Once a beloved hobby, collecting saw people spending years amassing items they believed would either hold sentimental value or appreciate in worth. Unfortunately, not everything ages like fine wine. Many of these once-popular collectibles have lost nearly all of their value, leaving collectors wondering why they ever invested in them.
Here are the items that used to be treasured but are now practically worthless.
Beanie Babies
At one point, these stuffed toy animals were considered a goldmine. Collectors believed they were investing in future riches, with some rare Beanie Babies selling for thousands. People hoarded them, thinking their value would only increase. The market became saturated with new models, then crashed.
Today, most Beanie Babies are worth little more than their original retail price.
Baseball Cards from the 1980s and 1990s
There was a time when baseball cards were seen as investments. Kids and adults alike stored them carefully, dreaming of a future payday. However, card companies printed them in massive quantities, making them far too common. The rarity that gave older cards value didn’t exist for these later editions.
Unless you have a particularly rare or error card, baseball cards from this era are worth mere pennies.
Cabbage Patch Kids
These dolls were a cultural phenomenon in the 1980s. Parents fought over them in stores, and kids cherished them like treasures. Collectors thought they would become valuable, but with millions produced and still in circulation, the demand has plummeted. Unless you have an ultra-rare or original model in pristine condition, they only have sentimental value.
Commemorative Plates
Many people purchased commemorative plates in hopes of them appreciating in value. Companies marketed them as limited-edition collectibles, often featuring famous figures or historical events. However, most collectors have no interest in them today. Antique shops and thrift stores are full of these plates, often priced far below what people originally paid. Most are now worth next to nothing.
VHS Tapes
When DVDs and streaming services took over, VHS tapes became obsolete. Optimistic collectors hoped that certain rare VHS editions would increase in value, but they didn’t. While a few select movies, like rare horror films, hold some value, most VHS tapes are worthless. Even charities often refuse to accept them as donations, leaving collectors with old tapes they can’t even give away.
Hummel Figurines
Once considered a sign of sophistication and a treasured collector’s item, Hummel figurines have lost their value. These porcelain figurines, depicting children in quaint, old-fashioned settings, were mass-produced for decades.
Older generations held onto them, expecting them to be worth a fortune. However, younger buyers have no interest in them, and the supply far exceeds demand.
Precious Moments Figurines
Similar to Hummel figurines, Precious Moments were once seen as valuable. These pastel-colored, sentimental figurines were popular, but that popularity led to mass production. The market was flooded with them, and collectors aren’t interested.
Today, you can find them for next to nothing in thrift stores and second-hand shops.
Norman Rockwell Plates
For years, people bought Norman Rockwell collector’s plates, thinking they were investing in something special. The artwork was beloved, and the plates were marketed as limited editions. However, like other commemorative plates, they were produced in huge numbers, making them far too common.
Pogs
In the 1990s, kids couldn’t get enough of Pogs. These cardboard discs were part of a popular game, and rare designs were highly sought after. Collectors scrambled to get complete sets, assuming their worth would skyrocket. That didn’t happen.
As the craze faded, so did their value. Today, even large collections of Pogs are worth very little.
Longaberger Baskets
These handmade baskets were a massive trend in the 1990s and early 2000s. Collectors paid high prices, believing they were investing in a product that would appreciate over time. Then, the market collapsed, and demand fell dramatically. They are still well-crafted, but their resale value has plummeted.
McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys
A huge part of many childhoods, McDonald’s Happy Meal toys were popular and some collectors believed rare editions would become highly valuable. A handful of unique or factory-error toys do hold some worth, but most are practically worthless. Millions of these toys were produced and handed out worldwide, making them too common
Avon Bottles
For decades, Avon sold perfumes in decorative bottles shaped like cars, animals, and other novelty designs. Collectors amassed shelves full of these, assuming they would become valuable one day.
But that day never arrived. The sheer number of Avon bottles available, combined with declining interest, has left them nearly worthless. Most can be picked up at flea markets or yard sales for just a few dollars each.
Royal Doulton Figurines
Much like Hummel and Precious Moments figurines, Royal Doulton collectibles were once seen as prestigious. They were given as gifts and kept as treasured keepsakes, but their value has plummeted. The demand for porcelain figurines has all but vanished, leaving these once-expensive pieces to be sold for a fraction of their original cost.
Unless you have a particularly rare model, most Royal Doulton figurines aren’t worth much at all.