If, as an appraiser you do a lot of estates, this might be an area which was in the past overlooked. Now there appears to be growing interest and values.
The Wall Street Journal reports
Source: The Wall Street JournalSomewhere between their first birthday and their first kiss, many children fall in love—with their toys. And it is a love affair that can last a lifetime.
For some investors and dealers, there is money in those old loves, as they look to reconnect people with the actual games that were consigned to memory (and the trash) so long ago. “When people want to relive their childhood, they will pay almost anything,” says Joyce Grant, founder of TimeWarpToys.com, an online vintage toy store that she operates from Phoenicia, N.Y. “It is crazy sometimes.”
To be sure, the market for vintage toys is diverse and presents collectors and investors with a number of potential hazards, including the risks of impulse buying or outrageous prices sought at auction. But collectors say disciplined and informed investors can make money in the vintage toy market—and have some fun along the way.
Valuable Qualities
While prices for certain collectible toys have soared recently, there are segments of the toy market still priced within reason that offer the potential for decent returns, experts say. One such segment is vintage games.
“Games are not in as much demand as some toys, but if they are attached to the right [licensed television, movie or comic-book franchise], they can go through the roof,” says Jordan Hembrough, a toy-collecting expert and founder of Hollywood Heroes Inc., a vintage toy dealer in Westwood, N.J. Mr. Hembrough hosted a TV show, Toy Hunter, that ran on the Travel Channel from 2012 to 2014.
Predicting which board games are poised to rise in value can be challenging. In general, however, games that are rare, feature an unusual twist or are tied to a franchise from a bygone era that is enjoying a resurgence in popularity tend to draw interest from collectors, dealers say. “Be aware of the media, and what is happening. Watch for movies and TV shows that are becoming hot,” Mr. Hembrough advises. And look for games in pristine condition. That can have a huge impact on prices.
Demand for vintage board games associated with the Universal Studios monster movies of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s has surged in recent years, inspired in part by rising interest in other collectibles from the same era, dealers say. Games in perfect condition featuring Dracula, Frankenstein or the Wolfman can fetch $1,000, says Mr. Hembrough. He says he sold a still-sealed 1963 Creature from the Black Lagoon game by Hasbro a few years ago for $2,000. A King Kong game from Ideal Corp., first published in 1976, might fetch as much as $100, but only if it is in immaculate condition, he says.
Ms. Grant of TimeWarpToys has noticed that demand for 1960s and 1970s games is growing. “Younger people are buying them for their parents,” she says. Her inventory includes a 1963 Jungle Hunt shooting game for $400. Ice Cube, a Milton Bradley game that employs actual ice cubes as playing pieces, goes for $325. And who can forget Mystery Date? “It sells for $200, in a nice box and complete,” she says.
Some games are collectible simply because they are unique. Which Witch?, a 3-D board game from the 1970s shaped like a haunted house, sold recently at Hollywood Heroes for $200, says Mr. Hembrough. It would have fetched $40 or $50 five years ago, but a growing appreciation for the unusual 3-D design drove up the price, he says. Green Ghost, a game from 1965 featuring glow-in-the dark pieces and notable because it was meant to be played in the dark, might command as much as $500, he says, calling it one of the most sought after games on the market not attached to a license.
Limited-edition versions of classic games can sometimes fetch good prices. Franklin Mint issued a version of Monopoly in 1991 that looked like the original 1935 Parker Brothers edition and had gold-plated charms. Mr. Hembrough says he sold one in December for $800, hundreds more than it would have sold for a few years earlier.
Like Sunday Dinners
For enthusiasts such as 42-year-old Frank Rucco, who grew up playing games like Battleship, Mouse Trap and Stratego in Yonkers, N.Y., “collecting games is all about trying to recapture a really cool moment in your life.”
Those games were like Sunday dinners in that they “brought the whole family together,” he says.
Mr. Rucco, who has dedicated a room in his Nanuet, N.Y., townhouse to the games of his youth, says the Facebook fan page of the Retroland TV channel offers inspiration on collecting and buying. His biggest piece of advice for collectors, though, is to “stay within your means.” The game you want will always be there later, he says.
Mr. Hembrough also offers a word of caution: “The collectible market, just like mutual funds or stocks, is not a sure thing. Nothing is ironclad.” Clearly, toys and comics shouldn’t be anyone’s only investment, he says. “As with everything, you want to be diversified.”
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