When we talk about toys, we refer to an object designed to entertain and amuse children, distract them, or develop specific capacities in their physical, emotional, and social aspects.
Parents are always willing to look for the perfect toy for their children, regardless of the cost involved. Throughout time, a series of toys have been designed whose value has passed the limits. To know some of them, we will show you, in this article, the 10 most expensive toys in history.
The most expensive toys in history
They often bring to the market some unique toys designed to be collected or auctioned to collaborate with some charitable cause. Therefore, they have a precious cost for some collectors of exclusive objects and, thus, become worth an exorbitant amount of money.
In this case, we are talking about exclusive toys manufactured not to fulfill their entertainment function but to have them as a relic that children cannot use to play. Because of this, their cost is very high, so they are acquired only by people dedicated to their collection.
Barbie Diamonds
Undoubtedly, Barbie dolls have been the favorite of girls, boys, and collectors since they went on sale in 1959. Until today, markets and stores have had a great variety in their windows. This doll has all kinds of dresses, accessories, and hair colors. In addition, it has different cars, houses, or objects representing different professions, which leads everyone to dream big for the future.
Barbie Diamonds was created in 2007 by jewelry designer Stefano Canturi to commemorate the launch of the Barbie Basics Collection in Australia. She has a black evening gown and a diamond necklace with an incredible 1-carat Australian Argyle pink diamond in the center.
She also has three carats in white diamonds, and her hairstyle and make-up were very carefully and expertly done. Because of all these luxurious objects, she was auctioned in 2010 for 302,000 dollars. Then it was donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which researches breast cancer, considered the first cause of death worldwide.
1969 Volkswagen beach cruiser
Hot Wheels is a line of scale toy cars from the American firm Mattel. They are made of pressurized plastics and metal, and their finishes are very similar to real cars, so they captivate the attention of children of any age. Came to the market in 1968 and has become a favorite of children and adults.
This brand made a prototype called Volkswagen beach style 1969, including two surfboards in the back. This toy was discontinued because its strange design would not be functional for the race tracks made by Mattel. On the contrary, it attracted collectors’ attention. Bruce Pascal, a famous Hot Wheels fan, paid 100,000 dollars for this beautiful and different car that is no longer on the market.
GI JOE Toy Soldier
To honor World War II veterans who defended their country, Stanley Weston, an American inventor, and licensing agent, decided to create a line of military dolls. It was designed for the exclusive use of children in 1963. And intended to compete directly with Barbie dolls, but this time, it focused on the male audience.
It was initially intended to be a line of figures for a television show. Still, the idea ended up attracting the Hasbro toy company. Don Levine, the company’s head of research and development, designed a 28-centimeter doll with 28 moving parts and dressed in a military uniform and accessories such as guns, helmets, and vehicles. Over time, several GI Joe dolls were created, but this first soldier was sold at an auction in Dallas, Texas, for the amount of 200,000 dollars in 2003.
Steiff Teddy Bear
Teddy bears are undoubtedly one of the toys most appreciated by children. They are considered inseparable friends, especially at bedtime, because children feel more accompanied by their side.
The Steiff company is one of the teddy bear manufacturers with the most extended history and tradition in the world. It is responsible for the creation of many bears. It is a very peculiar one characterized by presenting its body made of gold, and its eyes are two sapphires encrusted with diamonds. It is estimated that this company released around 125 bears with these characteristics for 193,000 dollars.
HMS Battleship
Märklin is a German toy company founded in 1859 and headquartered in Göppingen, Baden-Württemberg. Although it initially specialized in dollhouse accessories, it eventually began to make model railroads and technical toys. In 1905, this brand created the HMS Battleship steamship, purchased by a toy collector at auction for $122,600, making it the most expensive toy in history in the United Kingdom and worldwide.
All-terrain junior car
The dream of many children is to have a car and, above all, to drive it like a professional. With this in mind, a tremendous small-sized car running gasoline was manufactured. Its structure is fiberglass; it can be driven on any terrain and has a value of around 50,000 dollars. The seats are upholstered like a real ones.
Diamond Hot Wheels
We return to the line of mini cars, Hot Wheels. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of this brand, a car covered with 2,700 diamonds encrusted on a white gold body has been designed. Red rubies and black and white diamonds have been used for the logo. The design was made by a famous Beverly Hills jewelry designer named Jason Arasheben. It is valued at 140,000 dollars as the occasion deserved it.
Game Boy of 18 carats
Suppose there is one thing that some of these exclusive toys have in common. In that case, it is that they have a luxurious element, such as jewels, diamonds, and in this case, gold plating. Handheld consoles are significant as they allow you to play anywhere without needing to be connected to electrical power.
It is a lightweight electronic device that has the controls, screen, speakers, and battery integrated into the same unit and all with a small size. Nintendo is the company that popularized the handheld game console concept with the Game Boy launch in 1989.
Many of these models are incredible. But there is one that surpasses all imagination. The Game Boy is made entirely in 18-carat gold; several brilliant diamonds are housed on its screen. It was created in the London store Asprey and has a value of 25,000 dollars.
Family Fun Fitness
The Power Pad, Family Trainer, or Family Fun Fitness, is a gray-colored mat that has twelve pressure sensors embedded between two layers of flexible plastics. It was developed by the Japanese company Bandai. Its gameplay focused on Olympic disciplines such as 100-meter hurdles, triple jump, 100-meter hurdles, and long jump. When Nintendo bought Bandai, they completely got rid of this game, making it one of the rarest video games ever, worth $22,800.
GI Joe Manimals
The last place is starred again by GI Joe, only this time, some figures called GI Joe Manimals were released, which were soldiers with animal faces. The success was not as expected, so they stopped producing them in 1995. The few manufactured became a challenging product to find, so its value can be around 20,000 dollars.