OK bestie. It’s time to take a break from your daily doomscroll and give yourself a moment to think about something other than what seems like the hundredth food recall in the past month. We promise there’ll be plenty of time to spiral later, but for now, consider this your opportunity to pause and indulge in some much-needed ’90s nostalgia. And what specific brand of sentimentality are we talking about today, you ask? Cereal box toys.
You know the ones you used to dig around for at the bottom of the box, hoping you got exactly the one you wanted? Well, it appears that those hunks of plastic modeled after our favorite cartoon characters might actually be worth some serious cash today. We’re talking in the neighborhood of up to $60 per toy in some cases. How’s that for a distraction?
Whether you’ve got a pristine collection out on display or you’ve stuffed your once-prized possessions into a cardboard box that’s now turned into a ’90s time capsule, you could be secretly sitting on a gold mine.
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And luckily for you, we’ve done a little digging for you to find out just how much moolah you could potentially net from your vintage ’90s cereal box toys. So, kick back, put on your favorite episode of The Wild Thornberrys and read on to find out which are the most valuable ’90s cereal box toys today.
Why ’90s Cereal Box Prizes Are Highly Collectible Today
Before we get into all the deets, though, let’s talk about why ’90s cereal box toys are so sought after today. Although you’d be hard-pressed to find toys in cereal boxes today, during the pre-Y2K era of the ’90s, cereal toys were arguably at their heyday. Kids (yours truly included) went feral for these elusive collector’s items, and no matter how quickly the appeal wore off, they were our entire world back then.
Today, nostalgia-starved millennials have helped spark renewed interest in these long-forgotten relics of the ’90s, and the buzz is driving prices for toys in mint condition to tick steadily upward. The good news is, you can cash in if you’ve got some of the more valuable prizes lying around somewhere.
Related: 6 Store-Bought Ice Cream Treats That Will Transport You Back to the ’90s
The Most Valuable ’90s Cereal Box Toys, Ranked
Mom won’t mind if we raid the attic next weekend, right? Here are the most valuable ’90s cereal box toys today. See if any of the below are in your stash for serious cash.
1. Kellogg’s Aladdin Magic Color-Changing Spoons
There’s no denying that Aladdin is one of the most magical Disney movies of all time, and if given the chance, we’d love to take our own magic carpet ride. Unfortunately, magic carpets aren’t exactly cereal box-sized. Thankfully, Kellogg’s had a better idea: Magic Color-Changing Spoons. These figural plastic spoons used the magic of thermochromic pigment to change color when they came into contact with cold milk. It was a stroke of marketing genius, and today you can find individual spoons on eBay for upward of $20. By that math, the entire set of four could potentially net you $80.
2. Kellogg’s Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Mini Busts
The original 1977 Star Wars movie predates some of us millennials by a few years, but most of us remember 1999’s Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. If not for the iconic three-way lightsaber fight scene better known as the “Duel of the Fates” or the introduction of Darth Maul and his epic dual-sided lightsaber, then definitely for the marketing campaign that included Kellogg’s putting mini character busts into boxes of cereal. The collection featured a whopping 10 characters, each turned into a bite-sized statue with facts about it scrawled on a scroll hidden inside. Today, you can find individual characters with the scrolls going for upward of $10, with more complete sets fetching $30 to $50, depending on their condition.
3. Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Wrist Watches
View this post on InstagramIt’s a shame that kids these days will never know the joy of enjoying Rice Krispies Treats Cereal or the main character feeling of sporting a Rice Krispies Wrist Watch that you had to mail in your proof of purchase for to get (thanks Mom and Dad). These now highly sought-after timepieces were all the rage in the ’90s, with Kellogg’s stuffing some into specially marked boxes or allowing fans to acquire one by mail. The ones in the box were typically colorful, plastic character watches modeled after the eponymous Snap, Crackle and Pop characters, while the mail-in version was a bit more elevated-looking. Either way, these watches in pristine condition today can go for anywhere between $10 and $40, which is definitely a net positive.
4. Kellogg’s Breakfast Bunch Bean Bag Toys
Although nothing compares to dumping all the cereal out of a bag to find the toy hiding inside, there was something just as exhilarating about mailing off your proof of purchase and then frantically checking the mailbox every day to see if your prize had arrived. And back in the ’90s, these bean bag toys—better known as the Breakfast Bunch—were well worth the wait. Each one was modeled after an iconic Kellogg’s mascot like Tony the Tiger or Toucan Sam. Today, these adorable plushies resale for anywhere between $5 to $30, with more complete sets generating the most cash.
Related: 8 Kitchen Gadgets Every ’90s Mom Had on Her Counter (That Actually Worked Better)
Does Opening the Package Ruin the Toy’s Value?
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Now that you know which toys are the most valuable ones in your collection, you’re probably wondering if they need to be in their original packaging or not to be worth anything. We get it, we weren’t exactly thinking about the resale value of our cereal box toys while we were scarfing down Froot Loops. The good news is that while unopened toys in their original packaging are typically worth more money, you can still sell opened toys for a relatively decent price. Sure, you’ll get a bit more for toys in mint condition, but as long as it’s not totally scuffed up or destroyed, you’ll still walk away with a little extra cash.
How to Appraise and Sell Your Vintage Cereal Toys
Photo by Erik LeFebvre on Unsplash
When it comes to selling your prized collection of cereal box toys, you’ll definitely want to assess their value before you do anything. Although they might hold outsized value to you, nostalgia doesn’t always translate to dollar signs. You can figure out what to price your collection at by finding comparable items in similar condition on eBay or Etsy, then landing on a number.
You could also take your toys to a pawn shop, although you may not get a fair deal in terms of their actual value. Once you know how much they could potentially sell for, you’ll want to take high-quality photos and upload them to your resale site of choice. Make sure to note any marks or scuffs, as well as any notable features, such as the original packaging or limited-run status. From there, all you have to do is wait for the moolah to start rolling in.
See, wasn’t that a much-needed and informative break in your day? Now you can doomscroll and make money at the same time! How’s that for multitasking?
Related: Check Your Cabinets: These ’90s Fast-Food Glasses Are Now Worth Hundreds
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