:
• Your (or your parents’) attic. You probably collected something when you were a kid. These nostalgia-inducing items will likely find buyers who miss their childhood.

• Flea markets. Depending on the market itself, you can meet people selling old books, coins, etc. The price will depend on your luck: some items can be almost free while others will cost quite a fortune.

• Garage sales. This is another way people get rid of stuff they don’t need, so there can be a sweet deal hiding in there somewhere.

• Second-hand/charity/thrift stores. Prepare to get stuck there looking for rare items for hours. Contrary to popular belief, though, many of them are either a bit used or in mint condition.

4 Types of Collectibles that May Be Worth a Top Dollar

Say, you have a bit of money and you want to turn it into hundreds of dollars with a good investment. Apart from getting professional help with your studies (like hiring essay writers), consider getting into the collecting game. Here are four collectibles you should look out for.

1. Comic Books
Action Comics #1 featuring the first appearance of Superman holds the current record for the most expensive comic book. It was sold off an eBay auction for $3.2 million in 2014. Another copy of the same issue is worth $1.5 million – although the content is the same, this copy wasn’t in such a mint condition as its more expensive counterpart.Of course, it’s unlikely your childhood collection has such an expensive specimen. But if your old comic books are in good condition, they can easily be worth several hundred dollars. As always, the key is to find the right buyer.

2. Action Figures & Toys
The list of action figures and toys that can turn out to be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars is very, very long. Some limited-edition Beanie Babies were sold off for hundreds of thousands of dollars, like the one commemorating the death of Princess Diana ($500,000). Other honorable mentions include complete LEGO sets and separate rare LEGO pieces, Happy Meal toys, Star Wars action figures, and Barbie dolls. For example, something as small as a red LEGO Darth Vader helmet was sold off for $400.

3. Stamps
They are the most clichéd collectibles out there. When you hear someone’s a collector, your mind is 99% likely to present you with a mental picture of an album filled with stamps. However stereotypical collecting stamps is, they can be worth millions, too. (This would be enough not only to cover anyone’s tuition fees but also to get help with studies at EssayPro.com whenever needed.) The most expensive stamp ever sold off was the British Guiana 1c Magenta – it cost its buyer $10 million! Yet, some stamps may turn out to be practically worthless. To avoid putting together a collection only a bit more expensive than stamps’ original price (or underselling what you already have), you need to know your way around the topic. Still, most old - and rather rare - stamps can attract a buyer ready to give you a couple of hundred bucks for them.

4. Coins & Banknotes
The most expensive coin, the Flowing Hair dollar, was sold off for more than $10 million. The priciest banknote (1890 Grand Watermelon Bill), in its turn, cost its buyer around $3.3. million. When looking for the rarest coins and banknotes, keep an eye out for the ones that came as a limited edition (to commemorate an anniversary of a historic event, for example). Funnily enough, coins and banknotes made with some sort of imperfection are probably going to be worth more than their perfect counterparts.

What Makes the Price Tag So High?

Why do some toys get sold off for half a million while others can bring $10 in the best-case scenario? Well, three factors come into play when it comes to pricing:

• Rarity. If it was or still is a dime a dozen, forget about putting up a high price tag for it. The rarer the item is, the more it’s worth – that’s the basic rule. So, look out for limited-edition items or the ones that have some sort of imperfection.

• Condition. Tear-and-wear is inevitable if it was someone’s childhood toy, but it decreases the price. Make sure the items you intend to sell are in mint or at least good condition. The priciest items are the ones that are as good as new.

• Demand. Just because something is rare and in good condition, there’s no guarantee you’ll find a buyer. So, it all depends on who’s interested in what you have to sell.

How does one understand how much a collectible is worth? Turning to experts can help out. However, the most efficient way to know how much something is really worth is by putting it up on eBay.

At the end of the day, it’s not so much about what you think it’s worth; it’s all about how much someone is willing to pay for it.