So I'm knee-deep in my attic yesterday, right? Trying to find my old Nintendo stuff for my nephew. Total mess. Dust bunnies the size of actual bunnies. Then I kick this box and hear this weird rattle. Plastic on plastic. Pull it out, sneezing like crazy, and it's full of my old 90s crap. Action figures, game cartridges, even some Happy Meal toys still in the wrapper. Wild.
Stumbling on the Old Stuff
I just dumped it all out on the rug downstairs. Felt like I was ten again. Picking through it all, most of it looked like… well, junk. Faded colors, chewed on by something (hopefully just me as a kid), missing parts. But then I spotted it. My original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leo figure. The one with the bandana. Thing looked rough. Paint chipped, leg loose. But, I remembered hearing something online about old toys maybe being worth cash. Figured, what the hell? Might as well look it up.
The "Research" Part (Mostly Googling While Covered in Dust)
Grabbed my laptop, still wiping dust off my hands onto my pants. Started simple. Typed "is old tmnt leonardo worth money" into the search bar. Honestly expecting nothing. Got slammed with results. Articles, forum posts. People geeking out hardcore over plastic. Key things popped up:
- Condition is King: Mint in box? Gold. Like finding a diamond in a dumpster. Mine? Played with. Hard. So, not gold.
- Weird Specifics Matter: Which Leo? Is it the one with the real bandana? Mine is! But... again, condition sucks.
- Packaging is EVERYTHING: Cardboard backing? Plastic bubble? Stuff I ripped off faster than Christmas paper? Yep. Those things turn a $5 beat-up figure into a $100 or more collector piece. Mine? Loose. No packaging at all.
Got sucked down the rabbit hole. Had to check my other stuff.
The Garage Sale Gold (Maybe?) Dig
Started seriously sorting the junk pile.
- Found a couple old McDonald's Transformers burgers. Still folded up. Forgot they even existed.
- Spotted my original Game Boy! Battery cover missing. Screen kinda yellow. But it powered on! Tetris music still slapped.
- Pulled out a weird squishy alien-looking thing – Street Sharks! Jawesome!
- Buried under some ratty comics was a sealed Tamagotchi! Remember those stupid egg pets? This one was purple, still had the little plastic tab in the battery.
Figuring Out If Any Were Actually Worth More Than Sentimental Value
This took the longest. Google, eBay "sold" listings (filters on!), collector forums. Had to be careful. Some sites scream EVERYTHING IS WORTH THOUSANDS!!! Probably so you buy their guide.
- My beat-up TMNT Leo? Maybe $8-$15. To someone collecting specific characters or parts. Not retiring on it.
- The Maccas Transformers? Common. Couple bucks each.
- Original Game Boy? Working condition? Even yellowed? Looks like $20-$40. More if pristine. Mine ain't.
- Street Shark? About $10 loose. More complete with accessory? Mine has fins only.
- The Tamagotchi? That's where it got interesting. Sealed? Purple P2? Listings showed $60-$80 sold. Actual money sitting in a dusty attic box! Forgot birthdays exist.
What Actually Happened?
Felt a mix of emotions. Mostly regret at my destructive childhood self! Also, mild excitement about the stupid egg. Didn't sell anything yet. Honestly, kinda nostalgic now. Put most of it back in the box, except for:
- The Tamagotchi. That's getting listed for sure. Gotta figure out how to ship it safely.
- The Game Boy. Might keep it? Tetris calls.
- One random Street Shark. Looks cool on my shelf now.
Lesson learned? Maybe next time my parents nag me about cleaning the attic, I'll do it faster. There might literally be cash sitting up there, hidden in Happy Meal toys and forgotten electronic pets. Who knew?
