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It has long been suspected that there is a great deal of money to be made in iconic and vintage toys. Most of us abused our toys and did really worry too much about their future value, but some people did, and were very careful with theirs. Whilst arguably we had more fun, the collectors have had the last laugh as antique toy prices reach an all time high.

A record increase of 8% in toy prices at auction was seen last year according to toy valuation experts Vectis. Even though you might think people would be watching their spending right now, toy sales at action reached a whopping $14 mil last year. According to Vectis the most expensive items to go under the hammer where Victorian rocking horses, vintage Hornby train sets and a couple of Georgian dolls houses. Those people selling the toys had most often inherited them from their great grandparents or found them hidden away in an attic or shed.

Another person who has noted the rise in toy sale prices is Sam Williams from the Toy Collectors Union. He argues that there is a serious lack of hand-crafted quality toys being made these days, and instead companies are opting for cheaper, mass-produced items.This means that the traditional products such as tin and wooden toys are becoming even rarer and thus more valuable. Don’t get carried away though he advises.There is still more movement to come in the toy market he says and unlike other collectables your toy items will only ever become more valuable.So the advice for now is hang on to those cherished rag dolls, Steiff bears and vintage toy car collection because there is more money to be made from them yet. Also, it’s worth checking the attic or the garage as you just might find a gem you didn’t know you had.