Beanie Babies sold for thousands of dollars at one point but you can now pick them up for pocket change.
You only have to visit your local supermarket while it is running a promotion for Aussie animal cards or Disney dominoes to see how quickly people get hooked on a collecting fad.
But for all the Shopkins, Pokemon cards, Beaniboos and every other current craze, there's one that has since lost its shine.
![Pokemon cards are the rage with kids, but the rarest cards are prized collectibles.](/web/20161113003345im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/m/x/t/d/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsmy99.png/1478825438783.jpg)
Here are some of the crazier things we've shelled out money for over the years.
Beanie Babies
Collecting small plush toys – what could go wrong?
Beanie Babies were cute ranges of colourful animals that first popped up in the 1990s. They were deliberately released in small numbers of each type, and were quickly touted as collectibles.
At one point, they are reported to have made up 10 per cent of eBay's sales.
People were urged to buy ten of each new Beanie Baby released and keep them in storage, if they could afford to do so.
Some, such as Stripes the Dark Tiger, were estimated to be worth US$1000 in 2008 – they sold for US$5 when first issued.
The appeal did not last, though, and anyone with a large collection is no longer sitting on a goldmine. Today, you can by Stripes online for less than US$7 ($9.20).
![Beanie Babies sold for thousands of dollars at one point but you can now pick them up for pocket change.](http://web.archive.org./web/20161113003345im_/http://www.smh.com.au/cqstatic/12z7v7/CollectBEANIE.jpg)
Beanie Babies sold for thousands of dollars at one point, but you can now pick them up for pocket change. Photo: supplied
Pet rocks
Proving people will pay money for just about anything, pet rocks became a craze in 1975.
Designed by California man Gary Dahl, the rocks were marketed like live pets in cardboxes with breathing holes. The boxes even included a manual to explain how to care for you pet rock.
Sales went through the roof before Christmas and more than 1.5 million were sold for US$3.95 each. Six months later, the fad was over.
![Gary Dahl, the marketer who invented Pet Rocks and started a craze.](http://web.archive.org./web/20161113003345im_/http://www.smh.com.au/cqstatic/12z7v7/collectPetZoo.jpg)
Gary Dahl, the marketer who invented Pet Rocks and started a craze. Photo: Mediaxpress
Troll dolls
Remember these uniquely unattractive plastic figurines with shocks of brightly coloured hair? They have had several incarnations – first in the 1960s, then again in bursts through the 1970s to the 1990s.
If you happen to have any in your cupboard, you could find you still get a buyer. According to eBay, trolls made before 1975 get the best prices. After that time, the market was flooded with cheap imitations.
The original trolls are reportedly worth more than £100 ($165) each. If you find a really unusual one, you can still get a lot more.
![Troll dolls have been around since the 1960s and this year spawned a film.](http://web.archive.org./web/20161113003345im_/http://www.smh.com.au/cqstatic/12z7v7/collectTROLL.jpg)
Troll dolls have been around since the 1960s and this year spawned a film, which might trigger a revival. Photo: Kitty Hill
Stamps
While there is still a strong community of stamp collectors at the moment, Mowbray expects that it may become extinct eventually. Collectors have been hoarding stamps for nearly 180 years but now that very little mail is sent with a stamp on it, there is not so much interest in collecting among younger people. "It's difficult for younger people to get enthused about collecting stamps because they don't see them to admire them," Mowbray said.
But he said many older people who had collected through their lives were now retired with a bit of disposable income to buy what they liked.
Rare stamps can still be valuable, but their collector appeal is fading. Photo: Simon Alekna
An unissued British King Edward VII stamp from 1901 was sold in Milan last month for US$86,600.
"Stamps have solid collector interest but eventually we will get to a situation where stamps cease to be used and what happens then, I don't know," Mowbray said.
A stamp printed in large numbers will rarely have much value. The condition is key to its resale price.
Mowbray said a similar trend was being seen with coins – while younger people still collected coins they were becoming less a part of everyday life as electronic transfers of money took over.
Stuff NZ
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