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The 90s phenomenon is incredibly sought after
An iconic childhood toy is now worth thousands of dollars and it’s blowing peoples’ minds.
Whether it’s classic DVDs, vintage Barbies or 90s gadgets, there’s always someone out there willing to buy what you don’t want anymore.
A copy of the iconic film 28 Days Later was recently sold for $110 in the US. Even crazier is The Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection, which goes on eBay for a whopping £750. So it’s worth digging through your DVD collection to see if any gems are hiding inside.
One 90s gadget in particular now sells for some serious money — the Tamagotchi.
First launched by Bandai in Japan in 1996 (and soon hitting the US market in 1997), the first Tamagotchi had a tiny 32×16 pixel screen and just three small buttons. The idea was simple but addictive — use your three buttons to look after your Tamagotchi by feeding it, playing with it, turning the lights on and off, and cleaning up after it. Yes, even its poop.
This tiny creature in a minuscule screen became a huge phenomenon, making its way into school classrooms worldwide well into the 2000s.
If you have one in its original packaging (especially a rare limited edition), you could be sitting on a goldmine.
A quick eBay search shows the riches of retro Tamagotchis.
One listing titled ‘BANDAI TAMAGOTCHI CONNECTION V5.5 PAPARAZZI VERSION NEW SEALED Ultra Rare BNIB’ is still in its original packaging and is on offer for £1,499.99.
Another, listed as ‘Bandai Tamagotchi Connection Girls Rock V4.5 Original Virtual Pet FACTORY SEALED’, is being offered for $899.99.
For a gadget that you could once purchase for around $8 – $15, these prices are staggering. Reddit users share the sentiment.
Posting on the subreddit r/tamagotchi, one user wrote: “It’s quite bizarre how the prices for Tamagotchis vary nowadays. Looking at my two Tamagotchi Connections v2 and v3, which I bought for $8 USD, in contrast to another Tamagotchi Connection v4.5 that I purchased for $85.29 USD. I understand that prices can differ based on the version and shell design, but I can’t approve of the fact that some prices are exorbitantly high, to the point of being abnormal.”
They continued: “I saw a Tamagotchi Connection v4.5 that was priced at $473.35 USD, even more than I paid for mine. People, are you serious? A toy shouldn’t cost that much. I know it’s because of the large fan community and collectors driving up Tamagotchi prices, but it shouldn’t be this way.”
Another upset Tamagotchi fan replied: “The rise of interest from adult collectors is what generates market rates. It’s hard to watch the greed go unchecked at points.”
